A Common Annapolis Frostbite Scenario on Course C4
November 30, 2009
Heading Offshore
November 15, 2009
This week I am delivering the J122 Teamwork from Beaufort, NC to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Last year’s delivery produced a great video and I imagine this year’s will too. With an amazing meteor shower predicted as well as a fairly stunning forecast I think this going to be a great trip.
Here is an image of where we’ll be going (and where we went last year.) Follow the green pins for this year’s trip.
For you Google Earth Fans – (or for the Coast Guard if you don’t hear from us for a while) here are some of the expected
waypoints. Right along the Gulf Stream’s western edge. Not in it this time:)
Start
34 35.76N 076 42.36W
Frying Pan Shoals
33 28.69N 077 35.06W
Off Charleston (45 miles)
32 28.69N 079 0605W
Off GA – End of first available offshore forecast
31 01.48N 080 08.94W
Head
St. Augustine
29 38.29N 080 40.45W
Titusville/Canaveral
28 38.73N 080 20.63W
St. Lucie
27 23.94N 080 06.94W
West Palm
26 06.14 N 080 02.66W
Finish
26 06.14 N 080 02.66W
GQ Gentleman’s Ball Video
November 12, 2009
GQ Gentleman’s Ball
October 27, 2009
If you haven’t heard (which would just mean I haven’t told you) I am receiving an award from Oceana, Nautica and GQ magazine for my work on the Ocean Conservation Yacht Club. Wednesday I am off to NYC to the 2009 Gentleman’s Ball, where the awards ceremony will take place. I am thrilled, if not a little overwhelmed, and look forward to meeting some of actors who will be there, including Mark Wahlberg, Adrian Grenier (who is introducing me and presenting my award), Josh Duhamel and Ashton Kutcher. Maybe they’ll want to take sailing lessons?
The Hill, a Washington, DC based newspaper that reports on the goings on taking place on Capitol Hill, put a blurb up today regarding the GQ Gentleman’s Ball award I am receiving on Wednesday. Here is what the paper had to say:
Activist to get award from ‘Entourage’ star
By Christina Wilkie – 10/26/09 06:35 PM ETKristen Berry, a longtime environmental activist and lobbyist in Washington, will receive the GQ magazine award for conservation on Wednesday. The award will be presented by advocate and actor Adrian Grenier, aka Vincent Chase on HBO’s “Entourage.”
Berry, a professional sailor and sailing instructor, is being recognized for founding the Ocean Conservation Yacht Club, a network of sailors and sailing enthusiasts committed to protecting the world’s oceans. Berry started the organization with the help of Oceana in 2007, and its membership has grown into the thousands.
Berry, a male whose middle name is America, said he was completely surprised when he learned of his big win. “Who the hell is this?” he asked the caller from GQ.
“I was sure someone was pulling my leg,” he said.
“Adrian [Grenier] also called, which was wild,” Berry said, “but he really knows what he’s talking about, and he’s really into ocean conservation.”
Berry will accept the award at a star-studded party in New York City on Wednesday, and true to his enviro roots, he turned down the offer of a first-class flight. “I’m taking the train,” he said. “Much better for the planet.”
End Of The Line
October 20, 2009
Join My Wave
September 17, 2009
Watercolor Wonderful
September 3, 2009
Kristen Racing by Andy Hall
My friend Andy Hall, who is watercolor painter working on a cool project called 100 Watercolors in 100 Days, recently (as in yesterday) did a painting of my favorite boats – Bluenoses. He has a very fun blog set up to showcase each day’s new painting. I highly recommend you check out and follow his exciting project.
For me this painting captures the excitement of sailing in Chester, Nova Scotia – my adopted summer home. I am leaving tomorrow, and the departure is bitter sweet. I can’t wait to be home and at the same time it feels to me like I am leaving home.
Fortunately this painting, the hundreds of pictures and the thousands of memories of my friends, new family and clients are there.
Speaking of this painting – I think Andy has done an incredible job of capturing the excitement and beauty of this moment. I remember this exact time (I was coaching not sailing at the time). The boats have just left the leeward mark and are headed for the persistent left shift that comes from the island you see in the right. Keith Fox (green boat) had been sailing extremely well – and it looks like he has the boat dialed in, maybe sailing a little higher and faster than B81.
