If you want to sail with the PUMA Ocean Racing team, you better get used to being soaking wet for days at a time. Life on a Volvo 70 not dry- but the sailing must go on.
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August 30, 2009
The PUMA Golf crew asked if Kenny would like to be a part of their tournament, The PUMA Open. Since the Volvo ended in June, Kenny has been making up for lost time on the course, so the answer was an obvious yes! As we arrived at the course, Kenny’s first remarks were: “This is unreal, don’t worry about the blog, I already have half of it written in my head.” Like PUMA Sailing, our golf is anything but a typical day on the course.
Okay, I guess I should have known.
The PUMA Open? Sounds innocent enough right. After all, it’s just golf. I have been sauntering round a few golf courses in my day and figure that a scramble style event is pretty painless and typically good fun.
Boy am I naive. I've been around this company long enough to know that this was golf the PUMA way. "Normal" is not exactly a word that is used a lot around the PUMA water cooler.
Fast forward to arrival time at the Pine Hills Golf Course out near the bridges to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Clearly a very nice course- my guess is that the Pine Hills people didn't know what they were getting in to either.
Head marketing honcho, Antonio Bertone, met me at the course a little early and he decided that a Harpoon Beer (my personal #1) was in store along with a tour of the course. A tour of the course, I thought, sure why? "To see what this is all about,” he said. We took off with his partner in crime (in the marketing department) Tara. I'm thinking- what the heck does he need to see the course for as he doesn't even play golf? In fact I tried to get him to play on my team and he refused. So we hopped in a golf cart, with beer in hand and took a drive- a drive that may have changed golf forever in my mind.
Tony is creative, sometimes to the absurd and I say that with a huge amount of respect. Some Bertone-isms in the first three minutes of our golf cart ride:
"Golf would be so much more fun if you rode motorcycles around the course instead of golf carts. Just look at that natural jump off the first tee?"
"I need to rewire this cart and get rid of the speed governor"
"When we roll this cart over on that hill, you will probably break your leg, but you have two years to get better before the next Volvo right?"
And so on. We get to the first tee box and see that there is a sign with instructions.
Sign reads: "Drive with your putter, putt with your driver" Huh? "Didn't anyone tell you that this event was slightly different?" Tony says as he laughs hysterically. "Next time I do this drive through I need a cart that looks like a stretch limo. Maybe a Hummer or something" Okay, where exactly does the golf part come in I’m thinking.
The tour of the next eight holes told the story. Chipping balls at your team mates, fastest time to complete a hole (number of shots do not matter), pull a card from a deck of cards and the card number is the club you have to use for the entire hole including putting...and so on.
The tour ended and we got back to the clubhouse. Maybe hit a couple balls on the range first- all with a Harpoon beer in hand and rock and roll music blaring- of course. And the day went on.
Our squad competed admirably- I think we did anyway. I dont have any idea how the scoring worked to be honest. Our team name was il mostro. Doris, Nikola and Ryan- all who work with Tony in Boston- made up our foursome. Doris taking golf seriously with solid contact, Nikola thinking the ball was a hockey puck- reverting back to her Olympic hockey days, and Ryan attempting to beat the golf ball into submission on every shot- hitting the ball a long way but I don't believe we ever found a single tee shot of his after he hit it. It was all very fun and a lot of laughs.
The fastest time to complete a 400 yard par four was 1:40 by the way. We did it in just under three minutes which we thought was pretty good but clearly off the pace. Quite honestly I don't even know how our team did overall because the awards ceremony was held while all competitors were participating in a Casino night back at the clubhouse. Attention had left the course by then as all were was frantically trying to figure out whether to hold on 14 or take one more card.
And so goes another day at the office in PUMA world. Never a dull moment. Always with a smile. Golf will never be the same.
(By the way, new PUMA golf shoes are fantastic whether you want to participate normally or trying to be fastest from tee to green!)
- Kenny
August 27, 2009
During the Volvo Ocean Race, many of the PUMA sailors took their iPods onboard il mostro. In a stripped down race boat like il mostro an iPod is one of the few personal items a sailor can take!
Here are our top five songs taken from the crews' playlists:
Jammin' - Bob Marley (Shannon Falcone's Leg 5 list)
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty (Jerry Kirby's Leg 6 list)
Don't Take Your Guns to Town - Johnny Cash (Casey Smith's Leg 3 list)
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys (Jerry...again)
Message In a Bottle (Live 1979) - The Police (Rick Deppe's Leg 2 list)
What is your favorite sailing song or playlist? Send us a Tweet and let us know!
