Sailing Seminars for this winter

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Joe Cooper

Seminars on sailing are a great way to keep the juices flowing in the winter. The menu below is a summary of the seminars I have already prepared. I can also develop custom seminars for dedicated audiences. Interested? Need to learn more?

Drop me a note joe@joecoopersailing.com and let’s discuss what can be done to keep your group fired up in February.

PASSAGE MAKING

Preparing for your next “long passage”: This seminar discusses Seamanship and 8 things to think about before you undertake any voyage so we don’t read about you in WindCheck. Regardless of the size of boat and the intended passage, whether it is to Block Is. Nantucket, Maine or Bermuda and beyond. The thinking needed is the same regardless of the destination. This seminar discusses key elements of the boat to be reviewed before leaving the dock.

Steering cables on a 40 footer mis-aligned. This will ultimately damege both the cables and the quadrant

The teering cables on this 40 footer are mis-aligned. This will ultimately damage both the cables and the quadrant.

Mis-aligned cables will wear on anything they touch.

FULL LENGTH BATTENS

Separating the hype from reality: Just what is the VALUE in a FB SYSTEM? This seminar discusses the aerodynamics behind the FB phenomenon, the realities for most sailors with “normal” boats, the hardware, its use, cost and the relative value for sailors.

Full Length battens CAN provide los of roach, but in this case there is no backstay. BUT this is a custom built boat intended to have no backstay but rather runners.

But in order to REALLY slide up and down easily demands a comprehensive look at the sail, mast and the sailing plans plus how YOU like or want to sail

In order for a FULLY BATTENED sail to REALLY slide up and down easily demands a comprehensive look at the sail, mast, the sailing plans plus how YOU like or want to sail.

SAILCLOTH AND SAILS

Separating marketing from facts to get to Value: A discussion of sail cloth, details to look for and why for various types of sailing. What does “Premium Dacron” really mean? Why every sail maker has “The world’s best sails” What’s the difference? Why the price spread? Woven, Laminates, fibers, molded, not molded, a glossary and guide to sail-maker speak.

Do you need a “high tech” sail fabric such as this laminated staysail on a 30 footer?

Or a woven material. What gives YOU the best VALUE for your sailing?

Or a woven material? In this case a full battened mainsail made from woven Vektron on a Beneteau 40.7. What gives YOU the best VALUE for your sailing?

CRUISING SAILS & RIGGING:

Options for sail inventory: How to set up your boat for your cruising goals, now and 5 years out. What you need, why and how to maximize Value without a boat full of sails.

A cruising kite is, after you get co mfortable with it a great value when sailing in medium air. The condition most passages are made in.

A cruising kite is really an easy sail to get comfortable with and it is a great VALUE when sailing in medium air, the condition most passages are made in.

A “Solent” stay is a good way to have a small sail without having to “change” headsails when the roller headsail is too much sail. They are easy to install and can greatly expand the wind speed you feel comfortable sailing, pretty quickly.

PREPARING FOR SUCCESSFUL RACING:

It’s not just wet sanding the bottom: A review of the steps the good guys take to give themselves the best shot at being successful.

Even for low key racing, the hard work is before you leave the dock. © Don Miller Photography. Bermuda 1-2 start. 2007

Even for single-handed events a team is an integeral component of the program. Spreading the passion for sailing to my son, as my dad for me.

THE AMERICA’S CUP:

How a 7-year old kid ended up in two America’s cups. A look back thru the history of the Australian challenges for the America’s Cup beginning in 1958. How Australia got into the act, how a 7 year old kid was infected with the disease and what it was really like sailing a 12 meter in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Cooper was the youngest crew in 1977 and the boat keeper on Australia in 1980-working for the syndicate for 18 months and sailing as Grinder/Sewer man.

One of the signature images that lured me to the America’s Cup. The 12 meter Dame Pattie practicing on Sydney Harbor in 1967. I was 12 years old.

13 years later: Crew members from the Australian teams were popular and coveted guests ar Newport summer parties.

13 years later: Crew members from the Australian teams were popular and coveted guests at Newport’s summer parties. The Australie Challenge, July 1980. The beginning of the end…..

