tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50203620749059918702024-03-14T00:47:27.545-07:00Foiling Boat AdventuresKatherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-80569059893291060562015-07-25T12:22:00.001-07:002015-07-25T12:22:10.952-07:00<h2>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Northern Adventure</span></h2>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">the first instalment of the tale of my sailing trip from the Norwegian fjords to Iceland via the Shetland islands, Faroe islands and some adventures along the way. </span><br />
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I joined the good ship Hummingbird in the bustling town of Stavanger in Norway. Our first day out involved an early breakfast and a quick trip up Priekestolen, or Pulpit Rock, an anvil shaped rock with a vertiginous drop of over 600m to Lysefjord below. The view from the top was pretty stunning which meant there was only one thing to be done… unashamed selfie time!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beautiful fjord land of Norway provides some great exploring territory and some beautiful anchorages. We had this lovely secluded space to ourselves until a pair of locals turned up with and axe. Fortunately it was just for chopping wood and and doing some BBQing Norwegian style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next stop on our tour of the land-of-the-midnight-sun is scheduled to be the island of Utsira. Knowing it only by it's appearance in the shipping forecast, I am intrigued to see the island for myself.</span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-29644426414358948732013-11-27T10:17:00.004-08:002013-11-27T10:23:38.994-08:00Stocking fillers<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of you may recognise my predicament. Today I pressed send on an email and ever since I have been obsessively checking my inbox to see if he has replied. Checking the time in Australia, maybe it's the middle of the night, maybe it would be unreasonable to expect him to reply just yet... Perhaps I'll just go on Skype and see if he is online... Get a get a grip girl, stop being ridiculous, you can't expect him to break the mandatory 48hr response time rule. Fortunately Amac being the gentleman that he is got straight back to me and the news was good. I am now enrolled on the all new Mach 2 shopping website. There is everything a girl could want; fashion, beautifully crafted pieces of metal work, even the much coveted Small Anhedral Hydro Rudder Horizontal and who is ever going to say no to a low friction ball joint?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">With less than a month to go it sounds like an excuse for some Christmas shopping. One word of advice guys, choose wisely, get your beloved anything with ‘wing nut’ or ‘stump plug’ in the description and you should probably start decorating the dog house. Should you foolhardily ignore my advice and she enthuses about the wonders of a wing nut, face it, she is almost </span>definitely<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> faking.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the offerings of the Mach 2 elves at <a href="http://www.kasail.com/mach2/product.">www.kasail.com/mach2/product.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raise your hand if you have asked Santa for a new boat for Christmas. Hope you have all been good enough.</span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-12590600202877339012013-09-04T09:36:00.003-07:002013-11-27T10:21:52.105-08:00New paint job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trying out my new sparkly paint job :) </span></div>
Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-16827234256775333302013-07-22T11:48:00.002-07:002013-11-27T10:21:58.325-08:00Only 4 days left<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only four days left now until the presses start to roll for my book, Sailing Fitness Toolbox. It will be a very exciting moment. Thanks so much to everyone for their support. It's not too late to order your copy, just click <a href="http://igg.me/p/411275/x/3297035" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<br />Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-46125828351270315662013-06-13T14:57:00.000-07:002013-11-27T10:22:53.160-08:00At last<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">It is finally done, it feels as if it has been an eternity in the making but I have finally finished my first book! The combination of relief and accomplishment that it is finished, mixed with the anxiety of how it will be received is mildly reminiscent of handing in my dissertation. Anyway, here she is, the cover shot of my </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">masterpiece of literary achievement, Darren Brown eat your heart out:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The book is titled “Sailing Fitness Toolbox’, it takes what I have learnt about the cutting edge training techniques working with the guys and girls in Olympic sailing and brings them to the reader in an easy to follow format. There are exercise programs designed around the needs of sailors of all types - there is even one specifically for foilers - well how could I not?! The observant reader may notice that a few of the pictures were taken at some Moth and South coast even by either my fair hand or the magic </span>lens<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> of Adam May. If you spot yourself in print, let me know and I will wing a free copy of the book your way.