Get Your Good Jibes with Chip Merlin and His Perfect Match

Welcome back to Latitude 38’s sailing podcast, Good Jibes. This week’s host, Chris Weaver, is joined by Merlin owner Chip Merlin right after the first two races of the Rolex Big Boat Series at the St. Francis Yacht Club. Merlin was created in 1977 by Bill Lee of Santa Cruz and has revolutionized yacht racing on the West Coast.

Hear how Chip became the proud owner of Merlin, the changes he’s made since buying her, his impressions of the Rolex Big Boat Series, just how fast the boat is, and his new book Mavericks & Merlins. This episode covers everything from finding your perfect boat to trying out a new race.

Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What were Chip’s impressions of the race?
• How was the second race in the wind?
• What year did Chip do the Newport to Bermuda race?
• How did his crew come together?
• Why did he miss the Transpac this year?
• How did his dream of owning Merlin come true?
• Does he have a plan for the next regatta?
• How did he first start sailing?

Read about Merlin in this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series, then check out the episode and show notes for more detail.

You can listen to this and previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!

Good Jibes is brought to you by the Safe Boating Campaign, in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council and US Coast Guard. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com.