Welcome to the September issue of At The Front, a monthly digest of top news and stories from the world of Harken.

Contents:

• Opening Thoughts by Bill Goggins, Managing Director Harken USA
• Golden Globe Race: Checking in with Tapio Lehtinen and the Asteria
• Hypothermia Myths and the Truth about Cold Water
• Tech Team Asked & Answered: Get to Know the Performa line of Winches

Kids are getting back to school. The calendar says September. Time to put the boats away for another year...NOT!

Yes, the sound of the school bus is again being heard in our neighborhood. Our junior sailors are back on school playgrounds or in math class. But this is NOT -- I repeat, NOT -- the time to cover your boat and stash it for the winter. In much of the Northern Hemisphere, September offers the best sailing conditions of the year. After making progress all summer the water’s finally at its warmest. Bigger breezes start to assert themselves again. September brings a nice variety of conditions after months of summer’s light air (except in the thunderstorms) or reliable sea breezes -- from the same direction. Harbors empty out.

It might be my imagination, but perhaps powerboats venture out a little less after Labor Day too. Some of the biggest regattas of the year are scheduled in September for just these reasons. In our area, one of my most favorite events -- the E-Scow Blue-Chip -- is a September fixture.

After August we get all those advantages of fall sailing and maybe one more: Starting in September every evening sail, every night in a favorite anchorage, every perfect pin end start or jibe set comes with a small measure of scarcity. In summer there are LOTs more days left if we waste one ashore. In September the pull of “one last…” starts as a whisper and gets stronger all month long. I hope you listen to it and get out there!

Bill Goggins, Managing Director Harken USA

Golden Globe Race: Checking in with Tapio Lehtinen and Asteria

The Harken team checks-in with Tapio Lehtinen, our friend and competitor in the 50th anniversary Golden Globe Race.

Hypothermia Myths and the Truth about Cold Water

The weather is changing in the Northern Hemisphere and cold is on the way. To understand the dangers of cold water, you have to stop thinking of hypothermia and start thinking of the four dangers of accidental cold water immersion. The truth is that cold water kills, but hypothermia is just one way that it does, and it’s not the most common way. If you find yourself immersed in cold water, four things happen to your body that you should understand.

Tech Team Asked & Answered: Get to Know the Performa line of Winches

Learn about Harken's Performa line of winches - combining the high-efficiency of the Radial line with the sandblasted grip of Harken carbon-fiber racing winches for powerful hybrids.