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span>Want to see what treats it has in store? Here's a sneaky peek inside:</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gUDvfQRJDZo/UbJWsm_BAJI/AAAAAAAAARs/A3cY_NEhLnI/s1600/Sampleworkout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gUDvfQRJDZo/UbJWsm_BAJI/AAAAAAAAARs/A3cY_NEhLnI/s320/Sampleworkout.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Want to be one of the first to get the your hands on this fine work? Well you can do just that by pre-oredering <a href="http://igg.me/p/411275/x/3297035" target="_blank">here</a> on the Indiegogo crowd funding site that I am using to raise the funds necessary for publishing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">I will be posting more on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SailingFitnessToolbox" target="_blank">Facebook fan page</a>. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. Help me to spread the word by liking the page and sharing this link with your friends, thanks!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Visit the <a href="http://igg.me/p/411275/x/3297035" target="_blank">campaign site</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Like the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SailingFitnessToolbox" target="_blank">fan page</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Follow on Twitter @Sailperformance</span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-6250277943391199812013-06-09T16:14:00.000-07:002013-11-27T10:22:59.808-08:00Meeting the moment<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carbon Footprint 'Meeting the Moment' with the Clif Bar environmental protection promotion / photo competition of the same name. Like her picture or add your own, and Clif Bar will donate to your choice of one of five environmental not for profit organisations. I am sure there is a veritable plethora of awesome actions shots loitering on your hard drives, fair readers. Not quite sure what the general sporting population will make of foiling, the best thing is that it comes under the category of 'Awesomeness', nice! Vist: </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.meetthemoment.com/moment/view/2013-katherine-k" target="_blank">http://www.meetthemoment.com</a>.</span></span><br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-35651164398823310082013-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:002013-06-09T15:58:47.986-07:00Mount Shasta photos<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sorry not to have posted these sooner. Better late than never, here are the pictures from my trip up the west face of Mount Shasta. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oc_2wClyK2s/UaPEWJ79m6I/AAAAAAAAAQw/YxVhT0TeifA/s1600/Hidden+valley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oc_2wClyK2s/UaPEWJ79m6I/AAAAAAAAAQw/YxVhT0TeifA/s320/Hidden+valley.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The campsite at Hidden valley with the west face, and the next mornings work laid out ahead of us.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KcgVOZv6kn4/UaPEV2cKSII/AAAAAAAAAQs/sHj7lWdQv4U/s1600/Happy+camping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KcgVOZv6kn4/UaPEV2cKSII/AAAAAAAAAQs/sHj7lWdQv4U/s320/Happy+camping.JPG" width="267" /></span></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TyHOZgbnZVo/UaPEZdtov8I/AAAAAAAAARE/c7zvEOACENA/s1600/Room+with+a+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TyHOZgbnZVo/UaPEZdtov8I/AAAAAAAAARE/c7zvEOACENA/s320/Room+with+a+view.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My room with a view.</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5qg1mEMxAIU/UaPETnJEzCI/AAAAAAAAAQk/eL-9uhmSu7c/s1600/Moonrise+Casaval.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5qg1mEMxAIU/UaPETnJEzCI/AAAAAAAAAQk/eL-9uhmSu7c/s200/Moonrise+Casaval.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgdbxVV2ip0/UaPEZbKHVEI/AAAAAAAAARI/Fu5NM8mnMsM/s1600/Sunrise+Mt+Shasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgdbxVV2ip0/UaPEZbKHVEI/AAAAAAAAARI/Fu5NM8mnMsM/s200/Sunrise+Mt+Shasta.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An early start meant witnessing a wonderful moon rise over the Casaval Ridge followed by the sunrise silhouetting the mountain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-8298971228790577222013-06-05T07:30:00.000-07:002013-06-09T15:59:24.075-07:00A premonition<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Sailing can be such a fickle thing, some days you are flying over the water, the boat is sailing like a dream, speed seems effortless and everything is wonderful with the world. Other times it seems that nothing goes right, you just can't settle into the rhythm, the wind plays a devious game of hide and seek - disappearing in the blink of an eye only to re-appear twice the strength from a different direction, and hitherto completely solid bits of the boat break with abandon. I thought I was the only one to be plagued by these sailing inconsistencies. The legions of sailors sporting rugby shirts with the phrase 'Better a bad day on the water than a good day in the office' emblazoned across the back only served to reinforce my opinion. If my good days in the office were so much worse than one of these bad days of sailing, I would most defiantly be considering my career options. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I discussed this with other Mothies and discovered that I am not alone. At last, others who could understand that it is possible to have a bad day on the water. Conversation came to just what leads to these 'bad days', surely if we know what causes them, we can take action and ensure every day is a belter. Bad day causes along the lines of; when the water temperature is below five degrees, when you have to break ice off the boat in order to rig or when you can only squeeze in 25 minutes of sailing before the sun goes down, I expected. But I was wrong, we all agreed that some of our best sails have been in just these circumstances. When passers by look at you strangely as you rig, and walk away shaking their heads in disbelief that anyone could want to go sailing in the prevailing conditions; and probably adding the coastguard to their speed dial just in case. What I was surprised to discover was the myriad of bad day precursors held by the fleet, some with almost religious zeal. Whether it was finding your GPS has run out of battery, the boom pin requiring the help of a rigging mallet to be inserted or my personal nemesis, having a right old battle getting the mast up. Everyone had their own sign that today might not be a good day. Why these insignificant and irrelevant things should have such an effect on a day on the water seems strange. Can they really have such an effect on us that we let a self fulfilling prophecy of unease and negativity pervade our sailing? Is our otherwise perfect day of sailing doomed unless rigging goes perfectly according to plan?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I put this throughly to the test today. The breeze was a perfect 12kts, not too windy but definitely enough. The sun was out, everything was good, sail went on to the mast easily, the cams slipped happily into position, I popped the mast up. Except I didn't, as soon as I started to lift it, it was grabbed by and invisible force and thrown back down again. I tried again, same result. I tried four more times, same result. I moved the boat into a more sheltered location - same again - arrgh! How on earth was I going to manage to sail after this? Surely I was now certainly doomed to have the very essence of the proverbial bad day. As there was no one around to give me a hand getting on the water at all looked decidedly unlikely. What could I do? As with the tenth capsize on a short downwind leg, I decided the only real option was to pull myself together and get on with it. This time it worked. I finished rigging, launched and had one of my best sails. Does that means the mast lifting curse is broken? Could it be that I had been imagining it all along?</span></span><br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-54457439417990906112013-05-29T06:30:00.000-07:002013-06-09T16:00:03.839-07:00If San Francisco did powder days...<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have only had the joy of trying wake boarding twice. The first time went something like this; face plant, bump along behind the roaring motors of the Mastercraft at 16kts, 16kts!? (I can do that going upwind - well just about), face plant. The second was in better conditions, the dawn call for a before work session went out and we headed out onto a glassy calm, mist shrouded Poole harbour. This time I was taken with just how much skimming across the mirror flat water felt like snowboarding on a magical, knee-deep, fresh powder day. As we finished up and turned for home the mist filled in and exactly which direction to turn for home was not entirely apparent. I only now confess and apologise to my then colleagues for my lost-in-the-mist related late arrival at work. Although I'm not quite sure any of them actually believed my car wouldn't start story, especially since they all knew I cycle to work and the wet ha</span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ir and salt encrusted eyebrows were not entirely consistent with a session under the bonnet and a wait for the RAC. </span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I am digressing, what does any of this have to do with foiling you may ask. Well, today I had the joy of experiencing the water-doing-it's-best-to-be-fresh-powder thing while foiling. The water was silky smooth and soft, the foils hissed serenely through their own equivalent of the closest San Francisco is likely to get to a powder day. The fog even billowed up behind the hills, adding to the illusion of snow capped mountains. This is the Bay we are talking about though, the thermal built, the ebb kicked in and from nowhere a hard packed mogul field appeared to delight my weary legs on the way home. </span><br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-79599808219565123352013-05-27T12:56:00.002-07:002013-06-09T16:00:42.591-07:00Be careful what you wish for<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone once said "Be careful what you wish for" </span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I say, "Too right, they might come true, so make them good!