Sailing

Established in 1993, the SOY Center was founded through the steadfast vision of parents on the Westside of Costa Mesa to keep kids off the streets.

Teamwork is Letting Costa Mesa Teens Set Sail

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

COSTA MESA— Students who attend schools on Costa Mesa’s west side have been relishing in the smell of saltwater air, thanks to a partnership that lets kids test their hand at sailing and, for some, provides access to local waterways for the first time.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing & Seamanship is offering scholarships to students served by the Costa Mesa nonprofit Save Our Youth allowing them to partake in a week-long sailing camp where the kids are taught boating basics and then allowed to get out on the water for a hands-on lesson. In addition to sailing camps, SOY also offers water activities, including whale watching during spring break and surf camps during the summer.

SOY seeks to empower teens within Newport-Mesa Unified School District through academic and social programs that motivate them to learn, grow, and make positive life choices. SOY has provided free sailing lessons for youth for 25 years in collaboration with the OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship.

“The board of directors of SOY always believes in providing access to the water and wonderful water activities for our local teens who live on the Westside of Costa Mesa,” said Mary Cappellini, executive director of SOY. “They live so close to the ocean and Newport Harbor but do not have the same ability to pay for expensive sports, like sailing, surfing, and boating because of the costs.”

Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools in Newport have sailing teams and programs that Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools don’t.

“Newport Harbor high school has a sailing team, and we are hoping to get students from SOY who learn to sail to try out for the team,” said Cappellini.

According to Cappellini in an interview with the Daily Pilot, giving kids a chance to sail helps create more equity between schools in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

The program prepares kids to think about the courses they might take at a school like OCC which has conducted a sailing program for more than 70 years and preserves an annex facility in Newport Beach, where the camp is held.

Although OCC’s sailing program offers lessons to hundreds of young people each summer, SOY students can now attend thanks to a grant awarded by the California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways, which works to supply safe public access to the ocean, lakes, and rivers.

Jackie Cappellini wearing the white shirt in the middle of the group, has been the sailing instructor at OCC for six years and was a sailor at Newport Harbor high school and college. Jackie teaches SOY students during the summer.

Add Some Flare

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

Ahoy Sailors, now that we know what to do when we receive a MAYDAY distress call, let’s talk about approved essential pyrotechnics that should live aboard every vessel, flares, and distress signals. Here is a guide to rules, regulations, styles, and brands of flares that are essential for recreational boating. Stay tuned for our next issue when we discuss how to handle and operate flares properly.

There is a visual distress signal requirement for recreational boaters. All boats operating on waters more than two miles wide in U.S. waters, including the Great Lakes and territorial seas, must be equipped with a visual distress signal.

There are several exceptions, so always check your state regulations to ensure you comply.

Regardless of exemptions, all boaters should have the proper equipment to signal for help onboard their vessel. In addition, boaters must have up-to-date U.S. Coast Guard-approved day and night signals for all boats operating on coastal and open bodies of water. The Coast Guard does not manually test flares for approval but instead defines the required test methods and minimum performance standards for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted or Recognized Independent Laboratory. If you’re curious whether the function of your flare is USCG approved, please send the Submittal Package and other related information to TypeApproval@uscg.mil. For a complete listing of USCG Type Approved Equipment, please visit the Coast Guard Marine Information Exchange (CGMIX).

Federal requirements are as follows:

For boats under 16 feet in length: Distress signals are only required when operating between sunset and sunrise. One electric distress light or three combination day/night red flares are required if operating at night.

For boats 16 feet in length or great-

er: One orange distress flag (day only) and one electric distress light (night only) - or - three hand-held or floating orange smoke signals (day only) and one electric distress light (night only) - or - three combination day/night red flares (day or night); hand-held (day or night), meteor (day or night) or parachute type (day or night).

Today, two types of flares are marketed under three different brand names in the United States. Though the market seems to have undergone some shrinking, there is still a wide variety of designs to choose from.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards for merchant ships’ construction, equipment, and operation. SOLAS-approved options have been developed and are a standard set by the International Maritime Organization for offshore boating safety equipment. Some pyrotechnic signaling devices have been tested and are SOLAS approved and supported by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Aerial flares can contain parachute rockets that fall slowly from a high altitude and burn for more than 30 seconds or meteor aerials that burn for less than 10 seconds. Most parachute flares are SOLAS approved. Some aerial flares include:

‚Orion Red Parachute Signal Rocket - SOLAS approved ‚ Pains Wessex Para Red Rocket MK8 - SOLAS approved ‚ Comet Red Parachute Signal Rocket - SOLAS approved

Hand-held flares are usually red, but white collision flares are also available. However, the white flares are not SOLAS or USCG approved. Some hand-held flares include: ‚ Pains Wessex Red Hand Flare MK8 - SOLAS approved ‚ Comet Red Hand flare - SOLAS approved ‚ Orion Red Handheld Flare - SOLAS approved

