PV2012Blog's for March, 2012http://www.DrLaura.comDr. Laura2024-03-19T03:47:32Z2024-03-19T03:47:32ZDr. LauraTeam Katana After MEXORC RegattaStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Team-Katana-After-MEXORC-Regatta/-81606178273272790.html2012-03-19T20:26:00Z2012-03-19T20:26:00Z<span class="blogheader">
<p>Team Katana having fun after the MEXORC Regatta. </p>
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</span>Staff2012-03-19T20:26:00ZVideo: Approaching the Finish LineStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Video:-Approaching-the-Finish-Line/746995073267538236.html2012-03-13T14:00:00Z2012-03-13T14:00:00Z<span class="blogheader">Dr. Laura and the Katana crew approach the finish line to the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2012 race.<br /></span><br /><br /><iframe width="560" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d9znBHso1iY?rel=0" height="349"></iframe>Staff2012-03-13T14:00:00ZVideo: Dolphin Need to Eat TooStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Video:-Dolphin-Need-to-Eat-Too/-947176937780978712.html2012-03-08T15:24:00Z2012-03-08T15:24:00Z<span class="blogheader">Dolphin hunt for dinner off the starboard side of Katana.<br /><br />Watch their progress at: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong>.<br /></span><br /><br /><iframe width="560" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1OJl8Fb4kZE?rel=0" height="349"></iframe>Staff2012-03-08T15:24:00ZMore Great Sailing Questions from You!Staffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/More-Great-Sailing-Questions-from-You!/743262421415661787.html2012-03-08T15:14:00Z2012-03-08T15:14:00Z<p><strong>1. Mark: How much of this race is downwind? Do you fly a spinaker and if so is advertising allowed on it?</strong><br /><br />About 90% or more is downwind. I have seven spinnakers each for different wind strength and angle to the wind. That is how you "direct" a sailboat. Advertising is allowed. This race, SiriusXM sponsored all the communications opportunities to you and the cameras. </p>
<p><strong>2. Evin: You live your life around creating good relationships. Is it hard on a boat where people can't get away from one another, to get along? How do you solve conflict?</strong><br /><br />Generally, crew members are known to the skipper or the boat captain or other sailors or navigator, etc. We all try to NOT have a "difficult" person aboard. Quarters are quite close and we have to work as a team. If one member does not contribute to the atmosphere, much less the actual running of the boat...they are not invited back. These sorts of people become "known".</p>
<p><br /><strong>3. Constance: What strategies are you trying differently in this race than in the last race?</strong> <br /><br />This time I have a professional navigator aboard. However what I have learned is you can prepare the boat and have the best weather information...and it can still come down to luck. Sheesh!<br /><br /> <br /><strong>4. Richard: I'd like to know how the race operates. Do you race 24/7 or do you stop at a certain time each evening? Does everyone follow the same course?</strong><br /><br />Yes, we race 24/7. Each member is "coupled" with another member. The "couples" are staggered: four hours on watch, 4 hours trying to rest. We have rotating watches so out of 8 total crew members on boat, each hour we have 4 members on deck to sail her. It sure tests you!</p>
<p><br /><strong>5. Dianne: Besides winning the race, what does the entire crew look forward to while in the race?</strong><br /><br />A good time and to learn something. My crew consists of 7 guys who have sailed since they could walk. I am the newbie (smile). They just love being out on the water: sea life, surviving challenges (Mother Nature style) having fun with each other, and doing their absolute best.<br /><br />----<br /><br />Watch Katana's progress at: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong>.</p>Staff2012-03-08T15:14:00ZAhoy from the Ocean!Staffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Ahoy-from-the-Ocean!/-130349231915689886.html2012-03-06T14:43:00Z2012-03-06T14:43:00Z<p>We started the race Friday at noon....it is now Monday at 4 pm. This is what a daily schedule looks like:</p>
<p>We have "teams" of two people who work 4 hours; sleep 4 hours. These four teams overlap each other by 2 hours...that means there are always 4 people on deck. My scheduled team is on deck 8 pm to midnight; 4 to 8 am; noon to four pm.</p>
<p>Every day someone is in charge of "food": freeze dried meals plus ten million snacks that certainly don't conform to any notion of proper nutrition. I brought some frozen meals from home and microwavable meals from the grocery. We all have cocoa, coffee and tea.<br /> <br />Everyone except me has sailed/raced just about their whole lives - which means I have the opportunity to learn since I started only about 8 years ago.</p>
<p>Some of us never met the others - but amazingly that did not interfere with us bonding as a team almost immediately. That bonding as a team is sooo important to our being able to do a good job. Everybody gets along and the humor is part of the glue.</p>