Here are our top five songs taken from the crews' playlists:
Jammin' - Bob Marley (Shannon Falcone's Leg 5 list)
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty (Jerry Kirby's Leg 6 list)
Don't Take Your Guns to Town - Johnny Cash (Casey Smith's Leg 3 list)
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys (Jerry...again)
Message In a Bottle (Live 1979) - The Police (Rick Deppe's Leg 2 list)
What is your favorite sailing song or playlist? Send us a Tweet and let us know!
August 22, 2009
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August 18, 2009
This is a prime example of how not to sail. We're all for extreme sailing and getting a little crazy, but this is just ridiculous. Be careful out there, those rocks just jump out at you!
Sailing a Moth is very tricky. Even the best of the best crash and burn once in a while. The best advice is to shake it off and get back up on your foils quickly!
August 15, 2009
With finishes of eight and eight today, Brad Funk remained in the top ten, placing eighth overall at Moth Worlds. Going into the regatta, Brad said he was hoping to find a spot somewhere in the top ten, and he did it! A great accomplishment for a newcomer to the class.
We got a quick text from Glenn post racing today. Here's what he had to say...
"Today was a better day. I finished 15th and 16th, and placed 20th overall. I was in the top ten both races but just struggled to hold them [the other boats] off."
Congratulations to both our PUMA guys, and everyone who competed at Moth Worlds. Now go get some rest!
Brad Funk on the heels of Chris Graham (UAE)
photo credit: Sean Trew
We got a quick text from Glenn post racing today. Here's what he had to say...
"Today was a better day. I finished 15th and 16th, and placed 20th overall. I was in the top ten both races but just struggled to hold them [the other boats] off."
Congratulations to both our PUMA guys, and everyone who competed at Moth Worlds. Now go get some rest!
Brad Funk on the heels of Chris Graham (UAE)
It’s the final day of sailing out on The Gorge at Moth Worlds. As we write this blog entry, the fleet is into race fifteen, the final race of the day and the conclusion of a great event.
After a hard day of sailing yesterday, the wind is blowing around 12-15 knots, and the chill is still in the air. Both Brad and Glenn are from warmer temperatures, Florida and Dubai, and they can’t be loving the cool air and chilly water out in Oregon.
The first race of the day saw a left shift and most of the guys played that side- a switch up from what we’ve been seeing over the past few days. As Brad mentioned yesterday, it’s so important to play the shifts right and cut down on costly tacks. We’re not sure how our guys finished so it’s a waiting game until the official results are posted.
After rounding the windward mark, there were different strategies heading downwind. Some guys were playing it safe while others were going for big risk, hoping for big reward. It’s the last day of the event, might as well pull out all the stops.
A win in race fourteen made it official that Bora Gulari will take home the top prize for the Worlds. He sailed his boat fast and made the least mistakes, congratulations Bora.
So we’ll wait a bit longer for more updates, stand by…
After a hard day of sailing yesterday, the wind is blowing around 12-15 knots, and the chill is still in the air. Both Brad and Glenn are from warmer temperatures, Florida and Dubai, and they can’t be loving the cool air and chilly water out in Oregon.
The first race of the day saw a left shift and most of the guys played that side- a switch up from what we’ve been seeing over the past few days. As Brad mentioned yesterday, it’s so important to play the shifts right and cut down on costly tacks. We’re not sure how our guys finished so it’s a waiting game until the official results are posted.
After rounding the windward mark, there were different strategies heading downwind. Some guys were playing it safe while others were going for big risk, hoping for big reward. It’s the last day of the event, might as well pull out all the stops.
A win in race fourteen made it official that Bora Gulari will take home the top prize for the Worlds. He sailed his boat fast and made the least mistakes, congratulations Bora.
So we’ll wait a bit longer for more updates, stand by…
August 14, 2009
Even after a long week of racing, Brad still found the time to give us an update on how he's feeling after Day Four of Moth Worlds.
"The wind was definitely more shifty and puffier than I've seen it out here. My second start was not so good, but I was winning the start on the last race of the day (Race #13). Unfortunately, my tacks aren't on the same level as the other guys at the top and that affects my results by about 10%."