For those of you who haven’t been up (and that is most of you – shame!) let me tell you that these two boat are both well sailed. I don’t remember how this particular race finished – but I bet it was close. And the painting shows it. Fabulous. Frankly, I like what the artist has done with the whole scene – and I have to say that I am impressed with how he captured the light of the place. I know he hasn’t been here – but somehow he got it. Don’t believe me? Think I am a being my usual overly exeburant self? I think this is the picture that inspired the wonderful work… You judge:
Spinsheet Magazine Profiles Gale Force Sailing Owner
August 29, 2009
The August Slide Show
August 28, 2009
Kill Bill
August 20, 2009
Dag nab it! There is a hurricane coming this way. You’d think up in the Maritimes I’d be away from this pesky thing. But all of the models I’ve seen have this storm taking the Gulf Stream elevator right up to where I am.
The shame of it all is this weekend is the Bluenose Maritime Championships. So at this point, it looks like that will be a one day affair, rather than two. Then we’ll scramble to pull the wooden boats out of the water before we get smacked. Which then means nothing will happen but a bit of rain. But better to be cautious.
Here is what the brains are saying.
WTNT43 KNHC 201447 TCDAT3 HURRICANE BILL DISCUSSION NUMBER 21 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032009 1100 AM AST THU AUG 20 2009 CONVENTIONAL SATELLITE...MICROWAVE IMAGES AND NUMEROUS OBSERVATIONS FROM A NOAA P-3 RESEARCH PLANE INDICATE THAT BILL HAS WEAKENED A LITTLE BIT DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. DVORAK T-NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED SINCE YESTERDAY...THE EYEWALL HAS BECOME OPEN TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE MAXIMUM FLIGHT LEVEL AND SFMR WINDS WERE 121 AND 93 KNOTS...RESPECTIVELY...EARLIER THIS MORNING. IN FACT...SOME ARC CLOUDS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM THE HURRICANE SUGGESTING THAT BILL IS NOT STRENGTHENING AT THIS TIME. BASED ON THESE DATA...THE INITIAL INTENSITY HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 105 KNOTS...AND THIS IS PROBABLY ON THE HIGH SIDE. THE LARGE SCALE ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCIVE FOR REINTENSIFICATION SINCE BILL IS ABOUT TO ENCOUNTER THE WARMEST WATERS ALONG ITS PATH SO FAR...AND THE SHEAR IS FORECAST TO BE QUITE LIGHT. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE INTENSITY CHANGE COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLES. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST CALLS FOR RESTRENGTHENING AND BILL IS EXPECTED TO REACH CATEGORY FOUR AGAIN IN A DAY OR SO. THEREAFTER...THE HURRICANE SHOULD GRADUALLY BEGIN TO INTERACT WITH A MID-LATITUDE TROUGH AND BY 96 HOURS IT SHOULD BE IN EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION AND BE FULLY EXTRATROPICAL IN FIVE DAYS. BILL HAS CONTINUED TO MOVE ON A STEADY NORTHWEST TRACK OR 305 DEGREES AT 16 KNOTS...EMBEDDED WITHIN THE FLOW SURROUNDING THE AZORES-BERMUDA HIGH. IN ABOUT TWO DAYS...THE HURRICANE WILL BECOME STEERED NORTHWARD AND THEN NORTHEASTWARD BY THE FLOW BETWEEN A LARGE MID-LATITUDE TROUGH SWINGING EASTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN UNITED STATES AND THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH. ONCE THE RECURVATURE BEGINS...THE HURRICANE SHOULD INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. MOST OF THE TRACK GUIDANCE SHIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS RUN. THIS SHIFT IN GUIDANCE JUSTIFIES A VERY SMALL SHIFT TO THE WEST OF THE TRACK OFFICIAL FORECAST...WHICH INDEED IS VERY CLOSE TO THE CONSENSUS. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THIS HURRICANE ARE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING THE BAHAMAS...BERMUDA... MOST OF THE EASTERN U.S. COAST...AND THE ATLANTIC MARITIMES OF CANADA DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY CAUSE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SURF AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS. PLEASE CONSULT STATEMENTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE FOR MORE DETAILS. THIS AFTERNOON NOAA AND THE 53RD HURRICANE HUNTERS WILL BE CONDUCTING A TWO-AIRCRAFT SYNOPTIC SURVEILLANCE MISSION AROUND HURRICANE BILL TO IMPROVE THE INITIAL ANALYSIS FOR THE NUMERICAL MODELS.
Hurricane Bill
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