It's not often you get genuine breakthroughs in dinghy sailing, especially as we find ourselves sailing increasingly in strict one-designs. Not that I'm complaining about one-designs, because that's where the best racing is to be found. But I do think that one-design racers should pay their tax to the development classes that keep on throwing good ideas their way...
MP3: All-round superwoman Carolijn Brouwer has just been racing Extreme 40s in Venice. She tells Sailing Talk all that's going on in her busy world, including Olympic campaigning, the future of the Tornado and the health of the F18 catamaran circuit. Currently she's campaigning a Laser Radial but she'd love to see that 11th Medal get the multihull back into the 2012 Olympic Regatta....
After five years of Tornado campaigning, Carolijn Brouwer is back in the Laser Radial. She won the Radial Worlds twice, but that was a long time ago and she's struggling to get her 'hiking legs' back. Here she talks about getting back to hiking fitness and the importance of core strength training for injury prevention and being able to sit out as long and hard as possible...
Audio (6 minutes): In the fifth part of Chris Simon's in-depth analysis of the New Racing Rules (2009 - 2012), the International Judge looks at the issue of 'Room to Tack' and the hail that you MUST make, and when you must (and must NOT) make that hail...
MP3: Ian Walker is not happy. This double Olympic silver medallist is not used to losing, but the skipper of the Green Dragon Racing Team has just finished last in both In Port races during the Boston stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race. This podcast is a massive insight into the pressures of being a skipper in one of the world's toughest races. Ian tells Sailing Talk podcasters Andy Rice & Justin Chisholm about the highs and lows of competing in the Volvo Race, the huge support of the Green Dragon fanbase, and speculates on the future of the event....
In the second part of our interview with a top sailmaker from Australia, Stewart Gray talks about the tell-tale signs of when you need to replace sails with new ones, and why high-tech sails demand that you use high-tech halyards...
SailJuice interviewed top freelance sailmaker from Australia, Stewart Gray, for his advice on buying sails for keelboats. Stewart has worked at all levels of the sport from small keelboats through to the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race. In Part One, Stewart talks about how to select the right sailmaker, the best time to buy sails, and why the climate could determine whether or not your sails are race legal...
Audio (12 minutes): In part four of our look at the new Racing Rules for 2009-2012, Chris Simon explains what an 'obstruction' means to the racing sailor. In most respects it tidies up the old rule, but there is a potential 'game changer' in how the new definition could encourage more aggressive jostling for position on the start line. Chris likes the rule change, Andy Rice is not so convinced...
MP3 (5 May 2009): Top US professional Chris Larson talks about tough economic times in sailing and how the big boat scene's loss is the sportsboat scene's gain. Sailing Talk podcasters Justin Chisholm & Andy Rice also discuss the Wilson Trophy, the massive team racing event at West Kirby...