Yesterday I hopped on to my new 2013 Viper F16 in Clearwater, Florida to take her for a spin and see how different she feels to my boat from last year. For a one-design, the Viper is an awesome platform to be able to sail fast and enjoy everything about our sport. The new additions of foam non-skid and a few other minor changes make this boat nice to sail. And after all, who doesn’t love to ride on a fast, clean pretty new boat?
Needless to say, I am excited to have my new boat and it is nice to have one in Clearwater and one in Miami so I don’t have to worry about setting up and taking down the boat every week I move between these two winter training hotspots. But the whole process got me to thinking about my equipment.
Every time I take to the water (which is about 250+ days each year) I am confronted with the weather conditions and the temperature of the water. Yes, there are days when the air is so warm that the water temps are of little concern but during the course of a 6-8 hour session on the water I get wet, I dry off, I get wet again and the wind is constantly blowing! Because of the elements, I have to always be ready to handle the weather and stay warm while sailing. (I learned this lesson well while sailing Opti’s in Milwaukee one year in a snowstorm in October…how many of you remember that regatta?) After trying nearly everything that has been made to protect sailors from the elements, I have found that the gear from Sea Equipment Australia (SEA) to be at the top of my list for comfort, warmth, durability and frankly for looks! After all, who doesn’t want to look good when those photographers catch you flying off your boat in the middle of a race?
SEA is a unique company that was started by an Olympic sailor and their product development comes directly from their most active sailing customers. They literally have thought of everything and the products help me to stay at my physical best through my long days of training and competition. It is a little secret that I have used to give me an edge when sailing in venues like San Francisco Bay, Lake Garda Italy, The Baltic Sea and even at Put-In-Bay Island on Lake Erie. But in reality if you see me on the water, I have SEA gear on my body because I think it is simply the best!
Sail fast and enjoy the water!
You can probably guess that sailing over 250 days each year is expensive. With coaching, boat maintenance, travel, lodging, communications, fuel, coach boat charters and everything else you are exactly right! I love what I do but it is a lot of work to find people and companies that help me to train and compete my way to the Olympic Games in Rio2016. Will you please consider helping to support my program? Individuals can give as little as $10 (it is a BIG help) and companies can receive awesome exposure and more by supporting a young, clean and dynamic teenager on his way to becoming the Worlds #1! Fill out the donation fields on the right of this screen (near the top) or call me at 216-210-3598 to discuss details of my life and my goals and how those can help you to extend your brand!
