The Dock Walk

Chicago Strictly Sail Jan 26-29

2012-01-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Chicago Strictly Sail is right around the corner (January 26-29th). Come join us at Navy Pier. For those coming from Minnesota and Wisconsin, there are great deals on hotels in the area and the show. Like the title says, is one of the few shows that is ALL SAILBOATS. There are ongoing seminars throughout the show as well as a great selection of boats and gear. If you cannot make the Minneapolis show, Strictly Sail is not one to miss!

Information on the show can be found on at Strictly Sail.

Minneapolis Boat Show THIS WEEK!

2012-01-16T07:06:00.000-08:00

The 40th annual Minneapolis Boat Show begins this Thursday at the Convention Center. Crow's Nest Yachts will be in the same location as last year. Please stop by!

Minneapolis Boat Show @ the Minneapolis Convention Center January 19-22

Hunter 33e is Cruising World's "Best Compact Cruiser"

2012-01-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hunter's new 33e, which is a redesign of the previous 33' by Bill Dixon receives praise from the Cruising World judges. Readers should note the original boat was designed by Glenn Henderson and Hunter's new partnership with Bill Dixon has brought some fresh innovation into the Hunter lineup. With a redesigned transom (more full aft section), cockpit (with fold down passerelle style swim platform), and some modifications belowdecks, make the new Hunter 33e is substantially faster and more comfortable than the previous model. On the delivery, the crew had noted they were able to get the boat going well over 8 kts.

The review can be found at Cruising World.

Tartan 4000 Wins Cruising World's "Best Midsize Cruiser"

2012-01-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

Cruising World evaluated the new Tartan 4000 as the best midsize cruiser. Combining excellent construction, performance, and seaworthiness make her the most versatile 40 footer on the market. This is not just another new 40'.

“The performance is really there. It sails very, very well,” said Beth Leonard. “A lot of people will race these boats in events like the Chicago- Mac, but it also really delivers excellent cruising capability. Some builders say they’re building coastal cruisers capable of passagemaking, but this boat really is. I’d take it anywhere. It’s not inexpensive” the sailaway price is $440,000—“but people who have the money and want a solid vessel will be very happy with this Tartan.”

See the article for yourself at Cruising World.

Crow's Nest Partners with C&C

2011-10-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Many Great Lakes sailors are very familiar with the C&C brand. As Tim Jackett and other fellow Lake Erie sailors would look back on C&C's previous days as that of a fun rivalry between the Canadian built C&C and the US built Tartan. The two brands have a loyal following on the lakes, the two brands pushed the early MORC envelope of fast, comfortable, cruising.

In 1997, Tartan bought ownership of the C&C brand. This is similar to the story of Madame Roux (the daughter of the Beneteau family), who bought then French rival Jeanneau. Now C&C is built on the shores of Lake Erie, but in the United States. Tim Jackett, reintroduced four new models under the new ownership (the 99, 110, 115, 121). The C&C 115 is the most recent model, which was introduced four years ago. With that said, there has been some development of new models for the C&C line. At the Annapolis Show, Tartan Yachts publicly introduced the conceptual drawings for the new 101. The C&C 101 is going to be a powerful 33' racer, that cruises in a pinch. I have had a chance to talk to the head of design, Tom McNeil, who has sought considerable input from dealers. A notable change is the new C&C will have a retractable bowsprit, a first for the brand. Personally, the boat looks great and it should be a blast to sail. Tentatively, I will be able to test sail the boat next year with Tom and the Tartan team on hull #001.

With an entirely new lineup of boats coming from C&C, Crow's Nest Yachts decided to partner with them to represent them in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. This is an exciting time for them and please stay tuned for more details on the new C&C 101.

Beneteau Oceanis 41, 45, & 48

2011-09-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Beneteau has finally released the conceptual drawings of the replacements for the Beneteau 40 and 46. It is always exciting to see the boats from concept to actuality. Beneteau announced that they would be replacing the 40 & 46 this summer at a dealer meeting. While the current generation Oceanis models were a departure from the Oceanis models in the past, I've seen some real out of the box thinking at Beneteau. When they looked at the features that made a powerboat comfortable, it was decided to incorporate some of those features into a sailboat that broke the traditional mould. That bred the Beneteau Sense. The line features, for instance: a comfortable two steps from the cockpit to the main saloon, large windows, Dock-n-Go system. They sought a design that felt spacious, easy to handle at the dock and no deck, but she also had to live more comfortably. By placing the mechanicals under the cockpit, the boat became easier to service and was quieter in the living areas. The transom was widened and sported partial chines to make the boat perform (which was a derivative of transom form of the VOR 70 boats). The 50' felt incredibly spacious, and quick for it's size. The Sense 50 turned the page on a new line of cruising sailboats.