A PASSION FOR SAILING: (NEW- First presentation at Black Rock YC, second to be at Stamford Yacht Club 28 Jan 2016)

A life spent sailing & reflections on key areas of sailing that have shaped my life: Family, community, independence, experiences & personal philosophy.

Early exposure to sailing set me on a course for a life time in boats.

Early exposure to sailing with my dad set me on a course for a life in boats.

Coming full circle–Coaching The Prout School, high school sailing team in Newport RI.

Coaching the next generation of young sailors is one of the most rewarding activities I do today

Safety at Sea seminar

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Joe Cooper

On Saturday 07 Feb 2015 at the Safety at Sea seminar, produced by LandfallNavigation, I will be presenting a section on sails & sail fibers. This nearshore Safety at Sea seminar is being held at the Mystic Seaport in Ct. from 0800-1630

The following is a table of the basic properties, sailmakers are interested in, of the fibers currently used in making sails. In an earlier day, this information would be distributed at the event, but today, well it is here.

The information is from the North Sails website attributed to research by their cloth people

Polyester (Dacron)
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
80 – 120	5 – 8	6 mo.	0%	$2	Racing & Cruising Sailing
Pros: Tough, durable, inexpensive, many weights and finishes.
Cons: Relatively stretchy compared to aramids.
PEN (Pentex)
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
250	10	5 mo.	5%	$7	Club Racers & Cruisers
Pros: Fits between Polyester and Aramid in performance and cost.
Cons: Cannot be woven tightly, best used in laminates.
Kevlar 29 Twaron SM
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
600	23	3 mo.	25%	$15	Regatta Racing Sails
Pros: Light weight, low stretch.
Cons: Low flex and UV resistance.
Kevlar 49 Twaron HM
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
940	24	3 mo.	28%	$18+	Grand Prix Racing Sails
Pros: Light weight, very low stretch.
Cons: Low flex and UV resistance. Expensive.
Carbon
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
1200 – 2500	20 – 40	No effect	30 – 100%	$15 – $100	Grand Prix Racing Sails
Pros: Very light, extremely low stretch, good UV resistance.
Cons: Brittle, low flex resistance.
PBO (Zylon)
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
1600	36	1.5 mo.	30%	$60	Grand Prix Racing Sails
Pros: Extremely low stretch and light weight.
Cons: Low flex and very low UV resistance. Expensive.
Spectra / Dyneema
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
1100	34	7 mo.	No effect	$25 – $35	Premium Cruisers
Pros: Very strong and durable.
Cons: Creep limits racing applications.
LCP (Vectran)
Modulus (gr/denier)	Tenacity (gr/denier)	UV Resist. (mo. to 50% strength loss)	Flex Loss (% in std. test)	Cost ($/lb.)	Uses
580	28	1.5 mo.	No effect without UV	$25	Premium Cruisers
Pros: Good flex when protected for UV.
Cons: Requires complete UV protections.
Modulus: Stretch resistance per weight. Higher is better for upwind sails.
Tenacity: Breaking strength per weight. Higher is better for sails.
UV Resistance: Strength loss in a standardized exposure test.
Flex Loss: Percent breaking strength lost in an industry standard 50 fold test.

J-105 Double handed sailing

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Joe Cooper

This essay was originally written by me for the J-105 class newsletter with a view to getting more J-105 owners to take up the D-H aspect of racing, on a boat almost perfect for it.

Few are the boats one can sail solo with a kite up.

One of the easiest boats on the planet to sail double-handed is notable by its absence from the fastest growing slice of keelboat racing: double-handed.

Regular readers will know of my interest, nay passion, for short handed sailing, often double handed. D-H “racing” is much closer to “normal” sailing than fully crewed racing for the simple reason that double-handed is how almost everyone who is not involved in some kind of race actually sails their boat. D-H “racing” uses all the same skills and knowledge, preparation and equipment used for “cruising” and it is the shortest line between cruising and racing. Look around at the boats out sailing anywhere on any given weekend and everyone not racing is sailing with one or two people even on some quite large boats.

The really good news is that for many double-handed races a J-105 needs to merely register and show up. Only the offshore or longer races require more equipment than normal. There are many day and overnight races that a well prepared and outfitted J-105 can enter with very little in the way of extra equipment except, most reasonably, jack lines.

