Everyone seems to have survived the intense heat of July , only to have August come along with more of the same. Thankfully the board did not schedule any series racing in August. The Keel Fleet will have it’s annual Single Handed Regatta on August 18th, as well as a raft up in Cypress Creek on Aug. 11th. The club has long had safety guidelines for cold weather and water temps but not for hot weather and light wind. We need to revise our guidelines to include extremely hot conditions. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very serious ailments with long term consequences.
While we are surviving the heat here in Austin, some of our juniors are competing around the world in various championships. Ethan Foelich finished in the top of the fleet in the European I420 championships and is preparing for the Worlds in New Port, RI. Lucy Brock, Julius Heitkoetter, and Taylor Snyder will be competing in the Sears Cup in Michigan. Fiona Froelich and sister,Kate, will compete in the Feva North Americans.
Two ways I survive the August heat are : 1. Sail in the morning , 2. Stay in and read a book. One of my favorite books and a must read for sailors is Temple To The Wind by Christofpher Pastore. It is a fascinating account of the 1903 America Cup defense, beginning with the parallel lives of Nathaniel Herschoff and Sir Thomas Lipton. It chronicles the design and construction of two of the largest sailboats ever built and the spectacular races that followed.
Stay cool and think of the cool breezes of the Fall.
Bill
