So... I've been wanting to shoot some video for all you orgers who know that sailing is my heart.

Then along came Phil "Bloodsie" Jameson who sails for a team called Quantum, they're a kick-ass sailmaker and thy've got an even more kick-ass boat. This boat, a TP-52, recently clinched it's 2nd world title and this dude shot the whole race.

A lot of the work he does aboard this 52fter. is identical to what I do aboard the Spellbound, an Olson 40. We practically crew the same position!!

Best watched in HD ( it's ) sit back and get a feel for what my weekends are like...

Would love to sail on one of those.

Do you participate in sailing races?

RenHoek, I've never been sailing, so I ask this completely out of curiosity (not because I'm dumping on your passion): What is the thrill? The speed? The wind in your hair? The comraderie? Something about being on water? All or none of the above?

What drew you to it and what keeps you into it?

Totally cool!

I'm so fascinated by people I know doing things that I have no familiarity with. It's like hearing someone speak a language that I don't understand but sounds really pretty.

P.S. My elbows hurt just watching all of that pulling motion!

luv4u said:

Would love to sail on one of those.

Do you participate in sailing races?

That's the main reason I go... more action and a sense of accomplishment!

We go out for daysails too but our primary focus is Blue Water (Ocean) Racing.

Lammastide said:

RenHoek, I've never been sailing, so I ask this completely out of curiosity (not because I'm dumping on your passion): What is the thrill? The speed? The wind in your hair? The comraderie? Something about being on water? All or none of the above?

What drew you to it and what keeps you into it?

It could be any combination of those things for each individual.

On the Spellbound we regularly push between 6-9kts when the wind is right (7-10mph) so "speed" is all perception. The way I see it is ONLY the wind is pushing the 10,000lbs. boat at 10mph. so THAT'S pretty impressive.

The wind, the sea air, Mother Nature, Whales, Seals, the heat or the cold, the fog, ALL of these inspire me.

The Camaraderie is a HUGE part of it, the teamwork as well, the knowledge that by working together we all make the boat GO FAST (very important!) and we make it home in one piece (also important...). Also, the drinking that happens after a race is legendary...

The one thing that I feel some of my fellow Sailors overlook is the connection to history. The world was discovered by Sailors (regardless of what their mission or the outcome may be...) and when you've sailed from San Francisco to Santa Cruz and back in the dead of night you gain a whole lot of respect for those who came before us.

What drew me in was the fact that by using my brain it started as a hobby I could do for FREE. When I first started I had neither a clue or any of the specialized sailing gear but I could step aboard a million dollar boat, sail a race AND they'd feed me and beer me. For a college kid it was great because everything else cost $$$. TO get there I merely held up a sign at my local Marinas that read "Will sail for food!" or "Railmeat for hire", railmeat being the term for the guys that hang over the side of the boat to provide righting weight (makes.boat.go.fast.). Most Skippers NEED extra weight or hands on the big boats, the Spellbound functions best with 6-8 people aboard so it's usually pretty easy to find a spot. Then, depending on how willing YOU are and how cool your Skipper/Crewmates you WILL learn to sail...

PunkMistress said:

Totally cool!

I'm so fascinated by people I know doing things that I have no familiarity with. It's like hearing someone speak a language that I don't understand but sounds really pretty.

That really made me all ...

Freakin' awesomely I've been on a sailboat on the bay, but not THAT kind of boat. Never been on a sailboat in open ocean, though. Only powered. And I'd love to go from SF to SC and back on ANY kind of boat. That's bad ass.

PunkMistress said:

P.S. My elbows hurt just watching all of that pulling motion!

You'd make stunning RAILMEAT!

Cerebus said:

Freakin' awesomely I've been on a sailboat on the bay, but not THAT kind of boat. Never been on a sailboat in open ocean, though. Only powered. And I'd love to go from SF to SC and back on ANY kind of boat. That's bad ass.

Granted, that's a pro-racing rig... kinda the Formula 1 on water so to speak... This is the Spellbound...

RenHoek said:

Cerebus said:

Freakin' awesomely I've been on a sailboat on the bay, but not THAT kind of boat. Never been on a sailboat in open ocean, though. Only powered. And I'd love to go from SF to SC and back on ANY kind of boat. That's bad ass.

Granted, that's a pro-racing rig... kinda the Formula 1 on water so to speak... This is the Spellbound...

