Since 2003, the Thomas Clagett Jr. Regatta has hosted many of the best sailors in international competition. To make it even more special, these sailors have had to overcome challenges that few others have had to face. The mission behind this regatta is to provide athletes with disabilities a platform to complete against other adaptive sailors, and provide an opportunity to learn from the best. Carter and Tyler are joined by Judy McLennan, the regatta’s President, to talk about how they are expanding the sport of adaptive sailing.

Around the Buoy

EP 61: The Thomas Clagett Memorial Regatta

Sailing solo around the globe is an exclusive club to be a part of; more people have climbed Everest or traveled into space than completed a lap alone. During the 2018 Golden Globe Race as the fleet was deep into the Southern Ocean, a fast-moving storm wreaked havoc on the competitors, including our guest CDR Abhilash Tomy. A knockdown and dismasting left him injured, immobilized and adrift for three days.  We talk with CDR Tomy about his experience and why he is planning to do it all over again.  Take a listen!

EP 60: CDR Abhilash Tomy

Newport Harbor is a busy place in the summer with fleets of boats ranging from modern go fasters to classic wooden hulls racing around the buoys every afternoon. The Gamecock Sailing team is unique because they can be found racing in not one but all those fleets. Gamecock Sailing, named after the fleets’ flagship a 96-year-old Herreshoff R Boat, was founded by Peter McClennen to teach teamwork and sportsmanship to a new generation of sailors and he joins us to talk about his lifelong passion for the sport.

EP59: Gamecock Sailing

In 1940 John Steinbeck was at the top of literary world, but fame came with a backlash. His depiction of migrant workers in 'The Grapes of Wrath' labeled him as a communist, and protests were held to burn his books. Wanting to escape, Steinbeck chartered a fishing vessel named Western Flyer for an expedition to Mexico; a trip recounted in his book, 'The Sea of Cortez'.  Seventy-five years later, after a long fishing career, Western Flyer was found rotting away. This episode is about a complete restoration that will soon return her to Mexican waters. Listen in!

EP 58: The Western Flyer

Living on the North Fork of Long Island, Trent Preszler is a long way from his upbringing on a ranch in South Dakota. The CEO of a local vineyard, Trent never had the time or inclination to be a craftsman until his father’s toolbox was passed down to him. Inspired to build a canoe, what follows next is a soul-searching odyssey that includes coming to grips with his past, learning how to build a boat, and opening up Preszler Woodshop. Trent has written his memoir, “Little & Often” and he joins us to talk about this journey. Listen in!

EP 57: Building Canoes with Trent Preszler

It was a lot a late nights watching Emirates Team New Zealand defend the Auld Mug by defeating Luna Rossa on their home waters of the Hauraki Gulf in the 36th America’s Cup, and Tucker Thompson stayed up to watch it all. Tucker is back with us to recap all of the action–from the quick evolution of the AC75 during their time in Auckland, to the match racing clinic put on by both teams during the finals. We also look ahead and discuss what to expect when Team New Zealand welcomes back the world’s best sailors for the 37th Cup. Listen in!

EP 56 America's Cup Recap with Tucker Thompson

Submarines are the silent counterweight in the balance of power. With nuclear weapons and classified materials on board, their secrets would be devastating to a country’s national security if they were ever lost.  So, in 1968 when a soviet sub disappeared in the Pacific, the CIA recognized the opportunity for an unprecedented intelligence grab. Josh Dean is the author of “The Taking of K-129”, the most comprehensive account of the CIA’s covert mission to raise the K-129. Josh joins us in this episode talk about one hell of a sea story. Listen in!

EP 55: Stealing Russian Subs

Edson Marine made their name by developing the first diaphragm pump used to keep the bilges of commercial fishing fleet dry in 1859. Since then, innovation has been their hallmark, and today they provide hardware that can be found everywhere on a boat-- from stem to stern, and top of the mast, to the bottom of the keel.  In this episode, we talk with Edson’s CEO, Adam Cove, about his extensive sailing background and what it is like taking the helm of a 162-year-old company.  Listen in!