"One of the important things on a Moth, in tricky conditions, is to play the shifts right and try to cut down on unnecessary tacks. You can't rush tacks and then go into another tack shortly after. With the Moth, you need to take your time and plan your tacks to work with the shifts- it will for sure help in the long run."
"A big plus for the guys at the top of the fleet are able to remain foiling through their tacks and maintain boat speed- something I"m still working on. I had great boat speed out there today but was losing a lot of ground when I went into a tack."
"We've seen a lot of injuries and fatigue throughout this event. Coming from the Laser class I"m used to long days of hiking and hard sailing. Two of the advantages I have are my hiking pants and a recovery program I've been sticking with. The hiking pants are allowing me to keep the boat flatter while not exerting any unnecessary energy- a key to long events. In between races, I have a coach boat on the water where I can go relax and get ready for the next start. For me, that’s a very important part of the short term recovery program. Once I get off the water for the day, I have a program which includes refueling and stretching, helping to keep my muscles from tightening up and not being efficient the next day."
"This has been a long event, but extremely fun. I'm very happy to be in the top ten with other great sailors and guys who have been my mentors as I’m still learning about the Moth. We have two more races tomorrow- which is a good thing because I think we’re all going to need a rest after this week!"
photo credit: Sean Trew
"The wind was definitely more shifty and puffier than I've seen it out here. My second start was not so good, but I was winning the start on the last race of the day (Race #13). Unfortunately, my tacks aren't on the same level as the other guys at the top and that affects my results by about 10%."
"One of the important things on a Moth, in tricky conditions, is to play the shifts right and try to cut down on unnecessary tacks. You can't rush tacks and then go into another tack shortly after. With the Moth, you need to take your time and plan your tacks to work with the shifts- it will for sure help in the long run."
"A big plus for the guys at the top of the fleet are able to remain foiling through their tacks and maintain boat speed- something I"m still working on. I had great boat speed out there today but was losing a lot of ground when I went into a tack."
"We've seen a lot of injuries and fatigue throughout this event. Coming from the Laser class I"m used to long days of hiking and hard sailing. Two of the advantages I have are my hiking pants and a recovery program I've been sticking with. The hiking pants are allowing me to keep the boat flatter while not exerting any unnecessary energy- a key to long events. In between races, I have a coach boat on the water where I can go relax and get ready for the next start. For me, that’s a very important part of the short term recovery program. Once I get off the water for the day, I have a program which includes refueling and stretching, helping to keep my muscles from tightening up and not being efficient the next day."
"This has been a long event, but extremely fun. I'm very happy to be in the top ten with other great sailors and guys who have been my mentors as I’m still learning about the Moth. We have two more races tomorrow- which is a good thing because I think we’re all going to need a rest after this week!"
photo credit: Sean Trew
What's Glenn have to say about Day Four at Moth Worlds?
"Actually, I'm not too tired. It was a pretty average day. I must have broken a mirror or walked under a ladder or something given my luck at this regatta. Great start in the first race and rounded the windward mark in sixth. At offset mark I hit a huge pile of weeds and had to capsize. Next race the tiller extension snapped so I had to come back to the beach and get that fixed. The last race I ended up in sixteenth."
Don't worry Glenn, you have one more day of sailing left, it can only get better!
"Actually, I'm not too tired. It was a pretty average day. I must have broken a mirror or walked under a ladder or something given my luck at this regatta. Great start in the first race and rounded the windward mark in sixth. At offset mark I hit a huge pile of weeds and had to capsize. Next race the tiller extension snapped so I had to come back to the beach and get that fixed. The last race I ended up in sixteenth."
Don't worry Glenn, you have one more day of sailing left, it can only get better!
What’s going on out at the Gorge today? Here is a race report compiled from the Tweets we’ve been getting. We’ll post more later on when we talk to the guys.
As expected, the wind was once again kicking on the river for a solid day of sailing. The racing was quick and there were numerous breakdowns on the course.
Race 11 had the guys sailing a Z course with winds ranging between 10-14 knots. Brad (Funk) rounded the top mark in fourth place, again, great sailing from a guy who is new to the Moth. The fleet was down downwind quicker than we could type! After sailing through the leeward gate, Brad found himself in third place on the beat back up, but lost two spots because of a bad tack. Tacking in the Moth is tricky- a skill that takes a long time to master. He dropped back to fifth place, but still a good way to start out the morning.