For “bigger” races it is straight forward to install a “solent” stay on which to set small sails. This picture is of such a rig on the 105 Jaded in the Halifax race in 2009 with one reef and the Solent upwind in about 22 true in the Gulf of Maine. To add to the economy, the Solent/ “4” in this case was a cut down old class jib.

J-105’s have competed in the Bermuda 1-2: Solo to Bermuda from Newport and then DH back to Newport. I have done three Marblehead to Halifax races and several other races and DH and Solo passages on Jaded. A few years ago a J-105 won the Fastnet overall while sailing in the Double Handed Class and one has come second in the IRC class in the 2009 O.S.T.A.R single-handed race. The skipper was 18.

If additional sailing gear is required, say smaller headsails, then it is pretty easy to install a Solent stay on the 105. AND it can be done in such a way as to not take the boat out of class for OD events. Other components like a good self steering autopilot are universal anyway.

Heading to Halifax in the 2009 Halifax Race. A sound Autopilot is a good investment anyway.

Double-Handed aboard Jaded, heading to Halifax in the 2009 Race. A sound Autopilot is a good investment anyway. When DH, you get to do everything….At least once!

D-H racing is a great way to enjoy such a fun boat as the 105, earn something new and frankly have a blast without all the phone calls, beers and sandwiches.

D-H racing has all of the elements of racing that we are used to in crewed events, and more than one person has observed that many crewed races are, largely, D-H in execution until one gets to the corners.

Lots of sitting around, until you get to the corners of course

Sail handling, tactics, navigation & steering are all the same with D-H racing but all require that elusive component required when operating a boat—seamanship. Both of you get to do everything but you have to think a few more moves ahead than when sailing crewed. If nothing else it gives a two man crew a different view of what happens forward of the traveler.

Both parties get to do everything DH. Good practice for when executing the Exit Plan. Sorry the picture is blurry, we were going 10 knots after all…(OK full disclosure, this picture is from a Class 40…)

I have nothing against racing with a full crew. I have done it my whole life. BUT the existence we all live these days bears on all our decisions and trying to round up the crew on Friday night for a Saturday race, has frustrated more than one owner to either abandon racing all together or more frequently take up Double handed.

Fully crewed often means a lot of people sitting around for most of the race.

I count at least 7 groups around the country focusing on double-handed racing. Just on Long Island Sound alone in May and early June there are three regattas with D-H classes, all sailed on the western Sound and so easily within reach of the local 105 fleet. The boats must conform to the local YRA safety regs, which are precisely those that a J-105 has to meet for day racing on Long Island Sound.

For the more adventurous, I count over 20 races between Long Island Sound and Maine that have D-H classes.

So, come on people, get more value from your boat—sail more often. What better way to learn some new stuff and lower the cost per hour of sailing? Oh, it is a ton of fun and the camaraderie is fantastic.

Safety @ Sea Seminar Mystic Seaport Museum

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Joe Cooper

Save the DATE:

Saturday 7th February 2015

At the Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic CT.

Cooper will be presenting on sails and sail cloth during this one day seminar.

For more information, read on, call or email me, joe@joecoopersailing.com

Cheers

Coop

LANDFALL TO HOST NEAR COASTAL SAFETY@SEA SEMINAR

US Sailing Certification Offered at Mystic Seaport on Saturday, February 7th

November 6, 2014 – Stamford, CT – Landfall, the nation’s leading marine outfitter and safety expert, will be offering the US Sailing certified, Near Coastal Safety@ Sea seminar at Mystic Seaport on Saturday, February 7th from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The hands-on seminar provides both novice and experienced mariners with the skills and information needed to safely navigate coastal waters from Long Island Sound to Cape Cod and the Gulf of Maine.

