Sailing Gear

 Having always pretty much been around the water my whole life  , you come to realize you need good foul weather protection! It can make or break you day on or around the water! I have tried just about every brand out there , and they are all pretty good , Alot comes down too brand loyalty. I have noticed since J.P. has been sailing and racing since he was a wee little kid , like sneakers kids want to be on the water in the right gear, even if its inferior if it got the name , wear it!






    I have recently started ordering and stocking a few things from Gul of England , Since 1967 , they have been making wetsuits and keeping English sailors and watermen warm. I like the breathable waterproof ,lightweight outershells, fine fleece linings and the longer tails to keep your backside warm! they make  great spray tops for dingy sailors and offshore jackets and bibs for big boats sailors too. when I 'm just hanging around the water , sometimes its damp or windy its just nice to have the right jacket or vest on , Gul really has it all, in typical tasteful English style of subtle colors and pure function and durability for men ladies and kid sizes too!  Hopefully the website will be functioning soon! I know I am ready to launch Gul to those who want the best.

Vintage sportcar racing

 My great Passion it seems is Vintage sportscar racing , I have been told recently I am a obsessive compulsive person with tendency to be over the top with my energy level, in short this makes  me a pain in the ass to be around for the most part I guess ! my brain never stops thinking I am always moving , while others may be on the ground going about at a perfectly normal pace I seem to be flying around on another plane . I get bored easily and I like change . I have tried all kinds of sports , my least favorite being Golf , Christ is that a frustrating and annoying game.
    I have always loved cars , they way they look the way they sound , smell, and the passion some brands evoke . I have owned so many cars I have lost count , some disappointments , some like a beautiful lady but always temperamental, and a few that were just simply a joy to drive and own.

    Vintage racing just seemed to fit for me , My favorite old cars racing ,like minded people , the challenge , and finally something moving at the same pace as my over the top energy! I explained to others that for me at speed in the racecar  things seem to slow down almost in slow motion , it becomes very graceful and fluid,it may seem violent from afar but in reality the driver , hardly moves the wheel , being smooth is fast , and that's hard at over 100 MPH.

  I have taken a break for various reasons, , I thought for a bit ahh, I don't need it anymore, but simply I miss it. I worked at it and there was a sense of pride in my getting better and better , and being respected for my driving skill and the level of preparation I put into my cars, they became a reflection  of me and a extension of who I am. I have found without this in my life something is missing ,I don't need it like I did a few years back when it was racing or nothing ! But I would like to go a few times a year to my favorite tracks  and see friends and climb into the cockpit , buckle up and tingle the senses and feel the rush of  racing really cool old cars again. I hope somehow in time I can get a sportsracer like the ones pictured here , they are fast , pure racecars and evoke the essence of racing in a bygone era.
  I have also been told I need to save some of my dreams for the future and not live them all in the present !
    I'm really trying to work on that! I love my Elva Curier , but a Elva mark 6 looks like so much fun........
   

  

Fall thoughts and boats

  I must say I love Fall, I have lived in Fl for 25 years , its's pretty much like the movie groundhog day , nothing really changes......
    I miss the leaves, cider, how the shore towns quiet down and sound glistens with a clarity only autumn  can bring. Of course breaking out my favorite shetland sweaters, and cords, the feeling one gets from a brisk walk , which brings a scent of fallen leaves , and the crunch under ones foot.
  I am am reminded that summer must end , and with that boats will be hauled and covered for the winter,  I love to roam the boatyards and look at the hull shapes and underbodies of my favorite sailboats , so powerful on land and so elegant in the water such a contrast. I have stated before I love the shapes of the 60's and very early 70's  Glass boats , CCA rules still dictated long overhangs and yawl rigs , so pretty and the benifits of fiberglass and the great prices on these enduring classics make them so attractive to my eyes!!

  I really love sailing on Long Island sound , for me it is my paradise , yes the season is short ,but maybe thats part of what makes it so special?



 



    Don't get me wrong Fl. in the winter is like a top ten fall day in New england with palm trees, crisp cool and a warm tropical sun  is like therapy for the soul and we get lots of them for 4 months.   I get to expierince both , thats pretty special and I am greatful for that, but I still want fresh cider a corny fallfest, a pumkin patch and one last sail on the sound on a crystal clear late Sept. day and that something to aim toward in the future.....

Classic Style must include classic cars

for the minimalist ! 1967 VW beettle

1962 Volvo P1800

left- Porsche 914 right- classic 72 911

1965 Triumph tr4 with hard top

 Those who know me are aware of the fact that for most of my breathing life there has always been cars. From matchbox to corgi models to the real thing Alfa's , lotus, Mg, Triumph, VW, Porsche , Morgan, Jaguar,Lancia, Fiat , Mini Coopers,  I had to have them, I had to race them , simply I have been obsessed! If I haven't owned them ,I have driven them worked on them and learned in detail everything I could about them . I left my very successful career to live my dream of eating sleeping, racing everything , vintage classic cars. Regrets yes of course , I should have stayed with my career in textiles , and these Economic times have left the vintage car racing scene pretty flat for the most part, and the expense of doing business in the vintage racing world doubled and sometimes tripled far beyond what the customer would pay for our services  resulting in diminished business, and ultimately closing my shop.
 Highlights a few , meeting fantastic people from all over the business world who had the same crazy love affair with cars. Racing  to the best of my ability , doing things with a 50 year old car on the race track that I never thought were possible for the car and myself, finishing a good race ,maybe even winning my class and seeing my little boy , beaming and waiting for me to get out of the car, as he got older  knowing that he knew how demanding the sport could be and his appreciation of  how my driving skill had improved .
  We were building very fast cars and the results from this showed on the track and how far the  shop had come from its humble beginnings.
      Really the time spent with my wife and son at the track , will always be the most important and special part of the whole frustrating business experience.
  Cars can be special, when they are just for your pleasure to drive, to look at , to enjoy , this I wish to experience again at some point . Time is a healer and I need time away from  special cars, I have thought about some fun cars , ones that are on my list  of  classic and stylish and perfect for the traditional preppy man or woman. The list may not be familiar too some , but  having something different , and unique is part of the fun!


1967 MG C GT



1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 , I love All Alfa's but this one with the big 6cyl. and lovely style make this one a jewel!

•   The selected cars are reasonable, fringe exotic , reliable and mostly beautiful, classics that will  make your statement of style , carry over from your wardrobe to your driveway , from the yacht club to  around town errands these cars are simply beautiful and in my mind one of the reasons I have always loved classic cars for the 60's is in today's world they truly have become moving art.......
•   1967 VW Beetle 12 volt , most powerful motor simply perfect!
• 1965 Triunph TR4 love the Italian styling, cues , my favorite TR , great , strong motor
• Alfa  Romeo 2600, wow styling, comfortable powerful 6cyl. engine, VERY underrated,  VERY cool!
• Volvo p1800, the  Saint drove one!, Cool styling, very reliable, motor, different from the norm.
•   1972 Porsche 911 T great car , great engine , so reliable , it's silly,I love the pure styling
• 1972-1974 Porsche 914 , time has been its hero , now considered a great  buy , superb handling car , comfortable, and fun with targa roof, and reliable flat 4 motor its a joy to cruise in these!
•  1967-69 MGC GT love this car ,  different , quirky , a real cruiser, I have always thought of it as a baby Aston Martin, makes a great 6cyl. sound and with wool carpets and leather interior , I've always felt it a special  car for the money, But I LOVE  MG's!