The breeze was up to 12-15 knots for Race 12, with the waves starting to pick up- not too much of a problem if the Moth remains foiling. The fleet was lit up from the start. With cool temperature and heavy air, the guys were working hard for sure if for nothing more than to keep warm. Winds died down a bit during this race forcing the fleet to remain in the puffs toward the middle of the course. There were lots of changes and mixed results, but Brad once again finished in the top 10.
For the first time in the event, the Race Committee had to move the line and marks a bit to accommodate for the breeze shift. It was a long, hard three races for the guys out there with cold and windy conditions. The fleet was full steam around the windward mark then favoring the right side of the course downwind. Back on the upwind beat, the fleet hit close to the right shoreline. Fully hiked out for the entire day, these guys must have been exhausted and just waiting for the finish. We’re not sure of his exact position but Brad kept it in the top for Race 13- top 10 all day!
More to come...
As expected, the wind was once again kicking on the river for a solid day of sailing. The racing was quick and there were numerous breakdowns on the course.
Race 11 had the guys sailing a Z course with winds ranging between 10-14 knots. Brad (Funk) rounded the top mark in fourth place, again, great sailing from a guy who is new to the Moth. The fleet was down downwind quicker than we could type! After sailing through the leeward gate, Brad found himself in third place on the beat back up, but lost two spots because of a bad tack. Tacking in the Moth is tricky- a skill that takes a long time to master. He dropped back to fifth place, but still a good way to start out the morning.
The breeze was up to 12-15 knots for Race 12, with the waves starting to pick up- not too much of a problem if the Moth remains foiling. The fleet was lit up from the start. With cool temperature and heavy air, the guys were working hard for sure if for nothing more than to keep warm. Winds died down a bit during this race forcing the fleet to remain in the puffs toward the middle of the course. There were lots of changes and mixed results, but Brad once again finished in the top 10.
For the first time in the event, the Race Committee had to move the line and marks a bit to accommodate for the breeze shift. It was a long, hard three races for the guys out there with cold and windy conditions. The fleet was full steam around the windward mark then favoring the right side of the course downwind. Back on the upwind beat, the fleet hit close to the right shoreline. Fully hiked out for the entire day, these guys must have been exhausted and just waiting for the finish. We’re not sure of his exact position but Brad kept it in the top for Race 13- top 10 all day!
More to come...
Here is a video from Race 10 at Moth Worlds yesterday. They're calling Brad Andrew Campbell, but we promise it's Brad out there rounding the mark in first place!
Bring on the heavy air!!! The PUMA guys called in last night and both Brad and Glenn were very happy with their sailing results and with the wind conditions. According to Glenn, there were gusts on the race course of up to 25 knots yesterday morning. There was quite a lot of carnage reported on the race course, but our guys were able to get by with minimal damage.
Sitting in spot 18, Glenn was much happier with his sailing yesterday. His race results were 17, 23, and 22. Good results even with a few capsizes thrown his way. Glenn switched out his light air sail for his heavy sail to suit yesterday's conditions. He's hoping the wind keeps up and he can move up a few spots in the fleet.
Despite break downs in race nine and ten, Brad had an amazing day of sailing yesterday. Forced to retire in race nine, he finished race eight in third and race ten in fifth, helping him move up the scoring board to eighth position. Brad fiddled with his foil before racing yesterday, which allowed his to get his bow down and sail the boat high and fast. After sailing, last night he was pretty tired but very pleased with his progress each day.
Wind conditions today are expected to be in the lower 20's today, great conditions for hard sailing by Brad and Glenn. More updates to come throughout the day.
photo credit: Sean Trew
Sitting in spot 18, Glenn was much happier with his sailing yesterday. His race results were 17, 23, and 22. Good results even with a few capsizes thrown his way. Glenn switched out his light air sail for his heavy sail to suit yesterday's conditions. He's hoping the wind keeps up and he can move up a few spots in the fleet.
Despite break downs in race nine and ten, Brad had an amazing day of sailing yesterday. Forced to retire in race nine, he finished race eight in third and race ten in fifth, helping him move up the scoring board to eighth position. Brad fiddled with his foil before racing yesterday, which allowed his to get his bow down and sail the boat high and fast. After sailing, last night he was pretty tired but very pleased with his progress each day.