<p>I finally got a shower today (baby wipes kept me going) in the tiniest "head" (bathroom on boat).</p>
<p>Unlike Transpac, I am staying hydrated and eating regularly and snacking. All of that actually is extremely important for attitude and effort. I have a scopolamine patch to counteract any possibility of sea sickness (that is deadly when you are in middle of ocean and can't get off. LOL.</p>
<p>The first day was difficult with huge confused waves and wind pressure was insufficient. Today we are cruising along waiting for our next tactical move.</p>
<p>I understand my dogs keep searching the house for me and then sit in front of my husband, Lew, whining with the question on their minds: "Hey, dude, what did you do with Mommy?" Hahahaha</p>
<p>This race is going to be longer than we thought because of light wind... The tracking mechanisms for all the boats in this race do not have sufficient battery charge to follow us all the way into Puerto Vallarta. Sorry - I guess the folks who set that up didn't really consider early weather reports. Stuff happens.</p>
<p>Saw some tuna so we have fishing line dragging from the stern of KATANA hoping to catch sushi for dinner...No luck yet. We also saw whales, lots of sea turtles and dolphin. Seeing these critters face to face is so much more exciting than seeing them captured in aquariums or zoos.</p>
<p>My watch is over...I might take a nap to get ready for 8 to midnight call. Be well.</p>Staff2012-03-06T14:43:00ZVideo: Updates from Katana Racing to Puerto VallartaStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Video:-Updates-from-Katana-Racing-to-Puerto-Vallarta/393178310868196984.html2012-03-05T23:57:00Z2012-03-05T23:57:00Z<span class="blogheader">A couple of brief updates from Dr. Laura aboard the Katana racing in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2012 race.<br /><br />Watch their progress at: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong>.<br /></span><br /><br /><iframe width="560" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BMw5DCdDDjk?rel=0" height="349"></iframe>Staff2012-03-05T23:57:00ZKatana Sets Sail for PV 2012Staffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Katana-Sets-Sail-for-PV-2012/-308164648490441135.html2012-03-05T18:09:00Z2012-03-05T18:09:00Z<span class="blogheader">
<p>Katana, Dr. Laura and crew set sail in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarata 2012 race.</p>
<p>Watch Katana's progress: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong></p>
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</span>Staff2012-03-05T18:09:00ZDr. Laura Before Setting Sail for PV 2012Staffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Dr.-Laura-Before-Setting-Sail-for-PV-2012/17250290656932772.html2012-03-05T18:06:00Z2012-03-05T18:06:00Z<span class="blogheader">
<p>Dr. Laura on Katana prior to setting sail in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarata 2012 race.</p>
<p>Watch Katana's progress: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong></p>
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<p>Katana prepped with supplies and gear, waiting to set sail in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarata 2012 race.</p>
<p>Watch Katana's progress: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong></p>
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</object>Staff2012-03-05T18:03:00ZVideo: 2.5 Hours Into RaceStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Video:-2.5-Hours-Into-Race/-444852146654400212.html2012-03-03T02:00:00Z2012-03-03T02:00:00Z<span class="blogheader">Dr. Laura gives a brief description of events 2.5 hours into the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2012 race.<br /><br />Watch their progress at: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong>.<br /></span><br /><br /><iframe width="560" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uMM67dGYJGs?rel=0" height="349"></iframe>Staff2012-03-03T02:00:00ZWatch Katana's Progress!Staffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Watch-Katanas-Progress!/130880913084821358.html2012-03-02T20:00:00Z2012-03-02T20:00:00Z<p>Katana has set sail in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2012 race! <br /><br />Watch their progress at: <strong><a href="http://yb.tl/SDPV2012" target="_blank">http://yb.tl/SDPV2012</a></strong>. <br /><br />Some things to note on this tracking page: On the left of the screen, you'll see the words "Teams" and "Leaderboard." After you click on "Teams," click on Katana and our boat will be highlighted on the race. Also if you look at the top of the screen there is a magnifying icon. Click on the "minus sign" will zoom the screen out, click on the "plus sign" will zoom it in. <br /> </p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/images/blog/katana_pv_promo.jpg" alt="Katana and her crew" width="300" height="200" /></p>Staff2012-03-02T20:00:00ZVideo: Dolphins, Dolphins EverywhereStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Video:-Dolphins,-Dolphins-Everywhere/15599231793616927.html2012-03-01T15:56:00Z2012-03-01T15:56:00Z<span class="blogheader">Katana, my crew and I are being “escorted” by a school of dolphins as we sail on the Pacific Ocean off the Santa Barbara coast, practicing for our upcoming race from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta (PV 2012)<br /></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TGUhb7x_uCM?rel=0" frameborder="0" height="349" width="560"></iframe>Staff2012-03-01T15:56:00ZWhy I'm Racing in PV 2012 - Part TwoStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Why-Im-Racing-in-PV-2012---Part-Two/979916516909616091.html2012-03-01T14:49:00Z2012-03-01T14:49:00Z<p>I'm answering more of your questions regarding the upcoming Puerto Vallarta 2012 race (PV 2012). We're at the starting line on Friday March 2nd at 11:55am. We'll post tracking links so you can watch our progress.</p>
<p><strong>How are you training and preparing?</strong></p>
<p>I am preparing physically by running and doing more yoga. I'm not taking on any hard training which could give me any chance of getting hurt, so nothing severe but mainly eating and sleeping well. I am already in good shape physically, but after Transpac, I learned the best preparation is making sure I get food and water for me. The rest of the crew loves the freeze-dried food that comes prepackaged but I hate the freeze-dried stuff; I just can't eat it. On Transpac 2011, I had prepared food in a cooler with dry ice and it evaporated sooner than we thought so the food went bad.</p>
<p>This race I have snacks coming out of my ears: String-cheese, cool flavored Yoplait yogurts, cinnamon graham crackers, prunes, peanuts (very good for protein), dried slivers of apple, hard boiled eggs, cling peaches, Triscuits, granola bars, oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup for breakfast, and the great staple of the ocean, the most important food known to sailors - peanut butter and jelly. When nothing else works, every sailor can eat peanut butter and jelly. Protein. Sugar. Good to go.</p>
<p>I am also very prepared for the cold. The rest of the crew has a lot of muscle to keep them warm but I'm bringing a million layers. The cold is something you have to deal with because if you get too cold then you can't function.</p>
<p><strong>What do you hope to accomplish?</strong></p>
<p>I hope to WIN! Plus I'm looking forward to having a different crew than during Transpac 2011, gelling together as a team and practicing for next year's Transpac.</p>
<p><strong>What fun parts of the race are you looking forward to?</strong></p>
<p>Many times during the trip, if there is a squall or if someone gets sick then there are horrible moments and you ask yourself why am I here? But when you cross the finish line and it's all behind you, then you have a million great stories to tell.</p>
<p>In the first Cabo race, Sam, my good friend and crew member, got up every morning, stuck his head into the cockpit, and said, "Where am I?" It's hilarious becoming familiar with all the quirks of the people you are on the boat with. Everybody has quirks. Dave is very tall, so he can't sleep in a bunk. Instead, he spreads out the sails below and falls asleep on them. Fortunately, these guys don't snore and if they do, I go over and pinch a toe -- that usually stops it.</p>
<p>I'm looking forward to the crazy funny things people say in the moment. When you get home everybody disbands and does their own thing and we see each other here and there. But, when you are out on the middle of the ocean, you feel intensely close. It's a wonderful feeling because you count on each other, depend on each other, and support each other. I find myself very touched. There is always some point in a race when there is a lull, when we sit and talk and people say crazy things and humor comes out of nowhere.</p>
<p>The world becomes a 47-foot boat, totally separate from the rest of reality.</p>
<p><strong>What is your main role on the boat?</strong></p>
<p>I'm the main driver and also the safety nag.</p>
<p>We take four hours shifts in the boat: four hours on, four hours off. You're supposed to sleep or eat when you are off, but I usually sleep four hours and then stay awake the rest of the time. I like driving for other people so they can get the things done they wouldn't get done if they were driving. </p>
<p>I'm also the safety "nag" because I'm always making sure everyone has their life-saving equipment on, their life vest on. And if it's blowing or bouncy, then I make the guys tether in. I am ultimately responsible for them and if something happens then we might not be able to get them back, especially if we are in the middle of the ocean in bad weather.</p>Staff2012-03-01T14:49:00ZWhy I'm Racing in PV 2012 - Part OneStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Why-Im-Racing-in-PV-2012---Part-One/-645467131305410136.html2012-02-28T10:00:00Z2012-02-28T10:00:00Z<p>This Friday, March 2nd, my crew and I are racing in the 31st Biennial San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race (PV 2012). This is a biennial event which starts off San Diego's Shelter Island and finishes off Punta Mita in beautiful Banderas Bay, Mexico.</p>
