This is the story of the sailboat Out of Bounds and her crew during a 936 day journey around the world that was completed on May 26, 1999.

We didn’t quite know what to expect when we set sail from Newport, Rhode Island on November 1, 1996 headed for Bermuda. We soon found out, however, as our first offshore passage consisted of 70 knot winds and 20 - 25 foot seas... We then traveled through the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, and across the South Pacific to Australia.

In July 1998, the passage home from Darwin, Australia began as we crossed the Indian Ocean to South Africa. We made stops at Cocos Keeling, the Chagos Archipelago, Seychelles, and the Comoros Islands.

At the end of January 1999, we left Cape Town, South Africa in our wake to cross the Atlantic. The passage was close to 6000 miles to reach the Caribbean with a stop at Saint Helena and Fernando de Noronha, a small island off the coast of Brazil.

Aiming North from Grenada in March 1999, we stopped for Antigua Race Week, taking 10th in the racing/cruising class. Not too shabby... and with a dog aboard as well!

On May 22, 1999, we left Bermuda and started on the final passage back to the East Coast of the United States. All told, we traveled over 34,000 miles in 32 months and arrived in New York City on May 26, 1999, ending our travels... or maybe not...

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U.S. Olympics Sailing Team

U.S. Olympic Sailing
US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) is dedicated to increasing the support for every athlete who aspires to represent the United States in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It's a team effort to send the best sailors to represent the United States at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Follow along as we prepare to send the best team to represent the USA in Qingdao, China.

http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/

University of Minnesota Sailing

The University of Minnesota Sailing Team
MISSION STATEMENT
This organization shall exist for the following purposes:
a. To provide University students with instructional and competitive sailing opportunities.
b. To promote the sport of sailing in surrounding communities.
c. To provide student development through Team officer positions.
d. To provide social activities and events for Team members.

The University of Minnesota Sailing Team exists to promote the sport of sailing by providing students with instructional and competitive sailing opportunities and promote leadership development through team activities.

Local Sailing

Here is the home page of the local White Bear Lake Sailing Club. White Bear Lake is located just East of Bethel. This is where I race sail boats.

http://www.wbycsail.org/

Etchells Queensland Championship Underway


Audi Etchells Queensland Championship 2007
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

David CLARK and his team from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia won the opening race of the Audi Etchells Queensland Championship in Brisbane.
David CLARK, Andrew SMITH and Mike HUGHES sailing Fifteen took the bullet in race 1 on Moreton Bay, giving them a positive leap into the lead up regatta for the Australian Championship in January.

35 Etchells took to the start line for day one of the Queensland Championship with all crews dealing with light oscillating breeze and strong tide.

“The conditions were tough! I have never sailed on Moreton Bay before but it would seem the rumours are true. It’s a hard place to sail, challenging, tough, and you have to think! We had to change modes all the time to keep up with the velocity changes in the breeze, and managed to pull off a win which we are really happy about,” said CLARK. “This puts us in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the regatta now”.

Originally from New Zealand, CLARK raced with the Kiwi team in the 1987 America’s Cup and then with the Australians in 1992 after gaining dual citizenship. Bowman HUGHES, and CLARK campaigned for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in the Soling and although missing out on a team position, have continued racing together in Etchells. Middle man SMITH and CLARK have been racing Etchells together “for years”. “We make a great team, we have an awesome time racing together whether we win or lose,” said CLARK.

Race 2 saw the breeze decrease in strength considerably making conditions tough for the fleet. The high humidity caused havoc amongst the crews with most requiring more water to get them through the hot and sticky conditions.

Brisbane Fleet members, Racer XY, sailed by Jason MUIR, Matt CHEW, Paul WYATT and Adrian FINGLAS used their local knowledge to cross the line in first position for the second race.

“It was really shifty out there and if you weren’t at the port end of the line at the start you were basically out the back door due to the massive shift at the start,” said MUIR.

Overall the conditions were challenging and talk amongst the crews is mainly about tide and what may happen with the conditions over the next few days. Locals remind the visiting sailors that anything can happen and probably will!

Racing continues tomorrow with races 3 and 4 from midday.

Sailboat Raceing: How to & Different Tactics

1.1 Why Do We Race Sailboats?
Sailboat racing requires a broad mix of skills: We need sailing and boat handling skills; an understanding of wind and weather; and knowledge of tactics, strategy, and rules. We also need specialized sail trimming technique; organizational skills to manage crew; and analytical skills to grapple with information. We need to be able to set goals and establish priorities, concentrate amidst chaos, ignore discomfort, and learn from our mistakes.

None of us can master all the skills. Part of the enduring appeal of racing is the breadth of the challenge it presents. Not only can we never master all the skills; we are challenged in new ways every race, for no two races present the same mix of challenges. Sailing's appeal goes beyond these challenges. We enjoy racing for the chance to be out on the water, for the thrill of working with the wind, for the challenge of competition, and for the camaraderie it brings.

Sailing Gear

Sailing requires many different types of equipment and gear in order to sail effectivley. This site has a list and desicrption of the different types of gear that exists.

http://www.sailingworld.com/sailinggear.jsp

You can sail in pretty much any body of water. Because of weather conditions, there are more desirable spots for people to sail. Here is a site that shows some of the popular lakes in the Southeast along with the Atlantic coast.

http://www.whitecapwindsurfing.com/places_to_sail/placestosail.html

There are many different types of sailboats and styles of sailing. Here is a site that shows pictures of the different types of boats and different types of sailing as well.

http://www.sailingcourse.com/sailing_html.htm

How to Sail

There are many different aspects of sailing and one cannot just jump into a sailboat in hopes of a spur of the moment joyride. Here are some of the basic steps in learning how to sail.

http://www.wikihow.com/Sail-a-Boat