Dear Friend of CHARIAD: The CHARIAD Team raced to Provincetown last Friday and sailed back to Marblehead Sunday. The Boston YC usually sponsors an overnight race to P’town this past weekend. The club did not sponsor the race this year because of the state ban on sailboat racing with more than three crew members. Yes, stupid. But stupid is what stupid does. The long distance sail is a great [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: This morning I published a blog with thoughts about Independence Day – this year. Most of you do not see my “work” blogs and thought leadership articles. You might find this blog post helpful in light of the difficult time we are in. We may have an informal 1st race – sort of a race – on Sunday. The Eastern YC had hoped to run [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: Tomorrow will be the 1st full dress CHARIAD crew practice day. We will be doing spinnaker drills and rebuilding our skills tacking and going fast. No races are scheduled yet, but the Eastern YC is talking about doing their annual July 4th regatta – on July 3rd. Don’t ask me? The Challenge Some have asked, “Why are you practicing to race when no races scheduled?” [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: CHARIAD and the CHARIAD Crew are now sailing. After weeks of social distancing, small teams at the boat yard, face masks, fear and uncertainty, and “we will make this happen,” the CHARIAD team sailed off her mooring in Marblehead Harbor last Sunday. We SAILED over to Manchester Harbor. Kevin Fisher took this selfie to prove we were there. In the CHARIAD tradition, we tacked back [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: CHARIAD is on her mooring in Marblehead Harbor. (Picture from an earlier time) The CHARIAD crew has achieved a remarkable accomplishment during this time a crisis and fear. As many of you know, in an earlier time before the world as we knew it had ended, ten or so members of our community would meet at the boat yard on 2 or 3 Saturdays. We would [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: Quick update on a cold, wet, miserable day in Boston. Friday night, CHARIAD was given the third place award for the best performance for all of Massachusetts Bay in Class B. I was somewhat surprised by the award in light of our slow start for the season. Our early races were not strong as we re-built our team. Several great crew members were not on [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: CHARIAD Wins Last Regatta of 2109 Sailing Season Sunday, the mighty CHARIAD crew won its last regatta of 2019. The Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead sponsored the Chowder Cup in 7 to 13 knot shifty winds from the SE. We had two windward/leeward races. We won the first race over two other boats because we had a strong last spin run to the finish. A [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: Join other fabulous Friends of CHARIAD and the successful crew for a BBQ Sat. Oct. 5 in Marblehead. After much clamoring and a growing roar of voices asking when Richard was hosting a party, Richard Sides has again graciously or foolishly offered to host the Friends of CHARIAD at his home in Marblehead. End of the sailing season and its will be fall and changing [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: My first report to you on the Hood Regatta last weekend has been fact checked and needs some updating and clarification. And we have off the boat pictures from the regatta. Those of you who know me well understand I will not recognize misspelling my own name. The correct spelling of the boat that finished 2nd in our class was Sirocco. The racing on Sunday was [...]
Dear Friend of CHARIAD: CHARIAD sailed in her most competitive regatta of the season this past weekend. We finished 3rd in class against very competitive boats. My bottom line was that we did well. But the two boats that finished above us sailed a little better than we did. Our debrief covered our being a little slower getting the spin up and a little slower getting the spin down and [...]