Oceanis 45 Sailing

With Beneteau's new Oceanis models, we are seeing some of the latest thought in boat design transfer over from the Sense line. On deck, the boat looks different from anything else on the market. They have enlarged the coachroof windows and added a set of windows face the cockpit to add light to the main saloon and aft cabin.

There is more flexibility in layouts than we have seen in the past. The 41 can be ordered in several arrangements. There is the option of a two cabin and one head, three cabin and one head, and a three cabin with two heads arrangement... up to five cabin with two heads on the 48. Also a interesting feature is that the port settee is mounted on sliding tracks so the settee and table can be rearranged for a more flexible seating arrangement. The interiors are designed once again by the Italian superyacht firm, Nauta, and I must admit they look spectacular!

Oceanis 41 Interior

In addition the cockpit can be enlarged slightly by the almost full width of transom, electric swim platform. A platform that extends close to the water is also an important safety feature. It is easier to get into a dinghy, or recover someone that is in the water. Off the transom the beaminess of the boat is of note, and although many will comment that boats only continue to get beamier, will also note the soft chine. By adding the chine, the boat will have less buoyancy when heeled and should be easier to steer and faster upwind. The cockpit is an extraordinary space and looks inviting.

Sailors will be pleased too

Oceanis 45

Close to end boom sheeting is thanks the the arch that is now standard on some of the Oceanis models. They do provide a great place for speakers and cockpit lights as well as a sturdy attachment points for biminis and cockpit enclosures. The arch is new for Beneteau. Lines are led aft to the cockpit, and there is a winch within easy arm's length of each the wheel, so the helmsman can make adjustments to the code zero or genoa.

A saildrive unit as now standard, which will reduce engine noise and vibration belowdecks. Because the boat has a saildrive, the Dock-n-Go package will be optional on the 41, 45, & 48 which will make docking exceptionally easy.

Please stop by our office or give us a call if you have any questions.

Photo Credits- Mike Jones

Annapolis Boat Show

2011-09-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Annapolis Boat Show is just around the corner. Over the years a number of people have mentioned that they have always wanted to attend the Annapolis Show. I figured it would be appropriate to post a writeup of the event. We started going because our customers often go, so if you are going to be there please give us a shout!

To give a little context to the show, the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis is the largest, and oldest in-water boat show. Hosted in the downtown harbor of the sailing capitol of the US, the Annapolis Show is the most anticipated boat show in the country. Every year, manufacturers host their biggest and most impressive selection of boats and sailboat products in one location! For instance, Beneteau and Hunter often bring their entire line of boats! It is not uncommon to see the editorial staff at Cruising World, Sail Magazine, or Sail wandering around. Last year Don Casey was over at Bill Tomlinson's booth with Electric Yacht. Beneteau had famed designer Juan Kouyoumdjian, who designed the new First 30. If you are going to leave the midwest to go to a sailboat show, THIS IS THE ONE!

I have talked to a few of our manufacturers so far, it appears that Beneteau and Hunter will be bringing most of their boats. With a few new models that are worth highlighting.

Tartan: I am very excited by Tartan's offerings; they will have the new T4000, which I am particularly fond of. Also they are bringing another new model, the Tartan 4700, which was launched earlier this year. The boat is an extended Tartan 4400.

C&C: I have not heard about C&C's offering, but my guess will be the C&C 115.

Beneteau: Will have the new Sense 43, which is essentially a scaled down Sense 50... a very neat boat! Also they will have the new Oceanis 41 and 45, which were just launched recently. Those that missed the show last year as well as the Chicago Strictly Sail, will have the opportunity to see the First 30.

Hunter: Hunter has been slowly reworking their current lineup of boats. They will once again have the new H36e on display, the recently updated Hunter 39, and will have the newly redsigned H33e to show new this year. Also of interest is Hunter's involvement in electric motors. Last year they had an electric Hunter 27. I have heard rumors that either the Hunter 33 or 36 at the show will be an electric model.

