LettersLewmar has fused its legendary quality with state of the art technology to offer the most advanced winch range ever; the EVO.Lewmar believes in evolution not revolution – We have been evolving andimproving winch technology for almost half a century.Customer FocusedRacing Sailors liked the alloy, needle-peened finish of our winches. Their only request was that they’d like it in black. The good news is we have it in black, grey and chromed bronze finish.Cruising Sailors confirmed they want a proven quality winch that could be serviced without any tools, they wanted to be able to put the winch together themselves, and they also wanted a reliable and predictable grip.With many sailors only chartering boats for a few days a year, safety is key in any new developments. We have included some simple safety features; the direction arrow which means all your crew load the line on (feed) the winch correctly and a flush top, both make sailing more fun for the entire family.CREW CIRCLE …at the Shilshole Bay Marina!For those who’ve been involved in the sailing community and don’t have a boat, it’s still not too difficult to find a ride for your favorite events, but to those new to town or sort of new to sailing, it’s only the brave, bold, or foolish who walk the docks and hope that someone’s short of crew. For the rest of us, the shy, the humble, and the mildly reserved …there is now a better way. Following the lead of the system used for Wednesday night beer can races at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, STYC and other local clubs have asked the Port of Seattle to paint a large circle at the end of ‘X’ dock at Shilshole Bay Marina …and the Port has granted our wish! Those looking for rides can wait at the circle for boats passing who might be looking for crew. This works on a first come first served basis. “How do I get a ride?” or “How do I find extra crew?” …questions begin to resolve themselves. Crew Tips: Bring appropriate clothing for the day. Pack light. Some beverages for your potential ride are always a bonus! Be sure to make eye contact with passing boats offering a friendly wave, be prepared to immediately board, and if you have one (and you should), wearing a life jacket always sends a positive message to passing boats that you are serious about safety on board. Safety is generally a skipper’s biggest concern with people they may not know, so start with a good example and you may be rewarded.48° NORTH, DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 8