March 2009 eNewsletter

Racing News

Get ready racing fans! The Etchells Midwinters is fast approaching! The three day event will begin on Friday, March 27th and ends on Sunday, March 29th. This is one of the biggest racing events for Etchells in San Diego. If you haven't already done so, click here to sign up.

The race brings some of the top Etchells fleet together. You can expect sailors from Seattle and San Francisco as well as some East coast sailors, who will be chartering some boats for the race.

This event provides a great mixture of some of the most experienced sailors at one regatta. Kasey will be sailing this year with Michael Ewens on haul 291. For more information about the race or to view the current registered sailors for the race, click here.


Cruising News

Glorietta Bay is the perfect weekend get-away. When the weather improves, be sure to take your boat down and anchor. It is one of the most scenic parks on San Diego's Coronado island. The park offers playgrounds, picnic tables and beautiful green lawns perfect for the whole family. Glorietta Bay Park also offers a ramp just off the park where jet skis and sailboats can be launched.

Glorietta Bay provides a wide range of leisure activites that include a golf course, ice cream parlor and The Lamps Theater. It's the perfect getaway to relax and enjoy your boat for the weekend.


Customer Job of the Month!

We are proud to announce Michael Ewens as our customer of the month. Michael recently purchased an older Etchells haul #291. He purchased the boat from a seller in Seattle who started to recondition the mast but lost interest. Michael expressed a desire to bring the boat up-to-speed, so we worked with him to make sure his boat was safe to sail.

Michael's Etchells was in relatively good condition but the boat needed to be repainted, all new rigging, and all new running rigging hardware needed to be installed.

Before the boat was painted, we cut and drilled all the necessary holes for mounting the hardware. Miguel Hernandez then painted the top sides and the haul. We decided to go with an appoxy primary for the haul and an LD non-skid for the deck.

The boat did not have any floor boards or a center console, so we glassed in a center console and mounted the floor boards. At that time, we decided to run all the necessary line purchases underneath the floor and throughout the boat.

Michael Ewens has been a great customer. We were extremely excited about this project because it allowed us to start from scratch and make all the fine tune adjustments needed to improve the condition of his boat. We recently finished this project and we are excited that he will soon be racing with this boat in his first real regatta, The Etchells Midwinters. Enjoy your time on the water, Michael, and thank you for your business!

December 2008 eNewsletter

Racing News

Get ready racing fans! Ten hot new M23 Trimarans have arrived in California and several more are expected to arrive later this month.
KC Performance Rigging will be the Southern California dealer to distribute, commission, and customize them.

These Trimarans are lightweight high-performance speed machines designed for day-sailing and one-design racing. The buoyancy of the outhauls make it safe and fun for the whole family. Click here to learn more about the M23 Trimaran.

We are excited and cannot wait for these new Trimarans to arrive! Click here to preorder today.


Customer Job of the Month!

We are proud to announce David MacVean as our customer of the month. David is a member of SDYC and owns a Beneteau 47.3. He expressed a desire to sail to Hawaii, so we worked with him to make sure his boat was safe to sail.

We started with a standard rig inspection which included lubricating the turnbuckles and the spreader tips as well as cleaning the swage fittings. We also added spreader boots to prevent damage to the main, jib and spinnaker.

Some of the other alterations we made on David's boat in preparation for his sail include:
-Replaced traveler line, upgraded strap eyes and blocks.
-Replaced chafe lines on lazy jacks.
-Installed spare spinnaker halyard and added extra halyard clutches in the cock pit.
-Added block to mast head.
-Upgraded mast step and turning blocks with customed stainless steel mast step block bracket designed and fabricated by KC Performance Rigging.
-Stainless steel extension on the bow to extend out the spinnaker foreguy.

David MacVean has been a great customer and we are excited that he will soon be sailing to Hawaii. Enjoy your time on the water, David, and thank you for your business!



Cruising News

Often, during the winter months, boats are stored for longer periods of time. In order to ensure your boat stays in its best condition, here are a few tips (these tips actually apply to any time your boat goes unused, not just during the winter):
Keep your boat covered! Covers are an initial expense, but worth the investment in the long run because they protect your boat from the elements. A good choice if you are in the market for a cover is the boom tent, which covers the back half of the boat. The nice thing about the boom tent is that you can spend time on the boat without having to remove it.

-Store your running rigging! I recommend skying halyards, removing or storing jib sheets and putting halyard tails in bags.
-Remove and store the jib.
-Store all loose deck hardware.
-Run the engine every 6-8 weeks.
-Use a dehumidifier in the cabin to eliminate odors, dampness and mildew.
-Lastly, dont forget about the bottom of the boat! I highly recommend finding a diver you trust to keep the bottom clean and zincs replaced when needed.

KC Performance Rigging's boat management service is available for an affordable monthly fee. We handle all of this maintenance, and more, if you don't have the time to take care of it on your own. Click here for a quote for monthly boat management or, if you prefer, for any one (or more than one) of the maintenance tips we mentioned in the list above.

November 2008 eNewsletter

Racing News

Mark your calenders! The Hot Rum Series is just around the corner. Hosted by San Diego Yacht Club, the races are: November 9, November 23 and December 7. You won't want to miss it! This is one of my favorite regattas of the year. The race begins toward the end of Shelter Island on the bay side of the Police docks. You sail out of the bay, down to a marker near The Hotel Del Coronado, and then head back to the starting point.

The Hot Rum Regatta appeals to both the avid racer and those just starting out. It is low-key and tons of fun! If you are a first-time racer, this is your chance to get out there!

If you haven't already done so, click here to sign up.


Cruising News

October is the end of hurricane season.

The Baja Hahaers left on October 27th since November is the beginning of the prime cruising season in Mexico. If you have the time off and an urge to sail in warm weather, the Sea of Cortez is an excellent choice. It is the perfect place to enjoy great sailing as well as a good way to practice your offshore sailing skills. One of the first cities to stop at while in the Sea of Cortez is La Paz. The ice cream shop on the boardwalk is worth the trip! Click here for a excellent guide on weather and traveling through Baja. Here is another website that talks more about cruising in the Sea of Cortez.


Customer Job of the Month!

We are proud to announce Ken Watson as our customer of the month. Ken recently purchased Medusa, a 1995 Santa Cruz 52'. Before purchasing his yacht, the boat was hardly used and was not well-maintained. Ken expressed a desire to use his boat for cruising, so we worked with him to bring it up-to-speed.

The first step to getting Ken's boat up-to-speed was meeting with his sail maker and agreeing on a plan of action. We chose to upgrade the Harken track because the original cars were undersized and we were sure it would not handle cruising or offshore racing.

Ken's jib furling system never worked correctly and bound up beneath the deck drum. It would bind when furling. To prevent this from happening again, we modified the Harken drum. Additional miscellaneous upgrades were made to Ken's boat that include: adjusting the lazy jacks, adding safety straps and replacing a filter, bleeding the hydraulic system and installing insulation on his backstay so that he could have a single-side-band radio.

Ken's trust in our expertise allowed us to utilize our knowledge and outfit his yacht to its optimal condition. Ken is leaving soon to cruise in Mexico, confident that his boat will take him the distance! Enjoy your time on the water, Ken, and thank you for your business!