St Croix Sailing Club Labor Day Regatta

2011-09-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Over the Labor Day weekend, my father and I competed in the annual Labor Day Regatta hosted by the St. Croix Sailing Club. Over the last few years the club has really blossomed with Tuesday and Thursday racing. A few years ago several club members started a youth sailing school, which has done very well for itself.

Anyways in the interests of promoting a friendly rivalry, the Lake City Yacht Club and the St. Croix Sailing Club both host home and visiting events. From what I understand, the racers in Hudson head down the Mississippi to Lake City over memorial weekend and then the Lake City crowd comes up for Labor Day, which pretty cool if you ask me.

This year there we were proud to help sponsor the regatta, and we decided it would also be fun to race our Hunter 29.5. The two days of racing proved to be complete contrasts. Saturday was... well.. windless. We spent about two and a half hours drifting the tranquil upper St. Croix river along with about 18 other boats. Eventually, we were able to get two races off, which was tough, being that we were the only "cruising" boat in the entire fleet. We were able to keep out of last place in both races, but keeping the boat moving in dying wind was challenging at times. That night featured a large catered dinner and a raffle so large it was essentially ensured nobody went home empty handed.
Sunday we awoke to a cool, brisk morning, with calls for breeze. Oh boy did it blow! Interestingly enough, we were the only doublehanded boat in the fleet, and even with a reef, the boat was overpowered. We started the first race that day, the only boat reefed, and watched the majority of the boats struggling to stay upright with full crews. It was great because it helped us keep up, although downwind we had trouble staying with the pace. There were a few deathrolls from boats that elected to use their spinnakers. We were able to gain one place over our last two finishes, a third out of five in our fleet. The second race saw several boats reefed, by which point we had to double reef (since we were light on crew). Our last race we finished third, three long, hard upwinds, followed by four rather quick downwinds. We were reaching over seven knots with a partially furled genoa, and a double reefed main! Needless to say we were exhausted by the finish.

The Labor Day race was a blast to sail. I particularly enjoyed seeing members of the Lake City Yacht Club in Hudson, with their boats. It would be great to see even more boats next year. A quick thanks to Ken Tennant for organizing the event.

For Photos

Sail for Lukemia this weekend!

2011-07-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Lake City Yacht Club is sponsoring this annual event to help cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and Myeloma for the 15th straight year.
If you are interested in seeing what a sailboat feels like, or are an avid sailor but always wondered what it was like on the water in Lake City this is perfect.
WHEN: Sat. July 23rd , 10:30AM to 3:30PM and Sun. July 24th, 10:30AM to 3:30PM
WHERE: Lake City Marina, Lake City, MN.
COST: This is the best part, there is a suggested donation of $15 per adult, and $10 per child (12 & under). Please note that children 16 and younger are required to be accompanied by an adult.
There will be Hunters, Beneteaus, Catalinas, and others, so this is a great time to go more than once and try a number of different boats.

You can preregister and select a sailing time by clicking on the "Sail for Lukemia" link on the calendar of Lake City Yacht Club website.

WE WILL BE OFFERING THE DELICIOUS "NAUTI DOGS" AGAIN AT LAST YEARS' LOW PRICE! The hot dog proceeds help support a cure for Lukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkins, and Myeloma.

Tartan Factory Tour

2011-07-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I visited the Tartan Yachts factory to get a tour of their new facility as well as see firsthand the changes that they have made in the last eight months. Tartan Yachts are built in Fairport, Ohio (which is just east of Cleveland). From what I understand, we (Crow's Nest Yachts) was one of the first two Tartan dealers. So, we are naturally the longest standing Tartan dealer in the country.

A lot has happened in their history: starting with the Douglass and McLeod built Tartan 27, which reorganized to Tartan after a fire destroyed the plant in 1971. Speaking with Tim Jackett, who started working with Tartan in his teens, Tartan had always had a natural rival with the northern Lake Erie builder, C&C. While C&C's history of successful yacht building ended several tumultuous times, in the late 1990's they were purchased by Tartan Yachts, ending the history of racing rivalry between the two. At this point, Tartan invested heavily in composite technology. In 2002 they introduced epoxy construction and carbon fiber masts as standard. More recently, Tartan was brought under new ownership. This new ownership has brought new direction to the Tartan Yachts, with the addition of a few new members.

