Latitude 38 June 2023

The SailGP Trifecta

Rescue of Niniwahuni

Transpac 2023 – The Big Guns

Singlehanded Transpacific Race Preview

Great Vallejo Race

Max Ebb: Crotchety – or the Pits

WHATEVER YOU NEED, WE’RE SURE TO HAVE IT!

GRAND MARINA HOUSES SEVERAL EXPERTS THAT CAN TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR BOATING NEEDS

Alameda Canvas | 510-769-8885 | www.alamedacanvas.com

Atomic Tuna Yachts | 888-833-8862 | www.atomictunayachts.com

BAE Boats | 415.948.1865 | www.baeboats.com

Blue Pelican Marine | 510-769-4858 | www.bluepelicanmarine.com

Boats and Art | 510-776-5431 | www.boatsandart.com

Boat Yard at Grand Marina | 510-521-6100 | www.boatyardgm.com

Jeff ’s Yacht Maintenance | 510-306-5011

Marine Lube | 877-744-2244 | www.marinelube.biz

Mario Gonzales Metal Fabrication | 408 -464-7548

Marchal Sailmakers | 510-239-5050 | www.marchalsailmakers.com

Mosley’s Café | 510 – 263 – 8228 | www.mosleyscafe.com

New Era Yachts | 510-523-5988 | www.newerayachts.com

Pacific Crest Canvas | 510-521-1938 | www.pacifccrestcanvas.com

Stem to Stern |510-681-3831 | www.stemtosternsf.com

UK Sails | 510-523-3966 | www.uksailmakers.com

Grand Marina ofers amenities you can count on!

F Prime deep water double-fingered concrete slips from 30’ to 100’.

F G uest berthing available for a weekend or any day getaway.

F Complete bathroom and shower facility, heated and tiled.

F Free pump-out station open 24/7.

F Full-service Marine Center and haul-out facility.

F Free parking.

F Free on-site WiFi. And much more...

Directory of Grand Marina Tenants

Alameda Canvas and Coverings

Alameda Marine Metal Fabrication

Atomic Tuna Yachts

BAE Boats

Boat Yard at Grand Marina, The Blue Pelican Marine

MarineLube

Mike Elias Boatworks

Mosely’s Café

New Era Yachts

Pacifi c Crest Canvas

UK Sailmakers

FEATURED CRUISING

YACHTS

(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347

55’ WATERLINE PILOTHOUSE CUTTER, 2000

$590,000

TRUE LOVE offers a tasteful blend of function, luxury and cruising performance. She is a well-designed steel pilothouse sailboat that offers the ultimate margin of safety for offshore world cruising. Please contact Listing Agent Mark Miner at 415-290-1347 or mark@rubiconyachts.com

40’ CALIBER LONG RANGE CRUISING CUTTER, 1997

NORSEMAN 400, 1997

$159,000

Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.

$154,000

VISION is a Caliber 40 LRC (Longe Range Cruiser). The 40 LRC is one of the smartest offshore capable boats you will find in this size range. Her construction is as solid as it comes. Tankage is incorporated in the modified fin keel and with 212 gallons of fuel and 179 gallons of freshwater, the capacity is impressive for a boat this size. Please contact Listing Agent Mark Miner at 415290-1347 or mark@rubiconyachts.com

NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.

RUBICON YACHTS

The Norseman 400 is highly regarded for its sailing performance in both light air as well as heavy weather. Wither her modified fin keel and skeg hung rudder, few vessels of this size combine such excellent sailing performance and safety along with two comfortable staterooms, a spacious galley and salon, a luxurious head with a separate stall shower and ample storage space.. Please contact Listing Agent Mark Miner at 415-290-1347 or mark@rubiconyachts.com

(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347

Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.

NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.

(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347

Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.

NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or

to their destination.

RUBICON YACHTS

QUALITY YACHTS FROM

CALENDAR

Non-Race

June 1 — Speaker Series, Corinthian YC, Tiburon, 7 p.m. Katherine Hijar of the S.F. Maritime NHP on The Sea as Muse. Free. RSVP, speakers@cyc.org

June 3 — Women's Sailing Conference, Sail Newport, RI. $250; virtual passes, $65. Info, www.womensailing.org.

June 3 — Full Strawberry Moon on a Saturday.

June 3-4 — Women's Sailing Seminar, CYC, Tiburon. Morning workshops; afternoon sailing. $395 includes breakfast, lunch and snacks. Info, www.cyc.org/wss

June 3-24 — Rock the Dock Concert Series, Port of Redwood City, every Saturday through November, 3:30-6 p.m. Info, www.redwoodcityport.com/rockthedock

Luna is a beautiful sailboat – a modern, practical and fast cruising yacht. This Hanse 455 was built to rigorous standards in Greifswald, Germany on the North Sea and designed by top naval architects Judel/Vrolijk. Her threecabin, two-head layout ofers space for entertaining and privacy. Handling the Hanse 455 is simple. Flat decks surround a large secure cockpit, where all sail controls and halyards are led aft to two electric winches just forward of each helm station. The combination of the stock self-tacking jib and Germanstyle main sheet system allows the helmsperson to trim from either side while under sail. Single-line reefng makes mainsail handling a snap when the

June 3-24 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting; RSVP in advance. Free. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing

June 4, July 16 — Open House, Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina, 1-3 p.m. Introductory sails. Info, www.cal-sailing.org

June 7-28 — Wednesday Yachting Luncheon, via YouTube, noon. StFYC, www.stfyc.com/wyl

June 6-27 — Tuna Tuesdays, Alameda Marina, every Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. Island YC, tunatuesdays@iyc.org.

June 8 — World Ocean Day. Info, www.worldoceanday.org

June 8, July 13 — Single Sailors Association Mixers, OYC, Alameda, 6:30-9 p.m. $15. Info, www.singlesailors.org.

June 10 — Nautical Swap Meet, Owl Harbor Marina, Isleton, 8 a.m.-noon. Free spaces, free admission. Info, (916) 777-6055 or info@owlharbor.com

June 10 — Southern California Dockwalker Volunteer Training, online, 9:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. Cal Parks, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29230

June 10 — US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea Seminar, Southwestern YC, San Diego, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. $250. Info, https://sailaweigh.org

June 10-11 — International Offshore Safety at Sea Seminar, Southwestern YC, San Diego, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. $375. Info, https://sailaweigh.org

June 10-11, July 1-2 — Laser Clinicgatta, Alameda Community Sailing Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $130. Julian, www. mindbodyboat.com.

June 11, 25, July 9 — Sunday Sailing on Santa Monica Bay, Burton Chace Park Clubhouse, Marina del Rey, 10 a.m.4 p.m. $15 includes light brunch and post-sail dock party. Info, www.marinasundaysailors.org

June 17 — Northern California Dockwalker Volunteer Training, online, 9:50 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. Cal Parks, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29230

June 17-18 — San Diego Wooden Boat Festival, Koehler Kraft. Info, www.sdwoodenboatfestival.com

June 18 — Father's Day.

June 18 — Wooden Boat Show, CYC, Tiburon, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $20. MMBA, www.sfmastermariners.org

June 19 — Juneteenth.

June 21 — Summer solstice, 7:58 a.m. PDT.

Francisco Bay Area, contact Swiftsure Yachts broker Allison Lehman at 510.912.5800 or allison@swiftsureyachts.com. With brokers in the Pacifc Northwest, California and Rhode Island, Swiftsure Yachts provides premium service to to sailors buying or selling quality yachts.

SwiftsureYachts

www.swiftsureyachts.com

206.378.1110

info@swiftsureyachts. com facebook.com/swiftsureyachts

June 24 — Summer Sailstice. Global celebration of sailing. Sign up to win prizes. Info, www.summersailstice.com.

June 24 — Get on the Air, Get on the Water, OYC, Alameda, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. With the S.F. Sailing Science Center, Community Emergency Response Team, Amateur Radio Club, USCG Auxiliary. OYC, www.oaklandyachtclub.net

July 4 — Independence Day.

July 4 — Hilton Fireworks Celebration, with Patriots Jet Team air show, Mandeville, San Joaquin River.

July-10-13 — Wind Clinic for C420s. CGRA, www.cgra.org.

July-11-14 — Wind Clinic for Lasers. CGRA, www.cgra.org

SWIFTSUREYACHTS.COM

New yachts for world cruising: Allures Yachting Garcia Yachts Hallberg-Rassy

In the San

BENETEAU FIRST

46 YEARS OF ICONIC BRAND HERITAGE

Since 1977, the signature features of the FIRST range have not changed –these boats have always been designed for sailors who enjoy club racing as much as cruising, the proverbial best of both worlds.

With beautifully slender hulls and a style second to none, First yachts have always caught the eye of seasoned sailors. From the outset, they were designed to thrill keen regatta racers and demanding performance sailors and they epitomize the joy of sailing like no other boat. Boasting the most advanced engineering, their performance under sail is a gauge for winning races whatever the sailing grounds.

Today these boats offer simplicity, performances, comfortable interiors and cockpits geared towards daysailing and coastal cruising. Renewing the competition spirit of the brand, they represent a true adaptation to the needs and expectations of the widest variety of sailors.

MEET BENETEAU FIRST AT ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS

Los Angeles - Channel Islands Harbor - San Francisco Bay

naosyachts.com

BENETEAU FIRST...

early 70's - Beneteau is the market leader in the recreational fishing boat segment, but customers are now asking for faster sailboats. As luck would have it, the molds of L’impensable, the 1973 winner of the Half Ton Cup, are available for sale. Beneteau buys them, hires the original architect of this boat André Mauric, the first non-family architect, who promptly starts redesigning the sail plan, keel, interior layout, and shape of the coachroof .

1976 - Mme Annette Roux, President of Beneteau and grand-daughter of the founder Benjamin Beneteau, and her husband travel to Los Angeles, CA to visit a boatyard. They discover and fall in love with the country. On her flight back she decides that the name of the new boat will be “The First”.

1977 - Paris Boat Show. The First is launched and sends shock waves through the industry and the market: no one was expecting such a boat from Beneteau.

1978 - The First 30 is awarded Boat of the year at the Cannes Boat Show. The First range becomes legendary in its class, racing and winning major regattas.

Avant-garde, high-performance, exclusive trims, the identity of the First is here to stay.

46 YEARS OF ICONIC BRAND HERITAGE

1987 - A decade after the launch, the First needs a revamp - Annette Roux invites designer Philippe Starck, of Hotel Costes fame, to redesign the First. Starck, acknowledging that boats were not his speciality, asks to spend a few nights in a boat before he accepts the challenge. Beneteau delivers a First 35 to his home and Starck, after a few nights on board in his garden, agrees to work on a new interior design. The First 35 S 5 is born and, once again, Beneteau makes waves at the Paris Boat Show 1990 - A long time Italian customer and one of the designers with Pininfarina, tells Mme Roux that he “could no longer dream” because all boats look alike. He talks of the new shapes in the car industry, and compares them to the boat decks which are too angular. This leads to a partnership between with Pininfarina for the design of the First 45.

The legend continues with the First 45F5 by Bruce FARR, the First 456 sailed by Sir Peter Blake in the Admiral’s Cup in 1983, and the First Class series. Followed by the famous “.7” series, with the 40.7 and 36.7 making a clean sweep of the Sydney-Hobart and other IMS world championships.

Lightweight machined aluminium drums with a distinctive profle for exceptional line grip and control, and Ronstan’s unique, patented QuickTrim™ self-tailing.

CALENDAR

June 18, July 16 — One Design Summer. MPYC, www. mpyc.org

June 23-25 — Woodies Invitational. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.

June 23-25 — Kettenburg & Classic Yacht Regatta. SDYC, www.sdyc.org

June 24 — OYRA Half Moon Bay Race & Beachside BBQ. YRA, www.yra.org

June 24 — Doublehanded Farallones Race. BAMA, www. sfbama.org.

June 24 — One Design Regatta. EYC, www.encinal.org

June 24 — Rear Commodore's Pursuit Race. SYC, www. sausalitoyachtclub.org

June 24 — Lighthouse Race/Summer Sailstice. BenYC, www.beniciayachtclub.org.

June 24 — Hank Easom Regatta. SFYC, www.sfyc.org

June 24 — Singlehanded Race. SSC, www.stocktonsc.org

June 24-25 — J-Stop Invitational for J/105s and J/88s. SBYC, www.southbeachyachtclub.org

June 24-25 — Commodore's Regatta Pursuit. MPYC, www. mpyc.org

June 24-25 — Laser PCCs. Del Rey YC, www.dryc.org

June 24-25 — Commodore's Regatta, Huntington Lake. FYC, www.fresnoyachtclub.org

June 25 — Women Skipper Race. EYC, www.encinal.org.

June 25 — Southern Crossing (of Lake Tahoe). SLTWYC, www.sltwyc.com

June 25 — El Toro Regatta. LWSC, www.lwsailing.org.

June 25 — Spring SCORE #2. SCYC, www.scyc.org

June 26-30 — Anacortes Race Week, the descendent of Whidbey Island Race Week. Info, www.raceweekpnw.com.

June 30-July 2 — Moore 24 Nationals, Huntington Lake. FYC, www.fresnoyachtclub.org.

July 1 — LMSC Mayor's Cup & Summer/Fall Series, Lake Merritt, Oakland. Denis, (707) 338-6955.

July 1 — Brothers & Sisters Race. TYC, www.tyc.org.

July 1 — Silver Eagle Long Distance. IYC, www.iyc.org

July 1 — Commodore's Regatta. HMBYC, www.hmbyc.org

July 1-2 — Firecracker Regatta. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.

July 3 — Fourth of July Regatta. EYC, www.encinal.org

July 4 — Fireworks Folly. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.

July 7-9 — International 14 Nationals, Huntington Lake. FYC, www.fresnoyachtclub.org

July 8 — YRA Westpoint Regatta. YRA, www.yra.org.

July 8 — SF Classic/UN Challenge. StFYC, www.stfyc.com

July 8 — Hart Nunes for Mercurys. SFYC, www.sfyc.org

July 8 — Twin Island. SYC, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org.

July 8 — Ladies Day Race. MPYC, www.mpyc.org

Finally it’s easy to ease the sheet without removing the winch handle or the line from the self-tailer. With QuickTrim™, racing sailors can react instantly in response to minor course corrections or changes to wind pressure and direction. Cruising sailors will appreciate the simple convenience of easier sail adjustment.

July 8-9, 15-16 — High Sierra Regatta, Huntington Lake. FYC, www.fresnoyachtclub.org

July 10 — US Sailing Area J Sears Cup Triplehanded Qualifier. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.

July 14-16 — Coronado 15 North Americans, Huntington Lake. Info, www.coronado15.org

July 15 — Great SF Schooner Race & Belvedere Classic. SFYC, www.sfyc.org

July 15 — Long Distance #2. SSC, www.stocktonsc.org.

July 15 — Intraclub Regatta. RYC, www.richmondyc.org

July 15 — Singlehanded Long Distance Invitational. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.

June 15 — Centerboard Regatta. FLYC, www.flyc.org

July 15-16 — Mid-Summer Regatta. CYC, www.cyc.org.

July 15-16 — J/105 & J/88 Invitational. SYC, www. sausalitoyachtclub.org

July 15-16 — Laser Masters PCCs. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.

July 15-16 — BAYS #2/Svendsen's Summer Splash. EYC,

CALENDAR

www.encinal.org.

July 15-16 — Wind Regatta. CGRA, www.cgra.org

July 16 — Jack & Jill Race. SSC, www.stocktonsc.org.

July 16 — Funnette Race. SLTWYC, www.sltwyc.com

Beer Can Series

BAY VIEW BOAT CLUB — Spring Monday Night Madness: 6/12, 6/26 (makeup); Fall: 7/24, 8/7, 8/21, 9/4, 9/18, 10/2 (makeup). Nick, (510) 459-1337 or www.bvbc.org.

BENICIA YC — Thursday nights through 9/28. Dan, (707) 319-5706 or race@mail.beniciayachtclub.org.

BERKELEY YC — Every Friday night through 9/22. Mark, (214) 801-7387 or www.berkeleyyc.org

CAL SAILING CLUB — Year-round Sunday morning dinghy races, intraclub only. Info, www.cal-sailing.org

CORINTHIAN YC — Every Friday night through 9/1. Marcus, (415) 435-4771, racing@cyc.org or www.cyc.org.

COYOTE POINT YC — Sunset Sail, every Wednesday night through 10/18. Mark, (408) 718-1742 or www.cpyc.com.

ENCINAL YC — Friday nights, Spring Twilight Series: 6/2; Summer: 7/14, 7/28, 8/11, 8/25, 9/8. Chris, (650) 224-3677, www.encinal.org.

FOLSOM LAKE YC — Beer Can Series every Wednesday through 8/23. Cup Boat Regatta Series, 6/13, 7/11, 8/8. Summer Sunset Series, 6/9, 7/14, 8/4, Info, www.flyc.org.

GOLDEN GATE YC — Friday nights: 6/2, 6/16, 6/30, 7/14, 7/28, 8/11, 8/25, 9/8. Info, www.ggyc.org.

ISLAND YC — Fridays, Spring Island Nights: 6/9, 6/23. Ed, (775) 336-7398 or www.iyc.org

KONOCTI BAY SC — OSIRs (Old Salts in Retirement) every Wednesday, year round. Info, www.kbsail.org

LAKE WASHINGTON SC — Every Thursday night through 9/28. Mark, owing78@yahoo.com or www.lwsailing.org

LAKE YOSEMITE SA — Every Thursday Night through September. Info, www.lakeyosemitesailing.org.

MONTEREY PENINSULA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/11. Justin, (831) 747-4597 or www. mpyc.org.

OAKLAND YC — Sweet 16 Series, every Wednesday through 8/30. Info, www.oaklandyachtclub.net or www. jibeset.net.

RICHMOND YC — Every Wednesday through 9/27. R/C Racing every Thursday through 9/28. Info, www.richmondyc.org.

ST. FRANCIS YC — Wednesday Evening Series for Knarrs, Folkboats & IODs: 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23. Thursday Night Kites: 6/1, 7/13, 7/27, 8/10, 9/7. Friday Night Wing/Windsurf Slalom: 6/2, 6/16, 7/7, 7/28, 8/25, 9/8. Friday Night Foil Series: 6/9, 6/30, 7/21, 8/11. Info, (415) 563-6363 or www.stfyc.com

SANTA CRUZ YC — Every Tuesday night through 10/31. Every Wednesday night through 11/1. Laser Fridays: 6/16, 7/21, 8/11. Info, www.scyc.org

SAUSALITO YC — Tuesday night Spring Sunset Series: 6/13; Summer Sunset Series: 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29. Info, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org

SEQUOIA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/4. Andrew, (408) 858-8385 or www.sequoiayc.org

SIERRA POINT YC — Every Tuesday night through 8/1. Dylan, racing@sierrapointyc.org.

SOUTH BEACH YC — Every Friday night through 8/25. Suni, (415) 495-2295 or www.southbeachyachtclub.org.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE WINDJAMMERS YC — Every Wednesday night: 6/7-9/20. Sam, (530) 318-3068 or www. sltwyc.com.

STOCKTON SC — Every Wednesday night: 6/7-8/30.

New Arrival: 2023 Jeanneau SO 349 - 2 cabins, 1 head family cruiser

Available Spring 2023 SOLD

Coming in 2023: Jeanneau SO 380 - owners cabin layout with 2 cabin, 2 heads and Jeanneau walk around decks

CALENDAR

Andy, (209) 483-3677 or www.stocktonsc.org

TAHOE YC — Monday night Lasers, Spring Series through 7/10. Dick Ferris Summer Beer Can Series, every Wednesday through 8/30. Dan, (530) 583-9111 or www.tahoeyc.com.

TIBURON YC — Early Summer Paradise Pursuit Racing, every Thursday night through 6/15. Mariellen, (415) 606-2675 or www.tyc.org.

TREASURE ISLAND SC — Vanguard 15 3-on-3 team racing every Tuesday night through 9/19. V15 fleet racing every Thursday night through 9/7. Info, http://vanguard15.org.

VALLEJO YC — Every Wednesday night through 9/27. Mark, (916) 835-2613 or www.vyc.org.

In the Tropics

June 25 — Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race to Hanalei starts from San Francisco. SSS, www.sfbaysss.org

June 27, 29, July 1 — Transpac Race to Honolulu starts from L.A. TPYC, www.transpacyc.com.

July 21-24 — Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendez-vous. Latitude 38 is a sponsor. Info, www.tahiti-moorea-sailing-rdv.com.

Oct. 30-Nov. 11 — Baja Ha-Ha XXIX Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Info, www.baja-haha.com

Please send your calendar items by the 10th of the month to calendar@latitude38.com. Please, no phone-ins! Calendar listings are for marine-related events that are free or don't cost much to attend. The Calendar is not meant to support commercial enterprises.

June Weekend Tides

Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate)

In Stock: 2022 Jeanneau SO 440 - 3 cabin, 2 heads, electric winches, dodger and walk around decks

June Weekend Currents

New Arrival: 2023 Jeanneau SO 490 - 3 cabins, 2 heads, electric winches, inverter, and more

Alameda (510) 865-4700

clubnautique.net

Source: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

WHALE POINT

LETTERS

⇑⇓ THE GREAT VALLEJO RACE, AND A DEBATE OVER WHETHER MORE RACES ARE A GOOD OR BAD THING

This was my first time doing Great Vallejo race, and I loved it. In SoCal, the Yachting Cup was also last weekend [in early May] and had low turnout, as did Ensenada Race the weekend before.

Tur nout seems to be generally declining everywhere, but not for all races. There seem to be more races than ever, which impacts turnout and quality, particularly when they are run on the same days.

When that happens, it's not good for our sport.

Brendan Huffman Siren, Santa Cruz 33 Sausalito

Small and compact strobe light, fits in ones pocket, with 3-mile visibility, waterproof and last for 30 hours. #6610 D Cell Battery not included.

Brendan was commenting on the May 10 'Lectronic Latitude: Great Vallejo Race to the Party. In that story, we reported that signups for the GVR fell below 100 entries for the first time in living memory, with the exception of the COVID years 2020 and 2021.

compact #29090

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⇑⇓ A TON OF STUFF WAS HAPPENING THAT WEEKEND

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It's sad to hear that participation has fallen of f. It was a not-miss race in the day, Or a not-miss party. Vallejo yacht Club has always been a gracious host. The hungover beat back was always brutal. I was at the SailGP event for the weekend, which was a blast. Bummed that the boat show was going on at the same time, too.

Above said, Natural Blonde stays close to home and only does beer cans these days, so we wouldn't have participated. We might still have scars from past Vallejo races, though.

Dennis Deisinger Natural Blonde, J/105 Tiburon

⇑⇓ WONDERFULLY BUSY

We had a conflicting race here in Inverness: one of our two distance races. We lost a few sailors to the Vallejo Race, and I am sure they lost some to our event up here. Just a wonderfully busy weekend!

Milly Biller Big Pink, International 110 Inverness

Having done the race several times on other people's boats and twice on my Hobie back when nobody did that, I wonder if the race is "aging out." It has been going for a long time. Remember when they ran huge generators on the submarines 24 hours a day?

Brad Smith

The return leg from Vallejo in early May, seen here passing the RichmondSan Rafael Bridge, was a beat for most of the way.

JENNIFER MCKENNA

⇑⇓ LIMIT THE ENTRIES?

Quite frankly, I don't think the lower number of entries is such a bad thing! I've done the race many times, and the raft-ups were kinda nuts, and the lines for the bar, the tight quarters in the club, even lines for food or the head were a put off. Maybe put a limit on number of entries and see if my explanation might explain the fall off.

Maybe others feel as I do.

Jose Kanusee

⇑⇓ SAILGP'S THIRD SEASON CONCLUDED ON SAN FRANCISCO BAY IN EARLY MAY, RAISING SOME EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENTIRE SPECTACLE

I'm slowly coming around to foiling vessels.

Admittedly, I thought it to be an abomination to sailing, and racing in particular, due to the money and tech involved, which is usually a large part of who wins.

