American Sailing Journal

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// Join a Long Distance Sailing Rally!

We all know sailboat racing is a common means sailors use to stay on top of their game, improve seamanship and have fun on the water, but lots of folks bristle at the idea of sailing as competition. For many it’s the absolute antithesis of that. The idea of replacing the contemplative peace associated with a beautiful day sail or cruise with friends and family with the intensity and controlled chaos of a sailboat race is nothing short of insane to many a sailor. However, these same sailors might admit, perhaps begrudgingly, that racing does have something that’s kind of cool... an active community.

Perhaps that’s part of the reason that the first sailboat rally, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), was organized back in the 1980s and banded a group together that sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the Caribbean. It was after ARC that cruising sailors realized that making long passages with the support of an organization and a good number of fellow adventurers was a fun and safe way to sail long distances.

// Dressed To Not Kill

What was a wonder material that checked so many boxes for manufacturers - cheap, strong, malleable, durable, lightweight and so much more - has become an environmental blight. Its ubiquity has overrun us and turned this industrialist’s dream into a murderous toxin that marches forward getting bigger and meaner with every soda bottle, drinking straw or snack wrapper that accrues in the world’s oceans. Today we find ourselves faced with managing a dilemma we didn’t expect. It wasn’t thought through or perhaps it was just innocent ignorance, but our oceans and its inhabitants are now paying the price. So what to do?

From where we sit, an organization dependent upon the world’s waterways, we proselytize, beg and/or advocate whenever and wherever we can. We support groups and companies that have an interest in the mitigation of harmful plastics polluting the earth and keep an eye out for those who have good ideas. And the good news is they’re out there.

We wondered if there were enough apparel companies out there to dress a person in clothing made from recycled plastics…

// Sailing in the Clouds with Santa Barbara Sailing

You’d expect the second day of a three-day sailing course to be the least memorable: you’re not in the excitement of the beginning, nor are you feeling the adrenaline of the solo sail ending. But in a world that relies on something as wavering and powerful as the sea and wind, you never know what kind of day you are going to have.

I started connecting the dots between what I had read and what we went over on day one, I felt much more at ease with the sailboat than I expected.

// Interview with Sailing Legend Peter Isler

We had the privilege of catching up with world-renowned sailor Peter Isler to get his thoughts on the state of sailing and racing today.

// USCG Marine Safety Alert

The U.S. Coast Guard has received reports from crews, ship owners, inspectors and other mariners regarding poor reception on VHF frequencies used for radiotelephone, digital selective calling (DSC) and automatic identification systems (AIS) when in the vicinity of light emitting diode (LED) lighting on-board ships (e.g., navigation lights, searchlights and floodlights, interior and exterior lights, adornment).

// FREE Sailing Wallpaper For All Your Devices

ASA is proud to present a series of calendar wallpapers for your desktop and other devices. Every month we will have a new sailing picture that will inspire you to pursue your passion for sailing. As a bonus each picture will include a calendar - what sailor doesn’t want something that is nice to look at and useful!

Download Now >>

You can find more online resources to improve your sailing skills & knowledge on our Sailors Resources page.

KEEP IN TOUCH...