Well, it's getting to be the Dog Days of Summer and while I have one more chance to escape the Texas heat and do a little more big boat sailing in Newport my mind is becoming more and more preoccupied with avoiding this rediculous heat (AccuWeather says it feels like 107 here). My father has the ominous feeling that this summer is going to be like 1980, the summer before I was born and hottest year he can remember, with 40 straight days of 100+ weather. I hope he's wrong, but I'm not taking any chances.
So avoiding the heat is pretty easy, stay inside with the shades closed and the AC cranked up. But being a shut-in and not going crazy is another matter. So with that in mind here are some suggestions on how to keep yourself occupied and build your sailing and team management skills as well.
What to read:
Winning in One-Designs and Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing, by Dave Perry; If you read nothing else this summer make it one of these. Probably no other set of books will do more to improve your sailing. At the very least, One-Designs is worth it for the introduction so you can explain sailing to non sailors.
Winning, by Jack Welch; Welch is arguably the most famous and successful corporate CEO of all time. This book has nothing to do with sailboat racing, but it has everything to do with management and working to build and run a successful team. Ultimately it's a primer on being a good and effective leader.
What it Takes to be Great, by Geoff Colvin & Forbes Magazine; This article and the book it spawned (Talent is Overrated, also by Geoff Colvin) are studdies in greatness. They look at the techniques that the best athletes, artists, performers, and managers use and try to analyse how they got to that point and what makes those people so much better than everyone else. The article and book provide a lot of insight on how to practice well and what to focus on if you want to get better or be the best in your field.
Other fun and challenging stuff:
For you 29er sailors or those that want a more in depth look at how a boat works:
High Performance Sailing, by Frank Bethwaite; Frank designed the 49er and the Taser and his son Julian now runs the family design office and created the 29er. This book is a very serious and sciebtific look into the racing sailors wind, water, boat design, preparation, and racing. It is not to be attempted in one sitting.
For those that want to follow international match racing, the pro circuit in the Med this summer (TP52/GP42/etc.), and the BMWOracle/Alinghi multi smackdown that will start in early August:
Sailing Gear Blog: The Stern Scoop is entertaining and is worth plugging since APS is a sponsor of College Sailing.
More links: I don't speak Swedish, but this guy always has good pictures. Moths and skiffs and more Moths and skiffs, fun reading with the worlds just a few weeks away...and Sailkarma.
That should keep you occupied for a while. Feel free to add your favorites to the comments.
Enjoy the summer!
Blake Billman is the Graduate Director of SEISA, an ICSA Executive Committee member, and the Alumni Adviser and former President of the
University of Texas Sailing Team. He now races V-15's and an assortment
of boats for Hoss Racing.
E-mail: bbillman@gmail.com
Phone: (817) 366-5022
Can't Forget:
Sail, Race, Win by Eric Twiname... Mutley's sled's bible.