I was out on the water during 2013 America's Cup. As a member then of Golden Gate Yacht Club, I wasn't necessarily a fan of Larry Ellison, but hey, he was largely responsible for bringing the Cup to the Bay. However, I'm surprised that there is so little outrage over SailGP thinking they can charge folks to watch the race from their own private boats! We didn't do that during the Cup. We don't do it for Blue Angels. By whose authority is an area basically designated off limits to private spectator boats? I get an "exclusion zone" for obvious safety reasons, such as for air shows. Any vessel safely outside the exclusion zone, operating safely and adhering to maritime regs, should be and is free to navigate these waters without a red flag, or paying the exorbitant fee!

Captain Dane Faber Bay Area

Dane — Long before foils changed the face of sailing, money and tech were (and still are inexorably) a large part of who won the America's Cup. Also, we completely agree with you that charging people to operate their own boats on an open, navigable piece of water is absurd.

⇑⇓ ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS

I love sailing and racing, but it's a stupid amount of money, both to compete, and the prize itself. And the big push is just to get more viewers.

Jennie Crum Ex-Gumboot, CF 37 Renwick, New Zealand

Jennie — We agree, though when compared with other professional sports, SailGP is a total bargain.

The race to (and from) Vallejo is cool, but the raft-ups are a favorite feature of the regatta.

It's funny how the last two SailGPs have been juxtaposed — which is to say held on the same weekend — with the Great Vallejo Race, one of our favorite local events of the year. SailGP seems like an extravagant display of uber-wealth, because it is. The Great Britain SailGP was valued at about $40 million, according to Yahoo Sports, with the boats themselves costing around $4 million. A team includes about eight crew per boat, an elite group of skippers who also moonlight in the America's Cup, and shore teams that travel the world.

By contrast, the two highest-paid NBA players are Stephen Curry and LeBron James, who make more than $48 and $40 million respectively each year. Even those two athletes' salaries are on a relative scale: Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo makes $136 million per year. Ronaldo's wages would pay for 3.4 SailGP teams or 2.83 Steph Currys!

As always, sailing appears more elitist than it actually is. For the price of the cheapest NBA playoff ticket, you could buy quite a fixer-upper dinghy. For the price of a courtside seat for one game, well, you could buy yourself a very nice boat, and probably pay a few months of slip fees and taxes, too.

⇑⇓ LESS TICKET SALES AND MORE INFO, PLEASE

As a sailor who enjoyed watching the event, I really wish the SailGP website had more info on all the action (such as the Inspire sailing schedule, who was sailing, etc,) and the overall event, besides just trying to sell tickets. They spend a lot of money and time setting up for two days of a race village, and it seemed like there could have been more activities/action to enjoy besides the short time frame of the actual SailGP racing.

Susan

⇑⇓ WHERE DO THE MONEY AND EXPANDING FAN BASE COME FROM?

I'm a San Francisco (and elsewhere) sailor and love that SailGP is alive and well on the Bay. As a sailor, it's great fun to watch. But I'm curious about the economics and popularity. Can somebody explain where the money is coming from?

I watched the $1 million Grand Final on YouTube, and noted there were 8,000 fellow viewers. Those are decent numbers for a skateboard-fail video.

Sustainable? 129 million fans? Really?

Neal Holmlund Respite, Islander 32 Oakland

Neal was commenting on the May 5 'Lectronic Latitude: Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP and the Razor's Edge. That story

The US SailGP team foils across one of the world's great sailing arenas. SAILGP

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LETTERS

quoted SailGP CEO Russel Coutts, who said that the racing circuit's audience "has grown to about 129 million viewers per event, with 122.5 on mainstream news and 6.5 million in sports news and magazines." We don't quite understand how viewership is distributed through people in attendance, TV ratings, and views on the internet, but anecdotally, there's no question that SailGP is growing in popularity.

We also can't deny that there's a trickle-down effect, both in terms of viewership by non-sailors (another anecdotal observation on our part), and foiling technology itself. "Winging" is the fastest-growing watersport out there.

⇑⇓ AND NOW FOR THE FINAL MAJOR SAILING EVENT OF MAY: THE PACIFIC SAIL & POWER BOAT SHOW

For years, we slogged to Alameda and the even less reachable Richmond. Sorry to hear that those coming to the South Bay are being inconvenienced, but don't you think it's time for those who make their home on the Peninsula to have a bit of an easier time visiting the boat show? Personally, I love these shows and am thrilled that they are back.

Bill Melater

It was a bit rainy at this year's Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show, but after three years of cancellations, it was a welcome sight to see for boating aficionados. Were people forced to choose between sailing in the Great Vallejo Race, SailGP, and the boat show?

⇑⇓ IT'S A BIG BAY

We live in Napa and boat out of Vallejo. We loved the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show when it was at Jack London Square in Oakland, as well as the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond. But Redwood City is just too horrible of a drive from the North Bay, so we won't be seeing you this year. Good luck with the new venue, but we hope to see you return to a more central location in 2024!

William Crowley

⇑⇓ THE OVERLAP OF SAILING EVENTS

Do you think they knowingly overlapped this with the SailGP races happening that weekend in San Francisco? Seems like most people who would want to see both may be forced to choose one or the other.

Nic C

⇑⇓ POST-PANDEMIC PLEASURE

Thank you for putting this on again. I love these shows.

Tom Coburn

⇑⇓ NOT A SATISFIED CUSTOMER

It was a lame layout and lots of walking from one end of

LETTERS

marina to the other end of marina. No credit card accepted for entrance. Few bathroom stalls with no toilet paper.

Ginger Cox

⇑⇓ MORE ON THE 10-METER SALLY

My grandfather owned Sally for many years. He was also a staff commodore of California Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club and Catalina Island Yacht Club. "Sally Green" was for many years used around Catalina Island piers and handrails.

Harvey Wills

Harvey was commenting on the April 5 'Lectronic: Do You Know the 10-Meter Sally?

⇑⇓ MORE SALLY GREEN AND GRANDFATHERS

My grandfather also owned Sally for a few years in New Rochelle, New York (1939-41?), according to Jon Wilson's research at the WoodenBoat Library in Brooklin, Maine. Dr. Hasso von Wedel was commodore of the New Rochelle Yacht Club about that time, up to 1942. He named the boat after his second wife, Sally von Wedel.

In 1966, I visited Orange Coast College with my uncle, Don von Wedel, where Sally was berthed. She had been donated to the school, and was being raced. The hull was painted that unique pale aqua green color; her mahogany cockpit was still gleaming in varnish. In the late 1970s, I met Harvey Wills (see his posting above), and he presented me with a small can of the Sally Green, which I still have.

The boat's listing, No. 4951 in the 1939 Lloyd's Register List of Yachts in America, indicates she was previously named Teal, and before that, her original name was Red Head, "Built to Int. Rating Class 10-Meters."

If Danielle [Richards, the author of the April 'LL] or anyone else would like more information, I would be happy to connect them to Herr Oliver von Borstel, the naval architect at Abeking Rasmussen in charge of the company's Archives Department. I was there last September, gathering a trove of information on the M-Boat Pursuit, still lying on the hard forlornly over at the Svendsen's Bay Marine shipyard without a cover or proper support of her long overhangs — this despite an apparent sale to a new "European owner" last December. More on that sad story later.

Randall von Wedel Point Richmond

⇑⇓ A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE GOES A LONG WAY

I know Sally, at least a little bit.

As a UCSC student in the mid-1980s, I had the great pleasure of sailing aboard twice. The first time was soon

The exquisite 'Sally', seen here with a few classmates, some time ago.

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Illustration by MMBA member Caleb Whitbeck

LETTERS

RACING,

after she was transferred to UCSC.

I was taking a keelboat class. Dick Murray was the instructor, and he decided that the whole class would get on and head out for a spin. Nobody in the class had been on a boat like Sally before, and we had an absolute blast. The only rough spots were one knockdown and a bit of a grounding while returning to the Santa Cruz harbor. (No shame there.) Phil Vandenberg was waiting for us at the dock, asking who had been driving for the knockdown. I think he already knew the answer.

The second time was with CF [Koehler] himself. He'd come up to Santa Cruz to get ready to take Sally away to San Diego. He was looking for crew, and a mutual friend knew that I sailed, at least a little bit, so I got invited to take her out with the two of them. They knew what to do, and were really relaxed. I remember CF climbing up on the boom and stretching out in the ample foot of the main.

The only tricky part was when I had a chance to steer and got a bit too close to the wind and learned that once a boat starts to come about … eat memories and great sailing!

Tim Hickey Latitude Nation

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL YACHTS

I began racing sailboats in Souther n California in the mid-1950s, mostly out of Newport and L.A. Harbor. (Long Beach was just beginning to be created). The 10-Meter Sirius raced often in those days and usually won her races. As I recall, Sally was out there racing from time to time as well. Those boats were just a joy to see; they were — and still are — simply beautiful yachts: sleek and perfect sheer lines.

Sally's hull was painted a beautiful medium green; that very color was produced by the marine paint maker Z-Spar who named it Sally Green.

Fred Huffman

La Diana, Contessa 35 Sausalito

⇑⇓ PASSING UP BETWEEN THE SHEETS

Regarding Fred Huffman's letter from the April issue of Latitude 38 entitled "What Happened, Between the Sheets": I fell in love with the lines and build of the Bruce Farr -designed Jeanneau 52.2 (50.5-ft length, 15.9-ft beam), and was searching for one for sale on the West Coast. Lo and behold, the only one available was BTS

I walked aboard on April 2019 at Denison Yacht Sales in Marina del Rey. As Fred mentioned in his letter, the

A more recent rendition of 'Sally', with Danielle Richards at the helm.

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LETTERS

prior owner, Ross Pearlman, certainly upgraded her. In addition, she had a custom deep keel and was retrofitted with a direct-drive configuration. She was well-worn, and showed signs of needing some tender loving care, and likely significant money, to get her up to snuff.

While I passed on the opportunity, in speaking with the broker and researching much of BTS's storied history, I was convinced that the Farr-designed Jeanneau 52.2 was a quality seaworthy vessel. With the assistance of Wayne Goldman, owner of Atomic Tuna Yachts, I ultimately identified and closed the deal on another 52.2 in San Diego in April 2021: SV Crazy Horse.

I'm happy to report that after one cruise to Ensenada, and back to the Bay Area — plus several hours in The Slot of S.F. Bay — my wife and I love our 52.2. Thanks to Fred for sparking some great memories with his letter.

Ross Pearlman passed in April 2020. God rest his soul.

Tim Mueller

Crazy Horse, Jeanneau 52.2

Emeryville Yacht Club

⇑⇓ THE PERFECT BOAT FOR KIDS TO HAVE A DATE ON, AS SPECIFIED BY MAX EBB

It doesn't tick all the boxes, but the Flying Scot strikes me as a pretty good first pass at Max Ebb's Moonlight 15 (aka the Third Base 15) design challenge.

[See the April issue of Latitude's Max Ebb, titled "It's in the Hormones, Stupid."]

Many summers ago, I taught both kid and adult classes on the Washington Sailing Marina's fleet, just off the south end of the Clinton National Airport runway. Flying Scots are close to indestructible, pretty easy to flip back over if you do wind up in the drink, and have plenty of room for a double date and even an extra fifth wheel.

I love the idea for a basic electronics package. A couple of the instructors had flashlights with red/green filters and a sticky cup that you could fix to the bow for nighttime operations. The Scot fleet wasn't as effective a platform for the pitching of woo in a marine environment as my dad's S2 8.0 docked around the corner from Annapolis, but they definitely served up plenty of fun dates and adventures, besides being the best job ever.

Dan SV Resolute Berkeley

⇑⇓ A LEGITIMATE POINT MADE ON A QUIRKY STORY

Max wrote [in a single column on page 54 of the May issue of Latitude]: "Toss the can overboard? Check the Notice of Race." It would be a good idea to check MARPOL, too. The law was amended a few years ago.

While it used to be legal to sink your cans and glass when you were well offshore, now it's just as much a no-no as tossing plastic.

Max Crittenden

The venerable, sturdy and open-to-teenage-love Flying Scot, which was designed by Sandy Douglass and hit the water in 1958.

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LETTERS

⇑⇓ A BRIDGE TOO LOW, AND CONTACT INFORMATION TOO HARD TO FIND

I believe your lead photo is of the Brazos Railroad Bridge a mile or so downstream from Napa Valley Marina. When I left that marina in June 2017, after doing a bottom job on our Newport 30 with a 47-ft bridge clearance, I noticed that bridge was not fully open.

I called the marina to get the phone number for the bridge tender, who I could see was there on the bridge, but who were unable to help me. I proceeded slowly and cautiously as I approached the bridge, which was fortunately elevated enough for me to squeeze under. But just as I passed under, another, larger sailboat with a taller mast headed upstream was not so lucky. Not sure if the mast or rigging was damaged, but we watched his wind instrument sensor get scraped off the top of the mast and heard it crash hard onto the foredeck. The captain was running at full cruising speed, and did not slow down as he approached the bridge.

I have since failed in my attempts to ascertain the phone number or other contact info for that bridge, which is not listed with the other Delta opening bridges in the local tide books.

Bill Crowley

Bill was commenting on the April 5 'Lectronic Latitude: Cruise Ship American Jazz Shows the Way to Napa

⇑⇓ SHOULD WE CONSIDER A COMPOSTING HEAD?

Having lived with The Stink for 10 years, even with every effort of filters and super hoses, we decided to go dry.

We have lived with our Air Head for more than a year now, full time, and have had several "harvests" that are not offensive or yucky — if we had a land base, it would probably go right on the ornamental vegetation. The one issue is the wet part that requires enough draining that you will want to have two of those bits so you can change them out.

We have heard bad stuff about composting heads in the tropics, but the problems seem to come from being too casual with use and operation. Inside the boat, there's no smell, it's easy to keep clean and does the job until you get offshore and can make direct deposits.

Barry Spanier Rosie G, Custom Antrim Junk Emeryville

Barry was commenting on the May 3 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter. Barry, we urge caution in dumping the harvests of compostable toilets on landscaping, as explained in the next letter.

⇑⇓ SEPARATE, AND REAP THE NO-ODOR REWARDS

It's not likely that the contents of a "dry" toilet will ever effectively compost, even desiccate, in a typical, on-board use scenario. I think this is a point too often ignored, which could quickly result in disappointment and resentment.

'American Jazz' passes under the 97-ft-clearance Brazos Bridge on the Napa River.

KIRBY LONG

YOUTH SUMMER SEA CAMPS

LETTERS

It's probably better to refer to marine "composting heads" as "dry, separating heads." Sure, a five-gallon pickle bucket may be fit with a simple seat to receive unsegregated effluent, but separating urine from feces will result in less objectionable odor and troublesome disposal.

While there are a handful of commercially produced dry, separating heads on the market, these can be more complex than necessary, and correspondingly more expensive.

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It's possible to produce one's own dry, separating head, but it may be a great deal easier after first securing a urinediverting toilet bowl produced specifically for the purpose. These may be made of molded fiberglass or polyethylene. This toilet bowl will help segregate the effluent into separate vessels, usually a one- to two-gallon urine jug, and a five- to six-gallon feces bucket. Dry media, such as peat moss or coconut coir, will be added to the empty bucket and over each deposit to help control odor and aid quasi-desiccation of feces, while the jug is reserved specifically for urine. Venting and mixing are not strictly necessary for odor control and quasi-desiccating, but if the marketing of these features leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, then by all means, succumb to the lure of complexity.

Typically, the urine will require more frequent disposal than the feces. How one goes about doing so is up to one's ingenuity and imagination, but in any event, it's preferable to do so proactively rather than allow the urine to top the banks of its vessel, fouling the otherwise dry head, or bilge. (Think ahead.) Urine vessels may be fit with simple audio/ visual alarm circuits, actuated by a float switch, or one may simply monitor the level visually with a scrutinizing eye and a flashlight. A boisterous sail in the Slot will require more consideration than sitting at the dock, obviously, though an overflow is an overflow, whether or not the conditions during which the event occurs are dynamic.

Please, don't be tempted to dispose the contents of your dry, separating head in the flower beds of the marina. While feces will eventually desiccate and compost into har mless soil, it can take at least a year of apathy to do so, and will pose a biological hazard in the interim. It should also be obvious that a six-gallon bucket of turds and dry media will realistically overwhelm any conventional toilet ashore.

What to do?

Most municipalities condition the disposal of human waste within garbage bins on its containment. For practical purposes, this means securely containing the waste within a plastic bag as one might do with cat litter, dog poop, and diapers. Consider this within your contemplation of environmental factors. Can you employ compostable bags?

With respect to cruising, it may indeed be possible to compost one's feces onboard in a series of securely covered buckets, strategically depositing it ashore after a sufficient period of time. Likewise, it may also be possible to discard human effluent into the sea in accordance with regulations.

Every marine sanitary strategy is a compromise. I personally subscribe to the simplest, most effective solution. Other people will find greater appeal in solution where ignorance and apathy may prevail. This truly could involve an electric head, holding tank, and regular mobile pump-out service.

David Smith Latitude Nation

We installed an Air Head in the aft head and used it for one cruising season in Mexico. The composting part worked

WE TRIED COMPOSTING, THEN WENT BACK TO A STANDARD HEAD

LETTERS

out OK, but the liquid part was awful. If it wasn't emptied every 24 hours without fail, it would overflow and create a nasty, unsanitary mess. And when sailing, too much of a heel did the same thing.

In addition, carrying that bucket of pee up to a marina restroom to dump was not my favorite thing to do. I'm sure this would be fine for folks who are always at the dock or only do short sails from marina to marina, but for longterm cruising? Maybe not so much. We happily went back to a marine head after that one year. We also installed an electric toilet in the forward (main) head, and it was wonderful. So much easier (and less stressful) for guests; they use fresh water so smell is not an issue.

Sandy Edmonson Latitude Nation

⇑⇓ WE INHERITED A COMPOSTING HEAD, AND WE THINK IT'S A GREAT SOLUTION

Our composting head was installed by the previous owner, and to be very honest, we'd never had much (well, any) experience with one. But also being honest, one of our "hard no's" when we were looking for boats was a standard head with tanks. We'd had boats with that setup in the past, and for our current purpose [composting] is a great solution.

The boat is a Hess designed Falmouth 30 cutter (stretch version of a Bristol Channel Cutter). I'm not 90% sure that the boat never had a holding tank set up. We don't use it very much as we're more daysailors than adventurers. (Yeah, I know it's a bluewater boat, but we have it for simple coastal cruising around the Morro Bay/Port San Luis/ San Simeon area. My wife loves the boat and was the driver to get this one, so how in the world could I complain?)

This is an ad for composting toilet manufacturer Air Head. The simplicity is pretty compelling, no?

The "composting" part is kind of a stretch. If you read the details, it actually takes months for actual composting, so don't go out and dump it in the garden, and I think it's hilarious that they call cleaning it out "harvesting," but hey, it kind of fits the whole concept.

We affectionately call it "The Catbox" — that's probably a better description of what it really is. For casual cruising/daysailing, it's a great way to go, and should not be a problem to fit in the space of a conventional head.

Charlie SV Minke, Falmouth 30 Cutter Morro Bay, California

⇑⇓ NO SMELLS, EVER

LETTERS

We have had an Air Head for over several years and are happy with it. The pee bottles are easy to remove for dumping. For the composter part, put a plastic bag over the top, then invert. Done. No smells, ever. We're going on our third boat with an Air Head.

They are best mounted in a fore/aft setup, otherwise you can only pee on one tack. The best part is there is no smell like the old wet system, and no huge tank of sewage weighing you down.

Joe Maciorowski

⇑⇓ GEEKING OUT ON BIODIESEL

Just read Letters in the April issue of Latitude regarding biodiesel. The definitive book on the subject is From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank by Joshua Tickell, which I reviewed for an auto magazine 20 years ago. The DIY process he describes — adding methyl alcohol to vegetable oil while heating and stirring — results in a methyl ester. If adequately washed and cleaned (explained in the book) this produces a perfectly usable biodiesel, or diesel substitute. A proviso is that it's not effective in super-cold climates compared to "normal" diesel; only "Arctic diesel" should only be used in Arctic environments as the starting and stopping fuel. Otherwise, the biodiesel can gel in the injectors and fuel pumps, preventing starting and/or normal operation. But commercially available biofuels are quite different, and are designed for purpose, so don't be afraid to use them.

At the time I wrote the review, I did some research into biodiesels and found a University of Texas paper (I think) that reported the use of biodiesel in a truck fleet in Texas. From what I recall, the company sampled the engine oil from the test trucks at 10,000 miles, then again every 10K to 100K miles. Each time, the samples came back from the lab marked "fit for purpose." In other words, the oil did not need to be changed. In fact, they changed it at the 100,000-mile marker simply because they did not believe what the testing lab was telling them!

Engines were stripped down and found to be clean as the proverbial whistle inside, as the biofuel being used acted as a cleaner and created less soot than the dirty diesel they had previously used. This also meant the oil was not contaminated by soot particles as it was using petroleum-based diesel. The paper waxed enthusiastically about the savings switching to biodiesel would create for trucking company owners, given the dramatically reduced maintenance schedules possible, based on the evidence of the fuel-testing regime.

In 2008, Captain Peter James Bethune from New Zealand set a world record for circumnavigating the globe in a motor vessel powered by biofuels. 'Earthrace' circled the globe in just under 61 days. As a publicity stunt, Bethune synthesized human fat into biofuel (including 50 milliliters removed from his own back by a cosmetic surgeon), and claimed that he ran 'Earthrace' eight nautical miles on seven liters of "fat-fuel."

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Not sure if this ever got any wider audience, especially given the vested interests in the Texas oil industry, but I suspect it's probably one of those things that was quietly buried when found not to suit Big Oil.

But the backyard/DIY methyl ester? It sure as heck works! I personally knew of several guys who were "brewing their own" back then, and no doubt there are more today. According to the studies I read and ad hoc reports from those friends using it, methyl ester was about 10% less bang for buck and did not produce quite as much power. But if you can find the feed stock free, or at least cheap, way to go!

Mark Walker Australia

A FINGER IN OUR FACE FROM THE TAX MAN

In California, my 33-year-old sloop (and an ex-charter boat) went from about $500 in tax to $750 in 2022 due to COVID. The tax person I wrote the check out to said it's because during COVID, when people were forced to stay home, they took that time to make improvements to their boats — and boat sales went up, too. So the value of my boat, even to improve it (and lost my business due to COVID) is worth much more now. At least that was the tax

Can someone please do this math?

My boat was built in 1991. I purchased the boat used in 2004 for the sum of $125K. It's now 2023. I have been

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Weather, north winds and slip options played havoc with our plans, only to find a side tie that made for a miserable day. What the [expletive] is with the conditions of the harbor, slips, and needed repairs?

If the State of California and the federal government cannot provide a safe harbor with all the billions of dollars they are spending on other community items, why can't we allocate special funds for the safety of boaters, tourists and guests alike? Thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!

We're not quite sure when this photo was taken, but according to Captain Bob, Angel Island's docks are in a sorry state. What's been your experience?

⇑⇓ THE TAJ MAHAL IS FLOATING ONCE AGAIN

I was just talking to a friend whose home was damaged by PG&E fires. He is still trying to rebuild, but building code changes and other regs are making it hard and taking huge amounts of time. (He is still trying to get permits.) While a flooded barge (on which the Taj was built) is a different deal, the idea that this salvage and restoration can happen in a matter of weeks from when the damage occurred is a story unto itself, and validation for liveaboards!

After being battered by waves and sinking at its slip in March, the landmark houseboat 'Taj Mahal' is floating at her waterline again.

Jose Kanusee

Jose, writing his second letter of this Letters, was commenting on the May 1 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter.

⇑⇓ KIRSTEN NEUSCHÄFER TAKES LINE HONORS AND WINS THE 2022 GOLDEN GLOBE RACE

Seven local Bay Area sailors had the luck and privilege of spending three weeks with Kirsten Neuschäfer sailing to and from Antarctica seven years ago: Stan and Sally Honey, Buzz Blackett, Rowena Carlson, Robb Walker, Mary Lovely and myself (as well as Kerry Deaver from SoCal).

