Peter Nielsen – Editor of Sail Magazine
While we were at the Miami Strictly Sail show we had the opportunity to interview Sail Magazine Editor, Peter Nielsen. Well, actually Peter just happened to be sitting next to us at the bar while we ate lunch. I have been a Sail magazine subscriber for many years, and it was great to meet him.
I am sure being a print magazine editor is a very challenging job with the shift to digital media, but it does have some perks as Peter gets to experience great sailing around the world. I remembered reading a recent review Peter wrote about sailing on the Gunboat 55 hull #1 Rainmaker. Rainmaker was recently de-masted and abandoned at sea, so I asked Peter about his thoughts on the incident. He told us that he had sailed with the Rainmaker captain Chris Bailet several times and found him to be a very experienced and capable captain.
Gunboat 55 Tocatta at the Miami Strictly Sail Show
It is the nature of offshore sailing that conditions can change unexpectedly. The captain of Rainmaker made the best decision for the safety of the boat owner and crew. It also provides an important lesson for all of us to treat all squalls as if they could de-mast the boat.
You can read Peter’s review of the Gunboat 55 here. The boat is an amazing mix of cruising comfort and high performance. Captain Chris Balilet is quoted in the article saying that their goal while sailing is to be close to wind speed; that makes for very quick passages.
If you have been surprised by the strength of a squall while sailing offshore, please share your story with us by email, and we will compile them for a future post.