As I went through the plant, we were taken through every station or step of the boat building process. At each station we were greeted by a very friendly Tartan employee, who explained what they do, what capital/ equipment improvements have been made, what procedural changes they have implemented. By the end of the tour, I came away quite impressed with the level of knowledge and the attention to detail of the employees. Boat building on this scale is tricky because each boat is inherently "custom," but their relatively low production volume means that quality assurance must be consistent (whether it be a C&C 99 or a Tartan 4700).

Here are a few observations that I found interesting:
Tartan has two plants. Seven months ago Tartan was building all of their boats out of a single facility. This could be their biggest improvement because, judging by the size of the old facility, it was small. Now the old plant has been updated extensively and houses the teams that complete the hull and deck lamination/layup, spar building, and half of the QC team. The advantage to this arrangement is that it effectively contains the activities where dust is created and separates them from the painting and woodworking stations (where dust collection is critical).

While at the station where the decks are layed up, there was a Tartan 3700 deck being post cured. The advantages of building with epoxy aside, Tartan uses a VARTM epoxy infusion. What this means is that the dry layers of cloth are laid up behind the sprayed gelcoat. After that CAD cut end grain balsa core is positioned and layered with additional glass. CAD cutting balsa core makes for a faster and more precise layup process. After all the glass has been layed, Tartan vacuum bag the deck together and the epoxy is released under vacuum. This enables them to have fully epoxy saturated part without any excess resin. Additionally the VARTM process squeezes the glass and coring together, ensuring better adhesion, tensile strength, lower weight, and virtually eliminates any VOCs from entering the environment. The 3700 deck takes about three days to lay up and about fifteen minutes for the resin transfer. After that, the wet deck is cured under pressure for eight hours in a warm bay. Most of the vacuuming bagging equipment has been upgraded in the last year, which the employees were proud to show off. I got a real sense of pride from those working at Tartan. They are proud of their work.

Tartan makes their own masts. All new Tartans and C&Cs come standard with carbon fiber rigs. The obvious advantage to a carbon mast is the reduced weight aloft, which reduces the rolling motion of the boat in waves. The masts are layed up on proprietary molds, which are wrapped in unidirectional, omnidirectional, and biaxial prepreg carbon fibers. This is a very expensive way to make a mast because the materials costs. Prepreg fibers come with the epoxy already saturated in them, but must be kept in a refrigerator, otherwise they will partially cure. The masts are layed and cured over about a period of a week. What is unique about the way Tartan makes their masts, is that they are able to reinforce the mast from the inside, which gives the mast a cleaner look than other composite rigs. This way the mast looks "smooth" from the outside. The masthead crane is moulded in one piece, which appears tricky, but allows for a stronger, lighter part. Then the mast sections are joined, vacuum bagged, and cured in an autoclave at close to 200 degrees F. Then masts are sanded, holes cut, primed and painted. It is a lot of work for a mast, but the end result is something owners appreciate. On an additional note, Tartan does make rigs for other boats, such as Farr 40s and older Tartans.

They have also implemented a new gelcoat QC procedure, where every batch of paint is checked for color and durability. Something that I found really cool is that they may be using clear gelcoat in the future. This will be done only on boats that are ordered with Awlgrip. The advantage to this is that, the laminate can be visually inspected before the boat leaves the factory. So if, for instance, there is a small section of epoxy starved laminate, they can see the problem before it becomes one. They are also looking at the addition of sonic detection to inspect the adequacy of lamination before the hull and deck are bonded. This emphasis on empirical quality control was due in part to the extensive background of a new executive, Tracey, who as a former composite technologies specialist was a contractor for the Department of Defense, before joining Tartan/C&C last year.