We can all attest to Kirsten's being the very definition of great seamanship. Some of her "shakedown" sails — such as crossing the Atlantic Ocean — used the Honeys' Cal 40 Illusion's mainsail.

Jim Quanci Green Buffalo, Cal 40 Richmond

Captain Bob, Bella Luna, Islander 36 Association Presidio Yacht Club

LETTERS

Jim was commenting on the April 28 'LL with the same name as this letter.

⇑⇓ A SALUTE

What an amazing achievement! Here's a salute to her vision, courage, seamanship and heroism! So now a racer joins Jeanne Socrates in being a woman champion on the high seas!

Sherri Wilkinson

⇑⇓ SHOULD WE COMPARE THE GOLDEN GLOBE RACE TO THE VENDÉE GLOBE?

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Not only did Kirsten Neuschäfer win the second modern running of the Golden Globe Race, she also became the first woman to win a solo, round-the-world yacht race.

Terrific sailing, but let's not get carried away — the Vendée Globe is harder. Much harder. Look at the budgets and the years it takes to even get a chance to get a boat. I don't want to say anything negative about [the Golden Globe] race and Kirsten Neuschäfer's accomplishments, but it's not going to get her a sponsorship for the Vendée Globe.

Dan Knox Luna Sea, Islander 36 San Francisco

Kirsten Neuschäfer sailed around the world, alone and nonstop, in just under 233 days on her 36-ft Cape George cutter 'Minnehaha'. Neuschäfer also rescued another skipper and was compensated with hours and a fuel allowance, neither of which was ultimately necessary in her firstplace finish.

Dan — Apples and oranges are hard to compare. While similar in some ways, each of these races has their own challenge. The Vendée is my very favorite race. But which is harder? One is 75 days, on very modern boats, with full shore support, modern communications, modern navigation tools, weather routing, etc.

The other is three times that long, on old boats, no weather reports, let alone routing, no shore support, no communications and no modern navigation tools. They each have some of the same but also very different challenges.

Tony Bourque

Circe, Freedom 40/40 Latitude Nation

⇑⇓ WITH A HEAVY HEART, WE BID FAREWELL TO OCEAN BOUND AND HER CREW

Readers — The families of William Gross, Kerry O'Brien, and Frank O'Brien, who disappeared aboard the Lafitte 44 Ocean Bound in early April, issued a public statement giving their thanks to everyone involved in the search for the vessel Search operations were suspended in late April. You can read

the letter in its entirety in the April 26 'Lectronic: The Families of Ocean Bound Issue a Public Statement

Here are a few excerpts from that letter:

"Knowing that our family members have been part of a multinational search is not something we take for granted, it shows the kind of commitment and cooperation we all will praise in the years to come. Thank you to all who serve their countries at sea, on shore and abroad. The call of the ocean and the call to serve requires a special individual, we thank you for being that person.

"As stated by the USCG, we wholeheartedly support and encourage the use of a sail plan and an EPIRB when you sail or motor away from home. We do not in any way want the story of us and Ocean Bound to discourage anyone from setting sail into the unknown. The world is vast and beautiful and worth the risk of exploration. It's magical on the ocean, wind in your hair and salt spray on your face. The vastness reminds you of how small one person is, it's freeing to be with nature in that regard.

"We would only add: take a satellite phone."

⇑⇓ NO COURAGE WITHOUT FEAR, NO ADVENTURE WITHOUT RISK

What an amazing letter.

From A to Z, this letter just shines with respect, appreciation, and understanding. It makes me feel the loss of these sailors even more acutely than before.

These missing folks are likely the type we need more of in this world. There is no courage without fear, no adventure without risk, and no loss that should stop us from appreciating where we are lucky. Hopefully they will find these guys on an island with a professor, a millionaire, and a movie star.

Mark Wieber

⇑⇓ GRACEFUL, HUMBLE

It is amazing to find this level of grace and humbleness while acknowledging that the search is over. My heart breaks for what these families and their friends must be going through. I hope they find out what happened to their loved ones. My condolences.

Carliane Johnson Kyntanna

Freedom 38 Oakland

The worst part, of course, is not knowing what happened to Frank and Kerry O'Brien, their friend William Gross, and the Lafitte 44 'Ocean Bound'. Like our readers, we were touched by the grace of the families.

LETTERS

⇑⇓ WE NEED MORE IN THIS WORLD

Amazing grace and gratitude shown in your letter. Your families, and all who supported with time and concern, are what we need more in this world. May they be found on some remote beach island.

Eve Rooklidge

⇑⇓ MANY PEOPLE WONDERED WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO THE EPIRB

Being a USCG veteran, my first thought was, "What happened to the EPIRB?" Once deployed, the signal is easily followed to it. I know things can happen to EPIRBs; they are not fool proof.

My heart goes out to all the families and friends of the lost sailors. I want them to know that every Coastguardsman surely gave everything they had to try and find these sailors. I'm sure every searcher gave it all they had, too. I hope there will be closure for the family some day. Prayers to all involved.

James Shepherd Planet Latitude

⇑⇓ IMAGINING MANY WORST-CASE SCENARIOS

We don't know what happened, of course, and I still hope all three of them somehow turn up soon.

I am reminded that in such seas, the worst thing I could be surprised by is a 20-ft wave while broadside to it. I have read that a wave as high as your boat is wide will capsize the vessel. If capsized without hatch boards and main hatch cover securely closed, I shudder to think about how fast the boat would flood upside down, until more wave motion and the weight of the keel rolled it back upright.

George DeVore

⇑⇓ THE UNCERTAINTY OF WEATHER FORECASTS

I strongly hope they are found.

We departed Mazatlan for La Paz on April 6 after watching PredictWind forecasts that looked bad for about three days. The forecast wasn't as bad as the conditions reported, but I've found that to be the case on this crossing. When we left, the forecast was for 8- to 10-knots and three- to four-foot calming for the next few days. We saw double the forecast for 24 hours. Unpleasant, but not dangerous.

I'm surprised about the lack of a registered EPIRB and wonder about a life raft aboard. Very sad.

Eric Bescoby

⇑⇓ PEACE

As a fellow mariner and adventurer, I applaud the affected family for their courage and humility during this time of awful tragedy and distress. May you find peace in the difficult days ahead.

Peter Harley

boat looks amazing... your team

a great job!"

LOOSE LIPS

Theacrobatics, or perhaps we should say aerobatics, had our brains in a twist as we tried to consider this from every angle. We hope the blood rush to the head didn't leave any lasting trouble. But on the bright side, hanging around upside down on a sailing rig can have its upside too: "Practicing for Cirque du Vent." — Candy. Or, as Duckie wrote, "Sometimes it's just better to look at a problem from another angle!"

Winner and top 10 comments below … plus free bonus comment!

The winner: "This is what you do with a drunken sailor early, early in the morning." — Beni Bacon.

"Down on his luck, Spiderman regrets his choice to work in the rigging shop." — Mark Caplin.

"That's the last time I buy a used climbing harness from that guy Wile E. at Acme." — Bill Willcox.

"Were it not for an awkward dismount, this athlete would have scored a 9+ on the high bar." — James Cate.

"Vertical dyslexia?" — Milly Biller.

"Just when I was getting the hang of these jet boots, they run out of fuel!" — Ron Harben.

"Sailing in the Southern Hemisphere has its ups and downs." — Rob Sesar.

"Look, Sarah. We've strung this guy out about as long as we can. I think he needs an answer NOW!" — RT.

"I wonder what happens if I pull this yellow cord …" — Lissa Maldonado.

"No, Batman did not do this." — Cal Sailing Club.

"Damn it! You hoisted the spinnaker upside down last weekend too!" — Tim McCormick.

"Cures seasickness every time." — Bud Kerner.

with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free." — Christy Ann Martine.

"Dance

operation rescue lucky dog

In last month's Sightings, Jeanne Leblanc-Streiff, described how she and her husband Dan lost their rudder aboard their Catalina 470 Lucky Dog while en route to French Polynesia. "The decision to leave our vessel was not taken lightly," Jeanne wrote.

She and Dan were rescued by the Hylas 46 SV Beleza's crew Chris and Michelle, who had aided in another rescue during their own Pacific crossing. "Now that we've arrived safely in Hiva Oa, we are hoping that Lucky Dog is safe, and no harm comes to her while we make every effort to get back to her as soon as possible."

We had to abandon Lucky Dog 650 miles from land, and tracked her over the next 19 days as she drifted WSW. During this time, Dan designed and built a sturdy bolt-on emergency rudder and assembly system at Maintenance Marquises Services, the shipyard in Atuona, on Hiva Oa. Materials were scarce, so Dan and a fellow cruiser scavenged what they could, including a catamaran rudder about half the size of the original. A welder was available for a couple of hours, but no other trades.

Dan fashioned an "L" plate (8 x 16 inches) out of quarter -inch plate steel, a steel tube that was found, and some angle iron from the hardware store. It was welded together, and eight holes were drilled so we could mount the plate to the stern. This would be the main bracket that holds the rudder shaft. A stainless steel pipe was fit over the rudder shaft, and a 90-degree galvanized fitting was welded to the top for a handle. To correct the rudder shaft corrosion and to provide a spacer, a 16-inch stainlesssteel pipe was welded over it.

The search for a skipper and boat to take us to Lucky Dog began early. The family who owned our pension contacted local news, hoping publicity would help. We posted signs. Soon, we were given the name of a French local. We agreed on a daily fee for him and his boat for up to 15 days, fuel, all provisions and water, and a bonus if we found Lucky Dog. He would buddy boat back to Atuona with us. He had no radar or satellite communications, but did have AIS. Knowing satellite communications for Garmin updates was essential, we arranged a backup Iridium GO!, flown to Hiva Oa and arriving just hours before departure.

Lucky Dog was drifting in a direction in which getting her would be all the more difficult if we did not leave quickly. We began the three-day journey with her now 313 nm away. Our friends sent updates of Garmin coordinates, and as we neared, we received hourly updates.

Winds were up to 15-17 knots, and waves were two to three meters ahead of the beam making for tough footing. We took a wave over the side and down through the hatches. Nonetheless, the aluminum boat powered through. Lucky Dog appeared on AIS, and at 1 a.m. we saw her slowly emerge after 19 days adrift.

Fortunately, no one had boarded her, and she had tolerated the seas well. The transfer of Dan and me, supplies and rudder took place from a dinghy without a motor (per skipper preference), in 10-12-foot seas. The skipper pulled the dinghy from his boat and released it toward Lucky Dog, heaving in the swells. Timing was everything. Getting a 120-pound rudder from dinghy to the deck was a true accomplishment, as we timed the lift by halyard to keep it from becoming a wrecking ball.

At installation, we covered the drill in a garbage bag, poking the bit out. We fit the bracket on the lower part of the stern, drilled holes exactly, temporarily plugged them, removed the bracket, and assembled the rudder, bracket, and stainless-steel pipe in the cockpit. Using seven lines, we lowered it slowly into the water over the stern (the rudder itself had a hole drilled into it with lines so that it could not be dropped). We were fully drenched and underwater multiple times, but we were successful.

The drogue on Lucky Dog fouled our prop. The seas were too big to safely dive; thus we relied only upon sail. The rudder worked fantastically in 13-25-knot winds, close reach to beam. We balanced the sails for three days. Unfortunately, nearing Hiva Oa, winds shifted downwind. Over 20 knots was a nightmare; the force and recovery time of the rudder took

good vibes

As our Good Jibes podcast approaches its 100th episode, we still can't get enough of the fantastic guests we've had on board. In the past few weeks, we've had great conversations with Sally Honey, Jim Antrim, Merf Owen and Michael Moradzadeh. The dialogue spans hundreds of thousands of miles of sailing, decades of racing, championships, and some fascinating life stories.

Host Moe Roddy spoke with two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Sally Honey to chat about all things sailing. Sally has sailed in seven 5O5 World Championships, started and built her own company, raced to Hawaii six times, given back to every sailing committee imaginable, and won the

on good jibes

2022 Newport Bermuda Race with her husband Stan Honey aboard their Cal 40 Illusion with crew members Don Jesberg, Carl Buchan and Jonathan 'Bird' Livingston.

Sally and Stan also cruised their Cal 40 in the Pacific Northwest and down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal and up to Maine. Sally also sailed in one of the very first Antigua Race Weeks. She has some great stories and wisdom to share about sticking with sailing throughout one's life and career, as well as favorite memories from sailing with her dad.

Moe Roddy also spoke with world-renowned naval architect Merf Owen of Owen

continued in middle column of next sightings page

lucky dog — continued

much longer. With only three inches of our now-torn jib out, extreme attention was paid to a limited course.

Night fell and our skipper informed us the harbor at Atuona was dangerous with a large south swell. He told us to enter the passage between Hiva Oa and Tahuata and anchor on the lee side. We were exhausted. Now, we had to navigate an unfamiliar channel with questionable steering capacity at midnight. He assured us it could be done and the seas would be easier. He would follow us at first, and then closely lead the way.

At 2 a.m. we arrived in Tahuata. Our skipper threw us a line and towed us the short distance from the pass into the bay, and we dropped anchor as the towing line snapped. He then drove closely past us in his boat, throwing a plastic bag on the bow. "Some dinner for you!" We pulled open the bag to find freshly baked bread, yogurt, an apple, cheese and ham. We had done it.

Welcome to French Polynesia, Lucky Dog.

—

jeanne leblanc streiff

Clockwise from bottom left: The Hylas 46 'Beleza' approaches the Catalina 470 'Lucky Dog' in April to rescue Dan and Jeanne LeBlanc Streiff; after relocating 'Lucky Dog' in early May, Dan steers back to French Polynesia using a makeshift tiller/rudder set up; the emergency rudder before installation; transfers between the rescue vessel and 'Lucky Dog' were done via a motorless dinghy; preparing to get the stricken 'Lucky Dog' under way; the stainlesssteel pipe that served as 'Lucky Dog's emergency tiller.

gerry brown's four mintakas

Gerry Brown (not the ex-gov) started racing in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1963. The retired computer programmer for the Air Force satellite control facility has lived in the same house in Sunnyvale for 50 years. At age 88, Gerry's still actively racing in local regattas with his current boat, the 1979 Farr 38 Mintaka 4, out of Berkeley Yacht Club. We'd been wondering about the other three Mintakas, but his first boat, the 21-ft Victory Sediento, wasn't one of them.

"We went on to the Columbia 5.5-Meter and raced YRA," Gerry told us when we met up with him after the conclusion of the Berkeley Midwinters. The 5.5 was named Gringo. "My first Mintaka was the Triton. It was named Mintaka when I bought it."

"Mintaka is one of the three stars in Orion's belt," explained one of Gerry's crew. We were all sitting around a big round table in BYC's lounge. "It's the brightest."

Clarke Design. Merf hails from the UK, but splits his time between England and the Bay Area with his wife and pro sailor Ashley Perrin. He is a "hands-on sailor-designer," a fellow at the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, and has 250,000 miles of offshore sailing experience, including a climbing/ sailing expedition above the Arctic Circle.

continued on outside column of next

told

Gerry bought a Newport 30 in 1986. "The first year I joined the crew was the first year you won on the Newport," crewmember Joe

Mer f started in the Merchant Navy with involvement in the Falklands war before his sailing trajectory had him designing and building a trimaran. He went on to design the record-setting Kingfisher for Dame Ellen MacArthur. His story includes highlatitude Arctic sailing, along with designing numerous high-octane offshore race boats.

Publisher John Ar ndt spoke with

Rockmore

sightings page

In addition to four 'Mintakas', Gerry Brown has owned a lot of boats by other names. Clockwise from top left: The Columbia 5.5 Meter 'Gringo'; Gerry Brown (center in red) and crew celebrate a successful Great Vallejo Race in 2022; the Farr 38 'Mintaka 4' sailing in last year's Berkeley Midwinters; the C&C 36 'Mintaka'; the 'Mintaka 4' crew kicking back after the BYC Midwinters; 'Mintaka 4' on a light-wind midwinters day on the Bay.

GERRY BROWN

IRA POTEKHINA

— continued

Michael Moradzadeh about his sailing path. His first boat on San Francisco Bay was an Ensign, and since then Michael has raced in several Pac Cups, Transpacs, Coastal Cups and Rolex Big Boat Series. He's a staff commodore of both the Pacific Cup Yacht Club and Corinthian Yacht Club.

Michael also gets up to his elbows in all aspects of sailing, including serving as Principal Race Officer. He played an instrumental role in the mid-ocean rescue of Andy Schwenk, while Andy was returning from the 2022 Pacific Cup. Michael has also developed the Cruising Club of America website and numerous other online web tools. He's installed much of the equipment on his

continued in middle column of next sightings page

mintakas — continued

Gerry. "So I claim it was all my foredeck work. I think we won four or five years in a row."

"The Newport, was that Mintaka II?" we asked.

"It was just straight Mintaka. I didn't start adding the letters until I sold one that stayed on the Bay," said Gerry. "Most of them left; so as long as they weren't around I just named my boats Mintaka."

Explaining why he switched to the Newport, Gerry said, "I like to be in a one-design fleet. That seemed like a fairly nice-sized boat, and I had a growing family. Turned out, my wife quit crewing for me right after she gave birth when we had the Victory. She didn't complain when I went, so that's alright. I used to take the 5.5-Meter and the kids would be down below." The Browns had twins, a girl and a boy, born in '69. "And we made a couple of trips to the Delta in the Triton. The kids were old enough and we would take their El Toro so they could sail it around up there in the Delta."

After the Newport came a 1980 C&C 36, for about three years. A crew of three sailed the C&C in the '98 Pacific Cup: Tom Reinwiler, who has since passed away, Mike Maloney, and Gerry. They broke the boom about halfway to Hawaii.

"We jury-rigged it," said Gerry. "We flew the sail but without the boom." They had to drop the main to jibe.

"When we got to Hawaii, we sent the boom to one of their local yards. They butt-welded it and put a sleeve in. I probably wouldn't even get outside the islands before it broke up. My wife said, 'I'll pay for your trip back.' The boat couldn't be shipped to San Francisco; it had to go into L.A. A guy put it on a trailer to bring it up the coast, and he had to check every overpass. A lot of the overpasses he had to go up and over and down the other side. He got it to Svendsen's on a Thursday. Thursday night, I rigged the mast. Friday we stepped the mast. Saturday we raced. And won. Mike Maloney bugged me and bugged me to buy the boat; I finally sold it to him. That's when I got the Farr."

Gerry liked the look of the Farr 38. "They had a big stern. The C&C 36 had that pinched-in stern. It was a handful going downwind. We did many trips down the coast with it. Only a few people could drive the damn thing. I mean, it was really squirrelly, especially when you get to Point Conception and it's blowing 15, it's 2 in the morning, you got the chute up, and you can't see which way the water's going.

"I've had the Farr since 2000. It hadn't been moved in about eight years. The windows all leaked, the cushions were full of water, and the fuel filter had corroded through, so it had diesel in the bilge. It was a real mess."

"You could smell diesel for a couple of years below decks," commented one of the crew. "Wait — there were cushions?"

"Yeah," replied Gerry. "You wouldn't believe how much better the boat smelled when I took the cushions out and threw them away! I changed the rudder out, put carbon fiber inside, and rebuilt the boom."

In one race, they hit Red Rock. "That northwest cor ner, there's a shallow spot there, and I managed to pick it off. We delaminated the keel stub, so we had to reblast the whole keel."

This year, Mintaka 4 is sailing with the YRA, including destination races such as Vallejo and Half Moon Bay. "Gari Ruggles and I are doing doublehanded stuff. I think all the sail area's in the main. We can sail to our rating, so we're racing non-spinnaker doublehanded."

chris

GERRY BROWN

G L EN GARFEIN

Gari Ruggles, left, and Gerry Brown are 'Mintaka 4's doublehanded crew.

The calls of "A ye, aye, Sir," can once again be heard from the hardworking crew on the square-rigger Balclutha. These hearty cries onboard the ship didn't come from seasoned mariners, but rather, from enthusiastic fourth and fifth graders participating in the nonprofit San Francisco Maritime National Park Association's recently revived Age of Sail educational day program.

On a crisp spring mor ning, the children were diligently following the guidance of the Association's watchful 'officers,' being given instruction on rigging, bell ringing, and learning about the history of this antique vessel, most active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Age of Sail program, which was on hiatus for three years due to COVID, has triumphantly returned, once again taking place along San Francisco's historical Fisherman's Wharf at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Hyde Street Pier.

Children engaging in the Age of Sail can imagine traveling back in time to Balclutha's heyday, replete with the sights and sounds of a bygone era. The sparkling waters, seagulls, and cool, salt air of the Bay provide participants with a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop for learning and having fun. These activities are not only great for deepening maritime knowledge and providing valuable lessons on cooperation, but also give children the opportunity to absorb rich aspects of history in a novel, hands-on way. The chance for participative, active learning has been a truly memorable and life-changing experience for many young people across California. However, the Age of Sail is not the only program to have been renewed.

Another recently returned program is the Association's Youth Boat Building program, which preserves traditional boatbuilding methods while teaching young people valuable job skills. The program is organized in partnership with Downtown High School and Get Out and Learn. High schoolers are welcomed to the maritime heritage learning center to learn how to build a traditional rowing dory. "I enjoyed building a boat and learning to row," said Kayla, who participated in the shipbuilding program.

"The instructors are passionate, and it spreads to the students. This program has improved my ability to work with others and to know how to handle new things. I believe these skills are applicable anywhere in the real world." Passersby down by Aquatic Park can spot the fleet of dories from the shipbuilding program floating from mooring balls. (If you would like to own one of these hand-built skiffs, the Education Director is certain to sell you one! Contact Laura by email at ldefelice@maritime.org.)

During the summer, these vessels are used to teach young campers how to row as part of the Maritime Summer Camp, and to introduce them to all the waterfront has to offer. This includes enjoying plenty of fresh air and getting the chance to observe local wildlife, such as the brown pelicans that dive for fish in the Bay. Maritime Summer Camp runs from June 12 through August 11, and is packed with rowing, sailing, and adventuring. All greenhands ages 8 to 13 looking for an exciting summer on the water are welcome and encouraged to have their parents head over to www maritime.org/education to learn more and sign up now.

Not only do participants enjoy maritime activities on the Bay, but they also get to visit the Aquarium of the Bay, learn about preservation, experience the collections at the San Francisco Maritime Museum, and get a window into the deep cultural history of San Francisco by visiting the Park's exhibit on the Yelamu indigenous people.

In addition to the Age of Sail program, Youth Boat Building Program, and Maritime Summer Camp, the Association and its partner, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, are working to renew other programs, such as in-person sea chanteys, public programs, concerts, and events — all put on hold during the pandemic. Efforts to bring about their return have so far been met with great success. It's exciting to see these public programs spring back to life after three years, and at a time when residents are looking to get back out and participate in the community in positive ways. These programs serve both as a strong anchor to maritime heritage and provide a beautiful avenue for community building, continucontinued on outside column of next sightings page

good jibes

own boat, the Santa Cruz 50 Oaxaca

We were fortunate to have Bay Area naval architect Jim Antrim on the show. His background includes sailing out of Nahant, Massachusetts before attending the Webb Institute, where he was friends with Latitude contributor and naval architect Paul Kamen. Earning his degree in naval architecture allowed him to start his career working for Dick Carter, Britton Chance, and Gary Mull before opening his own office in the Bay Area in 1979.

Jim has sailed numerous races to Hawaii and designed an eclectic mix of boats, including Santa Cruz-built Ultimates, Cree

in-person, hands on sailing

— concluded

Partridge's recently launched Class 40 Glass Slipper, and Barry Spanier's junkrigged scow-bow 40 cruiser Rosie G. Jim described his favorite Bay Area race: sailing the all-carbon Antrim 27 'io to Hawaii with owner Buzz Blackett and numerous other racing exploits.

Jim enjoys doing a little cruising, too.

The Good Jibes podcast has been great fun to produce and allows you to listen while on watch or on your commute. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or you can click the Good Jibes link at www. latitude38.com.

— latitude

hands-on sailing — continued

ity, and preservation for the present and future.

