Maintenance & Repair
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours, Maintenance & Repair, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
@SailBriggs on Optimist Setup
Briggs Kossman — also known as @SailBriggs on social media — spent time with Harken Blockheads to share his fine-tuned Opti rigging and setup for racing. His current rig setup has taken years to perfect. In this video, Briggs walks
Maintenance & Repair, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
Ice Boating: How to Sharpen Your Runners
Harken Blockheads Ella Bowers, Maggie McGary, and Lily Olson show how to sharpen iceboat runners to get ready for winter iceboating. In this video, they explain when to sharpen your runners, how often to maintain them, and what tools are
Maintenance & Repair, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
Lubrication 101
You've probably heard of McLube. Maybe you use it on your Opti because Coach tells you to. But what does it actually do? When it's lubricated, almost anything that moves on your boat works more efficiently, runs more smoothly,Contests
Contests
2026 First Blockhead to Mackinac Island
Calling all Chicago Mackinac Youth racers! Are you under 25 and sailing the 2025 Chicago Mac Race? Simply sign up for the contest below, and you’ll be eligible for the ‘First Blockhead to the Island’ Award. The first one to
Contests
April 2026 Contest
APRIL 2026 CONTEST Show us your #EpicSend moment for a chance to win FREE Harken swag! 👇 How to enter 👇 1. Dig up your best #EpicSend photo. Big breeze, full send, total wipeout—we want it all. 2. Submit your
Contests
DECEMBER 2025 CONTEST
December 2025 Contest: Test Your Iceboating Knowledge The deadline to enter is December 25th. You could be the one lucky Blockhead to win some Harken Blockheads gear! Take a stab at our short quiz to be entered. Winners will beRigging, Tuning, & Splicing
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours, Maintenance & Repair, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
@SailBriggs on Optimist Setup
Briggs Kossman — also known as @SailBriggs on social media — spent time with Harken Blockheads to share his fine-tuned Opti rigging and setup for racing. His current rig setup has taken years to perfect. In this video, Briggs walks
Maintenance & Repair, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
Ice Boating: How to Sharpen Your Runners
Harken Blockheads Ella Bowers, Maggie McGary, and Lily Olson show how to sharpen iceboat runners to get ready for winter iceboating. In this video, they explain when to sharpen your runners, how often to maintain them, and what tools are
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours, Rigging, Tuning, & Splicing
The Optimist: What Gear Goes Where?
Do you need to replace or upgrade a part on your boat? There can be a lot of options to choose from, but we've got a resource to help you out! This infographic shows you exactly what part goes whereAdvice, Inspiration, & Tours
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours
How to Get into Offshore Ocean Racing (and What Snacks Hit Home)
Solo offshore sailing is a full-blown test of endurance, problem-solving, and how long you can function on short naps. In La Rochelle, France, Ollie Hill and Ellie Driver share what it’s really like racing alone across oceans with no outside
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours
Ellie Driver and Oliver Hill on the French Offshore Scene
Two British sailors navigate the French offshore system, transitioning from double-handed partners to individual Figaro competitors, while aiming for the highest level of ocean racing. Meet Ellie Driver and Oliver Hill!
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours
WASZP Class Gains Traction in Pensacola, FL
Hear from North American WASZP Class Manager, Tyler Bjorn, on where the WASZP class is headed as foiling gains traction in Pensacola, Florida.Safety
Advice, Inspiration, & Tours, Safety
Rescue at Sea
For any sailor, catastrophic hull failure is bad enough. But when you're in the middle of the ocean in rough seas—sailing alone—with no help around for miles....it's life or death. On November 30th, 24 days into the 2020 Vendée Globe
Safety
Getter Better Without Looking Older
What do you picture when you think about the skin of sailors a little older than you...say, over 30? It might just be sunspots and wrinkles. Blockheads, you are at an age where, with the right precautions, you can prioritize
Safety
The Most Important Equipment
Blockheads, you are the ones on a sailing team who keep an extra shackle and a roll of tape inside your life jackets in case something breaks on the water – not just for your own boat but your teammates’Regatta Articles
Regatta
2026 WASZP Games
Foiling for All Ages: Blockheads at the 2026 WASZP Games The 2026 WASZP Games marked the largest foiling regatta in North America to date, with Pensacola Yacht Club hosting over 60 sailors from around the world on Pensacola Bay. Competitors
Regatta
2025 E Scow Nationals – Where Blockheads Beat the Breeze
The 2025 E Scow Nationals were not for the faint of heart. Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club hosted 50 boats for this year’s championship. Never seen an E Scow? Picture a 28-foot planing surfboard with an asymmetrical kite—and no “off
Regatta