Topics covered during the seminar include:

Seamanship: Ralph Naranjo
Preventing and Managing Hypothermia: Sarah Hudson
Crew Overboard and Distress Signals: Mark Bologna
Modern Sails for Cruising and Racing: Joe Cooper
Damage Control: Will Keene, President
Communications: Eric Knott
Modern Sailing Clothing: Jerry Richards
Life Raft Demo: Capt’s Henry Marx & Mark Bologna

The event will be moderated by renowned sailor and instructor, Captain Henry Marx, the owner and President of Landfall Navigation. Captain Marx has more than 40 years of sailing experience on both coasts of the United States, the North Sea and the Caribbean. Captain Marx will be joined by a panel of experts including Ralph Naranjo, Instructor, Annapolis School of Seamanship and Editor at SAIL magazine; Sarah Hudson, Professor of Shipboard Medicine, Maine Maritime Academy; Capt. Mark Bolonga, Lead Marine Safety Equipment Specialist, Landfall; Joe Cooper, President and owner, Joe Cooper Sailing; Will Keane, President, Edson Marine; Captain Eric Knott, Safety Manager, Moran Towing; and Jerry Richards, National Sales Manager, Gill North America.

“95 percent of boating accidents happen less than 3 miles from shore,” stated Capt. Marx. “This seminar is designed for local boaters, sailors and cruisers and conducted by sailors and experts in their fields and upon completion, all attendees will earn an Official Near Coastal Safety at Sea Certification from US Sailing.”

“This was one of the best planned and executed seminars I have had the pleasure to attend,” said one 2014 participant. “The speakers were top notch, erudite as well as interesting.”

The Near Coastal Safety@Sea seminar is being held Saturday, February 7th from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m at The River Room at Latitude 41º Restaurant at the Mystic Seaport. For more information on the event visit: http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sasmystic.html. To register, visit: http://www.mysticseaport.org/event/safety-at-sea-seminar/

Offering unparalleled experience and in-depth product knowledge, Landfall has been the leader in marine safety since 1982. For more than 30 years, Landfall has been supplying sailors, boaters and fishers with the gear they need to arrive alive. Through the Marine Training Center (www.marinetrainingcenter.com), Landfall offers a comprehensive curriculum of additional classroom courses for recreational and professional mariners on topics of boating and seamanship. For more information, visit www.marinetrainingcenter.com, or call 1-203-487-0775 x21.

About Landfall

Landfall, formerly Landfall Navigation and The Dinghy Locker, is the nation’s leading specialist in offshore, inshore and sport-boat outfitting, navigation and marine safety. The company’s retail store, website and catalog offer a broad selection of gear from leading marine suppliers. Through the Marine Training Center (www.marinetrainingcenter.com), Landfall offers a comprehensive curriculum of classroom courses for recreational and professional mariners on topics of boating and seamanship. For more information, visit Landfallnav.com, or call 1-800- 941-2219.

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Safety at Sea Seminars for 2015

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Joe Cooper

Cooper’s “Save the Dates” for winter 2015 Updated 06 NOV 2014

There are at two Safety at Sea seminars in the North East scheduled for early 2015. The first one, at Mystic Seaport does NOT have ISAF endorsement. It is rather a seminar focusing on the coastal and nearshore sailor. It is a long day, but the content is fantastic. I visited last year and the place was sold out. There are plenty of breaks, copious amounts of coffee and lunch.

This years seminar is to be a reprise plus you get me presenting too.

07 February 2015: Saturday

Mystic Seaport: 0800: 1600. A one-day Safety at Sea seminar with a number of topics covered, including sails (by of course yours truly) this seminar focuses on inshore and near coastal sailors. I was at this year’s one and it was sold out and very highly regarded by attendees.

MYSTIC seminar does NOT qualify as an ISAF SAS

21-22 March 2015. Sat & Sun

At UMASS Boston. 0700-1800 This seminar, or an equivalent ISAF certified course, is mandatory for Marion Bermuda and all offshore races including the 2016 Newport to Bermuda Race.

This seminar is hosted by the Marion to Bermuda race in conjunction with the Marblehead to Halifax Race Organizing Authority. This seminar does qualify for the ISAF crew SAS certificate from US sailing. This certificate is required generally for at least 30% of crews in offshore races, more air less anywhere. So even if you are not planning on doing either of these races in your own boat, having this certificate is a “PLUS’ in the event you look for crew spots on the races.

It is a two day seminar. Class the first day with break-out sessions. On Sunday there are dedicated sessions including first aid, in the water life raft instruction, (bring your swimmers) and weather presented by the very knowledgeable Frank Bohlen who has a great ability to make a complex science understandable to normal people. The entry fee is worth it just for this seminar.

BOSTON seminar DOES qualify for ISAF certification.

As always if you have any questions you know where to find me.