© 2006 Google

If you haven't used Google Maps yet, do yourself a favor and try it out! Google is also a great source for internet searches and much more.

The NOR (40 KB; get Adobe Reader) and Entry Form (332 KB; get Adobe Reader) for the Lightning Burl Harmon Indiana Open Regatta are now posted on the Racing Calendar page.

I've updated several pages on the website recently:

• added Things To Do which contains links to area attractions, shopping, sports, etc.
• updated PRO & Safety to include the 2006 PRO & Safety schedule
• updated Sailboat Rental with 2006 sailboat rental dates/times and information

© 2005 AC Management

• Madeleine: Madeleine defended the America's Cup in 1876 against the Canadian challenger Countess of Dufferin. Madeleine won both races in the third defense by wide margins (by 10:59 and 27:14, corrected time). Madeleine was abandoned in the early 20th century and left to rot and eventually sink.
• Cambria: The first challenger to the America's Cup, Cambria, was commissioned by James Ashbury of England. In the first defense of the America's Cup, the NYYC used a fleet of 14 boats and soundly beat Cambria who finished in 8th place (Magic won).Cambria would later be sold into the trade navigation along the African coast and sank in a storm around the turn of the 20th century.
• Stars & Stripes (US-1): Stars & Stripes was the San Diego Yacht Club's answer to the "big boat" challenge by Sir Michael Fay of New Zealand. Almost immediately, the racing was overshadowed by legal proceedings which continued after the on the water competition had ended. Eventually, Stars & Stripes was declared the winner of one of most controversial America's Cup competitions on record.
• America³ (USA-23): America³ was the first IACC yacht to defend the America's Cup in 1992. America³ returned to the 1995 America's Cup with the first all women crew and was later put on display with Il Moro di Venezia at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.

I guess I never learn. A phpBB software update has again hosed the forums. I have a support request in and, hopefully, I can get this fixed soon. The previous incarnation of the forums was hosed by a phpBB software update also, so I'm thinking maybe I should consider another forum software for our website...

UPDATE: Forums are back online again.

© 2006 Bill Kennedy

Gary stressed that sailing is all about enjoying being out on the water, whether that be on the racecourse or cruising in the BVI. It's turning the engine off and hearing the slap of the water on the hull, the wind in your hair, and the feel of the helm in your hands. However, Gary is a racer at heart and enjoyed relating several stories concerning his racing past. One involved a race in New York harbor where his boat beat an Australian boat by going behind Liberty Island through a narrow and shallow channel. The next year the same Australian boat "learned" from their loss the previous year and went behind Liberty Island only to discover that a bridge had been built in the interim!

Gary's talk was followed by hors d'oeuvres and drinks provided by Mount Gay Rum. Gary also had on hand his two new books (Championship Sailing and An America's Cup Treasury: The Lost Levick Photographs, 1893-1937, both of which are available at Gary's website) which he gladly signed for anyone who asked. Everyone also got a copy of Gary's video Paradis Found: Sailing the BVI which portrays the cruising experiences of two groups in the BVI. All in all, it was a fantastic evening with one of most well-known sailors alive today and one of the great ambassadors of our sport.

Well, it didn't take long for the internet vultures to begin submitting irrelevant "for sale" ads to the online forum. I suspected this would eventually happen, but thought it would take longer than it did. To help control the submission of irrevelant posts to the forum, I have configured the forum to no longer allow posting to any forum category without first registering.

Registration includes some features designed to prevent automated posting to the forum (completing the registration process requires replicating a code presented as an image and responding to an email). These should be pretty painless and don't require exposing any of your personal details to the internet if that is your desire. You can find more information on the registration process and how to prevent phpBB from displaying private information at the phpBB FAQ.