The hull and deck are trimmed and shipped to the few factory. Here houses the assembly, front offices, woodworking shop, and paint booth. The in-house woodworking shop is first rate. They recently purchased a CNC mill, so now if you would like to have the boat name engraved on the dinette, it can be done for an additional charge. The wood shop has a significant amount of flexibility so that boats can be customized. For instance, we have added additional bookshelves in the forward cabin and a teak deck on a Tartan 4400. Recently Tartan has switched from solid wood cabin soles towards a composite sole with a very thick wood veneer. This change allows keeps the moisture from the bilge from rotting the underside of the floorboards. A smart idea. When I toured this area, I was impressed by how much space they had to work and the cleanliness of the space. By reorganizing their shift schedule, they will, for example, complete varnish work when other activities at the plant are idle. Something this small, keeps the finish cleaner, and results in a better product.
In the last year, they have invested in a very nice spray booth. Which provides the best conditions to have a mirror finish Awlgrip. The employees were proud of the new equipment and these new procedures, which were developed from the bottom up. It is hard not to be excited about the future of Tartan/C&C. They also have twice daily meetings for each boat, in which project progress is updated and any issues are remedied before the boat is finished.

I have to say. I'm impressed. After my recent sail on the Tartan 4000, sailing a Tartan is truly something special. It is an exciting time for Tartan/C&C, and they have some very cool developments on the horizon. They have an open door at the factory, and if you are considering buying a new Tartan or C&C, I sincerely encourage you to visit the factory.

2011 Race To Mackinac

2011-07-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

Monday of last week I received a call from Rick Johnson, asking me if I was interested in sailing the Chicago Mac. I met Rick, at the Tartan dealer meeting a month ago. He is the Chicago/Detroit area Tartan Dealer. While we were touring Tartan's new facility (which is very nice and will be the subject of a follow up post), there was a blue hulled Tartan 4000 nearing completion on the assembly line. She was to be Rick's boat and was under to gun to be completed in time for the Race to Mackinac.
Upon inspection of the boat there were several details that made her stand out:
1. She had a custom 17'6" carbon fiber spinnaker pole (which we couldn't use in the cruising class)
2. The mainsheet traveler had been moved from the top of the coachroof to the cockpit sole. This enabled end-boom sheeting.
3. A custom 155% genoa was added with inboard jib tracks. Also the main, jib, and genoa were laminated, carbon reinforced, Doyle sails... Nice!
4. She also came with a A2 asymmetrical spinnaker and a Code 0 on a continuous line roller furler.
5.The Harken furler was upgraded to Mk IIII, in order to allow faster sail changes on the roller furler. This way the standard 100% or the 155% could be furled up on the furler.
6. There was a full outfit of B&G electronics.
7. Below she had custom pilot berths added in the main saloon as well as dockside AC
A Tartan this well outfitted for performance sailing, I knew I had to see if Rick needed crew to sail the Chicago-Mac.

On short notice, Rick assembled a crew of eight. Three of which (including myself) are Tartan Dealers, along with Tom and Andy of Tartan Yachts. I arrived Thursday to help prep the boat for the race. We discovered that the hose fitting in the propane locker had a slow leak as well as a speedo transducer that refused to work. We were able to reduce the leak, by tightening the hose connections. After several futile attempts to get the speedo to work, we had to rely on GPS for speed. Aside from that, the boat came together perfectly.

Friday: "Roxy" was scheduled to race in Cruising 1 division, with the Moody 54 being the scratch boat. Our rating was very close (which is fast for a boat with a 15' shorter waterline). Upon hoisting sails for the first time, we discovered that the 155% and the mainsail were cut about 2" too tall. We decided to make a standard hoist on the jib. By forgoing the roller furling we were able to use the furler for the headsail track, and gained the distance from the 4" swivel at the top. This gave us full hoist on the genoa. The main we simply used a healthy dose of cunningham.
With 15 kts of easterly wind and a 1 foot chop, Andy helmed us to a perfect pin end start and powered away from the start at over 7.5 kts! It was simply incredible. Not only that, we were pointing higher and faster than our entire fleet! My favorite moment was watching "Princess M" and a J/42 pointing lower and sailing slower as we sailed out from underneath them. Sailing this fast seemed too easy. Rick, cooked us a delicious dinner of ribs served with rice and beans that evening. YUM! My experience distance racing hadn't been this comfortable, nor had it been so easy to lead the fleet. It gave the crew almost a giddy feeling. We knew this was going to be a great race.
By sundown we had worked a healthy lead over the fleet. As the wind gradually dropped to 3-4 kts around midnight, we hoisted a Code 0, which kept the boat moving over 3 kts.
At some point later that night we had a windshift, which caused an autotack and pushed our course towards Chicago. Tom, Dave, and I were on watch and finally got us back on track, at which point the wind came in southerly at about 6 kts.

