[Public-List] Cruisers vs. Racers

[crufone at comcast.net]

Roger......................hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm. 

Well stated. A day on the water is better than doing most anything on land. 

Michael 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger L. Kingsland" <r.kingsland at ksba.com> 
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 7:32:58 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: [Public-List] Cruisers vs. Racers 

I started racing small boats, then lucked out and got to crew on one of the 
better IOR boats, a C&C 41 named Cheetah, for two seasons on Lake Erie.  I 
then chartered large boats for several years and I have to say, in terms of 
boat handling, sail trim and general sailing knowledge, my 2 years of racing 
were like one of those one-year MBA programs: compressed and intense, but 
boy, did I learn a lot. 

While racing, I learned that a 10 ton sloop on a beam reach in 20+ knots of 
wind carrying a star cut spinnaker can broach if a trimmer decides she would 
go a little faster if the main were brought in to loose that bubble in the 
leading edge.  I also learned that the price a trimmer pays for causing the 
skipper to hang vertically from the life lines is 10 minutes or so of 
cursing at said trimmer.  Thank goodness for the brain trust in the library 
who, concerned about the skipper’s cardiac health, tell him the trimmer has 
probably learned his lesson and won’t ever, ever do that again (hell, it 
worked on the Hobie Cat). 

On the other hand, while cruising I learned that when the skipper's fiancée 
is below making home made hollandaise sauce for eggs Benedict with the boat 
heeled 18 degrees, it is less dangerous to run aground than tack away from a 
leeward shore and loose "cuisine queen equilibrium".  More importantly I 
learned that fiancées actually will undertake to make hollandaise from 
scratch while heeled 18 degrees but wives, even though the same person, 
would sooner eat dirt.  I kept her, and she me, anyway. 

While racing, I learned that the boat doesn't seem so crowded when 8 people 
do a spinnaker jibe in perfect sync, but it's a whole different story when 
you are tied up to the dock on a hot windless night and the other 7 of those 
8 start snoring before you do.  And what's with the crews of 6 boats tied to 
yours stumbling home at 3 AM? 

While cruising I learned that a thousand miles from land on a clear night, 
the sky isn't above you but all around you, an infinite globe bisected by 
the finite horizon; the most private place on earth from which God gives you 
an unencumbered view of half of his universe. 

Cruising, racing; I guess it's all good. 

Roger 148 

  


-----Original Message----- 
From: public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org [ 
<mailto:public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org> 
mailto:public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org] On Behalf Of 
laserandy at aol.com 
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 1:42 PM 
To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org 
Subject: [Public-List] Cruisers vs. Racers 

I think that cruisers are better sailors than racers.? 

At least they get somewhere most of the time. 

Andrew 


_______________________________________________ 
These businesses support your Association: 
 <http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html> 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please support them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List mailing list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
 <http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org> 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org 

_______________________________________________ 
These businesses support your Association: 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please support them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List mailing list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org 

 1235393174.0