Emirates Team New Zealand led the entire way in the first real race of the America’s Cup challenger series. Italy’s Luna Rossa boycotted Sunday’s opening race.

While every part of the course is important, one of the most crucial segments of all is from the completion of the turn through the edge change and into your reach. This section can make or break you by the second buoy, so you have to master your cross-course attack.

Tip Six Leading With Your Lower Body:   If your hips are behind, your shoulders are in front and your ski is flat, you are not going to continue outbound. Make sure you are leading with your hips and knees the whole way through or you can not help but lose your cross-course direction. If you can hold your position through the second wake, you will set yourself up for your edge change and reach.

Tip Two Stay On Edge:  Your ski should never point straight ahead while you are attacking the course. Anytime you are running straight down the course you are losing ground, so try to always stay on the attack and stay on edge.

When choosing insurance for a boat, it is important to speak to a specialist who is familiar with boat insurance. Specialists will be able to provide you with detailed information regarding each boat insurance policy and review options. Additionally, a specialist will inform you of any possible restrictions, such as layup periods wherein the insurance is not active or valid. Contact an insurance company that specializes in insurance for your boat.

It is important that you obtain a separate insurance policy for your boat. Do not depend on loan gap insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or vehicle insurance to provide coverage for your boat. You will need to research prospective insurance policies and choose the policy that provides the best coverage for a fair and affordable rate. An insurance policy should include:

Liability Coverage: This is of utmost importance. Liability coverage will provide you with protection should a passenger become injured on your boat. You will also be protected in the event that damage or injury occurs as the result of a boating accident.

Personal Injury Protection: This component of insurance for boats provides financial protection for injuries, including medical payments and loss of income reimbursement.

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage: Similar to the coverage offered by your car insurance company, these provide protection for damages and repairs that may be necessary due to an accident.

Buying a boat is expensive. Most people who make a boat purchase must obtain traditional bank financing in order to pay for the purchase. Those who obtain a loan in order to purchase a boat will be required to purchase insurance for the boat as a part of their loan agreement. This is to protect the lender’s investment in the loan collateral, which is the boat itself. Many boat owners make the mistake of assuming that a generic insurance policy provides adequate protection.

Those who purchase a boat for cash are not subject to these requirements. Too often, these boat owners make the mistake of assuming that their boat falls under the umbrella of their homeowner’s insurance policy, and is thereby adequately protected.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club, with its working-class roots, was wrapped in a mix of joy and disbelief as Oracle Team USA completed its astounding comeback.

Pulling off the greatest comeback in America’s Cup history, Oracle Team USA won eight straight races, dashing the title hopes of Emirates Team New Zealand.

The biggest danger is the hazards that you cannot see. Low water levels whether due to tides, drought or other reason, often unveil numerous underwater obstacles that pose a threat to large and small vessels alike. In addition to exposing the seabed and grounding boats, low water levels often reveals sandbars, submerged vessels, stumps, rocks and even coral reefs that can cause a boat to run aground or even capsize if the operator is not prepared to react quickly. In opposition heavy rainfall can create high water levels in inland lakes that submerge sandbars and other obstacles but wash logs and other debris into the water that may remain floating just below the surface out of site but still able to damage your boat.

Coastal tides present unique challenges to boaters. New and experienced boaters should make it a point to understand tidal patterns and learn how to operate their vessels safely in changing tides. Tides are controlled by the gravitational pulls of the sun and the moon on the Earth. High and low tides are predictable, with both occurring twice each day at six-hour intervals.

Tidal changes do not only affect beaches and shorelines. Changing tides can affect water levels by as many as several feet. Often times, strong currents are created as the tide changes, which can pose a hazard for small boats and yachts on the water during that time. Tidal changes are unique to each area, so be aware of the tide schedule of your current location and plan your journey accordingly.

Many boaters mistakenly believe that water levels change slowly, and that they will have time to react to impending changes. This is not always the case. In fact, many boat insurance claims happen as a result of quick water level changes, which cause a boat to become grounded, to capsize, or to collide with another vessel or obstacle. Quick water level changes often occur as a result of fast tidal changes, dam releases, or flooding. Quick water level changes are not only a hazard for boats on the water, either. They can also negatively impact yachts that are docked to a fixed pier.

Whether you operate your yacht on a lake, on a local river, or in the ocean, you need to be aware of changing water levels. Each year, thousands of boat insurance claims for both damage and injury can be attributed to accidents as a result of changing water levels. As a boat owner and operator, it is important to be aware of current water levels, anticipated water level changes, and regular tidal changes. Each of these things can affect your ability to operate your yacht in a safe manner.

According to the United States Coast Guard, as many as 85 percent of drowning victims of recreational boating accidents in 2012 were not wearing proper USCG approved life vests. It’s possible that the vast majority of all drowning could have been prevented, had owners and passengers simply followed safety rules in regard to boating and life jackets. Here are some things that you need to know in order to keep yourself and your passenger’s safe while out on the water:

US Coast Guard requirements state that each boat must have a USCG-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person on board. In addition, boats over 16 feet in length are required to carry one Type IV throwable rescue device. In order to be effective, a life jacket must be worn at all times and be fitted to the passenger. Children should not wear adult life jackets. Boat owners should test each life jacket once a year to ensure that it is buoyant and in good working condition.