2014 December 1

Not a pond or even a lake, it's really a sea with a mean streak

I’m writing this on the “today” mentioned in the above excerpt from the NOAA marine forecast, which is October 31, 2014. That is the deadline for this column, and I had better get going, but I am being distracted by the view through my office window, a scene rendered in pewter of a street shrouded in metallic gray with a sturdy maple tree bending in the burgeoning gale as its last few leaves become unmoored to join the horizontal flight of passing snowflakes.

2014 November 21

It's nothing new that America's Cup shenanigans stack the deck

By Chris Caswell

Let’s just let Larry keep the America’s Cup. Really, if it means so much to him that he’s willing to buy a yacht club, rewrite the rules to gain a huge advantage and even create a team willing to cheat, well, just let him have it.

2014 November 10

Flotation buys time when the unthinkable happens to sailors

By Nick Hayes

When we reached the man in the water and made eye contact, it was clear to the entire crew that we would only have one chance and a few minutes at rescue. He was still treading water and aware of his

2014 November 10

The rime of this mariner is haunted by a bird on a wand

By Bill Schanen

The Ancient Mariner’s albatross hangs from his neck. My albatross hangs on to my wand—the one mounted on the masthead of my boat. Back to big-bird obsessions soon. But first, a quiz. What is the

2014 October 1

Olympic sailing in the time of cholera puts athletes in jeopardy

By Chris Caswell

Sailors competing in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil are going to have an excellent chance of not only bringing home lifetime treasures such as gold, silver and bronze medals, bu

2014 October 1

Amid the quiet and the dark in the cathedral of the stars

By Bill Schanen

We are racing, though you wouldn’t know it from the demeanor of the crew. The six of us standing the midnight to 3 a.m. watch are virtually silent. When a word is spoken it is barely louder

2014 September 1

To have and to hold—the enduring appeal of printed magazines

By Bill Schanen

I was thinking of changing SAILING’s motto to “The Most Saved Magazine in the World Not Counting National Geographic.”OK, that’s not going to happen, and not just because the c

2014 August 19

Sailing should avoid the Little League trap by redefining competition

By Nick Hayes

There are competing philosophies at sailing schools. Some teach almost exclusively through racing, while others reject racing altogether. Only a few straddle a racing middle ground. Advocates on eithe

2014 August 19

To have and to hold—the enduring appeal of printed magazines

By Bill Schanen

I was thinking of changing SAILING’s motto to “The Most Saved Magazine in the World Not Counting National Geographic.” OK, that’s not going to happen, and not just because the clu

2014 July 1

Growing the sport of sailing starts with knowing why

By Chris Caswell

Over the past few years, there has been a groundswell of fretting about the future of sailing. The number of participants is dwindling, some say, and produce statistics to prove their point.