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What more could a girl wish for on her birthday than to go foiling with not one, but two America's Cup helmsmen? I had my wish granted when Chris Draper with his shiny new Mach 2 joined Nathen, Troy, Nico, Adam and myself for a fun foiling session in Seaplane Lagoon yesterday. With the breeze up and some new boats and sailors on the water we stayed close to shore, ensuring the action and the wipe outs stayed close to the camera!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-47572105063609014682013-05-10T08:38:00.000-07:002013-05-10T08:38:29.093-07:00A sad day<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a very sad time with the tragic loss of Andrew Simpson. All my love and deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and team mates. You will sail on in our hearts Bart.</span>Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-51468478938360341812013-05-02T19:37:00.004-07:002013-05-02T19:37:48.501-07:00Swopping my foils for crampons<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Mount Shasta training day two involved getting used to my crampons and poles. I had planned to drive to one of the tourist car parks and do a short walk from there. As the road wound higher the automatic transmission struggled to drop gears quickly enough while I concentrated on steering around the boulders that had rolled off the slopes and were turning the road into a slalom course. As the snow on the verges got progressively thicker, I got progressively more excited about the prospect of trying out my new toys in the white stuff. Round the corner and…</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Guess I’ll walk from here then. I managed not to stick any of the crampon spikes through my gaiters, so I will count that as a success. I felt quite pleased with myself to have accomplished a reasonable length training walk. Then I realised that where I turned around will be tomorrow’s mid morning break; and I will be carrying all of the base camp kit in a bag that I think with a few more yoga sessions I could fit myself into. Ah, well, one foot infront of the other it is. I have my secret supply of tea to keep my going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">With all expeditions, be they offshore sailing, ocean rowing or even trips the the space station, there is always one important question that needs answering; what do you do about the toilet? Well, I can inform you that on Mount Shasta one uses the 'poop target', complete with handy snow anchor placement points. Unlike with IKEA furniture assembly, I have read the instructions so rest assured that I will not be 'urinating into the bag'.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">The summit expedition starts tomorrow, wish me luck. For now it is good night mountain.</span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-88204442706521077632013-05-01T18:17:00.001-07:002013-05-01T18:17:56.845-07:00How high can you go without foils?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Today was my first acclimatization day before beginning an expedition to climb Mount Shasta on Friday. Mount Shasta is a volcano in the North of California. Standing at 14,179ft it is half the height of Mount Everest. Being a volcano, rather than part of a range of high mountains makes Mount Shasta an imposing sight as it towers over the town. I believe the term is impressive topographical prominence but looking from down here, trying to imaging myself slowly inching my way up the snow field, all I can think is it looks a very long way up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">I had a fun day getting used to walking in the snow and even managed my first run in snow. Is it still trail running when there isn’t a trail? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial;">Highlights included a possible yeti sighting ;) and a </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial;">picnic spot with a fantastic view.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">I will keep you updated on my progress and hopefully get some great pictures to share.</span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-88564559159126338532013-04-01T13:49:00.003-07:002013-06-09T16:01:25.589-07:00Trial for the case of Moth v foiling gybe<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish to draw the court's attention to the following footage obtained from a tiller mounted Gopro on the day in question...