Smoke flares are best for daytime use and come in a hand-held version or a throwable floating smoke canister and are usually SOLAS approved. Some smoke flares include: ‚ Orion Handheld Orange Smoke

Signal ‚ Orion Floating Smoke Signal -

SOLAS approved ‚ Comet Smoke Signal Orange -

SOLAS approved ‚ Pains Wessex Lifesmoke MK8 -

SOLAS approved ‚ Pains Wessex Manoverboard MK2 -

SOLAS approved

ON THE HORIZONS

By: JORDAN B. DARLING

Oceanside to Mission

Bay (Aug. 27)

OCEANSIDE— The Oceanside Yacht Club will host the fifth race in the OYC Coastal Series on Aug. 27. The regatta is open to all PHRF-rated sailboats; boats in spin classes will need a 2022 rating certificate, and all non-spin classes will need a rating, or the OYC Race Committee will assign a handicap at its discretion. Sailing instructions will be available on the day of the race or the OYC website. There is a $35 entry fee for the race, and members of USSA will receive a $2 discount. Registration can be made at https://oceansideyc.net/.

38th Annual Labor Day

Race (Sept. 3)

LONG BEACH— The Shoreline Yacht Club, Dana Point Yacht Club, and Dana West Yacht Club are collaborating to host the 38th Annual Labor Day Race from Long Beach to Dana Point. The race will start between two orangewhite flags between Oil Islands White and Grissom in Long Beach Harbor. The race is open to ocean racing or cruising sailing vessels whose owners are members of a yacht club or sailing association recognized by US Sailing or the Southern California Yachting Association. Monohull boats will need a current PHRF rating certificate; multihull boats will need a current ORCA rating, and all boats must meet United States Coast Guard requirements. The first warning is set for 10:55 a.m. the race committee will be stationed in Dana Point until 6 p.m., after which racers will be responsible for keeping their own time. PHRF and multihull boats will each have their own fleet, and boat fleets will be divided into classes based on type and number. There will be double-handed and allwomen scoring classes within PHRF spinnaker classes. There will be a trophy presentation at DPYC on Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. take-home trophies and perpetual trophies will be awarded at that time. There is a $75 entry fee due before Aug. 19 and a $90 entry fee which must be turned in before 6 p.m. on Aug. 31. Entries can be made online at https://bit.ly/3bObeXl.

The Outlaw Regatta

(Sept. 3)

MARINA DEL REY— The Santa Monica Windjammers Yacht Club and Seal Beach Yacht Club will host the Outlaw Regatta on Sept. 3. The regatta takes racers 30 miles down the coast from Marina del Rey to Seal Beach at Alamitos Harbor. The regatta is open to boats with a valid 2022 PHRF certificate whose owners are US Sailing members or members of another organization affiliated with US Sailing or SCYA. Festivities kick off on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. with a pre-race party on the patio of SMWYC. Racing takes off at 11:25 a.m. by the El Segundo buoy and ends in Seal Beach by 7 p.m. Awards will be given out at the Seal Beach Yacht Club after the race, followed by dinner and a live band. Pirate costumes are encouraged, and awards will be given for the best-dressed outlaw. A $45 entry fee is due by Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. Entries can be made on the regatta network at https://www.regattanetwork.com/ event/25127.

49th Annual Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race

By: JORDAN B. DARLING

REDONDO BEACH— The Santa Barbara Yacht Club, in collaboration with the King Harbor Yacht Club, hosted the 49th Annual Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race on July 29 and 30.

Seventy-five sailboats took to the waters to travel 81 nautical miles around Anacapa Island with a long downwind leg that finished out in South Bay.

The race offered a beautiful view of California’s coastline as competitors from thirty different yacht clubs grouped into nine fleets raced to the finish. Fleets were separated by performance and included a cruising fleet and a multihull fleet. Yachts reached up to 60 feet in length.

The first boat, a Reichel/Pugh 63, GoodEnergy, skippered by George Hershman of Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, crossed the finish line just before 11 p.m. Hershman finished with the lowest elapsed time of just under 11 hours.

Craig Reynolds of Balboa Yacht Club on BOLT was the overall winner with the lowest corrected time.

The lowest corrected time and the overall multihull winner was the Corsair 37, Mental Floss, skippered by Jeff Cohen of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

The lowest elapsed time and the lowest corrected time in the ULDB D class were taken by a Hobie 33, Flying Dutchman, skippered by Jason Herring of King Harbor Yacht Club.

Several social events were held throughout the weekend, including a cocktail party, a barbecue at SBYC with an awards party, and a traditional big shrimp feed at KHYC after racing.

For a full list of results, see https:// khyc.org/web/pages/race-info.

Craig Reynolds & Crew were the overall winners with the lowest corrected time.

Diana MacDougall The Flying Dutchman had the lowest elapsed time and the lowest corrected time in the ULDB D class.