Notes from the Committee Boat v0.8

Sailing News

With many countries, ports, marinas, and even the water now all locked down, sailing to get away from everything is not as easy as it was a few weeks ago.  We have been following the adventures of a few cruising families as they navigate this unprecedented time.  From @livethevoyage, @la vagabond, @sailingnadine, and @sailing_nandji each has navigated the rapidly changing rules and regulations with humour and a positive outlook.  Check out their feed for an idea of what it would like to be secluded in paradise, but with precarious certainty about how long it might last.

On a lighter note, if you still need to get your preseason sailing fix like we do, head over the Virtual Regatta to get some racing done around the buoys, or off to the deep blue sea.

We at Hold Fast Sailing hope you and yours are keeping well.  It is an unprecedented situation and we hope you are keeping your spirits high amidst the unsettled seas.

Store Changes

We are responding to the COVID-19 crisis by deeply discounting our product line.  We have dropped shipping costs, and directly reduced the retails on our apparel and black & white limited edition poster.  As we are still shipping, we thought you may want something fresh on your wall to stare at for the next few weeks.  To help you make that decision, we are still offering an anti-COVID-19 discount if you want to inject a bit more sailing into your shelter-at-home local.  Enter "GOAWAYCOVID19" at checkout to see 25% off store-wide with no minimums.

Sailing Class Primer - 2.4 Metre

This is the third feature in our series which highlights sailing vessel class insignia.  Taken from our limited edition Sailing Vessel Class insignia posters, this unique sailing class is one you may not have heard of.

The 2.4 Metre (2.4 mR) is an international boat class recognized by World Sailing.  The boat class started as a scaled test bed for the International 12mR, but is now the premier class for adapted sailing.  With just enough room for an adult to sit in, this boat reduces the significant physical requirements to sail a boat of similar size.  All controls are fed into the interior cockpit just aft of the mast allowing the skipper to allow for easy adjustments all within arms reach.

The 2.4 mR class was also featured in the Paralympic games since 1996 though the Tokyo 2020/21 games has eliminated para sailing entirely.  We love at the elegance of this classically rigged keel boat which often just has a head visible above the deck.  Somehow, the size of the boat and only seeing the skipper's head can cause a double-take, but we love that such a spectacular boat still allows those with mobility challenges to participate in this sport we all love.

You can find more information at the international class website here.  Sailing World had a good write-up that is also worth a read.