James Feldkamp

Most seasoned sailors will be quick to get poetic and tell you that what’s special about sailing is the connection you make with nature. When you’re in that perfect moment, it can feel spiritual: The entire world seems to go all quiet, and all you can hear is the passing breeze and the hull moving across the water. But before we get too sentimental, you need to first find yourself at sea and get going (or cruising). Below are some tips for beginners, courtesy of seasoned sailing enthusiast James Feldkamp. Image source: popularmechanics.com Image source: asa.com First, if it’s within your capacity, go join a sailing workshop. The top two certifying bodies in the U.S. are U.S. Sailing and the American Sailing Association. There are, of course, hundreds more spread across the country, with beginner courses usually conducted during the weekends at an average rate of $500 per student. One common question that first-time sailors ask is, “What should one do when there’s a ...

Sailing often conjures images of faultless blue waters, glorious sunsets, cocktails, and all-around sunshine. But it’s also a fun sporting activity that involves a host of new things to learn, from steering and reading maps to folding ropes and trimming sails. In this blog, sailing enthusiast James Feldkamp talks about some common sailing misconceptions. Image source: quantumsails.com Image source: total-croatia-news.com First, it’s not as difficult as you think. Yes, as in all endeavors, it requires dealing with a certain learning curve. But once you become familiar with the many sailing terms and techniques, you’d soon become at ease. You simply have to be committed to learning the sailing rules and be confident with your skills. Of course, it’s best to have a chartered boat in the beginning as well as an experienced skipper on board as you practice and master the craft. It’s also untrue that sailing is an elitist sport. Contrary to what you may have thought...

Sailing is more than a segue from a trip to a prime vacation spot. It is a sport that is loved and adored by many men and women across the globe. It offers lessons that are not exclusive to the sport itself. It can teach a person a lot about grit, discipline, and determination. Image source: sportspromedia.com A good reason to try sailing is to have broader horizons, literally and figuratively. Sailing is all about learning and developing new perspectives. For most sailors, the sea is where they are most relieved of stress. For James Feldkamp, a participant in the upcoming Clipper Round the World Race, sailing also teaches the value of being in control. When one is faced with a tough challenge, they are only greatly in charge of their attitude and behavior towards it; proper vessel control and management take grit and guts. Image source: bavariayachts.com As with most sports, camaraderie is at the heart of sailing. Effective teamwork leads to fun moments at se...

One of the most prestigious and challenging boating spectacles, the Clipper Round the World Race marks its 12th year with another challenge to amateur and professional sailors willing to take the helm over its eight-stop course. On its last leg, sailors will be racing from the U.S. West Coast, down to South America, and conclude on the East Coast. Image source: economictimes.indiatimes.com Bridging the leg is Panama, a world-renowned destination for sailors who want to sail east to west or vice versa through the Panama Canal. According to James Feldkamp, a security expert who will be participating in the race, the Panama Canal has been a key maritime figure. Here are some interesting facts about the Panama Canal that every sailor must know. The original plan was to build the canal in Nicaragua The United States originally wanted to build the canal bridging the Atlantic and the Pacific in Nicaragua. The plan was later on changed thanks to the effort of French engineer P...

The penultimate leg of the Clipper Round the World Race takes the skippers and sailing crews to a coast to coast journey of the North American continent. From Seattle, the participants make their way to the Panama Canal. Traversing this manmade waterway, an engineering wonder, provides one of the best highlights for many of the contestants of the 40,000-nautical-mile race. After this, they would navigate the East Coast toward New York. Image source: funcheap.com While the 7th leg lacks the thrill of crossing over a vast ocean, which some of the other legs are known for, it does bring about the contestants’ yacht racing skills. This part of the Clipper Race is likened to a match of chess as tactical decisions and patience are necessary. Firstly, there is the choice of whether to go inshore or offshore. By choosing the former, the currents and tidal streams can speed up the clipper. However, sailing near the shore entails dealing with unpredictable winds and gusts. Conv...

Traversing the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean constitutes the second leg of the great Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, as competitors depart from South America. They now must find a way to blitz the rolling swells of the South Atlantic on their way to the Southern Ocean. Spinnakers are the most appropriate sails for this crossing, as participants face the Trade Winds and surf down the front of the swells. If done correctly, the boats can run at speeds well above 20 knots. However, yacht crew members must be fully aware that the race is more of a marathon than a sprint; taking great care of their kit is a must as any false turn can rip apart the sail and leave them lagging as they stitch for hours. Massive South Atlantic storms are common, too. Participants have to be alert of incoming weather reports as they follow the route that turns the boats east toward Africa. This navigation of the Southern Cross is nonetheless most welcome: a breathtaking, nature-communing segme...

Unparalleled in its grandeur, test of endurance, and prestige in sailing, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a much-awaited sporting event that involves eight legs around the world onboard a fleet of identical yachts.   The race, conceived in 1995 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, ran every two years from 1996 to 2002, skipped a year, and then ran subsequent races starting in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2017. The crew members, who can sign up for the whole race or just one or more legs, need not be professional yacht racers.   In the past, qualified crew members ranged from housewives and office workers to chief executives and seasoned athletes, demonstrating that credentials aren’t what it takes to make it; it’s all about outwitting and conquering the ocean and facing Mother Nature in its most challenging. On the Clipper Race website, interested individuals may request an application pack or book an interview.   Clipper Race crew must undergo fo...

It’s a yacht race around the world like no other, involving 11 months of daring and hard work, as well as 40,000 grueling nautical miles across the sea .   The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is unparalleled in its appeal to the novice and the experts alike, its refusal to distinguish between seasoned athletes and sailing enthusiasts who want to embark on an ocean challenge of a lifetime. The race across five oceans and six continents is no easy feat.   According to the Clipper Race’s official website, full circumnavigation is quite an undertaking, where one “ will have sailed in all conditions from warm trade winds, through winter storms, tropical heat of the Doldrums, traversing the Equator twice and cross the International Date Line.”   It’s a visit to 13 different countries, a real circumnavigator’s journey from the point of departure to the path back home. The individual legs are as follow: Atlantic trade winds leg, South Atlantic challenge leg, Southe...