Saturday: Waking up early, I could tell in my berth we were moving nicely. When I got on deck I noticed there had been a sail change. The wind had clocked West overnight and the A-2 Asymmetrical replaced the Code 0. That would be our last sail change the entire race.
When we had enough light to see how we were doing; "Princess M" (Moody 54) as well as two other boats had caught up and passed us during the night. There was clearly some work cut out for us. At which point we brought all hands on deck to get every tenth of a knot of boatspeed we could get. It took the better part of the day to find our optimal sailing angles, and we worked a 12 kts south/southwest wind as far north as we could. Our boatspeed averaged about 8.5 kts with bursts of 9kts. I was very impressed with how easily the boat continued to power up. Since this was inaugural sail, our hope was that the race would either turn into a broad reach or an upwind sail. The boat seemed particularly strong sailing upwind or with the asymmetrical up.
By working to get the best VMG and to keeping the boat moving as fast as possible, we closed the gap on the boats in front of us. By dinner, we had passed one and were abeam with second place as we approached the Manitou Islands.
That evening was another spectacular sail, even though the wind died a bit. Our boatspeed clocked between 7.2-8.7 kts with a full moon and no waves. We were so impressed with the boat that there seemed to be a unanimous consensus that this was perhaps the best boat that anyone of us had sailed. The boat sailed effortlessly. It seemed as though it barely needed any wind to get up to three knots, but more so that it was possible to have a boat sail this well and also live so well below amazed the crew. With a 65' mast, the Tartan 4000 has an enormous amount of power.

Sunday:We spent the morning working different jibing angles between the islands, and working our way towards Grey's Reef. We felt really fast with the wind coming out of the southwest at about 13-15 kts. By maintaining a better VMG, we were able to close about 2.5 miles between us at the first place boat "Princess M." (Quick note: At some point the day before we had seen the now fatal storm that was perched above Green Bay, and at this point was still not visible on the horizon). By the time we reached Grey's Reef Lighthouse, "Princess M" rounded approximately 7 minutes and 30 seconds behind. The waves were piping up to about 2-3 feet. We jibed and headed towards the Mackinac Bridge.
The Tartan really stretched her legs and flew on a reach towards the finish. We topped out at 11.1 knots, and maintained a constant 9-10 knots downwind. When we passed the Mackinac Island Bridge, we had gained about a minute on "Princess M," unfortunately it was not enough to take first to finish trophy. We arrived in Mackinac sometime in the late afternoon.

Later that evening I was with the crew at the Pink Pony. Off to the west we saw the most spectacular lightening I had ever seen. The lightening turned the night sky as light as day, which was quickly followed by a pouring rain and quarter size hail. Fortunately we were snugly tied up close to shore, however a majority of the racing fleet bore the brunt of the storm out on the main lake. I had heard that mostly that winds had reached about 40 kts, although there are a few reports that winds topped over 105 kts in localized areas! A modified Kiwi 35 "Wing Nuts" capsized near the Fox Islands and trapped two individuals under the boat. The remaining six, were able to free themselves from their harnesses and were rescued by the brave crew on the Beneteau 40.7 "Sociable." The successful rescue of the six were attributed to quick release harnesses, use of sailing knives (to cut the harnesses free), PLBs (Personal Locating Beacons), and EPIRB activation.
Word spread on the island of a capsized boat in the early morning, with the news that six of the eight had been found. This is the first instance of death recorded in the entire 103 year history of the Race to Mackinac. It is a sad reminder of how dangerous the Great Lakes can be, even with extensive preparation and experience.
Monday: I left late Monday evening. The winds were very calm. At about nine pm, I took the ferry of the island and there were still a large number of boats still racing. I spent a good deal of time thinking about how spectacular our sail had been. It was some of the best sailing I have ever had. We had been extraordinarily lucky, and fortunate. Yet, hopefully a bit wiser in my new found respect for the power of the inland seas. This is a race I will remember for a long time.

Our most sincere condolences to the families of Mark Morley and Suzanne Bickel. I would like to thank Rick and Bob from C&C/Tartan of Chicago for inviting me aboard, as well as Tartan Yachts for sending Andy and Tom.