It's a busy time for the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Though the pandemic posed many challenges, it's heartening to see the hard work and dedication of passionate individuals pay off, ensuring that maritime history continues to be brought to life for future generations in new and expansive ways. The return of in-person education and public programs is the perfect complement to the online and virtual programs and sea chanteys that bring people together across the globe. As times change, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park serves as a portal to the past and its continued relevance in the present. This has all been made possible by the support of our community and by the generous contributions of our members and donors.

laura defelice san francisco maritime national park association

Just

Kudos to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association for all their hard work to get their programs up and running again. Main spread While not directly affiliated with S.F. Maritime, the Sea Scout vessel 'Viking' — recently named the Boat S flagship is based in Aquatic Park.

the stoke of skateboarding and/or sailingthe master mariners

For the sailing industry to grow, it must attract younger enthusiasts who can build a brighter future for the sport. There's an untapped audience that's likely to love sailing: skateboarders. While sailors and skateboarders may seem worlds apart, the bridge between them is real.

Hear me out.

I am a skateboarder who learned to sail in my early 20s. I found sailing provides the same sense of excitement and freedom I associate with skating. Sailing fast and hiking out on the rail will get anyone stoked, just as stoked as I get after a session at my local skatepark. Both sports tap into a creative, thrill-seeking part of our souls, and make getting from point A to point B a white canvas upon which we can express ourselves.

Whether carving lines or flying like the wind, we all chase the stoke we earn from traversing a landscape on our own path. This aspect of sailing needs to be shared with the younger generations to gain their interest and continued on outside column of next sightings page

The Master Mariners Regatta, held each year on Memorial Day weekend on San Francisco Bay, is a chance to watch the Bay's premier classic boats duke it out for bragging rights. The winners take home the silken swallow-tailed banner emblazoned with a strutting game cock and adorned with the word "Champion." Less than a month later, the public is invited aboard many of the same boats that were rail down on the Bay as they dock at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon for the Wooden Boat Show on Sunday, June 18.

Fiberglass boat owners can forget how different a traditionally built wooden feels.

Clockwise from top left: The author (middle, in sunglasses) crews on an Olson 30 in his native Arizona on Lake Pleasant; monsoon season, as seen from the foredeck in the Arizona Yacht Club's race league; the author on a windless (but beer-ful) race day; beyond metaphors between skateboarding and sailing, there's also been a literal marriage of the two sports: a sailor practices winging on a skateboard; a windsurf-rig on wheels; a different type of skate-sailing in Sweden in the early 1900s. Inset: A cleat hitch on skateboard trucks serves as a metaphor expressing the bridge between two sports.

NOAH ROSE

NOAH ROSE

skating and/or sailing — continued wooden boat show attract the right minds.

Step aboard, head down below, and connect with the craftsmen who built them, or the families who have owned them over the many decades of their sailing history. The Wooden Boat Show has its own traditions and is where the owners dress the boats in their Sunday finest to compete for trophies, including best restoration as well as best in show.

The show entry fee is $20, which raises funds for students of wooden boat restoration to help keep the boats, skills and traditions alive. (Kids under 12 get in for free.)

We hope to see you there!

Sailing clubs and sailing associations who expand and see more participation should be setting up tents at skateparks, handing out cheap burritos, and offering kids an introductory sailing course. Many sailing industry leaders would be surprised by the core values shared between skateboarders and sailors: resilience, progression, individuality and creativity are just a few values expressed among the two cultures. Skateboarders are becoming more active in the outdoors, and the sailing community needs to reach out for sailing to be put on their radars.

Sure, there are obvious differences.

The demographics often associated with these sports don't help, but we should open the conversation. Racing sailboats, I've met many sailors with backgrounds in avocations like scuba diving, rock climbing, windsurfing, surfing, and other action sports. However, sailing and skateboarding share a common thread of freedom and flow.

I'd encourage any young skater with an interest in the outdoors to check out sailing. Young people looking at the sailing industry from the outside aren't likely to understand what it's all about, and they aren't going to ask an old rich guy on a yacht. The sailing community needs to offer a perspective the youth can get behind.

The first time I watched sailboats tacking upwind on San Diego Bay, I noticed how the maneuver resembled a skateboard kick turning on a quarter pipe. Suddenly it hit me: these sailors were just well-trained skaters, ripping their huge boards down the high seas. At that point, I was sold. I registered for sailing courses, and I began tying cleat hitches on my skateboard trucks for practice.

Physics is another commonality between sailboats and skateboards. This is more noticeable on boats like Hobie 33s, Olson 30s, or J/24s, where standing on the foredeck while sailing can feel like you are skating and gliding across the water. Dinghies, being smaller in size, amplify the qualities of sailing that resonate with skating even more. They provide a real one-with-the-boat vibe that isn't as strong on larger sailboats. I've heard other dinghy sailors call it a full-body feeling.

A Sunfish would be the best example of a boat that captures the spirit of skateboarding. From a skater's perspective, sailing on a close reach can feel as though the water is rising on the windward side like a long concrete bank and as the boat heels over, it's reminiscent of a skateboard carving through a transition. Going downwind on a Sunfish, you can pull up the daggerboard and stand while holding the tiller. Boom! Suddenly, it feels like you're skating! Whether you're on a planing hull or a displacement hull, you'll feel the same thrill and sense of freedom skateboarders seek every day.

Noah Rose

summer sailstice and the baja ha-ha

Summer Sailstice — June 24-25

What kind of sailor are you, anyway? A poet or an engineer? A cruiser or a competitor? Tackling the impossible mission of uniting all sailors to do something together, Summer Sailstice distilled it all down to a simple task: Hoist your sails.

To do it 'together', we chose a time when the moon, stars, sun and sunscreen align for the majority of sailors on the planet: the first summer weekend closest to the summer solstice. The perfect weekend is not the same for everyone, but if the word summer brings up carefree childhood memories, it's about the best time possible for everyone to take a break from the mayhem ashore and hoist their sails together.

This year, Summer Sailstice weekend is June 24-25. That's when you can sail your Sabot on San Diego Bay simultaneously 'with' a Beetle Cat on Narragansett Bay, where you can race with Truls Myklebust in BAMA's Doublehanded Farallones Race or along with Brendan Huffman aboard his Hobie 33 Siren as he starts the Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race. Or you can chill by joining cruisers such as Ryan Foland sailing his Cal 34 Bingo to Catalina, or Dave and Michelle Opheim who'll be part of the Delta Doo Dah aboard their Catalina 42 Endless Summer

How do you sail 'with' other sailors? Together means just putting your sailing plans on the map on the Summer Sailstice website. Do it between now and June 24, and you're eligible to win prizes like the very cool WinchRite electric winch handle, which will make the rest of your summer less of a grind. Or you can win the just-released book All Hands on Deck, written by SoCal sailor Will Sofrin. It's an excellent read.

But better than prizes is the opportunity to hoist your sails with likeminded sailors and those whose only similarity to you is the desire to raise a triangle of cloth in the air to capture the wind. Some of the fastest and slowest sailors diverge from the white triangle with both foiling kiteboarders and tall-ship sailors flying rectangular sailcloth.

What if you don't have a boat? The basic answer is find someone who does. The truth is, most boats need crew, and most sailors don't own boats; the majority of sailors sail by sailing OPB (Other People's Boats). You can put your name on the Latitude 38 Crew List, join one of the many West Coast sailing clubs, visit a community sailing center, find a sailing meetup, book a charter sail on the Freda B, or look on the Summer Sailstice map for open houses. If you have a boat, invite your friends.

The truth is, you can be part of Summer Sailstice by sailing anytime and any way on the Summer Sailstice weekend. Do a Friday evening sail or beer can race. Do a club cruise or weekend regatta. Or just go sailing. The basic point is to join the world in celebrating sailing by getting out on the water to #raiseyoursails on the first weekend of summer. We'll look for you on the Summer Sailstice map, and then see you out there!

Baja Ha-Ha XXIX

The 29th Baja Ha-Ha launched on May 9, and more than 40 boats signed up in 24 hours. There are now well over 60 boats signed up for the annual 750-mile rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. There are already 13 multihulls signed up, two powerboats, and lots of monohull sailboats. Following a trend, the boats are getting bigger; just 14 of the boats under 40-ft, with the balance between 40- and 54-ft.

continued on outside column of next sightings page

Don Trask, who brought J/Boats and the Laser class to the Bay as both a builder and dealer, will be honored at an International Laser Class Association/Laser PCC Masters Regatta on July 15 and 16 at St. Francis YC. Don, who is a member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, will also be celebrating his 90th birthday that weekend. The winner of the regatta will win the Don Trask Perpetual Trophy for both the Radial and Full rig.

Don built 11,000 Lasers on the West Coast; his boats launched the careers of many Bay Area Olympians including Paul Cayard, John Kostecki, John Bertrand, Steve Jeppesen, Ken Keefe, Carl Van Duyne, Jeff Madrigali, Poppy Truman, Chris Boome, Craig Healy and Bob Sutton. Trask invented the Laser Heavy Weather Slalom on the Cityfront and founded the

There is so much sailing to be done this summer, and plans to be made for heading south this fall. Clockwise from left: Randall von Wedel singlehands his Sabre 36 last summer; the Turtle Bay beach party for Baja Ha-Ha 28 last year; a raft-up at Owl Harbor on the Delta; Patsy Verhoeven's 'Talion' is as much a a- a fixture as the Grand Poobah's 'Profligate'.

don trask to be

RANDALL VON WEDEL

honored at laser pccs

Saint Francis Laser Junior Program. He also founded the prestigious Master's Regatta, first raced in J/24s from the St. Francis YC and now sailed in J/105s out of the San Diego Yacht Club.

Don's own star -studded sailing career included winning the 1966 Star North American Championships, which he sailedwith Jim DeWitt, and placing third behind Paul Elvstrom and Lowell North in the Star Worlds in 1967. On the Bay in Stars, Don and Tom Blackaller were fierce rivals. Don dominated the East Bay, while Blackaller claimed the West.

Don's father built his son an El Toro, which Don sailed on the Oakland Estuary until age 16. He bought a Snipe, and his crew was also his girlfriend Nancy. The two were married for 53 years.

— latitude

sailstice and ha-ha — continued

If you want to crew or are looking for crew for the fall Baja Ha-Ha, this gives you another good reason to add your name to the Latitude 38 Crew List. The advice from successful past Baja Ha-Ha crew is "be active." Things change on the site: people sign up, drop off, and spots open up. You can also plan ahead for our fall Latitude 38 Crew List party and Mexico cruising seminar being held at Spaulding Marine Center on September 7 in Sausalito. Don't wait to get on the Crew List. Whether or not you want to go to Mexico, we hope to see you at the Crew Party.

In the April issue of Latitude, the Grand Poobah wrote "Good and Bad News About Cruising Mexico." The good news is pretty much the same as always: People love it. It's a beautiful destination with a friendly culture and friendly cruising community. The bad news is that slips are in short supply. That said, there are some available, as well as numerous protected anchorages. (Cruising was very popular in Mexico before there were any marinas at all.)

There's always plenty of room for good-ol' cruising with lots of off-thebeaten-track marinas and anchorages to explore. If Mexico is calling you, there is no time like the present. The Ha-Ha list is growing, and 2023 promises to be a great year to head south.

EU GENIE RUSS

AUSTRALIA COMPLETES

There was a brief moment for a little drama at the end of the final podium race as New Zealand made a last-ditch attempt at a miracle pass after a slight hiccup from the Aussies briefly opened the door for the lead.

But it was shut just as quickly, as Tom Slingsby and company completed their SailGP Championship trifecta, three-peat, hat trick — whatever you want to call it — to dominate the highspeed catamaran foiling seascape again.

This we know: Slingsby is dominant once his Australian team reaches the podium final, and unlike last year, it didn't take a whale to finish the job for him.

The Mubadala SailGP in San Francisco delivered on all points when the rain clouds faded and the sun came out as a capacity crowd in the grandstands and thousands of others along Crissy Field and surrounding the racecourse were treated with spectacular racing from the best sailing athletes in the world. We spoke with fans, both sailors and non-sailors, from up and down the coast as well as Texas, Wisconsin, Delaware, Bermuda, New Zealand, and Australia, and lots of flag-waving Canadians.

The final comprised Emirates Team GBR, with Sir Ben Ainslie at the controls; Team New Zealand and its two-time America's Cup-winning afterguard of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke; and Slingsby, who also co-helms the American Magic America's Cup team.

The start was all on as the Aussies quickly took control, with GBR dropping

back and the Kiwis staying in the hunt. Heading to the final mark, Slingsby dropped off his foils briefly, enough to allow Burling a final shot as the Australian boat rolled out of a slow tack.

"I thought this could be the greatest choke of all time; that was not the plan. I thought we had lost it. We had it the whole way," said Slingsby. "It was crazy. I was very scared. You can win everything and lose the last race. What a race, what a team!"

"We got ourselves right back in there at the end: We dug deep, we didn't give up, and we kept fighting," said Burling. "We're gutted. We were battling all weekend and we were so close at the first mark, we only needed another meter to get over his bow."

"In hindsight I would have sailed that last leg very differently. We had such a comfortable lead at that point so I thought I would shut down the race and do an extra maneuver," said Slingsby. "But on that last leg the wind really died off. It was really a solid steady breeze the entire race, but then on that last upwind it started flaking out and it was getting a bit more patchy."

"The Aussies sailed a brilliant race. They put a hook on us at the start, which slowed us up, then we had a big crash down at the leeward gate and that was it for us," said Ainslie. "Unfortunately, we sailed a bad race. Certainly, when we needed a good one, we couldn't put it together, which was frustrating."

"We're in the peak of our career and in

the best moments," remarked Slingsby, still doused in the celebratory champagne. "When I'm retired in the future, I'm going to look back on this and just think this is the best time of my life. We know this is our purple patch; this run that we're on is going to come to an end."

Now to the Americans.

"We were running a new combination of crew for this event and we made some really big gains," said Team USA skipper and CEO Jimmy Spithill. "We had some good results, but never at home. We really want to keep the team together and hopefully build some consistency. It wasn't a great season for us with all the ups and downs. A 10th team next year is going to make it even tighter on the racetrack, and we're seeing it already with a lot of the close situations out there. But it is really exciting to have another nation join!"

Nicolai Sehested, driver of Denmark SailGP Team, and Katja Salskov-Iversen, strategist of Denmark SailGP Team, lift the Impact League trophy after winning the Season 3 Impact League, and Tom Slingsby, CEO and driver of Australia SailGP Team, and Tash Bryant, strategist of Australia SailGP Team, lift the SailGP Championship trophy after winning the Mubadala SailGP Season 3 Grand Final in San Francisco.

BOB MARTIN FOR SAILGP

To advance this story and to drive the focus on the California sailors on Team USA, we called upon insight from Coronado's Cooper Dressler, who gets to grind hydraulic fluids with his arms this week, then with his legs next week, plus San Francisco's Hans Henken, who controls the flight trajectory on board the somewhat finicky F50 (the one with the Statue of Liberty on its wingsail), and strategist Cam Farrah, who needs to be christened an honorary Californian.

As a loyal UC Berkeley Bear, I'll give Stanford alum and rival Hans Henken the benefit of his sailing excellence as the USA Team's flight controller. His 49er path keeps him in France for much of his "off" time as he prepares

for next year's Paris Olympics.

"I have spent so much time sailing on San Francisco Bay that I really know the ins and outs about which way to go and which side of the racecourse is favored," said Henken. "The familiarity with the venue makes it really easy for me to focus on the task at hand, and all of the homework and strategy that goes into the venue has already been taken care of.

"At the end of the day, it would have been awesome to win the grand final in San Francisco at home," said Henken. "I mean, I have spent so much time training and racing on the Bay, to be able to win it at home is something I look forward to accomplishing with this team."

Dressler and his wife now call Jamestown, RI, their home, which will allow him ample opportunity to get his

bicycle reps in as the historical Beavertail Lighthouse beckons on the Narragansett Bay tip of Conanicut Island.

"San Francisco is one of the top three places to race: It always delivers!" said Dressler. "The last three or four events of this season we have been in a rebuilding phase. Everyone was really encouraged by sailing in San Francisco. We are locking in the crew for Season 4; there are a lot of moments of despair, as well as greatness."

"San Francisco has historically always been one of the bigger racetracks in SailGP; all the teams seem to end up quite close to each other," said Henken. "You really have to stay aware [of] what's going on because it is easy to lose boats in your blind spot, so that can make for some really close calls and quick decision-making if you are not really ready for it."

Australia almost lost it at the end but pulled it together to take their third $1 million prize!

Pathways to SailGP and the America's Cup are a huge part of the story for many of these athletes. If it is not the Olympics, it is now the Women's Participation Program (WPP) or what will be the Youth and Women's America's Cup next year in Barcelona, Spain.

Francisco was a tough regatta from a points standpoint. I know the boys all wanted to do a lot better than we did in the rankings, but we are fired up for the Chicago event."

"Cam has been doing a really great job. Obviously it is a big learning curve, as it is for anyone going into a new position," said Spithill. "There is no shortcut in this game. I think Cam has a great attitude — team player, and a good addition to the team."

"The women are becoming more and more important on the boat, and this series is utilizing them more to make tactical and race decisions," said Farrah. "It is awesome to see, for me getting the exposure [to] high-speed situations on a multi-person team and helping plan out strategy. Talking about the boat or boat action is the type of stuff I wouldn't get otherwise.

"My dad flew to Christchurch, and having both of them here in San Francisco was a big deal for me," said Farrah. "It totally made my day having them here."

Adrenaline Lounge for VIPs, media and distinguished guests. Most grand prix yacht racing is held out of sight of the public; this is far more accessible grand prix racing.

SailGP is attracting a significant nonsailing audience, so the sailing world awaits to see if SailGP fans will transition from spectators to participants.

"The Red Bull Youth America's Cup absolutely launched my pathway in a more unconventional sense. I was able to get my foot in the door by working with the OTUSA shore team," said Dressler. "I was able to try out for the team in Bermuda as a grinder. I had been doing 'secret training' on my own, I had all of my ducks in a row and ended up going racing and [could] leverage that experience into the big show and SailGP.

"Cam Farrah is an awesome, really experienced foiler sailor. She is supertalented and has done a ton of racing down on the Gulf Coast of Florida," explained Dressler. "She is one of those young talents coming up who can sail anything she can get her hands on, and she gets results. She owns her mistakes and learns really fast. She understands the foiling game."

Farrah is from Destin, Florida, and don't be surprised to see her on American Magic's Women's America's Cup team next year on an AC40 as well!

Being on an F50 catamaran "is literally like standing on the roof of a car on the highway," said Farrah. "There's a lot happening and it's happening very quickly. I knew it was well within my capabilities so it was just about finding ways to add value to the team.

"I finally am feeling more comfortable on the boat, I was less shellshocked in San Francisco than I was in Christchurch," said Farrah. "San

Foiling appears to have found its fan base since it appeared on San Francisco Bay during the 2013 America's Cup. The race village was packed, though felt a little sparse on space and activities for fans, and the Youth Waszp racing was hard to understand on the website and in front of the stands. For some reason the awards ceremony wasn't open to the public this year and moved inside to the

All in all, the SailGP final packed a punch. San Francisco Bay is the definitive venue to showcase professional stadium sailing at its best. Season 4 kicks off June 16-17 in Chicago and then returns to California with an event in Los Angeles on July 22-23. The final will again be here in July 2024, right before the Paris Olympics and the America's Cup in Barcelona, so again, fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a "whale" of a show!

— mark reid

With USA in the mix, SailGP lines up for another spectacular start.

San rancisco's own Team S flight controller Hans Henken is all smiles at his home event!

TEAM USA / SAILGP

MARK REID

Team USA's Alex Sinclair and Cooper Dressler from Coronado, CA, ham it up after a challenging day on S.F. Bay.

MARK REID

OnMarch 13, 2023, with a fair weather forecast and weeks' worth of provisions, the Westsail 43 Niniwahuni motored out of La Cruz, Mexico, and headed west to cross the Pacific. Destination: French Polynesia. Her crew, Shawna and Travis Nicolet, and their three children, 7-year-old Bas, Kyuss, aged 5, and Tiago, 4 months, were embarking on their dream voyage, years in the making. Two weeks later, the family found themselves in peril when Niniwahuni was dismasted, approximately 950 miles into their voyage.

Despite regular updates from forecasters, the family was in the path of a storm. "The day before was such beautiful sailing," Shawna said when we spoke with the couple on the phone a few weeks after the incident.

In preparation for the rough weather, the sails were reefed and the sailors double-checked and secured everything. By March 23, the waves had risen to around 15 feet and the wind to 30+ knots. And while the weather got worse, the children began to get seasick. "As dawn approached, we decided the responsible thing would be to heave to, and wait out these few days of bad weather," Travis told us.

Niniwahuni had spent almost the entire day bobbing in the rough seas when at midnight an explosive "bang" rang out from the deck. The traveler block had broken from its track and sent the boom swinging into the port-side shrouds. With a boathook in hand, Travis managed to reach the mainsheet, pull in the boom, and lash it to the gallows. The forced activity had wrenched the couple out of their waiting state and they decided to continue on their course.

Adrenaline had taken over and Travis took the watch. "I was able to get us running comfortably, under a fraction

of staysail, pitch-black, and surfing the monster waves, but perfectly on course." He described the feeling of awe and euphoria as, having averted a disaster, he set Niniwahuni's wind vane and watched her sail, dead on course.

"I sat back and got comfortable, with my music and water, [and] I watched the MFD [multifunctional display] till the morning." However the comfort came to an abrupt end when, in the early hours, another loud "crack" threw their world into turmoil. "Facing backward I heard the boom and was showered with glass from the solar panel," Travis recalled. "Looking to the right I saw my radar next to me in the cockpit, I knew at that point I wasn't gonna be able to fix this one."

Niniwahuni's mast had snapped and dropped across the solar array before falling off to the port side. "[An] intense moment of emotions flooded my body, realizing the dream is now lying in the water, grinding against our hull," Travis said. Later, when the urgency had passed, the sailors would reflect that the boom crashing into the shrouds may have caused more damage than they knew. But for now, they had to deal with the immediate problem.

Shawna had been due to take over the watch. She now steadied the boat while Travis worked to cut away the cotter pins and knock out the clevis pins to all 11 shrouds and stays. It took two hours to free the mast. Meanwhile, Shawna sent out an SOS call to Travis's sister Cory, to whom they had given their float plan. Cory notified the US Coast Guard, who advised they had diverted the tanker Avance Polaris to come to Niniwahuni's aid.

It was now approaching daylight, and despite the lack of mast, standing and running rigging and sails, and limited electronics, Travis thought the boat was still in pretty good shape. But Shawna felt otherwise. The kids were sick, the boat was unstable, and as her mothering instincts took over, she felt she had to get her children off the boat.

"As a mom, I can say I had tunnel vision," Shawna said, "and my focus was on the children and their safety."

Infor mation relayed to Niniwahuni said that if they accepted the help, they would have to abandon the boat. The couple had to make important decisions in what was both a highly emotional and dangerous time.

T ravis, a hairstylist from Santa Cruz, and Shawna, a labor and delivery RN from Mountain View, CA, met in 2014. A

passionate surfer, Travis fell in love with sailing after spending time on a friend's boat in the Society Islands, French Polynesia. It was also this same trip that inspired his desire to live aboard a sailboat with his family and explore the world. All he needed was an equally adventurous partner.

Shawna's love for hiking and traveling, "and seeing as much of this blue marble as possible," made her the perfect match, and together they pictured a life on the water. Cruising could be the perfect way to do what they loved: travel and surf. Shawna took sailing classes at the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Santa Cruz, and learned even more from Travis. They then began making their dream a reality. Stepping up from Travis's Cal 27, they bought a 40-ft Lady Helmsman, and eventually their dream boat, the Westsail 43, in 2019.

When COVID shut down the world, the couple poured their time and energy into preparing their boat for cruising. It took 10 months.

"We tore into the cabin sole to replace leaking water and diesel tanks. We learned how to sew and made every single cushion and mattress on the boat. Every locker was sanded and painted; there wasn't an inch on the boat we did not tend to," Shawna said.

