North U Race Tactics One-Day Seminar

Sign up on the North U Site (Note "tips" at the bottom of this page.)

By Mike Ferring, Senior Staff Commodore

AYC and ASF cosponsored a one-day North U class on racing tactics class on Saturday, October 4 in Phoenix.

North U is the educational arm of North Sails and it presents a variety of courses, books and CDs on sailing subjects. When we presented a similar seminar on sail trim in spring of 2007, about 50 AYC members attended. That course was taught by Andrew Kerr, the same guy who will teach our course in October.

The course will cover a wide range of tactical issues, from starts and reading the wind to upwind and downwind tactics. More information available here.

Mike Yarnell has arranged for us to meet in room C200, one of the high-tech classrooms at the new Phoenix School of Law at Central and Indian School in Phoenix. The class will run from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. It will cost $160 for AYC members and $185 for nonmembers, but members of your crew can sign up for $100 each. The full price includes a book and CD while the crew price includes just the book (or $125 with book and CD). There are discounts if you happen to already own the North U TACTICS book or TACTICS CD.

Andrew Kerr is a British import who’s driven and crewed in multiple championships. He's been a winner in the J/24, ID35, J/35, J/120, and Firefly classes. He even told me he chased puffs at an AYC Birthday Regatta a couple years ago. But he's also a very good teacher. He’s been a head instructor and an instructor-trainer at the Boston sailing center, the Offshore sailing school and the J/World sailing schools in Newport, RI; Annapolis, Key West and San Diego, and he’s a longtime member of the North U faculty.

Signup tips: AYC-member skippers receive a $25 "sponsoring club" discount. Note your membership during signup. Any member of a crew may sign up for $100, as long as the skipper attends. Crew members receive a book but not the CD. If you already have either the book or the CD, make a note in the "comments" section during signup and Francine Wainer of North U will adjust the price accordingly. She'll send you a confirming email. You can also just call Francine and sign up, and, if you'd like, she'll wait until after the event to charge your credit card. If you have any questions, call her at 800.347.2457 or e-mail her.

Sign up at the North U site.