</span><br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-24008327319414926542013-03-28T10:37:00.000-07:002013-03-28T10:37:00.608-07:00Bad Romance, what’s yours? <br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">What would your perfect foiling playlist 8-track be? Like all what’s your favourite music questions, it can be mood and situation dependent. A light wind evening, barely ghosting silently on the foils in the setting sun conjures up some different mind-tracks to a high wind, big chop survival pitchpole fest but my old faithfuls that just keep coming up. I would love to give you a reason for each, how it makes me feel, what it reminds me of, why I chose it but the simple answer is that I don’t know - they just pop into my head and join me foiling. So at risk of revealing my somewhat debatable musical tastes, here is my 8-track playlist - what are your favourite foiling tracks?</span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-65018081124056060612013-03-25T16:28:00.000-07:002013-03-25T16:28:00.522-07:00Scenic overlooks - does what it says on the tin<br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-5497639889206338522013-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:002013-03-22T10:36:00.117-07:00Meeting the demon<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">I have tried to deny it but I have to admit, I do know him. However hard I try to push it away, the fact that I know him rests somewhere in the out of focus areas of my conciousness. I try to put him out of my mind and convince myself that he doesn’t exist, I find myself taking alternative routes to avoid the places that I know he hangs out. However, despite myself, I still find that I am drawn to seeking him out. If too long has passed since our last meeting I feel a longing starting to gnaw away at me, slowly growing, making everyday things feel mundane. I find that I am drawn to the places where I know he will be, where he will come and stand behind me, unseen but with his presence felt in the edges of my mind, the touch of his hand knotting my stomach and his breath chilling my neck. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">I gave into temptation the other day and sought him out. I was standing at the top of a mountain, where the top of the pristine, snow capped peak met the impossibly blue sky. Seeking the challenge and adventure of an off piste run down, I had hiked a breathtaking ridge line to the top of the basin. The sun warmed my skin like a comforting blanket and the crisp high altitude air breathed freshness into my lungs. I was feeling content and confident as I took some pictures and put my skis on at the lip of the ridge. Ready to go, I looked over the edge to pick my line, only I couldn’t see it, the top of basin disappeared into invisible, concave steepness - and suddenly, there he was. Like a specter from the night he materialised and stood behind me, tightening my stomach, firing pulse raising adrenaline through my system and sending whispers of doubt into my mind. I tried to ignore him but I knew that this meeting was why I had come to this place. To a beautiful wilderness where I could nudge against the edge of my comfort zone, pushing myself to the border where what I am comfortable with tips over into a mouth drying anxiety. Our meetings used to scare me but I have met him enough times now to know how he operates. I know what I need to do to, I acknowledge his presence and politely ask him to stay where he is, I have an off-piste line to drop. With that I made my first turn and the mouth drying anxiety gave way to the exhilaration of moving beyond my boundaries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">The summer breeze is starting to build in San Francisco and I can feel him calling to me from the wind whipped chop of the Bay, whispering to me from the edge of control bear away, from that teetering moment where the wand hangs, hovering above the trough promising a pitch pole. I admit, am looking forward to seeing him again, in fact I think our meetings are one of the reasons that I love to sail the Moth. I will relish the opportunity to looking him in the eye and nudge my personal boundaries a little further and maybe post a new top speed...</span></span><br />
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-45700625932543205012013-03-20T10:31:00.000-07:002013-03-20T10:31:02.683-07:00Performance Penguin<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">The more observant amongst you may have noticed the Performance Penguin logo that has appeared on this blog; the more adventurous may have already clicked on it. After much hard work, and learning about technology, I am pleased to announce the hatching of Performance Penguin into the world. But what is it? Performance Penguin is my new online sailing fitness resource. The aim is to use my experience of working with Olympic medalists and elite level sailors to share the techniques used by champions with all keen sailors. I hope you will find some great workouts and other useful fitness information and on the site already, but let me know what else you would find useful and I will do my best. You can help my little penguin chick start exploring the big wide world by spreading the word. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Check Performance Penguin out at <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.performancepenguin.com/">www.performancepenguin.com</a></span></span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-67882123379305195402013-03-18T15:18:00.000-07:002013-03-18T15:20:01.120-07:00New members at Seaplane Lagoon<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Seaplane Lagoon Yacht Club membership is expanding, small boats from the Artemis Racing team are starting to multiply... </span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She might be the smallest but the Moth is still the fastest.</span><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/4JB2XYpNQc4">http://youtu.be/4JB2XYpNQc4</a>Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-22960242439307585562013-03-12T19:31:00.000-07:002013-03-12T21:13:39.097-07:00The moment my forestay snapped<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caught the magic moment on my hero cam. Had a two hour swim home in the ebb before I got rescued by the Artemis rib - thanks boys :) Think I'll take a phone next time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only breakage was the May-stick which Adam forgave on the grounds that is was less damage than Goobs did to his boat today with his Mach 2 rigging mallet!</span><br />
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<br />Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-69985942831281759892013-03-05T20:38:00.000-08:002013-03-05T20:38:00.751-08:00My favourite things about the F18<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">As part of my mission of attempting to learn to sail catamarans, Adam and myself have got ourselves a Nacra Infusion F18 for playing in the Bay. Had our first sail in a nice 10kts of breeze and managed to capsize in the first 10 mins, oops! Still, that's 9 mins 54 secs longer than my first Moth sail. Slightly distressed by the lack of foiling I though I should think of the best things about the F18:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">1) I get to sail with Adam which is a nice change from being by myself on the Moth. All adventures are better shared and now someone gets to enjoy hearing the Top Gun soundtrack that plays in my mind and sometimes sneaks it's way out of my mouth while I am sailing. Not sure that is quite as much fun for Adam, if I ever went on X Factor I would have a sporting change of making it onto the worst-singers-ever montage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">2) It’s relatively large size and stability mean that it is much easier to carry and eat a decent selection of snacks whist sailing, therefore significantly increasing adventure potential.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">3) When it's windy going downwind is still really fun and you get a extra sail to play with. Plus went you inevitably stick the bow in, pitchpole and get ejected out the </span></span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Helvetica;">front you can be safe in the knowledge that the crew has been ejected even more dramatically.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">4) Relatively larger periods of time between face first, 25 kt impacts with the water mean that a novelty pink </span>sequinned<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Santa hat is appropriate attire for the Seaplane Lagoon Christmas Novelty race. The more </span>observant<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> of you will notice that the sun is shining and t-shirts are being comfortable worn onboard, yes this is Christmas racing - California style.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should maybe have included that you get a crew to do all of the hard work for you in the list of benefits but I am not sure how I feel about this one. Whilst it is certainly nice to have help with the heavy stuff, I quite like the working hard part and it feels a bit like you are missing out on something sitting at the back, plus there is nothing like a good hike or hoist to keep you warm.</span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-61254397123239362422013-03-02T20:44:00.000-08:002013-03-02T20:44:00.220-08:00Does flying a hull count as flying?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">My attempts at learning to cat sail, have brought me to ponder a very important question; does flying a hull count as flying? I had my first proper taste of A cat sailing today, my gut reaction is that this doesn't count as a foiling boat adventure, but with her curved boards and one hull flying she was definitely making an effort. I came to the conclusion that it is kind of like kite flying - the kite is up there in the sky but it can only do it because it is attached to the ground by a bit of string. What do you think - can flying a hull ever count as flying? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Either way it is always pleasant to go for an evening sail in Seaplane Lagoon with the sun setting behind the city.