Now, almost 10 years later in the midst of a Pacific stor m, Shawna contemplated their home and their dream, the children's seasickness, and the fact that the youngest was breastfeeding. She made a heart-wrenching decision. "I felt like we were lucky to be coming away from the dismasting relatively unscathed and I felt like I needed to get the boys off the boat."

T ravis, on the other hand, was feeling different emotions. "With the thoughts of leaving our home at sea, I was angry and very sad."

The Avance Polaris, which had been en route to Japan, was still at least four hours away. With the emotions of one whose whole life is contained aboard, Shawna said she couldn't even begin to think about what she would take with her. "So much time, energy, money, blood, sweat, tears and most of all love was put into it. It's more than a boat to us, it's a dream, a lifestyle."

As T ravis packed up gear, he thought about the reality of their situation. "The boat inside was covered in puke, everyone crying, steering through the biggest waves yet, and thinking I had to get off and abandon a watertight ship."

Through the network of cruisers and shore help that had rallied to assist

The crew of 'Avance Polaris' watch as 'Niniwahuni' fights to come alongside.

LPG TANKER AVANCE POLARIS

Niniwahuni, the couple received a message. "Is your intention for you and the children to get on the tanker and Travis

to stay on the boat and motor to Clarion?"

"We never thought this was an option, and had the rescue vessel been USCG it wouldn't have been," Shawna said. She faced another difficult decision. "I knew that if I 'made' Travis get off the boat, he would regret it for the rest of his life. It was not my choice to make.

"Even in its state, I knew Niniwahuni was a solid boat. It was not taking on water, our engine was working, and we had enough provisions to last many months, and full water tanks."

Even though both autopilots weren't working, Travis thought that if he could repair one of them, he might be able to reach Clarion Island. By now the tanker was in sight and Travis got to work on fixing the tiller pilot. He appeared to have succeeded, and the couple decided he would stay with the boat.

As Niniwahuni continued toward the tanker, Shawna remained at the helm, steering into the enormous waves while watching those ahead of her break, "like I was in a movie," she described. "I was scared, beyond scared, but also had no choice but to face it. There is no cowering in fear, although I do remember hollering to Travis to please come take the helm; the waves were getting bigger and bigger. I had to woman the ship as Travis worked and gathered items."

As the tanker got close and pulled ahead, attempting to block some of the swell, the seas prevented them from deploying their rescue boat — Niniwahuni had to come alongside. The swell and the vortex from the 751-ft tanker's prop made the task very challenging. The sailboat rocked up and down against Avance Polaris, as its ineffective fenders rolled up onto the deck. Finally, with the sailboat in position at the tanker's lowered gangway, Shawna was instructed to go first.

"I hugged T ravis as hard as I could and kissed him goodbye." As she reached up and grabbed for the outstretched hands, Travis pushed her from behind. "I got my footing and then collapsed crying, for myriad reasons. They instructed me to get up and continue up the gangway." The children were next, and once they were safely on deck, the chief officer said to Shawna, "Your husband says he is staying on the boat. Are you OK with this?"

The icolet family reunited in Mexico. L to Bas, Shawna, Tra is holding Tiago, Kyuss.

DEEDEE CHRISTENSEN

Left ' ance Polaris' gets into position to help Shawna and the children onto the tanker. Below Shawna and the kids aboard ' ance Polaris'.

TANKER AVANCE POLARIS

SHAWNA NICOLET

DISMASTED BUT NOT DEFEATED —

"There was definitely a part of me who wanted to say no, but I said 'yes,'" Shawna continued, "I can't tell you how heartwrenching it was for me to say goodbye and leave him on the boat. Although I have the utmost confidence in Travis, the reality of the task he had ahead of him was more than daunting."

T ravis had considered this outcome while trying to pack up his life into one bag, and pouring his father's ashes into the ocean. "All of this led me to the point that I was staying and going to try and save our ship, our home." Though he'd still been uncertain, with his family offloaded, "something clicked." He pushed away from the tanker and watched as his family headed toward Hawaii, leaving him alone in the rough ocean aboard a damaged boat. "I went into survivor mode and had a new task to complete."

However, two days of no sleep had taken their toll and the lone sailor was facing a true test of mental fortitude. In addition, the autopilot again needed repair. "First saying goodbye to my wife and

kids was hard enough, then not having [an] autopilot (initially), and a series of days drifting in order to save fuel at the mercy of the mighty Pacific, was a whole other level."

Niniwahuni with fuel, filters, food, rum, "and even pictures of my family that were sent and printed at sea to keep me going."

T ravis was aiming to reach Clarion Island, approximately 700 miles from mainland Mexico. For three days he drifted in the rough ocean to conserve fuel. Five boats were now en route to

But there was another problem. The engine's lift pump failed and Travis didn't have a spare. Fortunately one of the boats that reached him had a spare, and while Travis repaired and tested the engine, SV Moin stood by, circling Niniwahuni. As he gained control of his situation, little by little, Travis knew that this was not the end of the dream. Once he was within 370 miles of Clarion, a point he'd been pushed back from three times, his confidence and energy surged. Only after reaching the island, dropping the hook, and falling into a 15-hour sleep did he acknowledge his pain and exhaustion. "My back was very hurt, my knee was swollen, my arms and hands had cuts everywhere. I couldn't bend my fingers, but I had, in my opinion, conquered the hardest part."

More boats arrived while he was at anchor, bringing supplies and moral support. Once rested, Travis motored to

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uel jugs were transferred to the disabled cutter by way of lines tied between the two boats.

SV MOIN

Large, fenced, secure dry storage area

of 24.

nearby Socorro Island, the site of a Mexican navy station. Here he would pick up more fuel and wait for a crew member to help on the voyage to the mainland. Travis could not set foot on the island, but with permission, he slipped off the boat and surfed the island's pristine waves — a moment of respite before spending another three and a half days motoring back to Mexico.

THE RESCUE OF NINIWAHUNI

nearly a week aboard Avance Polaris before being taken ashore at Oahu on March 30. From here they flew to California and reunited with family before flying to Mexico to be there for Travis when he reached the dock.

Together again, Shawna and Travis intend to continue living their dream. "The to-do list is a little overwhelming, but just like when we first got Niniwahuni, it's one project at a time," Shawna

Shawna and the boys had now spent ow safely at the dock, Tra is shows off the fuel jugs brought to ' iniwahuni' after her dismasting.

said. "When we get the boat back in order we will go for it again!"

The Nicolets weathered more than just the storm, and are grateful to the sailing community that rallied to help save their souls and their home. They give special thanks to Mike Danielson and Katerina (Kat) Liana of PV Sailing and the Pacific Voyagers Group in La Cruz, Mexico, Capt. Jodi Dimond, and the captains and crews of Travis's "living angels at sea" — SV Auryn, SV Midnight Breeze, SV Moin, SV Beleza, SV Nauplios all of whom changed course and fought the conditions to bring aid — and to the crew of the Avance Polaris.

"There were a lot of moving parts and the new advances in technology and comms made this possible," Shawna added. "As well as the hard work and dedication, and the bravery of the people on land and sea making it all happen."

"It's really beautiful."

— latitude/monica

CAPITAN "LARGO" DE MAXIMO

TRANSPAC 2023

OnJune 24, under the big guns of USS Iowa , the fastest guns in the West Coast sailing fleet will gather for the Aloha send-off party marking 95 years since the inaugural voyage of the legendary Transpac Race.

T om Furlong's Vitesse, a Reichel Pugh 52-ft sled packed full of ocean racing fury, will be back looking to turn the wick up just one more notch to turn their second place in the COVID-depleted fleet of 2021 into a first-place pickle dish. Roy Disney and the well-seasoned Pyewacket boys have parked their modified Volvo 70 weapon and splashed the "Old Man's" boat for another round. Last time out they performed a rescue at sea for a competitor and received US Sailing's highest award. Yes, she's fast enough for you. …

A quad set of J/125s will try to accomplish their feat of 2019, finishing first, second, and third overall.

T om Holthus's Botin 56 BadPak has added 4 feet since their 2017 win, and the Big Green Machine will be eating all their vegetables to prepare for another victory run.

The 2015 winner, James McDowell's Santa Cruz 70 Grand Illusion, is back to compete with 70-ish-ft vessels from as far away as British Columbia — well, that's actually in North America and it's more British than it is Columbian. Stu and Joy Dahlgren aboard the SC70 Westerly can explain. Just to keep things confusing, there will be two Westerlys in the race this summer, both from the old chicken coop in Santa Cruz, at 52ft and 70-ft respectively. Dave Moore's

SC52 Westerly has been modded to the point that she rates nearly what the 70s did in their original configuration.

At the other end of the fleet, the pride of Richmond YC Dean Treadway will rally the lovely, bright-finished Sweet Okole, his venerable Farr 36, one more time. Also hailing from the East Bay, Capt. Cree Partridge, head honcho at Berkeley Marine Center, will be piloting the Antrim 40 Glass Slipper on her maiden voyage. Splashed in the same mold as the mighty California Condor, this vessel should fly over wave tops much the same way.

The lone entry representing the fairer sex will be Marie Rogers aboard her Andrews 56 Good Trouble.

Jason Carroll's MOD70 'Argo' will be a member of the 20+ knot club.

Doug Baker's Dencho/Kernan 68 'Peligroso' will be surfing into the aloha state.

James McDowell's Santa Cruz 70 'Grand Illusion' returns to follow up her 2015 win.

LATITUDE

JOHN ULTIMATE SAILING

The class breaks are not out until after this publication deadline. This prevents me from making a bunch of bold predictions, but I can tell you this: The first time I raced across the pond in the 1982 Victoria to Maui race, we spread pilot charts out on the floor of our living room, and several other skippers who had done the race in years previous brought their old plotting sheets and charts of the Eastern Pacific, which were plum full of holes from thumbtacks and dividers. Now, yachts lay pixels all over the internet and computers are churning out numbers, percentages and angles until the navigator needs to wear sunglasses to focus on the screen. Yes, it's still important to set the correct sails and trim them properly, but computer software will often keep boats in sight of each other for days as each squall passes, the visibility returns, the radar image becomes clear, and the tracker updates.

THE BIG GUNS

jib top or blast-reaching headsail will be used until a flat-cut spinnaker or Code 0 can be held. Maybe on the third day the wind is far enough aft to get the spinnaker flying. Of course, by now the lead boats are more than halfway across. As the spinnaker pole rotates aft, the tack of the spinnaker staysail and inner staysail must be moved to weather and, of course, their fairleads will be adjusted to match. This usually involves lots of expensive yacht jewelry and barber haulers.

In order to reduce stress on the rig and chafe on halyards, once the kite is trimmed and things settle down, the bow person is sent aloft to "strop off" the halyard. The spinnaker is now attached to a shackle at the masthead. The strain on the spinnaker halyard is released. When it's time to douse the spinnaker, the load is brought up again on the halyard and the strop shackle is released remotely. Well, it's supposed to release; it usually releases. Oh well, another trip to the masthead to release that gremlin.

The fastest vessels this summer will be averaging over 20 knots and turning in daily runs over 500 miles. This includes two MOD 70s, Jason Carrol's Argo and Justin Shaffer's Orion, plus Manoush Moshayedi's Bakewell White 100, Rio 100. Most of the boats now fly asymmetrical spinnakers set on sprits on the bow. A typical race might follow a pattern like this:

A short beat to clear Catalina Island. Once clear, an easing of the sheets and a genoa staysail hoisted for extra horsepower to reach the synoptic winds offshore. As the apparent wind angle swings aft, either an inner staysail for a triple-head rig or now a Code Zero to replace the genoa. If the breeze is up, a

Back in the day, crews would wait until daylight to execute a jibe, or at least until the watch changed when all bodies would be on deck and engaged. Today's racing environment is a lil' different. It's more likely that an alarm on some techno gadgetry that is linked to weather and vessel performance interfaces will be emitting an annoying wake-up call. The crew will assemble on deck, review the plan, execute the plan, and then, considering the remaining time, decide if it makes sense to try to sneak back to their bunks or just get busy on the deck enjoying the ride. Don't forget to "tack the stack," or in this race, "jibe the stack." This is the pile of unused sails that ride the rail as movable ballast. If winds are strong, the stack moves aft and toward the weather side. In light winds the stack is forward or leeward, or below decks. They must be secure from being washed overboard and also set so they don't interfere with sail handling.

All this sailing can make a sailor hungry. A typical racing galley carries a teapot for hot water, and a pressure cooker to heat prepared meals with a

Author Andy Schwenk will be legging it to Hawaii aboard Dave Moore's Santa Cruz 52 'Westerly'.

So when you're ready to shred an ocean of foamy Pacifc rollers on a boatload of "We got this!", slip out under the Golden Gateway, ease the sheets, and head to the ol' Sandwich Isles.

DAVE SHOEMAKER

TRANSPAC 2023

minimal amount of fuss. If you heat water, you fill a thermos for the next guy, and the plastic sacks of chow simply drop into the pressure cooker with a couple of cups of water. Cleanup is simple: Slice open a bag, serve chow, and bon appétit!

and still looking sweet.

If you're still wondering whether it's all really worth it, rest assured it is. The welcome party in Hawaii, the Spirit of

Aloha, and a chance to catch tuna on the way home make it all that.

So when you're ready to shred an ocean of foamy Pacific rollers on a boatload of "We got this!", slip out under the

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Golden Gateway, ease the sheets, and head to the ol' Sandwich Isles. Transpac 2023 is about to launch, and PacCup 2024 is just over the horizon.

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Ashley Perrin will be looking for another win aboard Greg Dorn's Dehler 46 'Favonius'.

andy schwenk

Dean Treadway's 'Sweet Okole' is the smallest boat in the fleet

Transpac 2023 will be the debutante ball for Cree Partridge's recently launched Antrim 40 'Glass Slipper'.

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2023 SINGLEHANDED TRANSPACIFIC RACE —

Burton's radar, and things have worked out for him to go again this year.

He grew up lake sailing and has 15 years of ocean experience. His strategy for the race is to try to keep up with fellow Westsailors Bill on Hula and Randy on Tortuga

was ready to go, but the Canada-US border didn't open in time. Making it to the starting line this year will mark the end of a very long project.

Eos — Cal 2-34 Mike Smith, Brisbane, CA

Sierra Point YC

Previous SHTPs: none

Whyare they doing this? "For the adventure," is a common response.

This adventure is the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race. The journey will start on June 25 from in front of Golden Gate Yacht Club on the San Francisco Cityfront. A couple of weeks later, the fleet of solo sailors profiled here will sail into gorgeous Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii's Garden Isle.

Circe — Freedom 40/40

Tony Bourque, Point Richmond, CA

Richmond Yacht Club, Singlehanded Sailing Society

Previous SHTPs: none

For Tony Bourque, the Singlehanded Transpacific Race will be an interesting challenge. "It is a significant and serious adventure I am capable of achieving — unlike, say, climbing Mount Everest!"

Tony has been sailing for many years on the Bay, ocean and Delta, singlehanded and crewed. He delivered his current boat from San Diego, and helped to deliver Green Buffalo from Hawaii to San Francisco. He completed his 400-mile solo-sail qualifier in April. He's been trying to incorporate a daily Qigong routine. His goals for the race: "Be safe, have fun, win. In that order."

Circe is large, comfortable and easy to sail, with an unstayed carbon-fiber mast and camber-spar jib. After the race, Tony plans to deliver her back to the Bay Area.

Elizabeth Ann — Westsail 32

Gary Burton, Brookings, OR

Previous SHTPs: 2014, 2016

This solo race is always on Gary

Gary found Elizabeth Ann in a Tucson backyard where she had been for 37 years. He'll sail her back home to Oregon after the race.

Elmach — X-Yachts XC-42

Christophe Desage, Vancouver, BC Royal Vancouver YC

Previous SHTPs: none

"I like the challenge and pushing the envelope," says Christophe Desage. "This will keep me out of my comfort zone."

Christophe took up windsurfing and dinghy sailing in the 1980s in France, followed by lake sailing in the '90s in Quebec. "As soon as I arrived in Vancouver 12 years ago, the calling was too strong. We added Elmach in 2013, a robust solution for family sailing, with bluewater and singlehanded capabilities. The first eight years were a lot of fun growing into ocean sailing and discovering the beautiful coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island."

His strategy for the race is to "keep enough pressure on the sail, even at night, don't over-think things, and don't get injured — boat go fast, Christophe go slow.

"If I am in trouble, it won't be because of the food. My French side kicked in, and between cassoulet, osso bucco, braise or lamb curry, I should keep a good mood. I will have enough food to get to Tahiti if need be.

"ELMACH stands for ELior, MArieJeanne and CHarlotte, the names of our three kids. Mum and Dad are MArie and CHristophe too.

After the race, Christophe's goal is to find a spot in Hawaii for nine months to a year, to await another adventure to French Polynesia. But, "I did not find a marina, and I am afraid of missing her too much in BC."

He registered for the 2021 SHTP and

"The SSS has proved to be the best group of folks I have ever met," says Mike Smith. "They have helped me learn a huge amount about singlehanded sailing. Working through the Farallones Race and the LongPac last year as qualifiers helped me get my safety systems in place.

"The SSS crew encouraged me to think about Hawaii. We lived in Hawaii for more than 10 years, so this will be an interesting way to get back after several years away." Mike misses it.

He started sailing in the UK on the Norfolk Broads and raced in the roundthe-world Whitbread. In the US, he took up windsurfing, kitesurfing and windfoiling. "I think I have windsurfed over nearly every inch of the Bay and a fair bit outside the Gate too."

He learned a tremendous amount from two in-person safety training courses this year at Cal Maritime and San Francisco YC. "To me, safety training is as important, if not more important, as any other training."

His strategy for the race is to "Take it easy, try not to break anything, and get there and back safely. I will be last if I make it, but that doesn't worry me."

Green Buffalo — Cal 40 Jim Quanci, Point Richmond, CA RYC, SSS, Pacifc Cup YC, Cruising Club of America

Previous SHTPs: 2012 (overall winner), 2021

In contrast to some of the skippers, Jim Quanci will sail to Hawaii and back yet again this summer in order to relax. You see, he's been around this block a time or two (19 to be exact). He's looking forward to disconnecting from "the buzz (email, social, text, mobile…)"

Jim likes the Cal 40 because she's "big enough for a comfortable ride to Hawaii and a relaxing sail home, small enough I can fly the spinnaker even in a brisk breeze." He replaced the original mast two years ago, including rod rigging.

About the boat name he says, "The original owner, Clarence Nelson, grew up

'Siren' and Brendan Huffman head out the Gate in the 2021 SHTP. Brendan is among four skippers back for a consecutive race to Hanalei. — All photos Latitude/Chris or courtesy the racers.

FOR THE ADVENTURE

across from the buffalo paddock in Golden Gate Park, so he named all his boats Buffalo."

Jim and his wife Mary Lovely will sail Green Buffalo home with two friends. They're "looking forward to relaxing reading, a bit of swimming, and fresh fish."

Gwendolyn — Olson 29

Todd Olsen, Alameda, CA

SSS

Previous SHTPs: none

Todd Olsen started sailing in SoCal on a Naples Sabot when he was 12.

For the SHTP, "I have been training by doing the qualifying sail, 400 miles nonstop with a minimum of 100 miles offshore, and practicing singlehanded sailing inside and outside the Bay, including sail changes and self-steering with and without the autopilot."

His strategy is to get out past the Farallones by the first evening, sail a little south of rhumbline for the first third of the race, then sail the fastest angles to Hanalei Bay.

"The Olson 29 is light enough for most loads to be easily handled, and the boat is relatively easy to keep sailing at about 80% of its potential speed." She'll ride home on her trailer via Matson Liner.

Horizon — Beneteau First 305

Piyush Arora, San Francisco, CA

Coyote Point YC, SSS

Previous SHTPs: none

At age 39, Piyush Arora is perhaps the youngest of this year's skippers. When asked why he's taking on this challenge, he replies, "My boat and I expect to find out during the voyage. I sure hope that the answer will be revealed. I am probably the least experienced in the fleet with a few years of sailing in the Bay and along the coast. I didn't grow up sailing or being a 'water person'."

His personal prep for the race has been "mostly psychological preparations and whispering motivational quotes to my boat." His strategy is to "Go west and don't do anything silly. Since this is my first long passage, my goal would be to keep it simple, find decent wind, and sail Horizon somewhat conservatively.

"I reluctantly added windvane selfsteering, but I am so glad I did! I got rid of my saloon table to create more room and reduce my chances of bruising. I removed my telltales; they seemed to be fluttering a lot, causing unnecessary drag."

Horizon was the boat on which Piyush

first sailed and raced on San Francisco Bay, when a friend owned her.

"I hope to sail it back with the others. But I wish I could stay longer to explore the islands a bit before turning back."

Hula — Westsail 32 Bill Stange, Driftwood Key, WA Driftwood Key YC

Previous SHTPs: 1988 (overall winner), 2021

"In 1988 I wanted to break Norton Smith's elapsed-time record," says Bill Stange. "In 2023 I want to break Michael Lintner's Westsail 32 elapsed-time record, set in 1978. Having fun is my #1 goal, but I'd love to get there in less than 16 days, 3 hours, 54 minutes, 13 seconds!"

The delivery down the coast singlehanded is a very important part of getting ready for Bill. "My wife Darlene really wanted to come with me when I did the delivery in 2021, but I explained the psychology of getting into a singlehanded mindset before the race actually starts. I do my pushups and a small run every day. I'll be ready to eat nails for breakfast on June 25, 2023."

He's a vegetarian and is relying on his wife for provisioning advice. "The pressure cooker was handy and saves a lot of fuel."

Bill found Hula when he was strolling through the Puerto Vallarta Marina on a layover during his career as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines. "I called my wife and asked her if she'd want to fly down, take a look, and be up for an adventure sailing back to Seattle by way of Hawaii. Darlene is now looking forward to her fourth return trip from Hawaii.

"Hula is immensely strong and has taken great care of us for thousands of miles. Sure, she can't get up and plane like the Olson 30, but a Westsail 32 at 11.1 knots is every bit as exciting as an Olson 30 at 19."

Iniscaw — Martin 32

Max Crittenden, Oceanside, CA Pacifc Singlehanded Sailing Association

Previous SHTPs: 2010

When he r etired, Max Crittenden moved from the Bay Area to SoCal. He's sailing in the SHTP because "The last time was such a great experience, I want to have that feeling at least once more."

He started sailing at age 11. "My dad caught the bug and dragged the family

along. We sailed out of Palo Alto Yacht Harbor (when it existed), on California lakes, and in the San Juans and Baja." The family cruised Europe, the Pacific Northwest and Maine. "I didn't buy a boat of my own until 1996 and soon gravitated more toward racing. Iniscaw is just my second boat, owned since 2002."

T o prepare for the race, Max has been doing some cycling and weightlifting. "Aaron, my cat, has helped with sleep training by waking me up every half hour."

His strategy: "Follow Quanci! More seriously: Play it by ear and don't get too hung up on routing. Skip Allan has a game-plan write-up that worked out well for me last time."

Max is reminding himself to drink plenty of water. "Last time, I suffered my first-ever kidney stone 12 hours after getting home."

He built a crude emergency rudder years ago and had to use it in a Farallones race, so he knows it works. "I've replaced the big water tank in the bow with two smaller tanks under the settees to meet the split-tankage rule." Max plans to sail home solo.

We asked the sailors if COVID had affected their SHTP plans. "My wife has a different health issue that could be exacerbated by COVID," replied Max. "So we are still isolating as much as possible. The three-week return delivery will be a de facto quarantine."

Jamani — J/120

Sean Mulvihill, San Francisco, CA San Francisco YC

Previous SHTPs: none

"I love sailing, the ocean and this boat," says Sean Mulvihill. Included in his vast sailing experience are two crewed Transpac races to Honolulu, two crewed Pacific Cups, two doublehanded Pac Cups, four deliveries from Hawaii to California, and many local ocean races.

His strategy is to get thr ough the windy reach in one piece, select a transition point depending on the Pacific High's location and strength, monitor the trade-wind pattern on the downwind leg, and minimize jibes to the finish.

