We’re out sailing on Lake Okoboji in northern Iowa — a deep lake in a windy area where racing sailboats has
been a tradition in many families for generations. Anyone here will tell you there’s a lot of skill involved in sailing
a boat and some guesswork, too. But it helps if you can see the wind. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of
the Planet, presented by DuPont.
“What we look for on the lake are areas of lighter water and darker water.”
Our skipper is Pulse of the Planet listener David Thoresen, who’s been racing sailboats on Lake Okoboji since he
was a young child, like his mother, grandfather and great-grandfather before him. One piece of the family
wisdom that’s been passed on is how a sailor looks for the wind.
“As you look up the lake, you’ll always see the wind moving down the lake in what are called puffs. And the
puffs move around, they’re never the same. And that’s why the tactics of sailing are so interesting, is the wind is
never ever the same. So what we’re looking for is the darker water in the puffs will always be higher wind and
that’s what we’re always trying to sail to is the higher amount of wind. And then we’re trying to situate
ourselves on either side of that puff.”
David has sailed all over the world, but he’s particularly fond of Lake Okoboji, partly because it’s home, but also
because it’ssuch great training for sailing in bigger bodies of waters.
“Whoo, that’s like being out on the ocean right there. When you get on these little lakes, you see the puffs and
the wind shifts and when you’re on the ocean, everything takes a little longer, the wind builds slower, and you
transfer your small boat sailing right into your big boat sailing and it helps a lot.”