It's That Time!!!

Sorry for the long Blog hiatus!  I am back and ready to start focusing on my sailing goals for 2010.  I will start with my first and most important goal which is getting my 50 year old body ready for battle.  I have been nursing a nagging left big toe injury which has surprisingly, really been preventing me from pursuing many of the exercise hobbies that I enjoy so much.  I am now painfully aware now how your feet really are the foundation for good physical health!


I probably need to get it operated on but I am going to see if I can keep it going through this spring and summer and if necessary, get it worked on next fall. In the meantime, this winter I have been exploring the amazing connection between nutrition and good physical and mental health.  I am becoming more convinced every day of the necessity of eating the right kinds of food to maintain youthfulness and vitality.  Good nutrition coupled with good exercise habits can completely change the landscape of health and health care in our country. I for one and am going to do my best to "cheat the nursing home" and I plan to compete in the Laser Class and to continue to enjoy all of my other water sport pastimes for a long time to come.

My racing goals this summer are going to be fairly limited.  Amy and I will have our six kids going many directions so time will be limited.  My biggest goal will be to give the kids the opportunity to explore their interest in sailing further and to give them the chance to spend a lot of time on the water having fun.  My kids have not really taken to racing on their own and it is always difficult to know how much to push...or not.  So far...I haven't pushed and they seem to be getting more excited to get out on the water....and maybe just maybe, the racing bug will get started for them this summer. 

I also plan to spend a lot of time working with kids at Austin Yacht Club and to see if we can take our junior training program to another level and to see if we can create some long-term sustainability as the programs at Houston Yacht Club and Lakewood Yacht Club have done so successfully.


On the racing front, I will race the Annual Laser Easter Regatta here in Austin in early April and I hope to compete in the Laser Master's Nationals in Charleston SC in May and plan to race in the Laser Master's North Americans in Long Beach, CA in August.  I hope to have the chance to race against my childhood idol, John Bertrand as he makes his come back in the Laser Class.....that would great fun!


I would also like to make a big J-22 event this summer or fall and maybe even do the Mallory Cup again in September.  Hopefully, there will be time to sail with Glen Darden and his Team Hoss on his NYYC 42 in Newport, RI which is always a blast!

All in all, not a lot of racing planned this year but the quality of the sailing should be excellent.