"We bought Jamani new in 2002. She has done many Pacific crossings and is outfitted with great electronics, a watermaker, and all relevant safety gear." He got a new Iridium GO! to use in place of his old SSB.

"Jamani means 'let's go, friend' in Swahili — a saying a guide used every morning when my wife and I took our

2023 SINGLEHANDED TRANSPACIFIC RACE —

kids on a camping trip in Africa. My wife, Kim, and I will doublehand the delivery back to San Francisco after a short family vacation on Kauai."

Lohengrin — Swan 371

Greg Mardock, Portland, OR Sauvie Island YC

Previous SHTPs: none

Greg Mardock's previous experience includes coastal cruising, the Pacific Cup, Hobie Cat sailing, miscellaneous deliveries, yearly trips from Oregon up the Washington coast to the San Juans, and local river sailing.

The Swan has been to the South Pacific and was set up well by the original owner. The second owner upgraded many of the systems and replaced the engine. Greg upgraded most of the electrical wiring and replaced the navigational hardware.

"The boat usually shows up at the Northwest Westsail Rendezvous. Many of the Westsail sailors who entered the race encouraged me to enter."

Minibar — Pogo2

Ben Kaliwoda, Marina del Rey, CA

Hawaii YC

Previous SHTPs: none

Ben Kaliwoda will be a first-time SHTP skipper, but his Mini Transat, Minibar, has already notched one on her belt — the 2016 edition under the command of Yves Vergnolle.

Ben and Minibar compete with the Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association based out of Marina del Rey.

Perplexity — Express 37-1

John Wilkerson, Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, WA

Port Madison YC

Previous SHTPs: 2021

John Wilkerson hopes to sail a better race than he did in 2021. Since then, he completed the 2022 Pacific Cup. As a shakedown cruise, he'll sail Perplexity down the coast from Washington.

His strategy is to take one day at a time, and appreciate being out there.

The Express 37 has a new class carbon rudder, having lost the previous one to a whale strike coming back from Hawaii last summer. John will sail Perplexity back again this year, but he's not sure when or to where.

"COVID isolation inspired me to do an SHTP qualifier in the summer of 2020," he says. "I probably would have put off doing the race until 'later' (never?) otherwise."

The Pork Chop Express — Express 27 Chris Jordan, Point Richmond/S.F. SSS

Previous SHTPs: none

"I've been considering this race since the late '90s, when winning may have been paramount," says Chris Jordan. "Now I'd just like to sail smart and turn in a good time with little breakage. The Express is a fun boat on this course. I'm looking forward to some good surfing sessions."

Chris grew up racing on Lake Erie. On the West Coast, he's been doing deliveries and racing since 1991. A licensed master for 30 years, he's sailed in six fully crewed Hawaii races and a doublehanded Pac Cup with his wife Charlotte in 2018. "She insisted on checking the boat and systems by sailing the course with me first."

As part of his pr ep for the SHTP, he's been doing lots of solo sailing and team racing on other boats, plus cardio, weights, stretching, cold showers and some breath work.

"The Pork Chop Expr ess was the name of the semi truck Kurt Russell drove into the city in Big Trouble in Little China, a cult classic. It's also the name the troops jokingly gave to the Navy-commandeered fishing boats out of SoCal that delivered supplies to the Pacific. My father-in-law, Frank Anderson, survived Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and Saipan. I like to think he's pushing for a faster Pork Chop delivery!"

Following the race, he'll sail the Express to Oahu for shipping, then return to Kauai to deliver Randy Leasure's Westsail Tortuga back to the mainland.

Reverie — Tartan

41

Alexander Benderskii, Los Angeles PSSA

Previous SHTPs: none

"I love the Hawaiian islands," says Alexander Benderskii, "but I do not like flying.

"I bought my boat in 2016 and started racing with PSSA in 2018." Alex has sailed in PSSA's singlehanded Category II races and a singlehanded Cat I race (the 582-mile Guadalupe Island Race this March). "I am getting close to 6,000 offshore miles, almost all singlehanded."

He's been listening to Stan Honey (and other Transpac/Pac Cup) seminars on YouTube.

A classic Olin Stephens design, the Tartan is hull #7, built in 1972. Alex has been refitting her for singlehanding since he bought her. He built an auxiliary rudder/selfsteering windvane driven by Pelagic tiller pilot, and a 2-ft bowsprit.

"My boat actually has a much more accomplished sailing résumé than I do — it was a class winner of NewportBermuda and Annapolis-Newport races."

Alex plans to sail back to L.A. alone.

Siren — Santa Cruz 33

Brendan Huffman, Los Angeles Del Rey YC, CCA, Blue Water Cruising Club

Previous SHTPs: 2021

Brendan Huffman is sailing the SHTP again "to see if I could do better than last time with more experience, preparation and wisdom." He's completed five Pac Cups, two Transpacs and 10 Mexico races.

He keeps Siren in the Bay Area for the challenging sailing and competition. His strategy for this race is to push the boat harder in light to moderate conditions and be more cautious in heavier winds.

Brendan has added a new Pelagic autopilot, a UK spinnaker sock and a Selden furler for a reacher.

He loves his boat. "Bill Lee is one of my all-time favorite sailors, and he has designed many of my favorite boats." Brendan bought the SC33 specifically for the SHTP. "I wanted a fast offwind boat with standing headroom, a real head, a fairly dry cockpit and a tiller.

"I hope to sell the boat in Hawaii or donate it to a youth group."

Solstice — Cal 40 Michael Polkabla, Monterey, CA Monterey Peninsula YC, St. Francis YC

Previous SHTPs: none

"I am a sailor who loves adventure and competition, and who equally loves, respects, and supports the health of our oceans," writes Michael Polkabla. "I want to highlight my life experiences with a challenge that is fulfilling, meaningful and impactful. I have been dreaming of this challenge for much of my life, and recognize how hard and rewarding this effort will ultimately be to even finish. I also now recognize that racing alone across the Pacific Ocean takes an enormous amount of dedication, preparation

and support from a team of individuals, friends and family."

Michael has sailed on Monterey Bay since he was 12. He competed for UC Santa Barbara as an all-American in the early '80s. "As a kid I got the chance to race on Merlin with great sailors like Bill Lee, Dee Smith and Harvey Kilpatrick.

"I've been working with a personal trainer/nutritionist with a goal to put on 15 pounds of muscle. I'm working equally hard on flexibility, stamina and balance, and practicing meditation to (hopefully) allow me to rest while racing.

"When I was a kid, I followed the Transpac Race and thought the Cal 40 was the coolest boat ever made.

"I am looking forward to the return trip and enjoying the sailing without having the throttle so wide open like it will be while going to Hawaii."

Such Fast — 1D35

David Garman, Renton, WA

Des Moines YC, SSS

Previous SHTPs: 2016

"The ocean calls you, and you either

FOR THE ADVENTURE

live big and go, or you spend the rest of your life wondering," says David Garman.

He has 40+ years of ocean experience, including the 2016 SHTP aboard the Santa Cruz 27 Giant Slayer

David's strategy this year is to use Expedition software to route using polars developed around singlehanding on the 1D35. "This boat is a lot of fun and does pretty well in up to about 22 knots of true wind. It then changes into a fast and very hard boat to sail."

He plans to sail and race in Hawaii until September, then ship the boat to Seattle via Oakland.

Tortuga — Westsail 32 Randy Leasure, San Francisco SSS, Island YC, Westsail Owners Assn. Previous SHTPs: 2012, 2016 "Being completely r esponsible for everything on the boat is overwhelming, but it's also incredibly rewarding and provides a unique sense of accomplishment," says Randy Leasure.

His strategy for the race is to keep the boat moving and avoid the Pacific High. "There don't seem to be any 'normal' weather patterns anymore.

"Racing a full-keel boat is very different than most fin-keel boats. You can't point nearly as high, so you have to find the right angles and not be overcanvassed and create too much weather helm.

"I have the benefit of a full galley, unlike the small racy boats, so I like to make meals like pasta and baked goods.

"This is my 25th year of ownership. Next year will be Tortuga's 50th birthday. Crazy to think in this day and age — there's not much stuff we still use that is 50 years old!"

On Saturday, July 15, the volunteers, families and friends will celebrate the finishers at the Hawaii-side awards picnic. We'll be on-site to cover the arrivals for the August issue of Latitude 38 — latitude/chris

BAY VIEW BOAT CLUB AND THE ISLANDER BAHAMA FLEET

THE GREAT VALLEJO RACE —

Saturday morning, May 6, dawned with sprinkles and squalls, which would continue through the hour of starts for the Great Vallejo Race on the Berkeley Circle. "It's just like the Pacific Northwest out here!" quipped one drizzle-dampened sailor. "It's just like Hanalei!" observed another, when one of several squalls upped the hydrologic factor.

Leaving the marina in the morning, as we observed a vast acreage of fuzzy green algae covering exposed rocks, we predicted a flood current both strong and enduring. And we weren't wrong.

The smaller-than-pre-COVID-times 98-boat fleet would have a fast and spirited run to Vallejo. Indeed, by the end, racers were surprised at how quickly they covered the course, the vast majority finishing in two hours and change.

Not too surprisingly, especially considering that the multihulls started second-to-last, Rufus Sjoberg's J/125 Rufless was first to cross the finish line between the Vallejo ferry terminal and the Vallejo Yacht Club. Having started in the first division at 10:30 a.m., Rufless finished at 12:43 p.m.

Soon after 3 p.m., the VYC harbor was as full as it was going to get, and racers celebrated with their cohorts, serenaded by a steel drum band. That evening, a paella feast and a dance band would keep the crews nourished and entertained.

Sailing the sporty Thompson 650 Flight Risk, Ben Landon and Blake

Davis corrected out to first place overall on Saturday. "That was a fun but very different race this year," commented Ben. "Frontal weather conditions made it lively. On the first few starts, we thought the RC had kinda set a crazy line to the top mark with all the boats fetching it easily; however, they were right on and by the time our start hit the line it had squared up perfectly.

"At the windward mark, we all tried to set, but the wind angle had gone way 'round to the north. Most boats, including us, were dousing and white-sailing around Red Rock. It did not look good for our little boat at this point!"

The course required Saturday's racers to take Red Rock to starboard.

"Turning around Red Rock, though, the wind rotated back to the west and started to blow, so we got 100% lucky, as the early starters did not have this breeze. We literally sailed straight down San Pablo Bay, playing the left-hand side with more current and pressure." Flight Risk put in only five jibes and spent 90% of that leg on starboard. "We saw VMG over 10 knots most of the way to the Mare Island entrance marker.

"The tight reach up the channel was literally a 'mare'

— gusty and shifty — but I think it was the fastest Vallejo Race we have ever done.

"Thanks, RYC and VYC, for all the work, and the great party as always at the club afterward."

If you check the alternate scoring using downwind ratings, a little scrolling will reveal that Ethan Mobley's New York 36 American Beauty pulled off the best corrected time — the only boat to be scored less than two hours. You'll find

Under threatening skies, 'Rufless' leads 'Bodacious+' on a spinnaker reach soon after rounding the weather mark in the Great Vallejo Race on Saturday, May 6. — photo latitude / chris

Big gusts characterized the last leg, a white-sail reach up Mare Island Strait.

Saturday's fleet scores using downwind ratings on the YRA's Jibeset page.

Sunday's race from VYC to RYC was more lightly attended, as some skippers entered Saturday's race only. The weather had cleared, and Saturday morning's rain was a distant memory. By contrast with Saturday's quick ride, Sunday was

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

slow going in light air for most of the race against the powerful flood current. Several crews became discouraged and fired up the iron genny.

Those who stuck it out found a nice lift to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Rick Waltonsmith's Explorer 44 trimaran 'Round Midnight was first to finish off the RYC breakwater race platform. 'Round Midnight had been the only boat to eat up Saturday's course in less than two hours of clock time. On Sunday, 'Round Midnight took slightly more than

three hours to cover the shorter, mostly upwind course.

Be sure to also check out our postrace report and many more photos on May 10's 'Lectronic Latitude at www. latitude38.com

— latitude/chris

YRA GREAT VALLEJO RACE, 5/6

PHRF 1 — 1) Kuai, Melges 32, Daniel Thielman; 2) Oaxaca, SC50, Michael Moradzadeh; 3)

Sailors from the J/24 fleet socialize in the raftup in VYC's harbor.

The crew aboard the Baltic 38 'Wayward Wind' feels the warmth of sun breaking through the storm clouds on the way to Vallejo.

Ben Landon and Blake Davis wrangled the Thompson 650 'Flight Risk' to an overall win in the race to Vallejo. LATITUDE

THE GREAT VALLEJO RACE

Ruffess, J/125, Rufus Sjoberg. (5 boats)

PHRF 2 — 1) Chance, J/120, Barry Lewis; 2) Swift Ness, J/111, Nesrin Basoz; 3) Flite, Olson 40, Ian Ponting. (5 boats)

PHRF 3 — 1) Basic Instinct, Elliott 1050, Memo Gidley; 2) Reverie, J/109, John Arens; 3) Spindrift V, Express 37, Andy Schwenk. (9 boats)

PHRF 4 — 1) American Beauty, New York 36, Ethan Mobley; 2) Serenade, Sabre Spirit 36, Scott Easom; 3) Humble Vandal, J/92, Rhett Smith. (7 boats)

PHRF 5 — 1) Siren, SC33, Brendan Huffman; 2) E Ticket, Beneteau Moorings 38, Noble Griswold; 3) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden. (8 boats)

PHRF 6 — 1) Arcadia, Mod. Santana 27, Gordie Nash; 2) Psycho Tiller, Jeanneau SunFast 32i, Jessie Hollander; 3) Heart of Gold, Olson 911S, Joan Byrne/Axel Mehnert. (5 boats)

PHRF 7 — 1) Windwalker, Islander 36, Tom Shoenhair/Randy Hinz; 2) Luna Sea, Islander 36, Dan Knox; 3) Warwhoop, Contessa 33, Chuck Hooper. (5 boats)

PHRF 8 — 1) Downtown Uproar, J/24, Darren Cumming; 2) Evil Octopus, J/24, Jasper Van Vliet; 3) Flight, J/24, Rosanne Scholl. (5 boats)

PHRF 9 — 1) Gypsy Lady, Cal 34 MkI, Val Clayton; 2) Zeehond, Newport 30 MkII, Donn Guay; 3) Antares, Islander 30 MkII, Larry Telford. (5 boats)

PHRF 10 — 1) High & Dry, Santana 22, Igor Polevoy/Kieran Hansen; 2) Impulse, Ranger 26, Steve Hocking/Dennis Webb; 3) Zena, Northstar 727, David Russell. (5 boats)

SPORTY A — 1) Outsider, Azzura 310, Greg Nelsen; 2) Abracadabra, Antrim 27, Ian Chamberlain; 3) Nice Rack, Martin 243, Zhenya Kirueshkin-Stepanoff. (4 boats)

SPORTY B — 1) Flight Risk, T650, Ben Landon/Blake Davis; 2) Kangaroo Jockey, J/70, Peter Cameron; 3) Boomer, Melges 20, Marcus Canestra. (4 boats)

ULTRALIGHT — 1) Aloha, Hobie 33, Kyle Vanderspek; 2) Vitesse Too, Hobie 33, Grant Hayes; 3) Special Edition, Wilderness 30, John Ross. (7 boats)

EXPRESS 27 — 1) Wile E Coyote, Dan Pruzan; 2) Peaches, John Rivlin; 3) Hang 20, Lori Tewksbury. (5 boats)

DOUBLEHANDED — 1) Wetcorvette, Antrim 27, Mike & Scott Broder. (1 boat)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Free, S&S 30, Jim Carlsen; 2) Bella, Alerion 33, Aidan & Kiran Collins; 3) Adventure, Catalina 36, Steven Strunk. (4 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) 'Round Midnight, Explorer 44, Rick Waltonsmith; 2) Greyhound, F-22, Evan McDonald; 2) Ma's Rover, F-31, John Donovan. (5 boats)

CRUISING — 1) Stink Eye, Laser 28, Jonathan Gutoff/Christine Weaver; 2) Wayward Wind, Baltic 38, Fred Von Stieff; 3) Mutual Fun, Newport 30-2, Chris Holbrook. (3 boats)

MONOHULL OVERALL — 1) Flight Risk; 2) Arcadia; 3) Outsider; 4) Downtown Uproar; 5) High & Dry; 6) Gypsy Lady; 7) Zeehond; 8) Aloha; 9) Antares; 10) Mistress II, Farallon Clipper, Richard vonEhrenkrook. (89 boats)

YRA GREAT VALLEJO RACE, 5/7

PHRF 1 — 1) Zamazaan, Farr 52, Greg Mullins; 2) Bodacious+, 1D48, John Clauser; 3) Ruffess, J/125, Rufus Sjoberg. (3 boats)

PHRF 2 — 1) Swift Ness; 2) Ventana, Beneteau 46.1, Gary Troxel/Rune Storesund; 3) Osprey, SC40, Michael Bender. (3 boats)

PHRF 3 — 1) Reverie; 2) Spindrift V; 3) Basic Instinct. (6 boats)

PHRF 4 — 1) Serenade; 2) Joy Ride; 3) American Beauty. (5 boats)

PHRF 5 — 1) E Ticket; 2) Harp, Catalina 38, Mike Mannix; 3) Sea Star. (8 boats)

PHRF 6 — 1) Arcadia; 2) Heart of Gold; 3) Take Five More, Olson 911, Grant Kiba. (4 boats)

PHRF 7 — 1) Windwalker; 2) Maybe Baby, Hunter 34, Mark Bird; 3) Kapai, Islander 36, Richard Egan. (4 boats)

PHRF 8 — 1) Downtown Uproar; 2) Evil Octopus; 3) Flight. (5 boats)

PHRF 9 — 1) Gypsy Lady; 2) Neja, Dasher 32, Jim Borger; 3) Zeehond. (5 boats)

PHRF 10 — 1) Impulse. (2 boats)

SPORTY A — 1) Outsider; 2) Nice Rack. (2 boats)

SPORTY B — 1) Kangaroo Jockey; 2) Pearl, J/80, Jack Vetter. (2 boats)

ULTRALIGHT — 1) Special Edition; 2) Aloha; 3) Flexi Flyer. (7 boats)

EXPRESS 27 — 1) Peaches; 2) Wile E Coyote; 3) Hang 20. (5 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Free; 2) Bella Luna (2 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) 'Round Midnight. (1 boat) Full results at www.jibeset.net

Top: The Mare Island Causeway Bridge provides the background for Sunday's start. Bottom, left: The Rivlins' Express 27 'Peaches' sails toward a lush, mustard-covered hill in the East Bay. Right: 'Arcadia' was among the boats setting kites for the short last leg to the finish at RYC.

Now, I understand the importance of keeping an inflatable PFD from popping off my head when buoyancy tries to pull it up and off, and I have read about people who drowned because they could not keep their heads above water when the PFD was off on one side of their neck instead of around it. But I use a short tether that keeps me on the boat. And I can never find a comfortable adjustment for the crotch strap: When I sit down I bend at the waist, which shortens the distance from neck to crotch; the strap is either too loose when sitting or too tight when standing. And the strap does not play well with baggy foulies, bunching them up when the strap is properly adjusted. I confess: I avoid the crotch strap when I can get away with it.

"Sorry, but I run a tight ship," the skipper repeated. "It's in the rules."

Lee Helm, naval architecture grad student, was also in the cabin suiting up for the race. She knows the science and can do the math, but she was no help here.

"Gotta take that seriously," she scolded. "You're using the same model PFD as the guy who drowned off San Clemente after their rudder broke off and the boat was rolled in the surf. He was found with the PFD not around his neck but off to one side, making it really hard to swim."

"It's hard enough to swim in these things even when they stay on," I said. "I had a chance to try during that last hands-on Safety at Sea class. I could

paddle backward, but that's about all the maneuverability these things allow."

"That's why the Coast Guard doesn't recommend inflatables for anything that might require, like, actual activity in the water," Lee agreed. "Windsurfing, water skiing, kayak paddling, even driving a jet ski, heaven, like, forbid. But inflatables rule when you're a passive victim in the water, especially in waves. Think reserve buoyancy. Think heave response. And the spray hood."

Finding a sail tie, a spare quick-release shackle, and an adjustable plastic buckle in the gearbox, I had my rig properly crotch-compliant in short order.

"But still," I continued to argue, "on a fast boat like this, there are serious hazards to falling overboard and being dragged along by the harness at 8 or 10 knots. We could be looking at back injuries for life."

"Yeah, I worry about that too," Lee confirmed. "That's what the quick release at the harness is for. The one I use is made by Glowfast, with a Velcrobased harness end release that really will release easily under high load."

"What's wrong with my flyaway-style snap shackle?" I asked. "It releases under load."

"T ry it!" Lee challenged. "Hang yourself by your harness, so your full body weight is on the tether. Then try to pull the release pin. It's hard! A lot of people can't pop it open, especially with the low-cost shackles that come with the low-cost tethers. The Velcro system is easy to trip even under very high load. But like, the downside is that it takes

some time to reset — don't go offshore without a copy of the instructions."

"That could be a problem," I said. "I often unclip my tether just for a second to clear a tangle, like when I'm attached on the wrong side of a lazy afterguy before a jibe."

"Topological errors," Lee characterized it. "That's why I also have a small shackle in series in the load path at the harness end." Lee showed me her harness-end hardware. "Another cool new product is a harness that tows backfirst, from a company called TeamO. The hydrodynamics are much better that way, and my guess is that a fast tow back-first from a big, fast boat would be less hazardous, and more effective keeping your face in the air instead of underwater when you're being dragged at 12 knots."

"Sounds good, but that doesn't solve the crotch-strap noncompliance problem," I said. "And you know, it's funny how that issue never comes up with the old 'Type III' foam lifejackets. Is it just because they're usually worn with a tighter fit and a better hold around the waist? Or that they just have less buoyancy pulling them up in waves? Or something else?"

"The old-style PFDs were a more highly evolved design," Lee proposed. "A foam PFD usually has a panel of foam, or at least a strap, right under the armpits to keep the PFD from floating up or the wearer from slipping out. And like, there's no good reason why inflatables can't use a similar geometry to make the crotch strap mostly unnecessary."

That's when she divulged her secret modification to her offshore inflatable:

"Max, you'll need a crotch strap," the skipper informed me in no uncertain terms.

Above left: PFD/harness from TeamO. The towing hydrodynamics look a lot cleaner, with face up instead of face down. Right: The Glowfast tether holds securely and releases easily under high load. But don't go offshore without the instructions for resetting it, and keep a conventional quickrelease shackle in series at the harness end for quick disentanglements.

She had sewn in two adjustable underarmpit straps that appeared to do exactly what she described.

"The rules still make me use the crotch strap, but I don't worry about making it tight enough to actually work. And like, when no one's watching," she confessed, "I don't even bother to keep it hooked up. The arm loops are much more effective, at least in my own tests

in the pool."

"That's too obvious a solution," I said. "There must be a reason the manufacturers haven't gone that way."

"I guess if you're being lifted out of the water by your PFD, the crotch strap is a little more secure because if your arms go straight up it might be possible to wriggle out of the underarm loops," Lee theorized. "But it's the same with

the Lifesling, for example, and like, that seems to be the official preferred method for the last mile of getting crew back on board. Me, I'll take a lift by the armpits instead of by a thong."

"I'm with you, Lee. Especially the way they do it on boats with big winches and strong crew."

"How does that work?" Lee asked.

"It was demoed at the last Safety at Sea session. First, make sure the line from the boat to the Lifesling is tied off so it's less than twice the height of the mast."

"That might make it a little more difficult to get the Lifesling to the POB," Lee conjectured, "but anyone who drove a ski boat in their misspent youth will be good at that part."

"Or just use the long rope, haul it in a way, and cleat it off once when the Lifesling is in place; probably good to have a mark at that maximum twomast-height length for the operation. Then clip a halyard to the tether. It can go on anywhere but has to be free to slide along the tether. The halyard tail goes to a big winch, and the crew hauls away."

"I see why they call it a reverse twoto-one," said Lee. "The halyard load

Lifejacket design has come a long way. Are there still more improvements needed?