Jeremy
Crow's Nest Yachts

The Cup Returns to America! BMW/Oracle wins the 33rd America's Cup

2010-02-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Winning the second of three scheduled races, BMW/Oracle swept 2-0 win over Alinghi. Racing in the most unusual America's Cup since Dennis Connor's infamous catamaran defense of the Cup, these two boats push the newest sailing designs to the limits. Sailing in excess of 33 knots, the BMW/Oracle illustrated the advantage of hard sail technology (which easily bested Alinghi's fabric sails). Putting an end, at least temporarily to ten years of political feuding between the two teams, two of which were spent in the New York Supreme Court. This race will unquestionably lead to advances in sailboat technology and design that will work its way into modern raceboats.

Congrats BMW/Oracle

Beneteau First 35 wins Boat of the Year

2009-12-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

Beneteau USA is pleased to report that the new Beneteau First 35 has won the “Yacht of the Year” award from Voile Magazine. A panel of Voile Magazine journalists, a group of specialists in sailing, and a selection of Voile Magazine readers noted that the main reason that the First 35 won the award was the fact that the boat achieved its primary design brief of having the superior blend of a dual purpose program offering true cruising capability while also providing exciting racing performance. This honor was published in a French article from the November 2009 issue of Voile.

The Cuba Run

2009-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

A new race was announced recently: The Cuba Run, a 95 mile sail from Key West to the Hemingway Yacht Club, Cuba. Additionally racers get to spend a day touring Havana. The event is raced on various catamarans from 18-22 ft.
More information on this new event can be found on the Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/the-cuba-run

BMW/Oracle Team dismasted

2009-11-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

BMW/Oracle's trimaran was dismasted sometime Tuesday in approximately 10 knots of breeze. The boat was towed back to the team base for further examination, however it is believed that the mast failed near a mast terminal. Fortunately nobody was injured and the damage to the boat was minimal.

USCG Assists in Rescue of Powerboat in Lake Erie

2009-08-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

August 15th Coast Guard received a report of a 36 foot powerboat taking on water after it had collided with a navigational aid. With prompt action the Coast Guard dispatched a rescue boat to the scene within ten minutes of the call. Additionally a barge nearby assisted with additional water pumps. Fortunately nobody was injured and all occupants of the powerboat were wearing life jackets. They were able to bring the half sunk boat to the Bayview Yacht Club where it was pulled from the water.

Banque Populaire & Groupama 3 Smashes the Trans Atlantic Record

2009-08-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

The infamous trimaran Banque Populaire & Groupama 3 just finished a crossing of the Atlantic in under 4 days. Banque Populaire finished with a total time of 3 days 15 hours 25 minutes and 30 seconds! This is an incredible achievement and has certainly generated some fast 24 hour runs over an approximately 3,000 mile sail. Timed runs across the Atlantic date back to the 1960's with faster corssing times of about 30 days at sea. An example of how sailing has changed over the last 40 years.

Pictures can be found on the BYM news site.

Fly Emirates Team New Zealand Dominates Med Cup

2009-07-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Team New Zealand has had a stellar year in both the TP 52 and GP 42 classes. Finishing the 2009 Audi Med Cup Circut with a 14.5 point lead, secured themselves as champions of the Marseille Trophy. More information on the event can be found on the website.

Michigan Bayview Mackinac Race Begins

2009-07-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Bayview to Mackinac Race began with to a downwind start and has pushed the fleet quickly towards Mackinaw Island. Although the wind has inevitably shifted into an upwind finish the fleet is expected to finish within the next 24 hours. Among them are some significant race boats. The fleet can be tracked to the finish on the following website.

St. Mary's College of Maryland Wins Coed Intercollegiate Championships

2009-07-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's College continues to be a powerhouse in college sailing. Winning the 2009 Intercollegiate Coed National Championship hosted by Stamford University and the St. Francis Yacht Club. Additionally the seahawks placed second overall at the 2009 Intercollegiate Team Racing National Championships. Congratulations to a job well done!

St. Mary's is the alma mater of Crow's Nest employee Jeremy Hutchinson.

