We went to the Concord Point Sail Loft in Havre de Grace, MD last week for Vince's lecture on sails and sail trim. I've known Vince for a number of years and being Australian he possesses a unique sense of humor and is always enjoyable company.

The show started with a film on the 1983 America's Cup. You know the one the Australians won. If you had to point to one event that marked a revolution in yacht racing it would have to be the 1983 America's Cup. The entire industry grew up over night (at least in the U.S.). After successfully defending the Cup for 132 years it was finally unbolted by better design and technology. From then on the America's Cup was a designer's race, a showcase for each challenger's (and country's) ability to advance the art and science of sailing.

After a short break Vince and his team began explaining the art of sail trim. Starting with the types and properties of cloth and how it is used in sails, Vince explained the different "cuts" and their purposes. When he got to trimming Vince had a unique demonstration. He had strung a mast across the loft with sufficient rigging to "set" a main and genny. With gravity supplying sail shape Vince could adjust the sails through different wind