<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[First Shift Sailing]]></title><description><![CDATA[From First Beat to First Place]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:46:51 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Buying sails for your race boat is an absolute minefield: How to get a good deal and a fast boat. Part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Part two of two. Part one told the story of how sailmaking became an engineering business. This part is about spending your own money TP52 yacht getting ready for a mark rounding. The sails are the key and you want to start with the best you can afford … fast, strong, robust and affordable… a big…]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/buying-sails-for-your-race-boat-how-to-get-a-good-deal-and-a-fast-boat-part-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a88762bd586cd2fd6619b65</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:30:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_3b90ab5b2b674a45884cd9c02abaa82e~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_800,h_533,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Who really invented the sails you just bought, and does it matter? Part 1]]></title><description><![CDATA[Part one of two. Part two looks at who owns whom today, what a small loft is actually selling, what is genuinely new, why quotations vary so widely, and how to run a sail tender rather than simply collect three numbers. Why I know it’s still complicated to buy a sail In 1999 and 2000 I was buying…]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/who-really-invented-the-sails-you-just-bought-and-does-it-matter-part-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8869baec9ee797848db770</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:42:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_5c596c1ed2474aef918307f6208323df~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_819,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Offshore yacht racing: How do we create the next generation and who pays for it?]]></title><description><![CDATA[RORC has rebuilt a serious route into offshore racing. The next step is to fund it as part of the sport’s infrastructure, rather than as an annual act of generosity.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/offshore-racing-next-generation-who-pays</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7eefd709442d66eef148bb</guid><category><![CDATA[RORC & Future of Offshore Racing]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_08b53dac729d4ef09671f7d43c7a89b8~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_971,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Inside the box: Explaining the yacht racing box rule and why it's contentious]]></title><description><![CDATA[A box rule tells a designer the truth up front. Published limits, real freedom inside them, and in its purest form no corrected time at all.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/inside-the-box-explaining-the-yacht-racing-box-rule-and-why-its-contentious</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048947c0c81962238bd42</guid><category><![CDATA[Boats, Design & Rating]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:20:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_e5e79684fdc749cabafdcfcd18fdda30~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Offshore racing is now two sports. The results prove it.]]></title><description><![CDATA[No fully crewed boat has won the RORC Season’s Points Championship since 2021. A modest proposal for the results sheet, and a harder question about the autopilot.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/offshore-racing-is-now-two-sports-the-results-prove-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048947c0c81962238bd41</guid><category><![CDATA[RORC & Future of Offshore Racing]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:40:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_4d4b87825fd74601a43d27f147526f9f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to build a polar for the boat you actually sail]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many offshore crews are routing on numbers computed for a fictitious yacht. Here is where those numbers come from, why they go wrong, and how to replace them with your own.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/how-to-build-a-polar-for-the-boat-you-actually-sail</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7ee233de278b9076599f26</guid><category><![CDATA[Navigation, Weather & Instruments]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_83d0018b8ad04271b0516bb8721d8a6c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How did a 1968 boat with a handful of GRIBs lead the fleet for a week?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This weekend’s Round Britain and Ireland Race will be a great adventure, however, technology is unlikely to decide the winner... again!]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/how-did-a-1968-boat-with-a-handful-of-gribs-lead-the-fleet-for-a-week</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048947c0c81962238bd43</guid><category><![CDATA[Navigation, Weather & Instruments]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:39:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_8b37ba78af434c0ea97990252dbdc0fb~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_848,h_848,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is the best business school cold, wet and moving? Why leadership is often learnt offshore]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shackleton, the 1979 Fastnet, and the management course with no lecture theatre and no dry seats, I look at the evidence.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/is-the-best-business-school-cold-wet-and-moving-why-leadership-is-often-learnt-offshore</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80488840f3daf10ba1f957</guid><category><![CDATA[Crew, Coaching & Leadership]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:49:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_03fd2c595e1248608cc42d67b24e6c43~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Real food at sea, is it possible?]]></title><description><![CDATA[With the RORC Round Britain and Ireland race just a few weeks away this is a timely overview about food onboard, first published in May 2026.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/real-food-at-sea-is-it-possible</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7eeed2558997a4ae3d0d58</guid><category><![CDATA[Seamanship & Human Performance]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:55:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_873c541bda6c4e1e8ee0007c20b3fcaf~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_792,h_534,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is there a battle between IRC and ORC?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Twenty-five years after offshore racing’s great handicap split, the real question is no longer which rule is better, but what gives owners the confidence to keep investing. I look at IRC and ORC.