Jim Richardson & Terry Hutchinson win Farr 40 Worlds

2009-06-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Porto Cervo, Italy
USA-Based Barking Mad Farr 40 team won the 2009 World Championships. After 4 days of extremely close racing, tactician Terry Hutchinson secured a 2nd place finish in the final race and the overall victory. Terry Hutchinson has had an astonishing year and this marks the first time that an American team to win outside home waters.

Boat Specials End Tuesday June 30th!

2009-06-25T11:34:00.001-07:00

Manufacturer incentives end June 30th. Act fast in order to take advantage of those savings!

Crow's Nest Yachts is YBAA Certified

2009-06-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

This last year, Reeve Hutchinson of Crow's Nest Yachts became YBAA (Yacht Brokers Association of America) certified. This is a voluntary process, which allows brokers to become more knowledgeable agents. Furthermore the YBAA also provides an excellent resource, providing customers and agents with an escrow fund and dispute resolution services. Allowing for an unparalleled level of customer service. There are currently only about 500 YBAA Certified Brokers. Combined with the three separate websites, and the new highway frontage location, Crow's Nest Yachts offers the best location in the midwest to list your brokerage boat.

BYM News for Sale

2009-06-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Marine Industry News giant BYM News is now selling their website. This is according to a notice on the front page of their webpage. BYM is the undisputed online leader in marine news, offering up to date reports on sailboat racing, marine industry, and marine politics. It is suggested by the website, Sailing Anarchy that the sale of the site was prompted due to health problems with Aldous Grenville Crowther, CEO of BYM News.

Crow's Nest Yachts Sailstice Begins Tomorrow

2009-06-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Friday June 19th and Saturday June 20th, Crow's Nest will be hosting an open house, "Summer Sailstice" to celebrate the move to their new location in Oakdale. The hours of the event will run from 4-8 Friday and Saturday 10-4.

HUGE DISCOUNTS ON ALL IN-STOCK NEW BOATS
SMALL NISSAN OUTBOARDS SOLD AT COST LIMITED TO IN-STOCK SUPPLY ONLY
DISCOUNTS ON WALKER BAY DINGHIES
Please feel free to stop by!

Crow's Nest Yachts
7500 Hudson Blvd. N.
Suite 100
Oakdale, MN 55128
651.739.2880

Coast Guard Rescues Four on Lake Michigan

2009-06-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

At approximately 7pm Monday evening, a 25 foot powerboat ran out of fuel and began taking on water. About an hour earlier, someone nearby was able to use a cell phone to alert the Coast Guard Station Michigan City. All four people were rescued and were wearing life jackets.

“The most important thing was that everyone was wearing their life jackets,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class David Smith, a boatswain’s mate at Station Michigan City.

Fortunately, the vessel was later recovered and no injuries were reported.

Telefonica Blue runs aground

2009-06-16T20:43:00.001-07:00

The boys on Telefonica Blue cannot seem to catch a break. Plagued by continual problems throughout the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean race, this video shows the boat running aground at the start of leg 9.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suC8RGPYrU8

Ericsson takes third

2009-06-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Team Ericsson finishes third in leg 9 of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, effectively sealing first place overall. Barring a major disaster, Team Puma will likely end up second place overall. This is quite an achievement for both teams!

The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) dates back to 1972, which covers 39,000 miles over nearly nine months!

Check out the action at: www.volvooceanrace.org/

Photo John Payne

Crow's Nest Yachts Moves to New Location

2009-06-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Crow's Nest Yachts is pleased to announce the relocation of its showroom and facilities to (the former home of Marine Max) Oakdale. Now situated at the intersection of 94 & 694, the new location nearly triples both the size of our indoor showroom, and allows us much greater capacity for boats within our yard. Additionally the new space includes a dedicated library, from which customers can read a variety of sailing literature. The most exciting addition, is the inclusion of a seminar space, which will host several seminars and lectures throughout the year.

To celebrate the new place, we will be hosting an open house June 19th & 20th. Please join us!
With Huge Discounts on our Dock Box Sale and closeouts of our 07' Nissan Outboards
Price reductions on in-stock boats

Free on-site Minor Canvas Repair (Saturday only)*
*Suggested donation of $1 a minute for Second Harvest Food Shelf
Individuals are also encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item for donation to Second Harvest
Crow's Nest Yachts
7500 Hudson Blvd. N.
Oakdale, MN 55128