sailATX Podcast

Show Notes Franck Cordes (@FranckCordes) is Curator of The Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas.  He is an avid sailor and oversees the 17th century, 54-foot French shipwreck La Belle at the Bullock. Cordes led a renovation of the ship's exhibit at the museum and talks with about the rich history as well as new technology employed to bring the ship to life for museum goers.   In this episode of the sailATX podcast Franck gives us an update on the La Belle exhibit and tells fascinating stories of how the ship came to rest at the bottom of Matagorda Bay in the 1600s, its discovery 300 years later and its eventual recovery and installation at the museum for us all to enjoy.  

Alexis Andrews is a photographer and filmmaker.   He has studied fashion and advertising-photography in London, sailed to Antigua in 1986 and is still there. He shoots regattas, editorial,  corporate, and people but mostly large yachts, private villas and luxury hotels.   He travels worldwide and shoots a lot of fun ad campaigns. He's published marine guides, coffee table books, supplies stock imagery to global clients, logged hundreds of hours in helicopters and lost track how many yachts. Recently he filmed/produced/directed a feature documentary VANISHING SAIL.   Alexis joined us to talk about the movie Vanishing Sail, which has won several awards, including the Caribbean Spirit Award, Directorial Discovery Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the Barcelona International Film Festival.

Monica McGarrity is Aquatic Invasive Species Team Lead with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She and her team are doing important work for the waterways of Texas and especially on the zebra mussel infestation affecting lakes around Austin and other locations in Texas.

Mike Janota is Director of Community Sailing at Sea Star Base Galveston (SSBG). SSBG is a high-adventure marine and maritime destination offering aquatic education programs that instill lifetime leadership, teamwork skills, and independence in body, mind, and spirit.

Linda McDavitt, a member of Austin Yacht Club began sailing in 1962 in her Mariner Girl Scout Troop. From there she sailed with friends while at UT Austin and participated in her 1 st race in 1974 crewing on an M20 for Turnback Canyon. Captivated by the focus needed in racing she then bought a used Fireball and began racing and learning with college friend Michelle with advice and critiques from John Lohr. During her racing career she has competed on Laser, Sunfish, Fireball, Laser II, South Coast 21, J24, Ensigns, Flying Scot, International 210 and J22s. Linda has competed in the Sunfish Nationals, SC21 Intergalactic Championships of which she has won 3, J22 Nationals, J24 Nationals, 1995 Bettina Bents Memorial Regatta, US Sailing Adams Cup, Double Handed Championships, the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championships , Rolex Women's Match Racing Championship, Santa Maria Cup Women's Match Racing and has competed for the last few years in the J22 Southwest Circuit. She was a crew member of the 2001 Women's National Championship Team. Recently she competed and completed the 2015-16 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Her off the water life consists of 30 years as a band director teaching in grades 6 through the University level. Her favorite and most time spent was at the high school level. She is a member of the Texas Chapter of the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame. After retiring from the band world she led the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation in San Antonio and has retired from the CEO position but currently is the President.

The very first sailATX podcast with guest Bill Records. Bill Records Has been a professional photographer in the Austin area for many years. His work includes commercial as well as editorial. His commercial accounts include Dell Computer Inc., National Instruments, Walmart, Vetel,IBM, DPR, HEB, and TCC. Editorially, his work has appeared in Texas Monthly, Dance Magazine, Macazine, Newsweek, New York Times, Opera News, and Sailing World. ​ He was the official photographer to Governor George W. Bush and served as the publicity photographer for NBC's Friday Night Lights. He has been an avid sailor for over thirty years, serving as the Sail Training Commander and Vice Commodore for the Austin Yacht Club.