First Things First

This "spring" my sailing adventures have all been centered around the "First" series from Beneteau. These versatile "racer/cruisers" have been produced with the same design theory in thought for over thirty years. No matter the size, model, or build-year, the Beneteau First Series delivers a performance-oriented, sailing boat with a comfortable, cruisable interior. The competitive racer can trick the boats out for racing while the cruiser can add heat, windlasses, dodgers to make life aboard more comfortable. All of the boats have hot/cold pressure water, refrigeration, standing headroom, private staterooms and heads, and propane stoves, but the boats really come to life when the sails are out!

The highlight of the year was handing these keys to Mickie Hucke, just before our First sail on First Dance, a 2011 Beneteau First 35. This is a new model for Beneteau and First Dance is the first hull to be sailing on the west coast of the US. The boat was built in France and arrived beautifully despite enduring her first gale in Montana on the way here. The Huckes tricked this one out with a grey hull, a furnace, a windlass and beautiful set of North 3DL sails. Look for her on the race course around Tacoma and at Opening Day on dock "0" at SYC. The boat is very nice to sail, with a big steering wheel that I really didn't want to let go of....I'm hoping for another ride soon.

About two weeks later, our 2011 Beneteau First 30 showed up. This thing looks fast at the dock with a hard chine running the length of the boat, big tall mast with swept spreaders, no backstay and a full beam-width traveller running on the transom. I was drooling to sail her and now have had several exciting sails on the "big" 30 footer. Indeed, the boat has taken its design from the Volvo 70s, and Rambler 100, ex Speedboat, both excellent performing boats drawn by Juan K who designed this new First 30. She has had the sailing press impressed, and while the cover of Sailing World had her showing off her sailing abilities, the interior impressed Cruising World enough to award her, Boat of the Year, Best Small Cruiser.I have always been a fan of the First 36.7 which has just finished it long and successful run. Although new boats are no longer being produced I am confident that we will keep on hearing about this model through the years as sailors continue to enjoy the performance, comfort and value that can be had in this model. It brought a smile to my face to see the venerable Veloce stay in Puget Sound moving from OAK to GIG harbor, and changing her name to Shinola, Too. Watch out for number 171 on port on the starting line!
If you are on a budget but still looking for a nice sailing boat that can take you to the islands and maybe win a few "beer can" races, take a look at "Roxy" a 1982 Beneteau First 32 that is available for sale, asking $37,900 and lying at my dock. Great little boat with a tiller, furnace, tall mast!!!

Brand New Beneteau 34

Today, February 9th, 2011 dawned bright, clear and calm. A great day to deliver our Brand New Beneteau 34 from CSR Marine to our Signature Yachts dock. There is something special and unique about putting the very first hour on a boat and driving it on its maiden voyage. To be chosen as the test pilot/delivery skipper for this boat is a joy and a privilege, and a perk for doing what I do. This morning I was "working" but you will probably see from the pictures that many people would pay for this lovely tour down the Seattle Ship Canal.These boats are tested in the pool at Beneteau USA, but they have never travelled any distance in the water. It is fun to check all of the equipment, electronics, and put the second hour on the engine. I noticed a couple of things with this boat, it features the new keyless ignition from Yanmar, and the engine just purred along, easily pushing the boat to 7 knots if needed. The autopilot worked perfectly, as did the new Raymarine ST70 Multi Function Wind/Speed/Depth.

I was cranking the stereo since I was alone.(hey, you gotta check these things!) and then as I backed it into the slip I was reminded that Signature Yachts has Four New 2011 Beneteau Sailboats in stock and ready to go for the season. A 31, a 34, a 40 and 50! Spring is coming, I could feel it today. What a great day for boating!

Beneteaus win the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Again!

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is one of five big ocean sailboat races and arguably one of the toughest. It starts the day after Christmas on "Boxing Day" with the fleet leaving Sydney, Australia then down the coast, across the notoriously rough Bass Strait and ending 628 nautical miles later in Hobart, Tasmania. This year was tough with gale force winds in the upper 30s and low 40s on the first night at sea. Again, the Beneteaus showed their ability to perform in these conditions with the First 45 Victoire (upper left) winning IRC Division 2 and Paca (upper right and below) winning IRC Division 3.

This continues a winning tradition for the Beneteau brand in this ocean race, where in the 2009 edition, Two True and Wicked, both Beneteau First 40s finished first and second overall in the IRC Division.

A Beneteau First 40.7 has won the race and a Beneteau First 44.7 has also won.

