letter-to-mom

North U Performance Race week with Alex

The fleet of J80's that were used for the North U Performance Race Week.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Alex and I spent last week at North U’s Performance Race Week — a sailing clinic that blends classroom learning with on-the-water racing. Think summer camp for sailors: part school, part regatta, part endurance test. By the end of the week, I felt like my brain was as full as the sails, and our team walked away with some hard-earned confidence (and even a first-place finish in the final practice regatta).

What We Learned

Starts & Positioning – Getting off the line clean is everything. We practiced “the swirl,” a kind of musical chairs drill for finding the perfect starting spot. The mantra: on time, on the line, at full speed, with clear air.
Boat Speed is King – Small tweaks in trim and weight made big differences. We learned to measure and shorten recovery times after tacks and gybes, turning maneuvers into rehearsed choreography rather than improv.
Downwind Energy (“the Bubble”) – Picture a sweet spot where the boat is energized and flying. Drift too far one way and you bleed speed; nail it and you rocket forward. The key is calm, clipped communication: “up two,” “down three.”
Tactics & Strategy – Don’t get fixated on beating one nearby boat if it means losing to the whole fleet. The best sailors keep the “big picture” in mind and ask, who’s going the right way?
Rules & Culture – The racing rules are a shield, not a sword. They’re about avoiding collisions and keeping the game fair. Reputation matters more than being “right” in the protest room.

On the Water

The week wasn’t all drills and lectures. We had some spectacular sailing. One morning, a pod of orcas glided past, putting on a show (<- video on facebook) before we even raised a sail. We sparred boat-to-boat in tuning sessions, raced to Meadow Point in rabbit starts, and pushed through fluky winds that kept us humble. On the final day, our three-race regatta brought everything together. Mark helmed one race, Alex helmed two, and I worked the boat — we ended up first overall, a satisfying finish to an intense week.

Takeaways

What stuck with me most wasn’t a single maneuver or rule but the sense of transformation. We started the week as a collection of sailors; by the end, we felt like a team. The lessons about energy, choreography, and preparation will carry forward — not just into the next regatta, but into how I think about teamwork and learning in general.

North U was equal parts humbling and exhilarating. I came away tired, inspired, and itching to get back on the water to put it all into practice.

The "Shaggy Cut" of Thursday's sailing

After all the excitement on the water, the rest of the week still had plenty going on off the racecourse.

Elizabeth and her butcher block table - there is a story there.

Catherine and I went up to Everett Monday night for a nice dinner with Elizabeth, her dad Gene, and Scott. It was good to just sit, catch up, and relax a bit.

Tuesday night the whole class gathered at the clubhouse for a group dinner. It was fun hanging out with everyone and getting to know people beyond the boats.

Sunset over the bay from our seat at Happy Crab

On Wednesday, Alex and I joined two other participants for the soft opening of a new restaurant. It was good, but definitely not ready for something like “Take Your Coach to Dinner” night. So on Thursday, most of the class ended up at Ray’s — always a solid choice.

Yesterday was a quieter day that wrapped up with the Seattle Feline Rescue annual fundraising gala. Catherine and I went with Curt and Amy, and we sat with Joe, the founder of Bastyr University. I had a wonderful conversation with him and came away with a much better sense of what Bastyr is all about.

Today I helped Eric — one of Alex’s former scout friends — design and 3D-print a part for his car. Later in the afternoon, Catherine and I headed up to Elizabeth’s for a great end-of-summer BBQ.

Cat Carries and leashes for the big fix.

Tomorrow, Catherine is off to Omak for the Big Fix. It’s something she really enjoys, and she and Kat have collected more than 100 cat carriers to support it. I’ve been pitching in too — I made over 70 leashes.

Love ya all

Dan W

PS - if you want to see some of the notes I took on classes you can read them here.