Radical idea: Racing

If you own a powerboat, this may be a crazy sounding idea, but this summer, let’s consider sailboat racing. What???? Rag bagging! But hear me out.

May 24, 2023

If you own a powerboat, this may be a crazy sounding idea, but this summer, let’s consider sailboat racing. What???? Rag bagging! But hear me out.

Sail racing is boating too. Moreover, there are skills to acquire that will stand you in good stead aboard your own boat. Like what?

Three skills that will prove very worthwhile no matter what sort of boat you navigate are compass watching, wind watching and weather watching. Accomplished power captains are well aware of wind when they head out onto open water and especially when they dock, yet powerboats rarely have wind instruments or even telltales. True enough, it hardly matters at 25 knots, but at the dock it’s critical. Wind and waves can be important. And weather – of course.

Compass directions and wind shifts are central to racing and the sailors on board develop ‘feel’ for both. The best racers can anticipate the direction and velocity of the wind before it happens. An eye on the weather makes the champions what they are. That can only be a benefit.

Is there a lift under that dark cumulus? Consider that.

This is not a comparison; it is a union. And you can bet you’ll be welcomed – your boat savvy may not seem appropriate, but anyone who knows boats is suitably agile, helpful with dock lines and knows a lot more that thy think about any boat. Enjoy your power cruising – you can go a lot faster and with a lot less fuss than your blow boating buddies. But on race night, why not go for a spin? I bet you’ll have some fun and perhaps pick up some morsels that might add to your boating experience. Plus, I guarantee someone will hand you a beverage at the end of the race.