BAJA HA-HA XXV, PT 1 W
elcome to the 25th anniversary of the Baja Ha-Ha, one of the biggest and longest-running cruiser rallies in the world. If you haven't sailed in or
The start of the Ha-Ha is truly something to behold.
seen a Ha-Ha, then it might be difficult to appreciate the enthusiasm and scale of the event. Last year in San Diego, the Ha-Ha fleet seemed to fill all of the bay as firehoses spurted and a mariachi band serenaded the boats as they made their way past Point Loma. The following is a sampling of the brief bios of some of the boat crews that have signed up for late October's Silver Anniversay Baja Ha-Ha cruisers' rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Additional bios will appear in the next two issues of Latitude 38. As of August 20th, 129 boats have signed up. Entries will be accepted until the week before the start, but a boat must be entered by October 1 for the crew bio to appear in the Meet the Fleet booklet. For complete information on the Baja Ha-Ha, visit www.baja-haha. com. Notes: * indicates the number of people 18 or under on the boat. + indicates the number of times someone on the crew has done a HaHa. When someone is referred to as a 'wife,' it is not meant to suggest anything but an equal partner in a relationship. (W) indicates that the boat will be sailing using just white sails as opposed to gennakers or spinnakers. In many cases both the boat hailPage 96 •
Latitude 38
• September, 2018
ing port and the owner's city of residence or work are listed. All bios were written by the Grand Poobah, who is responsible for, and who regrets, any errors. Adell — Pacific Triton 45 Ketch (W) Yvonne Serna San Diego One of a handful of sole female boatowners in this year's Ha-Ha, Serna, a retired electrician, has been sailing solo for about six years. The Ha-Ha has been on her Bucket List. Adell, her 1979 Atkins ketch, is her "dream boat," and with her she sees infinite cruising possibilities. Among them, the Marquesas. As we went to press, Serna was still assembling her crew, hoping to sail with as many crew of the female persuasion as possible. *Agatha Agatha — Beneteau Oceanis 45 Wm. Champion and Victoria Palmer Seattle / Bellevue, WA William, 52, and his wife Victoria have been sailing for 15 years, while their daughter Rose has been sailing since she was in the womb. Rose will not only do the Ha-Ha with Mom and Dad, but has had a big influence on their post-Ha-Ha plans. Since Rose in-
'Blue Horizon'
tends to go to school in Australia, her parents think that sailing is the best way to get to the Land Down Under. As a warm-up for the Ha-Ha, the family plans to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, then make the mandatory trip down the West Coast for the start of
the Ha-Ha. While William would like to have a Gunboat cat — who wouldn't? — he and Victoria are happy with their Oceanis 45, which they've owned for two years. William is right-handed, but advises that he uses both hands "to clap." During the Ha-Ha he and Victoria may want to ponder the famous Zen koan: "We know the sound of two hands clapping. What is the sound of one hand clapping?" Aiyana — Island Packet 37 (W) Gabriel Harriman Marina del Rey Gabriel, 40, a software engineer, will be sailing south with Jon Bartett, 50, a friend in the real estate business, and a couple of other crew not yet determined. After sailing for 15 years, Gabriel bought Aiyana, his first boat. He'd previously been a non-equity partner in a 42-ft ketch. The name Aiyana has many meanings, among them Eternal Flower, Blossoming, Beautiful Flower, and in ancient times, Remember the Struggle. We wonder which one applies to the Island Packet 37. Although Gabriel's longest passage to date is Newport to Ensenada, after the Ha-Ha and time in Mexico, he plans to take off for his "dream destinations of the Marquesas, New Zealand, Madagascar, South America, the Caribbean, the Med — and everywhere in between." Nothing wrong with dreaming big. Nothing wrong at all. *Blue Horizon — Pacific Seacraft 37 Richard Southwick San Francisco Richard, 61, retired from an unspecified career, will be doing the Ha-Ha with his daughter Alex, an 18-yearold student. This is not a case of a reluctant late teen being dragged along by Dad, as Alex has been sailing San Francisco Bay with her dad since she was in diapers. When Alex was young, she'd take naps in the cockpit holding onto the coaming, so she was 'marinized' a long time ago. Come spring, dad and daughter might do the Puddle Jump. But two things are certain. First, Alex has to be in college in New York by next September. And two, neither dad nor daughter will ever forget their adventure together. Alex's sailing hero is the remarkable