<p>After that, we'll be participating in the 22nd edition of the MEXORC (Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit) regatta and the Regatta Copa Mexico. MEXORC and the Regatta Copa Mexico are a joint effort between the Mexican Government and the Mexican Sailing Federation. We'll be participating in 7 one-day races then.</p>
<p>Over the next few days, I'll be answering some of your questions regarding this next adventure...</p>
<p><strong>Why did you choose to do the PV 2012 race?</strong></p>
<p>For about five or six years, I was only doing buoy races and wondered about what it would feel like to have a big sailing adventure. I decided I wanted to have one and came up with idea of doing the Cabo race where you sail from Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas. I put together a crew with one pro and assumed we were going to lose because we weren't a bunch of pros. Lo and behold... we took everything and won in all three categories. It was so much fun!</p>
<p>I had never been out in open sea before and I wanted to see if I liked it. At that point, after we won in Cabo, I decided to do Trans Pac. Trans Pac was extremely difficult - physically and emotionally - with the squalls, not being able to eat and being dehydrated. It was very tough.</p>
<p>But it was an incredible experience, feeling the team work together and at one point we were the farthest you could be from land in the whole world. It was a sobering experience... it felt like we were in a fishbowl. There was no land anywhere and we were alone on a boat with a bunch of people and we had to keep each other alive.</p>
<p>Trans Pac was an amazing experience emotionally. We went the wrong way, didn't place and afterwards I was determined to do it again -- and do it better.</p>
<p>The PV 2012 race is a hard one; it takes eight and a half days. This race and the other long distance races I am doing this year are all preparation for next year's Trans Pac. <br /> <br />We are much better prepared for this race to Puerto Vallarta and for future races. There is enough food and water; I have noise-isolating headphones so I can sleep better; and I am well equipped with loads of snacks.</p>
<p>So, the reason I'm doing PV 2012 is 20% adventure, 80% prep for Transpac.</p>
<p><br /><strong>What are the different challenges in this race versus Transpac 2011?</strong></p>
<p>This race is a lot easier, and takes half the time. Overall it is less grueling physically because it's much shorter and also we are closer to land. The second part of it, called MEXORC is a five-day series of day races that are sponsored by the Mexican government. This time around, my son Deryk is going to be a grinder on the MEXORC races, and is also coming along as part of my security.</p>Staff2012-02-28T10:00:00ZPhotos from our Practice RunStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/Photos-from-our-Practice-Run/-447845204780196.html2012-02-28T09:00:00Z2012-02-28T09:00:00Z<p>Here's a couple of photos from our practice the weekend of Feb. 18-19:<br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/images/blog/practice_1.jpg" alt="Dr. Laura and her crew" width="600" height="448" /><br /><br /><img src="/images/blog/practice_2.jpg" alt="Dr. Laura and her crew" width="600" height="448" /></p>Staff2012-02-28T09:00:00ZThe 31st Biennial San Diego to Puerto Vallarta RaceStaffhttp://www.DrLaura.com/b/The-31st-Biennial-San-Diego-to-Puerto-Vallarta-Race/664206848072355792.html2012-02-28T08:00:00Z2012-02-28T08:00:00Z<p>The <strong><a href="http://www.sdyc.org/pv/" target="_blank">San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race</a> (PV 2012) </strong>hosted by <a href="http://sdyc.org/" target="_blank">San Diego Yacht Club</a> is a biennial event which starts off San Diego’s Shelter Island and finishes off Punta Mita in beautiful Banderas Bay, Mexico. The conclusion of the 1000 mile race will be on the picturesque beaches of Nuevo Vallarta, just minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. </p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/images/blog/katana_pv_promo.jpg" alt="Katana and her crew" width="300" height="200" /></p>
<p>Some boats will start the race March 1st. Katana, Dr. Laura's boat pictured above, begins the race March 2nd at 11:55am<br /><br />More: <a href="http://sdyc.org/pv/?page_id=16" target="_blank">History of the race </a></p>
<p>The 22nd edition of the <a href="http://www.mexorc.com/" target="_blank">MEXORC (Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit) regatta</a> and the Regatta Copa Mexico will follow the 2012 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race. MEXORC and the Regatta Copa Mexico are a joint effort between the Mexican Government and the Mexican Sailing Federation. It is a great international event in Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta area) with seven days of racing over eight calendar days in one of the finest sailing venues in the world.</p>Staff2012-02-28T08:00:00Z