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/is-there-a-battle-between-irc-and-orc</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7eee14bf3185c28f96c484</guid><category><![CDATA[Boats, Design & Rating]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:11:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_0096d320405e4541ad4aa19836bfbb59~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The hardest thing in offshore racing is other people - Is it time to change who gets to win?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Building, training and leading a crew through an offshore season is one of sport’s great challenges. It’s time the silverware said so...a crazy proposal... you decide!]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/the-hardest-thing-in-offshore-racing-is-other-people-is-it-time-to-change-who-gets-to-win</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80488840f3daf10ba1f95b</guid><category><![CDATA[RORC & Future of Offshore Racing]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:38:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_acf14e1a83bf4fd7bbcd223020e6cf81~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_768,h_420,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The fibre revolution or revolt?]]></title><description><![CDATA[FIRSTSHIFT TECHNICAL: New materials are quietly rewriting yacht racing. From halyards and sheets to standing rigging, synthetic fibres are replacing steel, and changing boat design.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/the-fibre-revolution-or-revolt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80488840f3daf10ba1f958</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:51:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_e8e4f8ff7ae04384891ce4df792af418~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_800,h_533,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are we seeing the end of the fully crewed offshore race?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Double-handed racing is booming but as technology replaces people, who will train the next generation of offshore sailors and I’m not biased I’ve done both?]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/are-we-seeing-the-end-of-the-fully-crewed-offshore-race</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80488840f3daf10ba1f95a</guid><category><![CDATA[Crew, Coaching & Leadership]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:11:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_4b47ca03b81b4cb3b83f84ec1273995e~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The bowline: is it losing its grip?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The knot that is tied to the past, but is it now past its time?]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/the-bowline-is-it-losing-its-grip</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80488840f3daf10ba1f959</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:07:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_b717e35ed2c941528ea0748e79b4f4d1~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Two boats, one conversation: Morning Cloud, Morning After, and the races Illingworth invented]]></title><description><![CDATA[A boat show swap with Ted Heath, five changed letters on a transom, a fifty-year thread that runs to Muckle Flugga and what that generation knew may still decide races today.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/morning-cloud-morning-after-illingworth-races</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7eef4209442d66eef1475d</guid><category><![CDATA[History & Heritage]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:43:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_8244fd90ff074db9a8d39667114f79a6~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Understanding how hydrodynamics and aerodynamics work together in sailing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Physics underpin everything and never more important on a racing yacht]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/understanding-how-hydrodynamics-and-aerodynamics-work-together-in-sailing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a80487a0184b89c47f836cf</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 07:17:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_34143af8cdc343ec80ae5d883a6b6136~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_630,h_400,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[GPS spoofing and the return of real navigation]]></title><description><![CDATA[The modern offshore race boat is not short of screens. It may be short of independent truth, plus what Ukraine and Hormoz has taught us about technology]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/gps-spoofing-and-the-return-of-real-navigation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048790184b89c47f836cb</guid><category><![CDATA[Navigation, Weather & Instruments]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:14:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_5ff29c7e992e4ce7bce7a8b703e948ec~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[More boats, more points: Why Cowes to St Malo is the RORC Summer’s race to win]]></title><description><![CDATA[A straight line across the Channel and a dog leg to St Malo what could possible make that difficult?]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/more-boats-more-points-why-cowes-to-st-malo-is-the-rorc-summers-race-to-win</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048790184b89c47f836ce</guid><category><![CDATA[Race Guides & Case Studies]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:57:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_04e4ae7bbe834447b2ac1a13fd021459~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_806,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blunt force: Has a 33-foot scow conquered offshore racing and just proved it round Ireland?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The boats have never been better. So why does the sport keep getting narrower, and who is left to play?]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/blunt-force-has-a-33-foot-scow-conquered-offshore-racing-and-just-proved-it-round-ireland</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048790184b89c47f836cc</guid><category><![CDATA[Boats, Design & Rating]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:28:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_4412c2f974f94e788151402ba0537758~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_848,h_566,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Back to the Future: Why your next foulies may feel worse before they get better]]></title><description><![CDATA[PFAS, the “forever chemicals”, made modern foul-weather gear work. Now they are being forced off the deck, and sailors are about to rediscover the lost art of looking after their kit.]]></description><link>https://www.firstshiftsailing.com/post/back-to-the-future-why-your-next-foulies-may-feel-worse-before-they-get-better</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8048790184b89c47f836cd</guid><category><![CDATA[Sails, Rigging & Technology]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:45:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d74d0c_a50a8b4384194f14a9b5479b3bcf96ca~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_235,h_214,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stuart Greenfield</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>