Underarm straps on Lee's PFD, an easy retrofit. She says she would much rather be towed or lifted by straps under her arms instead of by a thong.

BOTH PHOTOS MAX EBB

would be double the weight of the victim plus all the wet gear, plus friction at the shackle — but on a big boat with a couple of deck apes on the grinders, they would pop out of the water hecka fast. I guess if you only have one deck ape instead of two, you could always put a loop on a bight about 8 feet from the 'sling and then it's back to a one-toone lift."

"Or if there are no deck apes," I added, "it should work well with an electric halyard winch, but the action obviously is a lot slower."

"The pendulum swing," Lee suggested, "dangling from the masthead, could be a problem unless there's a stabilizing line tended by another hand on the boat. And you also have to keep the victim away from the bow and stern, reducing the chances of their getting clobbered by one end of a shallow hull crashing down onto their head. That's caused at least one high-profile fatality in recent times. Fast action and a quick lift could be important."

lift by the armpits seemed like a better deal than lift by the crotch strap.

Having settled the issue in both theory and practice, we sailed a fast and challenging race on a rough ocean that day. My gear was up to the task, and kept me reasonably warm and safe, except when one big wave doused the

"but all you need to do when that happens is find the mouth inflation tube and let half the air out, so you can still function."

"Why didn't I think of that?" I said.

"And while I have your attention, about that police whistle you carry: Hold it upside down if you need to make noise when you're in the water."

"I wonder why that is," I asked my watchmate.

"Lets the water run out," he said.

"Of course," I noted. "Another safety procedure I would never have thought of in real time."

cockpit and two of us had simultaneous "false positive" PFD auto-inflations. We were both basically immobilized by the inflated air bladders, so we quickly unbuckled and threw them below. This of course left us each with no PFD, no harness or tether, and none of the safety gear attached thereto.

Once we were both harnessed, tethered and life-jacketed again, this time with most of the air out of our PFDs, we could handle the even larger relatives of that first big wave.

"Wouldn't want anyone to go overboard here," my watchmate remarked.

"Don't worry," I said. "I have an agreement with the sharks: If I stay out of the water, then they don't come onto the boat."

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Details aside, I had to agree that a

"I know it's like, hard to think of this in real time," Lee advised as she passed both sets of gear back up into the cockpit,

— max ebb

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"Me, I'll take a lift by the armpits instead of by a thong."

THE RACING

In Northern California, we file reports on StFYC's Spring Fest and J/105 Women Skippers Invitational, the SSS's innovative Anything Goes and foggy Singlehanded Farallones, and Folsom Lake YC's Camellia Cup. Turning our gaze to the south, we find the Newport to Ensenada Race, the KMAC Challenged Sailors Regatta, the Bic O'Pen Skiff UnRegatta, and the Yachting Cup. Trios of Box Scores and Race Notes wrap up this edition.

StFYC Spring Fest Packs a Wallop

Willful spinnakers, a scooped-up man overboard, some tow-ins, a fender bender and a mast snap — plus great camaraderie — marked St. Francis Yacht Club's Spring Fest on April 22-23. Folkboat, Knarr, J/105, J/88 and J/24 crews suited up for three races each day.

Running true to form, a genteel startof-day environment ended with lateafternoon antics — ask a J/105 racer about Day 2's send-off in ebb and light winds with the full fleet slowly slipping over the line, not to mention those two general recalls. The breeze did liven up, eventually yielding 12-15 knots from the southwest. Spectators enjoyed a close-up view of criss-cross-applesauce tacking that hugged the shoreline.

By Race 3 on each day, 20+ gusts, swells and squirrely waters were hitting stride. Sunday was brutal. Dave Corbin's J/88 Butcher lost her mast in front of the clubhouse. Half a dozen or more vessels retired to tend to various equipment failures. Three boats required towing back into the harbor.

While accepting this year's J/105 fleet first-place trophy along with an in-arrears 2022 fifth-place mug, Phillip Laby shared details about how last year Godot had struck Anita Rock and started to sink. "Several of us got seriously hurt. The boat was destroyed, as the hull was breached, and the boat eventually condemned. We missed the awards ceremony as we were pumping out water to keep Godot afloat, then delivering her to a boatyard willing to open for us on a Sunday (Grand Boatyard)."

The crew of Godot had not gone inside the restricted Anita Rock daymark; the rock was outside the mark. The crew had sailed over the rock earlier in the day when the tide was higher. Later in the day, due to an ebb, water depth had decreased in the region. For 2023, StFYC added an Anita Rock buoy to prevent others from succumbing to a similar scenario.

Elated to return with Godot 2.0, Laby's 2023 race tally was just a scant few points lower than second-place Ryan Simmons of Blackhawk

For the J/88 division, Brice Dunwoodie and mates on Ravenette swept

the leaderboard with a score of 8; peers Christos Karamanolis of Pelagia and Jim Hopp of White Shadow sparred with each other in second and third, each earning 23.

The mighty J/24s — down to just three boats because the fleet captain had scooped up able travelers and lured them to some East Coast regatta — saw dedicated locals maneuver Evil Octopus, Feral Rooster and Flight to the 1, 2 and 3 positions.

retired, but old Folkboats and Knarrs, designed for Nordic conditions, remained out there racing. Those old designs are such a great match for the San Francisco Bay.

— martha blanchfield

StFYC SPRING FEST, 4/22-23 (6r, 0t)

J/105 — 1) Godot 2.0, Phillip Laby, 18 points; 2) Blackhawk, Ryan Simmons, 21; 3) Mojo, Jeff ittfn, Beast of Burden, Sellers/McDonald/Turner, 33; 5) Arbitrage, Bruce Stone/Nicole Breault, 33. (23 boats)

J/88 — 1) Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie, 8 points; 2) Pelagia, Christos Karamanolis, 23; 3) White Shadow, Jim Hopp, 23. (7 boats)

In the Folkboat division of eight contenders, Tom Reed on Freja and Peter Jeel on Polperro traded firsts and seconds with each other throughout the six-race series. Reed prevailed, earning gold. This fleet is gearing up for an international championship on September 24-29 at Corinthian YC. Other wooden beauties on the course included 19 sleek Knarrs. StFYC members Mark Dahm of Benino and Chris Perkins and crew took 1 and 2, respectively.

Post-event, a bit of scuttlebutt circulated: While members of the race committee became occupied towing sailboats with "engine issues," the Folkboats and junior sailors in 420s sailed past. "Winds continued to build and more boats

Evil Octopus, Jasper Van Vliet, 7 points; 2) Feral Rooster, Paul Van Ravenswaay, 13; 3) Flight, Rosanne Scholl, 16. (3 boats)

KNARR — 1) Benino, Mark Dahm, 18 points; 2) Three Boys and a Girl, Ch is Pe ins, Viva, than o le, Kulani, ic aise , (19 boats)

FOLKBOAT — 1) Freja, Tom Reed, 8 points; 2) Polperro, Peter Jeal, 10; 3) Thea, Chris Herrmann, 21. (8 boats) Full results at www.stfyc.com

75th Newport to Ensenada Race

Imagine 600 sailboats queuing up for the starting gun. Most folks would figure OK, but not in America. Well, currently you would be correct, but let me tell you, back in the day…

San Francisco Bay prevailed in this battle. The MOB's crewmates were unable to get him back onto the boat after about 10 minutes of trying. A mark-set boat from StFYC scooped him up.

MARTHA BLANCHFIELD

The Newport to Ensenada Race used to draw fleets like that, and lately the numbers have been climbing. This year on Friday, April 28, well over 100 yachts of all shapes and sizes lined up off Newport with their bows pointed to the fun side of Mr. Trump's wall and set sail.

N2E offers everything a sailor could want. Ensenada a li'l too far? No worries, simply enter the San Diego division and be home in time for the game. That's right — two finish lines, one close enough that sailing there will probably be quicker than fighting the traffic on the highway for the same trip. Do you find light-air sailing boring and difficult? They have a division for you too. Simply log your engine hours and speed and you're all set.

The startline is set up for folks who haven't raced in a while, or maybe not at all. There is an inshore portion just outside the surf break and another set farther offshore to keep the gold-plated rocket ships from getting tangled up with the folks who have potted plants and pets aboard.

The shortest course is to simply head south and start logging miles toward your finish line of choice. The thing is, often this proves not to be the fastest course. Depending on which wind model you pledge allegiance to, there may be more wind lingering just offshore. That choice will require more miles under your keel, and that can be costly.

Many pixels are slain in the age-old cost vs. benefit formula. The breeze almost always lightens up at night, and usually either the boats slipping up the beach or the yachts tearing it up offshore are favored. It's best to know the solution

before you take off the mainsail cover.

This regatta has a great tradition of providing flags for each year you have competed. Some competitors are literally awash in flags. Maybe this is related to the extra sail area the flags offer. More investigation is needed.

I may be mistaken and I have done no research to verify the following claim, but I will go so far as to say that this is the largest gathering of multihull racers on the West Coast. If you have a 40-something or larger cruising catamaran and you're wondering where all your sistercats have gone, you will find them here. In a word, they appeared to be comfortable and they certainly had louder stereos than the monohulls.

In a good year, the fasterer vessels are clearing the obligatory paperwork and spilling crew into the streets of Ensenada before the mariachi bands play their last notes. Most everyone has cleared the simulated finish line before sundown on Saturday, motor running or not.

If you're ready to sample some tequila or just need an excuse to practice your hat dance — make that sombrero — we will see you next year.

Congrats to BadPak, Groundhog Day and the rest of the winners.

— andy schwenk

NOSA NEWPORT TO ENSENADA RACE, 4/2830

N2E-RACE-A — 1) Uhambo, ast , a id Chase, 33 points; 2) Amadeus, , Ro e t Walker, 36; 3) Forgiveness, , Scott o rance, 37. (9 boats)

N2E-RACE-B — 1) Ohana, Swede 55, Joe a ee, points Uncle Bob, Schock 35, Larry Levielle, 27; 3) XLR8, Beneteau First 36.7,

a iel isto , oats

N2E-RACE-C — 1) Day Tripper II, unte , Andy Horning, 13 points; 2) Rascal, Hunter 37, Kathy St. Amant, 15; 3) Blind Squirrel, Santana 30, Mike Schrager, 16. (10 boats)

N2E-UL-A — 1) Groundhog Day, Roge s , Rich Festa, 1 point; 2) Westerly, SC52, Dave Moore, 20; 3) Staghound, RP50, Alec Oberschmidt, 22. (8 boats)

N2E-UL-B — 1) Freedom, Melges 32, John Taylor, 11 points; 2) Nereid, J/125, Standish Fleming, 18; 3) Trouble, SC50, Tom Camp, 29. (8 boats)

N2E-UL-C — 1) Obsidian, J/111, John Staff, 5 points; 2) Revo, J/111, Brack Duker, 8; 3) Minotaur, SC , And e Constantine, oats

N2E-UL-D — 1) Problem Child, B32, Dan Rossen, 17 points; 2) Dreamline, J/92, David Newland, 26; 3) Sophia, , Ro e t aa , (5 boats)

N2E-UL-MAXI — 1) BadPak, Botin 56, Tom Holthus, 2 points; 2) Bolt, N/M 68, Craig Reynolds, 3; 3) Bribon, P , a Su e , boats)

N2E-PHRF BENETEAU — 1) XLR8; 2) Javelin, eneteau R, o and , Kraken, eneteau i st , ho as Shephe d, boats)

N2E-PHRF FRSTIME — 1) Javelin; 2) Blond Fury, SC52, Heather Furey, 52; 3) 15, L30, Rodion Luka, 52. (10 boats)

N2E-PHRF, STORM — 1) Bolt; 2) Freedom; 3) Day Tripper II. (12 boats)

N2E-PHRF NPBYC — 1) Bolt; 2) Problem Child; 3) Triumph, SC52, Steve Sellinger, 23. (7 boats)

N2E-PHRF SCHOCK — 1) Uncle Bob; 2) Buttercup, Schoc , Rode ic essinge , (2 boats)

N2E-PHRF CATALINA — 1) Tomol, Catalina , Sue ies ach, points oat

N2E-PHRF FEMALE — 1) Blond Fury. (1

StFYC's Spring Fest sailed on lively waters the weekend of April 22-23.

MARTHA BLANCHFIELD

THE RACING

SSS Anything Goes competitors, clockwise from top left: Nathalie Criou on the Figaro 2 'Envolée'; Gordie Nash on 'Arcadia'; Tim Hilleary on the Moore 24 'Flying Colors' (with the bow of the Tiffany Jayne 'Dancer'); Elizabeth Bishop at the helm of 'Green Buffalo' with ghost Stephen Quanci.

boat)

N2E-PHRF DOUBLEHANDED — 1) Topaz, Hobie 33, Loren Brindze, 65 points. (1 boat)

N2E-PHRF, J/111 — 1) Obsidian; 2) Revo; 3) Creative, Ed Sanford, 12 points. (5 boats)

N2E-ORCA-A — 1) Taniwha, Farrier 32, Jerry Fiat, 1 point; 2) Wahoo, Schionning G-Force , ill i s, Trifecta, Corsair 880ST, e A gast, oats

N2E-ORCA-B — 1) Reve d'O, agoon , Ch is este , points Some Tuesday, Lagoon S, Ste e unlap, La Mer, Beneteau Ex11, James Lee, 9. (3 boats)

N2E-ORCA CATAMARAN — 1) Wahoo; 2) Reve d'O; 2) Some Tuesday oats

N2E-ORCA TRIMARAN — 1) Taniwha; 2) Trifecta. (2 boats)

N2E-CRUZ-SPIN-A — 1) Blue Norther, Colu ia , otha Sch a t , points Mastiha, eneteau C, Philip e eld, Mydtime, eneteau C, i e Schneide , boats)

N2E-CRUZ-SPIN-B — 1) Wind Rose, Cabo Rico , alte Si ons, point Lu Lu, Schoc PC, a id oo e , Pearl, Tartan , o oto, oats

N2E-CRUZ-SPIN BEN-CRUZ — 1) Mastiha; 2) Serenity, Steve Lewis, Beneteau 36s7, 12; 3) Mydtime. (6 boats)

N2E-CRUZ-SPIN-STORM — 1) Wind Rose; 2) Mastiha; 3) Galatea, unte , oe eg on, 9. (5 boats)

N2E-CRUZ-SPIN DOUBLEHANDED — 1) Hen o' the C, eanneau , o al St and, points. (1 boat)

N2E-CRUZ NON-SPINNAKER-A — 1) Stanley's Cup, eanneau , Stanle utton, point 2) Synergy, Catalina 380, Robert Endresen, 2; 3) Mas Alegre, Catalina 38, Frank Maddocks, 3. (6 boats)

N2E-CRUZ NON-SPINNAKER BEN-CRUZ — 1) Happy Hour, eneteau , inda unn, points. (1 boat)

N2E-CRUZ NON-SPINNAKER STORM — 1) Happy Hour. (1 boat)

N2SD-RACE-A — 1) Miramar, 78-ft ketch, Paul Scripps, 3 points; 2) Buenos Aires, Beneteau First 36.7, Mark Williams, 6; 3) Restless, Schoc , a Cle ents, oats

N2SD-RACE-B — 1) Tiny Bubbles, Catalina , Pete unt, points Marilu', Beneteau C, Al e t ich ann, Starckweather, eneteau s , aha o s th, oats

N2SD-UL-A — 1) Cipango, Andrews 56, Shawn Bennett, 1 point; 2) Holy Toledo West!, Hobie 33, Timothy Forderer, 2; 3) Darrt, L30, Charles Ullman, 8. (3 boats)

N2SD-PHRF DOUBLEHANDED — 1) Holy Toledo West!. (1 boat)

N2SD-CRUZ-SPINNAKER-A — 1) Glissade, in , a id Ross, point Dunamis, Beneteau C, en Sha , Miss Lorelei, Beneteau , ichael iggli, oats Full results at www.nosa.org

God Knows, Anything Goes

The most unusual and inventive race we know of so far this year was the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Anything Goes North Bay Race on April 22. Pretty much everything about it, from the course to the crew rules, was new to the Bay and the SSS.

As explained by the SSS race co-chair, "The Singlehanded Sailing Society exists to promote singlehanded sailing, and to prepare people to make singlehanded ocean crossings."

The singlehanded Anything Goes was intended to welcome new people to the sport. Entries worried about safety in an emergency could bring aboard a "ghost" who could not touch any controls, but who would be there in case of disaster. And to emphasize that racing singlehanded is often done in cruising boats, entries could claim up to a half dozen for-fun handicap adjustments for features not on the typical race boat, such as a dodger or being a liveaboard. Boats rated for spinnakers could get a PHRF allowance if racing non-spinnaker.

The course was 19.5 miles. Boats started at the Richmond YC Bob Klein buoy near Southampton Shoal, went north past the Brother Islands to San Pablo Bay Channel marks E and 5, back to YRA-19, and then to a finish off the RYC race deck.

"About half an hour after the last

start, the Coast Guard contacted the race committee about a competitor's cell phone that had dialed 911, but with no voice, and no answer when called back," reports our source on the race committee. "While viewed as a likely 'butt-dial', no one was willing to take that risk, so the Coast Guard dispatched a team while the RC looked up crew contact information. In truth, the phone had been stowed below but had bumped into something to trigger an emergency call while out of earshot from 911 callbacks.

"The RC would like to thank the Coast Guard for their diligence and ask all racers to carefully stow things like phones where they cannot dial, or could be heard, or both."

It just so happens that the boat that everyone was worried about was sailing just fine — so fine in fact that she was the only one in her division to finish the light-air, strong-current race.

In the fluky br eeze, many boats struggled with the trip back from San Pablo Bay to YRA-19, hitting a wall of flood between Hercules and San Rafael. Those who chose to stay on the San Rafael side, and even take the Sister Islands to port, had a better chance of punching through.

Most of those who stuck it out crossed the line in the last hour before the cutoff, but Freedom, Kincsem, Arcadia, Envolée and Zaff finished well ahead. Freedom

crossed the line with more than 2 hours and 50 minutes to spare.

After a long day of racing around many marks, a few boats missed the penultimate RCH-6 mark before finishing. One boat realized that and went back to round, then re-finish; some others were content to have completed a long and fun day on the water and opted not to sail back through another wind hole that had descended upon the finishing area.

On the after noon of Sunday, May 21, the SSS held a prize-giving get-together to celebrate the first four races of the season (the Three Bridge Fiasco, Corinthian Race, Round the Rocks and Anything Goes), with pickup of the participants' T-shirts. The next such meeting will take place in Half Moon Bay following the SSS race to that destination on September 9.

— latitude / chris

SSS ANYTHING GOES, 4/22

SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Freedom, o th , i Martens; 2) Kincsem, J/105, Joerg Esdorn; 3) Zaff, J/92, Timothy Roche. (6 boats)

SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Arcadia, Mod. Santana 27, Gordon Nash; 2) Geodesic, J/30, Ralph Morganstern; 3) Alegria, o gan , illia P o boats)

SPORTBOAT — 1) Starbuck, Black Soo, Matthew Beall; 2) Akumu, B-25, Greg Ashby; 3)

Archimedes, Express 27, Terry True/Joe Balderrama. (5 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Green Buffalo, Cal , li a eth ishop Stephen uanci oats

NON-SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Citlali, Olson 25, Bill & Reiko Schwob; 2) Sea Brisket, Olson 25, David Henry; 3) Solo, Niagara 35, Adam Santaniello. (6 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER 3 — 1) Dura Mater, Cal 2-27, Jackie Philpott; 2) Ondina, Cal 2-29, John Walsh. (3 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

KMAC Challenged Sailors Regatta

A ra ce committee member in a wheelchair yelled out, "Why do we sail?"

The sailors in wheelchairs yelled back, "Freedom!" And freedom it was, for many otherwise bound by gravity to a wheelchair. This crowd was waiting to be hoisted into their boats for their races. Others more mobile slid into their boats from dockside, while those who could just stepped onto the Capris. Everyone was on the water and ready to race in an hour.

It was an upbeat San Diego weekend for the 2023 KMAC Regatta on April 2830, cool in the morning, with a steady 1012 knots in the afternoon as the clouds cleared. About 50 challenged sailors and crew gathered to race in three classes of

Scenes from the KMAC Challenged Sailors Regatta at Coronado YC in San Diego on the last weekend in April. Top right photo shows the Martin 16 fleet; the bottom photos the colorful Hansas.

CHRIS KIM

THE RACING

boats: Four 303 Hansas, eight Martin 16s and four Capri 22s (donated by a local sailing school). The racing was close but friendly. A few competitors heading to the Para Worlds later this year showed the pack how to get around the marks.

The Hansas and Martins are purposebuilt for disabled sailors. They have high stability, and a joystick for steering. The Martins have jet-fighter seating with the driver in the front and an abled person for crew in the rear. This facilitates sailing for those with visual challenges.

An interesting aspect was the number of sailors who had previously participated in high-risk sports. A former paraglider and a rock climber described in detail the events that led to their disabilities. Both had no regrets for their choices, and all had good spirits for this event put on by and for the challenged community.

Learn more about the organization at www.kmacfoundation.com.

— chris kim

CORONADO YC KMAC REGATTA, 4/28-30 (7r, 0t)

HANSA — 1) Jim Thweatt, 11 points; 2) Daan and e, ai c onald, oats

MARTIN 16 — 1) Michael Lung, 17 points; 2) Colin Smith, 19; 3) Steven Muse, 20. (8 boats)

CAPRI 22 — 1) Mike Lewis, 12 points; 2) Eric atus, ohn ies e g, oats

Full results at www.coronadoyc.org

Foggy SSS Farallones Race

Fog was the keyword for the Singlehanded Farallones Race run on May 13. The Singlehanded Sailing Society has been racing to the islands since the very beginning of the organization and has often attracted singlehanders who want to test their boats and themselves for future shorthanded ocean racing.

This year, 18 boats showed up to the line at St. Francis YC for the 8 a.m. first

RYC ALERION 28 SPRING REGATTA, 4/23 (3r, 0t)

1) Zenaida, Fred Paxton, 6 points; 2) Sweet De, Christian Kramer, 7; 3) Last Dance, Bruce Munro, 11. (10 boats)

Full results at www.richmondyc.org

YRA LIGHTSHIP, 4/29

PHRO 1A — 1) Rufess, J/125, Rufus Sjoberg; 2) Velvet Hammer, J/125, James Nichols; 3) Destin, and a , Ro eo ia te boats)

PHRO 1B — 1) Lucky Duck, J/90, Dave MacEwen; 2) Bacchanal, J/133, Ron Epstein; 3) Leading Lady, 1D35, Andrew Lindstrom. (7 boats)

PHRO 1C — 1) 'io, Antrim 27, Buzz Blackett; 2) Outsider, Azzura 310, Greg Nelsen; 3)

start.

"An ebb carried the boats into a heavy fog bank and out the Gate into relatively light conditions with limited visibility all day," commented one of the race committee volunteers. "Through most of the day it was clear from the Marina District to the mid-span of the bridge, but otherwise visibility was poor. One boat retired after getting close enough to Muir Beach to hear the cars, but never saw them."

Those who stayed out in the channel made gains toward the islands. "It started out very light and quite lumpy, but with a good ebb," remarked Bart Hackworth, who sailed the new-to-him Cal 40 Shaman. "Visibility was bad, and by the time we cleared Point Bonita it was hard to see any other boats. Somewhere around the bar channel, I decided the fleet I could see by AIS was getting too far north and I decided to tack back toward the Lightship. My heading was pretty far south, but as the ebb pushed me farther west I got more wind and lifted."

