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Salty Dips | Sailing and Racing Stories

A podcast about sailing, racing and the people who make it happen.

Hosted by Chris Maier

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Sailing podcast interviews and racing stories from the live Salty Dips feed.

Episode 7

Sailing, Racing, and Preparation with Ben Mumford - E7

Ben Mumford of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club joins Chris Maier for a conversation about sailing, racing, and building high-performance Corinthian programmes. Ben traces his path from Nanaimo dinghy sailing and one-design racing through the Star class, match racing, Six Metres, IC37s, and the Santa Cruz 70 All of It. He discusses coaching, youth development, crew building, and the racing preparation required to move sailors from smaller boats into serious keelboat and offshore racing programmes. The conversation also covers Ben’s 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational campaign, where his team overcame a collision, a major boat change, and a long night of preparation to finish third. Ben and Christopher discuss the 2026 Swiftsure, Stuart Dahlgren’s navigation, the future of distance racing, and the 2027 Transpac. A practical conversation about racing preparation, offshore racing, coaching, resilience, and building the next generation of Pacific Northwest sailors. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/salty-dips/donations

Aug 20, 202655 min
Read episode notes: Sailing, Racing, and Preparation with Ben Mumford - E7
Episode 6

Sailing Distance Races with Peter Salusbury of Longboard - E6

Join Peter Salusbury, winner of the 50th PNW Offshore, on Salty Dips Episode 6. Explore the technical prep of the Riptide 35 'Longboard,' the 2010 Southern Straits watershed, and why a sailor's eye still beats technology offshore. Preparation isn’t a spring project—it starts in November." In this episode, Chris Maier sits down with ocean racer Peter Salusbury, fresh off his overall victory in the 50th Pacific Northwest Offshore. As the skipper of the Riptide 35 Longboard and the Event Chair for the Southern Straits, Peter brings a masterclass in what it actually takes to manage a high-performance offshore program. We dive into: The Second Lesson of Racing: Why Peter starts his refit and preparation process six months before the start line. Safety as a Culture: Reflections on the 2010 Southern Straits storm and how it redefined safety standards in British Columbia. Technology vs. the human element: Using Expedition software to find trends while relying on human judgment to make the final call in big sea states. The Salty Dip: A harrowing account of a Brooks Peninsula storm that saw a 40-foot yacht lose its mast and the Coast Guard intervene. The Feeder System: How the Melges 24 fleet is bridging the gap for the next generation of offshore talent. Whether you're an aspiring offshore sailor or a seasoned veteran, Peter’s "no fluff" approach to preparation and leadership is essential listening. Stay Salty. riptide 35 safety at sea southern straits van isle 360 salty dips offshore racing yacht racing bc sailboat preparation Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/salty-dips/donations

Jul 20, 202653 min
Read episode notes: Sailing Distance Races with Peter Salusbury of Longboard - E6
Episode 5

The Value of Doing Hard Things with Bert ter Hart - E5

More people have walked on the moon than have done what Bert ter Hart achieved: a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe using only a sextant and paper charts. No GPS. No chart plotter. Just 265 days of raw discipline and mental toughness. Also, we try to look into what makes a racer in sailing. In this episode, host Chris Maier sits down with Bert to dive deep into the philosophy of "Doing Hard Things." From his background as a platoon commander in Canada’s Special Service Force to facing the chaotic wave trains of the Southern Ocean, Bert explains why he never plays "what if" games and why he views maintenance as a "Black Box" of safety deposits. We also talk about his next "beast" of a voyage—sneaking around the world in a faster hull to outrun storms— and his upcoming paddle from the Alberta border to the Arctic Highlights include: The Moon vs. The Sea: Why solo traditional navigation is a rarer feat than space travel. The "When" Philosophy: How to plan for disaster without being paralyzed by it. The Salty Dip: A harrowing 7-hour session steering backwards in a flooded cockpit in the Tasman Sea. Small Decisions: How breaking a massive task into tiny, "harder" choices leads to success. Guest Bio: Bert ter Hart is a record-setting sailor, author, and adventurer. He is the first North American to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation via the five great capes using traditional navigation. A graduate of Royal Roads Military College, Bert’s adventures span from the world's most dangerous oceans to paddling across the width of Canada. Keywords: Sailing, Yacht Racing, Solo Circumnavigation, Traditional Navigation, Sextant, Resilience, Bert ter Hart, Salty Dips, Black Wolf Racing, Pacific Northwest, Adventure, Military Discipline. Links Mentioned: Bert’s Circumnavigation: the5capes.com Cross-Canada Adventure: KaiNani.ca Bert’s Projects: bertterhart.com Black Wolf Racing: blackwolfracing.ca Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/salty-dips/donations

Jun 20, 202668 min
Read episode notes: The Value of Doing Hard Things with Bert ter Hart - E5
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The show

Sailing and racing stories.

Salty Dips is hosted by Chris Maier and explores Pacific Northwest sailing, offshore and high-performance racing, race management, coaching, safety, technical preparation, and the human stories around the sport.

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