Wind conditions today are expected to be in the lower 20's today, great conditions for hard sailing by Brad and Glenn. More updates to come throughout the day.
photo credit: Sean Trew
August 13, 2009
We're back in Boston now, but Brad and Glenn are holding it down on The Gorge. Today, the breeze was up this morning, but has been slowing down a bit to 12-16 knots on the course. When we last checked in, Brad had to retire race nine, but was leading the fleet to the windward mark in first in race ten. He's in fifth place heading to the leeward mark. Go Brad!!!
We'll put up another update after the guys get in from sailing.
We'll put up another update after the guys get in from sailing.
August 12, 2009
Have you ever watched a Moth regatta? We have seen many races here at Puma Ocean Racing, but Moth events are not your typical day on the race course.
For starters, the boats are flying around the course, literally flying! They look like little insects buzzing above the water- the name is certainly fitting!
The next thing you notice is the speed of the racing. Boats look like they are just on the verge of being out of control, but they never seem to go over the edge. Guess it helps when you have some of the best dinghy sailors in the world at the helm. There were a few guys who took the risk of port tacking the start line over the last few days. From our view on the coach boat, they looked like Kamikazes, but they pulled it off without killing themselves or other boats. High risk high reward seems to be the motto of the Moth class.
And the racing is fast, very fast. Normally, in a dinghy event, a slow tack will cost you four or five boat lengths. In the Moth, a mistake can be penalized with a loss of fifteen and that's being generous! Because of the speed of racing, the sailors need to be very alert and in tune with their boat. Even the guys at the top of the fleet can make a mistake though. There were a few boats coming around the windward mark that took a cartwheel and the skipper took a face plant. Entertaining from the shore, yes, but a quick slip like that will cost you a few places for sure
Check out Sail Groove for videos taken of the first seven races at The Gorge.
For starters, the boats are flying around the course, literally flying! They look like little insects buzzing above the water- the name is certainly fitting!
The next thing you notice is the speed of the racing. Boats look like they are just on the verge of being out of control, but they never seem to go over the edge. Guess it helps when you have some of the best dinghy sailors in the world at the helm. There were a few guys who took the risk of port tacking the start line over the last few days. From our view on the coach boat, they looked like Kamikazes, but they pulled it off without killing themselves or other boats. High risk high reward seems to be the motto of the Moth class.
And the racing is fast, very fast. Normally, in a dinghy event, a slow tack will cost you four or five boat lengths. In the Moth, a mistake can be penalized with a loss of fifteen and that's being generous! Because of the speed of racing, the sailors need to be very alert and in tune with their boat. Even the guys at the top of the fleet can make a mistake though. There were a few boats coming around the windward mark that took a cartwheel and the skipper took a face plant. Entertaining from the shore, yes, but a quick slip like that will cost you a few places for sure
Check out Sail Groove for videos taken of the first seven races at The Gorge.
We caught up with Bradunk F after sailing today and here's what he had to say...
"I'm really pleased with the results today. After a foil change and tweaking my rig, I feel much more confident in the boat and I'm really happy to move up in the fleet. Being in the top ten is important but I try not to think about the numbers. Tomorrow is a rest day then it's back out there on Thursday, sailing the boat hard and working on consistent finishes."
"I'm really pleased with the results today. After a foil change and tweaking my rig, I feel much more confident in the boat and I'm really happy to move up in the fleet. Being in the top ten is important but I try not to think about the numbers. Tomorrow is a rest day then it's back out there on Thursday, sailing the boat hard and working on consistent finishes."
August 11, 2009
After starting day two in eleventh place, Brad Funk moved up two places to crack the top ten. Brad is sitting in ninth place right now. Brad, looking much more comfortable in his boat, showed that in his results of 14, 8, and 8.
Being new to the class and this being his first major Moth regatta, Brad is thrilled to be in the top ten.
Tomorrow is a lay day for the fleet, giving Brad and Glenn plenty of time to rest up and get back on the water Thursday morning.
Being new to the class and this being his first major Moth regatta, Brad is thrilled to be in the top ten.
Tomorrow is a lay day for the fleet, giving Brad and Glenn plenty of time to rest up and get back on the water Thursday morning.
Brad Funk gives us his tip of the day going into day two of Moth Worlds 2009.
August 10, 2009
Glenn Raphael checks in before taking out his PUMA Moth on Day One of Moth Worlds 2009, then rechecks in after sailing is done for the day.