Again, very cool. I've never sailed anything myself, nor have I been on that type of boat. But it looks really cool when they go gliding past you on the water. And I definitely get the romantacism of it, being part of something that's been done basically the same way for centuries. I'd like to go way out to the deep water for a few days and nights on an old clipper ship. Something that creaked and moaned. Should probably put that on the bucket list, actually.

I've been on the bay in a little ass two person dinghy thing out of the Berkeley Marina. It was so small that the swells were taller than the side of the boat. I didn't really enjoy that experience. And I've been in the ocean on a small boat a lot. We had a Zodiac inflatable (named Bob ) with an outboard in Hawaii and I had no problem taking that thing out over the surf and into the deep water to fish. But being in that little tiny sailboat on the bay was, umm, stressful.

I've also been on the bay in a big (for me) sailboat for a wedding/reception. I poked around a bit and I think it may have been this boat (the Privateer). I'm not positive on that because I don't know how long they've been in operation and it wasn't my wedding. I remember that it had three sails, though, and the inside looks about right.

RenHoek said:

Lammastide said:

RenHoek, I've never been sailing, so I ask this completely out of curiosity (not because I'm dumping on your passion): What is the thrill? The speed? The wind in your hair? The comraderie? Something about being on water? All or none of the above?

What drew you to it and what keeps you into it?

It could be any combination of those things for each individual.

On the Spellbound we regularly push between 6-9kts when the wind is right (7-10mph) so "speed" is all perception. The way I see it is ONLY the wind is pushing the 10,000lbs. boat at 10mph. so THAT'S pretty impressive.

The wind, the sea air, Mother Nature, Whales, Seals, the heat or the cold, the fog, ALL of these inspire me.

The Camaraderie is a HUGE part of it, the teamwork as well, the knowledge that by working together we all make the boat GO FAST (very important!) and we make it home in one piece (also important...). Also, the drinking that happens after a race is legendary...

The one thing that I feel some of my fellow Sailors overlook is the connection to history. The world was discovered by Sailors (regardless of what their mission or the outcome may be...) and when you've sailed from San Francisco to Santa Cruz and back in the dead of night you gain a whole lot of respect for those who came before us.

What drew me in was the fact that by using my brain it started as a hobby I could do for FREE. When I first started I had neither a clue or any of the specialized sailing gear but I could step aboard a million dollar boat, sail a race AND they'd feed me and beer me. For a college kid it was great because everything else cost $$$. TO get there I merely held up a sign at my local Marinas that read "Will sail for food!" or "Railmeat for hire", railmeat being the term for the guys that hang over the side of the boat to provide righting weight (makes.boat.go.fast.). Most Skippers NEED extra weight or hands on the big boats, the Spellbound functions best with 6-8 people aboard so it's usually pretty easy to find a spot. Then, depending on how willing YOU are and how cool your Skipper/Crewmates you WILL learn to sail...

Very cool.

RenHoek said:

PunkMistress said:

P.S. My elbows hurt just watching all of that pulling motion!

You'd make stunning RAILMEAT!

!!!!!!!!

I used to crew on sundays as a teen, but I never really got into it

ZombieKitten said:

I used to crew on sundays as a teen, but I never really got into it

we'll just have to fix that when we come to visit Oz...

RenHoek said:

ZombieKitten said:

I used to crew on sundays as a teen, but I never really got into it

we'll just have to fix that when we come to visit Oz...

RenHoek said:

ZombieKitten said:

I used to crew on sundays as a teen, but I never really got into it

we'll just have to fix that when we come to visit Oz...

you should totally do a sydney to hobart!!!

PunkMistress said:

prb said:

RenHoek said:

we'll just have to fix that when we come to visit Oz...

you should totally do a sydney to hobart!!!

it's on my bucket list... fo' realz!

I'm not into competitive sailing but I love to do it for fun and relaxation. The closeness to the elements, the incredible freedom of being able to go wherever you please, the breeze on your face, the simple yet amazing feeling of going forward without the use of a motor, the gentle flapping of the sails as you turn, the excitment of a heavily-leaning boat when it's windy, the relaxation and peacefulness when it's calm, the gorgeous evenings with a bite to eat on deck as the sun sets, the cozy nights when you're rocked to sleep by the waves... It's impossible to describe properly to someone who hasn't tried it.