Jim Taylor goes sailing ?

I always laugh when people say, "your job has to be the best thing on earth, you get to go sailing all the time." Truth be told none of us sail as much as we should so when I read this email from our designer Jim Taylor I got a chuckle and thought it might make a nice posting for the blog.

 

 

I got to enjoy the other side of Sabre Spirits on Sunday, spending the afternoon with Ken Taylor aboard 'VIM'.  Our respective brides were with us, neither of whom are dedicated sailors, but both are happy to 'be sailed' as long as they don't have to do much of anything.  With a Spirit, they don't. 

 

The breeze was puffy and shifty near shore, but the Spirit heels to a certain (and not uncomfortable) angle, stiffens up, and never seems to need a dump of the main sheet to keep under control, with just finger tips on the wheel.  The ladies chatted away happily all afternoon, Ken and I got in enough tweaks, tacks and jibes to keep us happy, and we covered about 13 m in a 2 hour sail.  The boat always seems to be going at least 6.5 kts, whether or not you are paying any attention. The cockpit is a nice social size, with plenty of room to move around without tripping over each other.  It would be really hard to have a nicer day on the water.

 

Vim still looks brand new well into her second season, inside and and out, which is a tribute both to Ken's careful boatkeeping and to the quality built in by Sabre.  It certainly is not due to light use, since Ken goes out several times a week, often single handed.

 

Winning races one day, ideal daysailing the next. 

 

Comments

[Jim Taylor]

For me, a lot of sailing is a vital part of the job, as it is some of the most focused R&D that we get to do in the design biz. This week I am racing one-designs, next week a wooden 8m in Maine, then the NYYC Queen's Cup in Newport, and then Downeast Race Week, all in boats I have designed or had a hand in optimizing. I learn something every single time I go out, and I am always interested to hear feedback from other 'end users'. Tank testing, wind tunnels, and CFD are nice tools, but nothing replaces what I learn from being out on the water.