| |
"Grind It!" at the In the Water Boat Show The coming of September means many things, mostly summer's winding down and the kids are back in school. But for boaters it also means the return of the Boats Afloat Show on Lake Union, presented by the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association. Always a fitting finale to the wonderful days of summer, this year's Boat's Afloat promises to be even more of a joy for boaters. The construction work at Shilshole forced the Northwest Marine Trade Association to cancel their August Show. So, they have joined forces with NYBA at Boats Afloat. There will be more boats, docks and exhibits than ever. Featured at the Boats Afloat Show is Sailfest Northwest, where those of us on the sailing side showcase some of the aspects of sailing that we think make sailing the way to go. Discover Sailing will be there with an assortment of boats to give people free rides to taste the enjoyment of being on the water in a sailboat. And then there's "The Grinder." 48° North is excited to host the Lemar Grinder, one of the most popular exhibits in boat shows around the country. The Lewmar Grinder (it looks like a big coffee grinder) is just like the large winches seen on the America's Cup and other large boats where you need lots of power. It's set up as if you were raising a large mainsail, where the grinding gets harder as the virtual mainsail goes up the mast. And, to make it even more challenging, there's a timer to see who can get the sail up the fastest. It's great fun to do and just as much fun to watch. We look forward to seeing crew going head to head, moms, dads, kids, it's exciting for everyone. And to add to the excitement there will be prizes from Lemar for top man and woman, plus surprize prizes from Fisheries Supply, 48° North and more . So come by the 48° North booth and compete for prizes, bragging rights, or just to enjoy watching people doing a lot of fast, fun grinding. Note: In last month's article, Today's Racing Sails, Part II" by Steve Bunnell, a few lines were lost between computer and final production. The missing sentences with surrounding text are on page 49. |
|