A little closer to home, two Beneteau First 40.7s came in second and third in their division in the Winter Vashon Race. See Snake Eyes and Bravo Zulu below in a tight finish after a windy, sunny and perfect day in the Pacific Northwest. (photos by Daniel Foerster and Jan's Marine Photography)

New Year's Eve (day)

While I probably should have been skiing, shopping, parenting or partying, I was lucky enough to have a sailing demonstration planned with some great guys on New Year's Eve. I have spent way too many New Year's Eves in Seattle in the rain, so it was wonderful that today dawned glorius, bright and frosty. Indeed the temperature was about 27 degrees when we reached the dock, but we are hearty up here in the Pacific Northwest and we are blessed with beautiful mountains. All of the crew were upbeat, and there was no question that we were going out on Puget Sound to check out this cool 1982 Cal 39. Unfortunately, there was little wind but check out the views of the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Baker off the bow. The docks were pretty busy at Shilshole Bay Marina and I was reminded again what a day in a sailboat can do for your temperment. Even in the cold of winter on the last day of the year, what a treat it is to commune with nature. Stop making excuses, go for a sail! A wonderful 2011 to all of you sailors!

Kaneohe

Can a picture say a thousand words? Above, you see Kris Henderson and Allan Johnson out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean outside Kaneohe Bay, HI in our little International 14 on our way to winning the Hawaii State Championship Race. This picture was taken from my little point and shoot camera by Kris's fiance' Kim. Just prior to the photo we had capsized in the "great white shark breeding ground" when Kris's trapeze wire broke and he went splashing into the ocean. I don't know if it was the sharks or the adrenaline of the race, but Kris got right back on the boat, we set the spinnaker and almost "pearled" down some of those big waves out there. A fantastic distance race in a spectacular venue, Kris and I enjoyed every moment and particularly this one, where we have the boat back together, we are leading the race, waving to our short support team and making about 18 knots in full control. Thanks to Kris for excellent navigation down the channel where I got very disoriented. Note the "Sailing Angles" lycra supersuits that made their first debut for us at the 2000 Olympic 49er trials. They are quite astonishing on land, and my wife/stylist has forbidden me from wearing such a thing, but honey: form follows function, and these suits are perfectly suited for conditions where you will get wet, and the water is over 80 degrees and the air temperature is over 90 degrees.

http://www.kaneoheyachtclub.com/

2010 Annapolis SailBoat Show

One of the big perks of selling sailboats for a living is that I get chances to travel to really neat events and locations. This October my work "forced" me to attend the Annapolis Sailboat Show. This is the largest "in the water" sailboat show in the World and all of the major (and minor) sailboat manufacturers are there to display their new products. It is an honor to be a Beneteau dealer at these types of shows and meetings because they are the largest sailboat manufacturer in the world, and they show it off at this big show. Beneteau was introducing four new models to North America at this show and had a beautiful display of all of their models. They were highlighting the new Sense 50, The new Flagship 58, and the new sporty First 35 and new First 30.


The Sense 50 is really something new! (Sense 42 coming next) Beneteau worked with Berret/Racoupeau to lower the cockpit floor, remove the aft cabins, design a huge, open cockpit, take the sleeping areas all the way forward and make the living area (formerly saloon) open, airy, bright, spacious and as comfortable as your living room at home. Due to the low cockpit floor, it is just three small steps into the living room. Among the unique design features are the hard chine on the hull which adds form stability and allows the boat to "rest" on this chine while sailing. The boat heels less for more comfort and security. The Sense 50 also features "flip up" helm seats to make a huge deck/beach in the aft part of the cockpit. The companion way door is a cantilevered, polycarbonate door that mechanically stows itself under the cockpit floor. Simply press a button to close up or open your boat.

The Beneteau Flagship 58

This is an unbelievable boat! Perhaps the nicest sailboat I have ever been on and while out of my budget, pretty reasonably priced at $800,000.

I have been selling Beneteaus for over seven years but they continue to surprise me with the value, innovation and quality that they offer. I was drooling over this boat and envisioning how I could buy one and get my family and friends out sailing/cruising. I wasn't the only one, as the line to get on this boat was about a 30 minute wait. Elegant, functional, open and big. The 58 is more traditional than the Sense 50 but quite modern and very well thought out. I loved the big open "beach" on the transom. I loved the transom windows from the aft stateroom. We had nine people in the saloon and there was room to move about. The aft staterooms are large with the starboard one featuring a split bed that could be two twins or a nice double. The mast and deck hardware were top notch!