EP 54: At the Helm of Edson Marine with Adam Cove

 11th Hour Racing promotes healthy oceans by providing financial grants worldwide, but it’s one thing to talk the talk and another walk the walk. They are also taking a lead by sponsoring world class programs and demonstrating to other teams how to responsibly run a competitive team. 11th Hour’s Managing Director Todd McGuire joins us in this episode to talk about the new IMOCA 60, The Ocean Race, and responsible boatbuilding.  Listen in! 

EP 53: Racing Responsibly with 11th Hour

 For too long, our oceans have been used as a trashcan, and it has become too common to see videos of yachts sailing past large clumps of trash in the open ocean. 11th Hour Racing was founded by a group of sailors who are on a mission to team up with the sailing community, the marine industry, and the biggest names in the sport to promote healthy ocean practices. Michelle Carnevale is the director of 11th Hour’s grant program, and she joins us to talk about the organizations that are leading the charge to cleaner seas.  Listen in! 

EP 52: 11th Hour Racing

 This summer, when COVID-19 restrictions prevented crewed ships from conducting the yearly Alaskan Pollock survey in the Bering Sea, NOAA called on an unmanned surface vessel from Saildrone to gather data on the population. With long on station times, zero emissions, and specialized onboard sensors, Saildrone is revolutionizing the way we gather data about the world’s oceans.  In this episode, Carter and Tyler talk with Saildrone’s COO, Sebastien De Halleux, about how saildrones fit into this increasingly autonomous world. Listen in! 

EP 51: Saildrone

From the America’s Cup, countless World Championships, and The Ocean Race, the world’s best sailors have shoved off from the docks here in Newport. When the National Sailing Hall of Fame announced that they were looking for a new home, it only made sense that this history would play a role in Newport’s selection. Construction is underway at the historic Armory Building in the 'City by the Sea', but there is much to complete before the new museum opens its doors. Carter and Tyler sit down with The Sailing Museum’s Executive Director, Heather Ruhsam, to learn about the history of this 19th Century building and what's up for the Spring of ‘22. Listen in!

EP 50: The Sailing Museum

Chris Fischer loves fish sandwiches, but he knows that without sharks there are no fish sandwiches. In 2007, Chris founded the shark research group OCEARCH, a progressive organization that has changed the way data is gathered by teaming up the world’s best fisherman with leading marine scientists on one ship and making their findings open to the public. Gathering more information in one trip than most scientist gather in a lifetime, Chris is ensuring his grandkids will enjoy fish sandwiches as well. Take a listen!

EP 49: Shark Research & Fish Sandwiches

 “Lead an interesting life”.  This was the advice that a young Carol Newman Cronin, hopeful author and sailor, was given when she asked about increasing her odds on achieving her dream of becoming published.  Since asking that question, she has given herself plenty to write about.  Carol has competed at the highest levels of sailing: representing the country in the Athens Olympic Games, ’04 Yngling Worlds and taking home the trophy in the ’18 Snipe Women’s Worlds and she has channeled all of her on the water experiences into her writing.  This summer her forth book, Ferry to Cooperation Island was released. In this episode, we sit down with Carol to talk about her Olympic experiences, small town dynamics, and the challenges of releasing a book during a world-wide pandemic.  Take a listen! 

EP 48: Leading an Interesting Life

 The Race to Alaska! A 750-mile Cannonball Run from Port Townsend, WA, up the Inside Passage of the Canadian Coast to Ketchikan, AK has been called the “Iditarod on a Boat”, and the only rule is there are no engines allowed.  COVID has pushed the start of the 2020 race back until 2021 but that does not mean you have to quit R2AK cold turkey: Race to Alaska – The Movie will be coming to the small screen soon.  Tyler and Carter talk with the movie’s director, Zach Carver, about compiling thousands of hours of on-course video into a feature length documentary, and how you can contribute to their Kickstarter campaign.  Cool stuff. Listen in! 

EP 47: Race to Alaska

A podcast featuring stories about life on the water. From sailboats and superyachts, to wooden boats and classic cruisers. Recorded in NEWPORT, RI.

hubhopper

Around the Buoy

hubhopper