</span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-53300443350850226322013-03-01T16:36:00.000-08:002013-03-01T16:36:00.112-08:00Seaplane Lagoon Yacht Club<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">When moving to a new area there are plenty of things that are useful to find out such as; where the shops are, where you can and can’t go after dark, where you are going to live... Then there are the priority things to find out such as where to launch your Moth. Fortunately sail boat racing teams tend to base themselves in locations with access to the water and Artemis Racing has chosen a large area of disused naval base, previously used to house a fleet of seaplanes. Hence the area of water nicely enclosed by a sea wall to keep the nasty San Francisco chop out, called Seaplane Lagoon, is to be my new foiling home. So I decided, in wheeling the Moth to a piece of old airstrip next to the small slip way, that this would be the formation of 'Seaplane Lagoon Yacht Club'. She is a little lonely at the moment but I am sure more members will join her soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><span style="color: magenta;">Seaplane Lagoon Yacht Club poster featuring action from it's heyday</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Seaplane Lagoon is also home to the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, if I previously thought I always launched with the refrains of Danger Zone running through my head, I certainly do now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">R</span><span style="color: magenta;">etro naval airbase surroundings at Seaplane Lagoon Yacht Club. I can just imagine the Top Gun piano scene occurring right in here... altogether now... 'Goodness gracious, great balls of fire...'</span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-7012070094105895922013-02-27T13:00:00.000-08:002013-02-27T13:40:40.175-08:00Bay Adventures<span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The main ethos behind Foiling Boat Adventures is sailing great fun boats, but also exploring and finding adventures in the places that sailing takes me to. The Bay Area certainly has some great places to explore and adventures to offer, I have to admit that I have started out more on the main tourist activities side than strictly adventures so far but I find that when I am somewhere new, then everything is an adventure. Taking said tourist activities to heart, Adam and I did the obligatory renting a bike from Blazing Saddles, (named, I am sure, after how your bottom feels afterwards), and rode across the Golden Gate bridge on one of our early recon missions to San Fran. Cycling seems like an apt way to explore this city which has the outdoors so woven into it’s fabric. Plus if you stick to the waterside, you get non-stop beautiful views and can avoid the notorious hills. I am looking </span>forward<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> getting to know the Bay Area better and see what adventures it has in store.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What San Francisco must-sees do you think Foiling Boat Adventures should experience?</span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020362074905991870.post-27854336035525968392013-02-24T16:45:00.000-08:002013-02-24T16:45:00.947-08:00A whale of an adventure<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">OK, so I am about as likely to successfully complete a decent scoring birding Big Year as I am to find a magic step ladder to the moon. Maybe I need to concentrate on a smaller subset of animals. Those that are a bit bigger and easier to identify would be ideal and ones that involve going on the water to see would be even better. So it was that while out foiling (I use this term to loosely describe attempting to pump the boat in minimal breeze faster than the ebb tide can push me out under the bridge), the highlight of which was being joined by a pod of dolphins, the idea struck me, why not do a Big Year of marine mammals! There can’t be too many of those, especially if I cheat just a smidge and limit it to Californian marine mammals. Well, any one who has performed the google search will know how wrong I was. There are in fact ??? species of marine mammal to be found in the waters of California, and some of then look mighty similar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;">Sounds like a good challenge and where better to start than the big ones! So I booked a trip aboard the whale watching vessel the Kitikat to the Farralone Islands. These islands are offshore form the Golden Gate bridge and maintain a air of mystery by being tantilisingly only just visible from the main land on the clearest days. Putting my weather forecasting knowledge to good use, I managed to arrange this trip for the highest swell forecast of the year - it coincided with the calling on of the Mavericks big wave surf contest just down the coast. Seeing the pluses of energy rolling ahead of the Pacfic storm and turning into huge breakers on the islands was nearly as exciting as seeing whales… and then I saw a whale and realised that nothing can be as exciting as seeing a whale! Adam as ever had the camera in the right place at the right time and caught these amazing pictures of the Grey whale. Whale identification is much easier - it even uses my basic naming vocabulary. </span></span></div>
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Katherine Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12765768829378927967noreply@blogger.com0