Sails of Silver now sported the same line-up that had brought it to the height of its success, "Sails of Silver" has often been seen as embodying a different spirit from their classic albums of the 1970s. Prior to "Sails of Silver", the band had always performed songs written by other people, predominantly traditional songs, but also a few 20th century pieces, such as the two Brecht songs on "Storm Force Ten". But on this album they included several songs they had written themselves, including "Let Her Go Down" and "Senior Service". This was the beginning of a trend that continues down to
Sporting-Sails Nick and Billy Smith tested the drogue parachute/wingsuit flying-like device on skis before attempting to try on a skateboard in the hills surrounding the Marin Headlands and San Francisco, California. On a skateboard, creating drag at will by deploying the Sporting-Sail during the descent enabled Nick and Billy Smith to control their speed and stability on steeper terrain. For many years Sporting-Sails was based in Ventura, California, close-by to Patagonia (clothing) HQ, where Billy Smith currently works full-time as their wetsuit developer. Currently, Sporting-Sails HQ's are back in the shadows of Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley, California. The Sporting-Sail logo