Sailing Mastery

Heavy Weather Sailing Mastermind

Learn and do everything needed to prepare for extreme weather at sea.

Participate virtually — This mastermind is open to any sailor seeking to prepare themself for heavy weather and enhance their sailboat for improved-handling under extreme conditions.
Leading the way in storm preparedness education — you will closely observe six Everest-level attempts to cross Hawaii’s Alenuihaha Channel as educational examples, revealing exactly how to apply the learned-methods in practice, witnessing the summit-plans for one of the most technically challenging channels in the world to traverse: Cross Hawaii’s Alenuihaha Channel w/ Paul Exner

The Alenuihaha Channel is a place where sailors rely entirely upon their own anaylsis of the oceanographic circumstances they will face — it’s a place where Gale-driven conditions are typical, and official forecasts are often incorrect — where you must be prepared to handle anything thrown at you.

Why Alenuihaha?

To reach a lofty summit we must conquer debilitating fear.

Extreme weather is the most common fear sailors face — there’s no guarantee we won’t suffer the wrath of Neptune’s danger-filled ocean.

Paul Exner

“With 45 years sailing experience — I’ve created a Sailing Mastermind to help every sailor prepare themself, vessel and crew, to safely manage extreme conditions…”

Extreme Sailing — Personal Everest

“To conquer heavy weather — you must “own” the fundamentals of extreme sailing, found by training vigorously for it, and gained only by taking responsibility for your actions immersed in sea-experience.” Paul Exner

ANDY BUSALACCHI — Alenuihaha / Dec. 2022

“It’s hard to put into words… If I don’t prepare for heavy weather not only do I put myself at risk, but everybody that I’m sailing with too. I told myself: now’s the time to sit down, study, and understand how to thrive in extreme conditions. The Heavy Weather Mastermind really helped me put those pieces together. Now, after crossing the Alenuihaha Channel I feel like I can handle anything.”

TODD TISOSKY — Mastermind / Fall 2022

“We have so many more options now… Looking back, it feels like we weren’t even sailing before going through the Heavy Weather Mastermind; the course opened our eyes to all the possibilities to sail various trips. We definitely learned how to prioritize the refit projects on our Pretorian 35 and make the best use of our time and funds. I’m more prepared to go out there and sail safely.”

ZAC MADDRY — Alenuihaha / Dec. 2022

“I walked into the Mastermind as someone who bought a boat to sail great distances. The weekly sessions motivated me to familiarize myself with Paul’s teachings, knowing I’d be expected to contribute during the sessions at some point. This made me stretch myself and fill-in the gaps in my knowledge. The participants were totally engaged in this advanced topic — directly applicable to my sailing goals.”