The First 35 designed by Farr Yacht Design and Nauta Interiors

This boat replaces the very successful First 36.7, and it features some outstanding changes, modern touches, and a sleek, pretty profile. The big open cockpit is a sailor's dream with a big wheel, "german" mainsheet system leading to large Harken winches on both sides. Gone are the days of sore shoulders and arms for the mainsheet trimmer. A floor mounted traveler is within easy grasp of the helmsperson or main trimmer. The rigging is upgraded with high tech, no stretch line, PBO backstay, rod rigging, and a carbon spinnaker pole. The keel is a deep 7'2' fin with a big bulb on the bottom. The engine is a 29hp Yanmar Saildrive. Below the boat is beautiful and can be ordered with a teak finish or the blond ash you see in the photos below. The main saloon area is the same size as a First 40, while the two private staterooms offer plenty of room for two couples. I often get asked what boat would I want for my family and Pacific Northwest cruising and racing. This new Beneteau First 35 is at the top of my list!

The Juan K designed Beneteau First 30

I was very excited to see this new boat from Beneteau. It is a new direction for Beneteau going with Juan K Yacht Design and allowing him to work with Michael Desjoyeaux, A French offshore sailing champion. They started with a blank sheet of paper and came out with a highly innovative 30 foot sportster. Some of the things that sets this First 30 apart are the twin rudders, hard chines on the hull, square-top mainsail, no backstays, and the traveler aft of the helmsman on aft beam. It should be a hoot to sail and has a comfy interior as well. Signature Yachts has ordered one of these and will be available for review and purchase by Spring of 2011. Our boat will probably be plain white without the crazy graphics seen here, but either way this boat is a head turner. Juan K, the designer of the boat was in Annapolis to help us learn about the boat, and it was a special experience to be able to spend some time with him and see him talk, touch and feel his latest design. He was clearly pleased.

Skiffs in the Gorge

Once again summer is not complete without a trip to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Scorching hot temperatures with Nukin' Breeze was the order for the Skiff Festival hosted by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association. http://www.cgra.org/ We trailered down the mighty "Shilshole" our International 14 and were joined by the Musto Skiffs, Swift Solos, and the 29ers.

It was so windy, over 25knots! every day, that all of us struggled to sail our powerful sailboats. Only the 29ers seemed to handle the breeze and get a good regatta in with many races and many finishers. I think the pictures and video below will give you a little idea. Go to the Gorge in the Summer. It is amazing! (Thanks to Charlie Dore for billeting us on the Mustard Seed)

Race to the Straits

So.......Opening Day of Yachting Season has long been celebrated by my family and me on the shores and waters of montlake cut, lake washington and SYC. I enjoy the crew races, the festivities, the dress, but for the last nine years an alternate "opening day parade" has been evolving to the point where this year, 109 sailboats raced "to the straits" and back. It was indeed quite a parade and you can see the route in the chart below. Sloop Taven Yacht Club started this cool race for any PHRF handicapped boat, but you can only sail singlehanded or doublehanded. You race from Shilshole to Port Townsend, party all night, and race back the next day from Port Townsend to Shilshole. The slowest rated boats start more than an hour earlier than the fast boats, so it is indeed a parade! My good friend John Murkowski invited me along on his beautiful Jeanneau 45p. This was a great boat for the race. Comfortable, big, seaworthy, fast. We were plagued by light winds on the first day and like many others, did not finish. We were in the hunt on the second day until the whole fleet becalmed at point no point, and we decided to power on home.

"Gray Wolf" the Rodger Martin designed 40 footer with a stayless mast won our division easily as they were the only boat in our class to finish the race both days. In these shots below, the wind has just come in after 9 hours of drifting. A gorgeous boat under a pillowy sky.

The wind got fresh in the evening and with an incoming flood, the little boats could only sail to get to the party. It was pretty impressive to see these Moore 24s and Olson 25s handle some trying conditions with only a crew of two.

On Sunday after the majority of the fleet had quit the race due to light wind and major tide, a big front came from the south, and I was very glad to be in a big, seaworthy boat. But even then, I was a little concerned and we needed to have our "wits" about us, as we powered and pounded into a 35 knot gale. I heard that "Tachyon" recorded 39 knots on the anemometer, and they were right there by us. I was seriously worried about all of those little boats, and in fact many of them ducked into kingston, or edmonds..for what they hoped would be the night, but it ended up being the next day too.....becasue it kept on blowin....I tried to catch it on video on the scene below. All of the images here by Allan Johnson with my ultra lame camera. Come on out an do "race to the straits" next year! You can find out more about it here: http://www.styc.org/race_info/RaceToTheStraits/index.shtml