As the boats that could keep moving got around the islands, the wind ramped up into the teens for the leg back to the Gate. The first boat to finish was Evan McDonald's F-22 trimaran Greyhound after racing a long 12 hours, 18 minutes. Only five boats were able to finish. Bart

BOX SCORES

Reverie, J/109, John Arens. (9 boats)

PHRO 2 — 1) Story Maker, Tartan 101, Mike & Sean Mahoney; 2) Javelin, J/105, Sergei Podshivalov; 3) CruzSea Baby, Beneteau 10R, Brian Turner. (7 boats)

PHRO 2B — 1) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden; 2) Green Buffalo, Cal , Stephen uanci Siren, SC33, Brendan Huffman. (7 boats)

SHS — 1) Nancy, Wyliecat 30, Pat Broderick/ David Gray; 2) Puf n, oo e , Pat ic aesloop/Kelly Gregory; 3) Hedgehog, Olson 29, David Herrigel/Synthia Petroka. (6 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) Greyhound, F-22, Evan

on Shaman finished his first Singlehanded Farallones in 13 hours at 9:16 p.m.

SSS SINGLEHANDED FARALLONES, 5/13

OVERALL MONOHULL — 1) Werewolf, Olson 30, Jeff Mulvihill; 2) Nina, Olson 29, Robert MacDonald; 3) Shaman, Cal , a t ac o th Outcast, Farr 38, Guillaume Murray Bechaux. (16 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) Greyhound, F-22, Evan McDonald. (1 boat)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

Idaho Sailor Wins 56th Camellia Cup Wayne Cassingham had one two-word question when he registered his 13-ft Banshee to compete in the Camellia Cup Regatta on Folsom Lake April 22-23. He asked, "Got wind?"

Once on Folsom Lake, Cassingham, of Star, Idaho, got the answer he didn't want to hear. With not a cloud in the sky and daytime temperatures in the 70s, it was a perfect day for everyone but sailors. Wayne did not get wind, but he did get a win.

Cassingham's Banshee Cruizin, representing the Idaho Sailing Association, finished first in the six-boat Banshee Class to win the Open Centerboard per-

McDonald/Ross Stein; 2) Round Midnight, Explo e , Ric altons ith Caliente, Explorer , uls le ust a id uettel oats

Full results at www.jibeset.net

YRA DUXSHIP, 5/13

PHRO 1 — 1) Frequent Flyer, Farr 30, Stan Phillips; 2) Kahoots, And e s , eg itchell; 3) Shake & Bake, Farr X2, Jack Peurach. (8 boats)

PHRO 2 — 1) Bombora, Express 27, Rebecca Hinden; 2) CruzSea Baby, Beneteau 10R, Brian Turner; 3) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden. (8 boats)

S S o fnishe s oats

MULTIHULLS — 1) Round Midnight, Explore , Ric altons ith oat

Full results at www.jibeset.net

The Olson 30 'Werewolf' (right) and Olson 29 'Nina' had a close finish in the Singlehanded Farallones. The hour around dusk was the only time the race committee could see the North Tower.

petual trophy and take home his first Camellia Cup as the regatta's overall champion.

Winning the Open Keel perpetual trophy and the Non-Spinnaker Class was Michael Rayfuse of Folsom Lake YC on his Catalina 22.

Not only were winds light, but so too were registrations for the regatta. Just 20 boats in four classes registered. Camellia Cup typically marks the annual start of sailing in the Sacramento area, though it competed with spring skiing for the attention of sporty types.

Also competing in a miniaturized version of Camellia Cup were eight remotecontrol 1/16th-scale versions of 1930s America's Cup J Boats. The model yachts sailed in the same light air on Saturday, starting only two races. On Sunday, breezes picked up, allowing 10 heats before the wind completely disappeared.

With water high at the lake, many park visitors were able to watch the model yacht competition up close when it sailed over Hobie Cove's flooded parking lot. Winning the 2023 RC Camellia Cup was Wilton's Paul Brown, representing the Sacramento Model YC.

— john poimiroo

OPEN CENTERBOARD — 1) Flight Risk, Daysailer, Steve Lowry, 6 points; 2) Laser, Chris Simenstad, 9; 3) Nala, ido , Pete a ies, boats)

SPINNAKER — 1) 2-Step, Santana 20, Mark e de , points Te Natura, , Phil odgson, 9; 3) Poco a Poco, J/22, Rob Koch, 12. (3 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Sirius, Catalina 22, Mike Rayfuse, 5 points; 2) No Cat Hare, Catalina 22, Don Hare, 8; 3) Slo Mo, Catalina 22, David Samson, 12. (5 boats)

RC J BOAT — 1) Svea, Paul Brown, 13 points; 2) Svea, Gene Novak, 15; 3) Shamrock, Bruce Anderson, 21. (8 boats) Full results at www. yc.org

J/105 Women Skippers

On 'Mother's Day Eve', Saturday, May 13, eight boats of J/105 Fleet 1 rallied for the second running of the San Francisco Bay J/105 Women Skipper Invitational, hosted by StFYC. The teams were led by women skippers who had been invited by boat owners to take the helm and show the world their mettle. While some were crewed by the regular team, with the owner or owner-rep taking another job on board, two teams were crewed by an all- or predominantly all-woman crew.

Acknowledging the lack of female J/105 owner-drivers, Fleet 1 conceived of this regatta to celebrate the talented women who already sail in the class as crew, and to attract others interested in getting a taste of the largest one-design racing fleet on the Bay. This event provides an opportunity for women sailors to take the lead — or the conn — smashing any real, perceived or accidental barriers to the notion that women can be ownerdrivers in this competitive class.

Around North America, other J/105 fleets have created or re-energized similar regattas that invite women into the competitive spotlight: Toronto has an all-women championship; Charleston just ran an all-women regatta; Annapolis has a majority-women crew quota for its women-skippered event; and Seattle, Cleveland and Houston have showcased

J/105 participation attached to womenspecific multi-class regattas. To fan the flame of this grassroots women-sailors' movement, the National Class leadership has earmarked funding for trophies for fleets that undertake a project to make a lasting impact on the women sailors of their local racing communities.

Under a beautiful blue sky and the dancing fog of the Golden Gate, principal race officer Peggy Lidster, her all-women signal team, and the skilled mark-set crews ran four races to complete a series of spirited competition and camaraderie. Arbitrage took wins in Races 1 and 3 but still had their hands full in securing the overall win. Niuhi, with an all-women crew skippered by Maggie Bacon, played the currents strategically and managed speedy downwind lanes with expert spinnaker handling until one bad drop at the leeward mark earned them unwanted points to leave them in third place overall. Blackhawk's exceptional team, led by co-owner Kristin Simmons, took firsts in Races 2 and 4 to secure second overall, only two points behind Arbitrage.

After racing on Saturday, Nicole Breault, regatta chair and current J/105 Class vice president, raised the new perpetual trophy for the S.F. Bay J/105 Women Skipper Invitational — first, to show it off as a new symbol of blending diversity into skipper ranks, and then also as the winner of the regatta as skipper of Arbitrage. "I expect all of you to race again next year and try to take it from me!"

— nicole breault

StFYC WOMEN SKIPPER INVITATIONAL, 5/13 (4r, 0t)

J/105 — 1) Arbitrage, Nicole Breault, 8 points; 2) Blackhawk, Kristin Simmons, 10; 3) Niuhi, aggie acon, oats

Full results at www.stfyc.com

Bic O'Pen Skiff Un-Regatta NAs

How can a North American Championship also be an "un-regatta"? Mission Bay YC in San Diego figured it out. This is from the Notice of Race:

"The purpose of this event is to run a fun event for youth sailors in a more loosely competitive style, in dynamic youth boats. Results are not nearly as important as everyone having a good time sailing. It is our goal that the sailors improve their skills, make new friends, exhibit first-class sportsmanship, and have a ton of fun. This event will be a combination of conventional-style race formats with unorthodox 'Un-Regatta' style courses and events. Don't expect conventional windward-leeward racing or upwind starts for all races. Capsizes,

FLYC CAMELLIA CUP, 4/22-23

BANSHEE — 1) Cruzin, Wayne Cassingham, 5 points; 2) In n Out, Craig Lee, 11; 3) Ghost, Charles Witcher, 13. (6 boats)

Wayne Cassingham with the Camellia Cup.

JOHN POIMIROO

The J/105 Women's Skipper-winning crew of 'Arbitrage'. Left to right: Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer, Karen Loutzenheiser, Olivia Corzine, Sophia Corzine, Nicole Breault, Wendy Corzine and Colin Duffy.

STFYC

boat-handling challenges, speed and fun will be required. If you are a hard-core racer with rule book in hand, this event may not be for you. If you want to have fun, challenge your limits, and pioneer the new chapter in Youth Sailing, we invite you to come join the fun."

— latitude / chris

BIC O'PEN SKIFF NORTH AMERICAN UNREGATTA, MBYC, 4/21-23 (18r, 4t)

OPEN — 1) Arabella Duer, South Carolina YC, 63 points; 2) Charlie Marynowski, Buffalo Canoe Club, 75; 3) Loki Barrett, MBYC, 137. (8 boats)

U15 — 1) Ewan Brazle, Manly Sailing Club, 28 points; 2) Gage Christopher, Balboa YC/ABYC, achlan ue , South Ca olina YC, Braden Ozarski, MBYC, 85; 5) Sean Kaseburg, YC, oats

U12 — 1) Will Ramsay, NHYC, 237 points; Ronan Se ais, S YC, ac Condon, YC, heo Ca d, S YC, ett Pe e , Pensacola YC, oats Full results at www.mbyc.org

Yachting Cup in San Diego

Chick Pyle's Beneteau 36.7 Kea finished first in their class by winning every race — a total of six bullets — in the Yachting Cup on May 5-7. The team's impressive scores in a competitive class earned them their championship title at SDYC's signature spring regatta.

Kea's success didn't come without a battle from the rest of the class. While technically Pyle and his crew had won after Race 5, they stayed in the regatta for the picket fence, a goal that was almost interrupted by Eric Hanson's Given-Ho. "Given-Ho is stronger than us and faster than us. We had to outwit them. And then fate struck," explained Pyle. Han-

son's kite twisted on the last hoist, giving Kea the chance to drive below them and finish first.

Kea has won first in their class every year they've sailed since 2015. The team sails together often, and it pays off. Even with all of their class wins, they had yet to be crowned the overall winner of the regatta. When announcing the overall winning team, Yachting Cup chair Traci Miller mentioned their efforts to foster one-design sailing, specifically in the Beneteau 36.7 class, and to encourage participation in the sport.

— casey coffin

SDYC YACHTING CUP, 5/6-7 (6r, 0t)

ORRSub — 1) Adjudicator, ast , Paul Dorsey, 6 points; 2) Bribon, TP52, Mark Surber, 13; 3) Palaemon, , Rud asl, oats

PHRF-AA — 1) Adjudicator, 8 points; 2) Bribon, 11; 3) Pendragon, TP52, Steve Torres, 18. (6 boats)

PHRF-B — 1) Revo, J/111, Yumio Dornberg/ Bruce Cooper, 9 points; 2) Destroyer, 1D35, Jim Bailey, 18; 3) Precepts II, i st , e el , oats

PHRF-C — 1) Holy Toledo West!, Hobie 33, Timothy Forderer, 7 points; 2) Fandango, J/92, Scott Bennett, 11; 3) Scaramouche, J/105, a ne ittel, oats

CLASSICS — 1) Sprig, 6-Meter, Greg Stewart, 3 points; 2) Sally, 10-Meter, CF Koehler, 3; 3) Fairwyn, S S , Richa d eland, oats

NAVIGATOR — 1) Vigilante, Conco dia , Raymond Godwin, 3 points; 2) American Girl, Alerion 28, Lisa & Craig Leweck, 3; 3) Big Louise, eneteau ceanis , eo ge odd, boats)

BENETEAU FIRST 36.7 — 1) Kea, Chick Pyle, 6 points; 2) PI, Larry Smith, 16; 3) GivenHo, Eric Hanson, 18. (7 boats)

Race Notes

Latitude contributor Michelle Slade writes: "I incorrectly stated in the BVI Spring Regatta story that was published this month [May issue] that Steve Rowland is the owner of the Cape 31 M2 He was the charterer. Marc McMorris is the owner, and he is from San Rafael. I apologize for the error! M2 placed third overall in CSA 3, a highly skilled division."

The Etchells West Coast Spring Series has concluded, hosted by San Diego YC. At the Pacific Coast Championship, Jim Cunningham's Lifted from SFYC took the win on April 29-30. On May 1921, Lifted followed up with the win at the Nationals/Orca Bowl at SDYC to sweep the Etchells West Coast Spring Series.

The team had previously won the Midwinters West at SDYC on March 31-April 2, and before that the Etchells North Americans in Miami in March.

At the Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères on April 22-29, Bay Area kiteboarder Daniela Moroz took second place, the best score by any of the Team USA sailors. Check the full results at https://sof.regatta.ffvoile.fr — latitude / chris

For more racing news, subscribe to 'Lectronic Latitude online at www.latitude38.com

May's racing stories included:

J/105 — 1) Juiced, Chuck Driscoll, 11 points; 2) J-OK, Ste a t Cannon, Boss Lady, John & Elena Bennett, 20. (7 boats) Full results at www.sdyc.org

Left: a battle of Beneteau First 36.7s at the Yachting Cup in San Diego between 'Given-Ho' and 'Kea'. Right: action aboard the J/122 'Cheeky'.

CHANGES

The 2023 Pacific Puddle Jump is in full swing, and this month we bring you reports from some of the early arrivals, including Quark's third time across the Pacific; Simplicity's kid boat experiences; Havili's return to French Polynesia; Fundango's unexpected pit stop; and a duffel bag full of Cruise Notes.

Quark — Farallon 29 Doug Saxe Third Encore

Astoria

Back in 2001, my slip neighbor at the Hood River marina was a 36-ft steel-hull sloop that the owner/builder had sailed to the South Pacific twice. I asked him if it was a worthwhile thing for me to aspire to do one day, and he responded, "Don't let your life pass you by without doing it!" At that time in my life, it was an unimaginable adventure; logistically and financially impossible.

Twenty years later, the everswirling energies of the universe began to align in my life. With all of the experience gained over two decades, the confidence to make the trip emerged in me. I began looking for the right boat, in the right place, for the right price. I knew from my experience cruising Mexico on my previous boat, an Endeavor 37, that there were always lots of capable, well-equipped cruisers for sale in Mexico. I also knew that Banderas Bay is an excellent place to outfit and shake down your boat before departure, as well as being the preferred point of departure for an entire community of Puddle Jumpers.

With all that in mind, I perused the listings on YachtWorld over several years, waiting for the right boat to appear.

I made a couple of trips to look at some interesting boats without finding what I was looking for. One day, in July 2022, while I looked at the offerings, Quark caught my eye. She was said to be a two-time South

Pacific veteran and had the configuration and equipment I desired. She was ready to cruise and sitting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

I quickly booked the nonstop flight from PDX for the next day and went to see her. It was love at first sight! How could anyone resist her allure? A full-keel 29ft pocket cruiser full of sails and all the safety and navigation gear I could dream of already installed. The next day, the owner flew down and went through the boat with me from stem to stern, showing me all her features and functions. He had done a phenomenal job setting the boat up for ocean passages, and everything worked and was current — not the usual unmaintained messes that I had been accustomed to seeing. Quark and I bonded and the mission was born. I was further inspired by reading Dave Case's book, Sailin' South, about Quark and her maiden voyage to Tahiti, Hawaii, and back to San Francisco. (Dave and his wife, Vickie, had built the boat from a hull and deck in Oakland in the '70s and sailed her 14,000 miles around the Pacfiic.)

I knew that the only way I could afford to do this was to buy the boat and get going. None of this years and years of cruising, marina fees, and preparing the boat. Too expensive. Too slow. I got to work on the project right away, compiling the materials and information necessary and putting my life in order to go away for an extended period of time. By September 2022, I was ready to sea trial Quark. I spent three months sailing around Banderas Bay and even enduring a couple of close-passing hurricanes in the Marina Riviera Nayarit. Feeling satisfied that Quark exceeded all expectations, and was indeed the capable craft that she was reputed to be, I was ready to go.

The next phase was gathering all the necessary spares and provisioning. I talked my good friend Mario Benvenutti into going with me and we met up at Vallarta International Airport on March 1, 2023. The next 17 days

were spent preparing, practicing, racing, provisioning, participating in the Puddle Jumpers' community gatherings and lectures, downloading charts and guides, and enjoying the great Mexican food and the last of the cheap prices.

On the 17th, we checked out of Mexico

Doug is the latest owner to sail 'Quark' across the Pacific. Below Mario left and Doug about ready to cast off.

at the port captain's dock and headed out to sea. Full of wonder for what lay ahead, we sailed out of the bay alongside our friends on Freestyle, a Westsail 32 out of Portland. Being similar in size, our pace was about the same throughout the crossing.

IN LATITUDES

so well that there had to be a hitch. It came with the warning of a "Pacific Swell Event." The tropical weather discussion warned of seas up to 16 feet as a result of the series of lows that swept well south across the Pacific and into Southern California during late March.

The predicted swell arrived after a couple of days and was accompanied by 20+ knots of wind. Thankfully, it was all from the north, so we at least had a downwind, down-swell orientation. These swells were mountainous! They persisted for four to five days, and the NWS called for another swell event to follow. We got used to it quickly after seeing how well Quark responded to the extreme conditions. She just bobbed along, rising up as the cresting waves passed under her hull. I'd look at these towering waves coming at the stern, thinking for sure we'd get pooped this time — then at the last second, the transom lifted and the wave passed underneath. Never pooped once the whole trip! That's a well-designed boat.

The trick was to keep the speed under control to avoid broaching. We found 4.55 kts was our sweet spot. We had day and night 15-20-ft seas with strong wind for a full week straight before it finally abated at our waypoint of 10N, 120W, 1,000 nm along the 2,900-mile route.

Quark wasn't fussed a bit by any of the conditions we encountered, then or later. From the aforementioned swells to the blasting squalls, or the extremely light winds of the ever-expanding ITCZ, the boat just rode right on through whatever came along.

As luck had it, the doldrums lasted longer than expected and presented many challenges. At first it was the nightly squalls with their high winds. Then came the several windless days when we had to choose between drifting, sailing at 2–3 kts, or using our precious remaining fuel to keep moving at a reasonable pace and perhaps into a band of wind farther south. A real chess match ensued. Eventually, the wind found us and we got right up to speed in the calm South Pacific seas.

As night fell the wind quit and we decided to start the motor in order to get out to the trade wind that lay to the west of Isla Socorro, 350 miles distant. We made 100 miles in the first 24 hours and were off to the races.

After a few days, things were going

The miles to Hiva Oa diminished by 100 per day until finally we were counting down the last 100 to go. The last night was spent in winds to 30 kts, charging toward landfall, Quark frothing at the bit. I slowed us down to have a daytime arrival and went below to get some sleep. Dawn broke with the island in sight, and we headed on to the anchorage at Atuona, Hiva Oa, a stunningly beautiful, dramatic landfall with tall green peaks shrouded in clouds — everything you'd ever imagine or dream that a tropical island in the

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Spread ' uark' makin' tracks in the mid-Pacific. bo e Pro isioning before the latest bon oyage.

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middle of the Pacific could be. We anchored and went to town to feed on baguettes, pommes frites, and BBQ pork.

Twenty-nine feet, 29 days, 2,900 miles — Quark's third encore in the South Pacific is bringing much joy to all who have been part of her history, as well as her new family. She is truly the heroine of the story, a simple, sturdy, and capable craft with a spirit of her own. My love for her grows stronger every day.

Let the new adventure begin! Now that we're back in paradise, the plan is to get the most out of it. Diving, surfing, kitesurfing, wing foiling, fishing, covehopping, atoll exploring, and speaking French! That's a lot to do in three months; we'd better get started.

To follow Quark in our ongoing adventure, our tracking link and blog can be found on the pacificpuddlejump.com page.

— Doug 4/26/23

Simplicity — Nordic 44

Earnhardt Family

One Small Family, One Big Ocean

Truckee

Bottom cleaning complete, provisions bought and stored, meals prepped, communications tested, weather checked (again), fuel topped off, port captain checkout complete … check, check and double-check. Simplicity is ready to set sail!

Since September 29, 2021, our crew of three — Denton (dad), Chrissy (mom), and Danika (now 11) — have traveled about 4,700 nautical miles, sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, and down the California and Baja coasts. We have spent the last year and a half cruising in Mexico, experiencing ample anchorages, friendly people, good food, and pretty close to perfect weather,

Mexico was a great place to jump into full-time cruising, learn the boat, and prepare for our first ocean crossing. Now it was time to put all that we'd learned to use and head out of safe harbor into an epic adventure across 3,000 miles of open ocean.

Simplicity was one of about nine "kid

boats" heading out in about a week's time from Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay. We looked like a fleet of racers heading out in formation to a giant nothingness. We expected not to have visual contact with our kid-boat fleet over the passage, but knowing we were all out there together gave us a sense that we were not alone. It was like going to sea with our extended family.

We set sail on Thursday, March 9, 2023. We spent the first two and a half days and about 350 miles of our passage on a starboard tack at an apparent wind angle of approximately 35-50 degrees. Despite the forecast's looking like a comfy beam reach, Simplicity was dug in and working for our northing to stay at a latitude that would clear north of Socorro Island, about 300 miles offshore.

After the first day, we were all used to standing, sitting, cooking, and any kind of moving at a significant lean. Core workout for the day complete! We were rewarded with a pod of dolphins at sunset as we sailed north of San Benedicto Island, our last sight of land for almost three weeks. Unfortunately, Danika started off the passage with a few days of seasickness, but like a champ, she hung in there and was feeling pretty good by day three.

Week one also included discovery of a mystery leak that funneled a few gallons of salt water into an interior locker, which we later discovered was coming in from a bolt on the transom-hung swim step.

By day six, our trade winds had started to lighten up and we decided to fly the spinnaker. Unfortunately, one of the projects that didn't make the cut before leaving was replacing the old spinnaker halyard. As per Murphy's Law, the spinnaker halyard snapped within a few minutes and into the ocean went 1,500 square feet of spinnaker, along with a 60-ft sock. Luckily, we were able to retrieve it, but what a wet and soggy mess!

We sighted none of our kid-boat friends within the first week of departure. The closest, about 180 miles away, were the McKinneys on Arkouda, a family of five on a Privilege 495 catamaran out of San Francisco.

Week two started out with a bang when we caught a beautiful 20-pound

bo e The arnhardt family with Land- o smiles. Below 'Simplicity' anchored in the Marquesas. ight elebrating St. Paddy's ay with green pancakes. ar right ad's catch of the day was this yellowfin that fed the crew for days.

Getting the weather gauge on ' rkouda' near the equator. The two kid boats completed their passages together.

yellowfin tuna. Boy, did we eat well for a few days, and even had some leftover fillets to throw into the freezer. Tuna poke bowls, sushi rolls and seared tuna steak sandwiches with an Asian slaw were definitely our three best meals of the passage. Other galley highlights of the week included green pancakes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and one night's dinner of yellow chicken curry flying across the galley. Luckily, dinner was saved, but the pressure cooker lived on the galley floor from that point on.

We hit our halfway mileage point on day 11, and on day 12 entered the squall zone of the ITCZ. Chrissy and Danika slept while Denton hand-steered us downwind through a few squalls amid buckets of rainwater and about 35 kts of

breeze. We ended the second week with a double rainbow and about 70 miles to the equator, plus we were closing the gap on Arkouda by the hour!

Week three was incredible! We started day 15 within 20 miles of Arkouda. While we "weren't in a race," we were having loads of fun tracking their progress every hour on the GPS tracker and calculating our distance apart. We hadn't seen anybody for two weeks, not even a ship since we passed Socorro Island. What were the chances we could catch up to Arkouda?

On day 15, we did it. Not only did we catch up to Arkouda, we crossed the equator together within a couple hundred yards of each other. The sounds of excitement as the kids chatted with each other on the radio and sat on deck waving to one

another was priceless. Meeting up to cross the equator at the same exact spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at the same exact time was not something we even thought possible. This is a memory we will share for a lifetime. We all celebrated by heaving to and taking a quick dip after our onboard shellback initiation ceremonies. As a bonus, we sailed within sight of Arkouda for the next three days, until we made our final approach to Hiva Oa, French Polynesia.

After three weeks at sea, Simplicity and her crew were in the groove. It's almost as if time stands still out there, or like one big, long day. Always a little tired but always appreciating the beauty and power of Mother Nature and the stunning Pacific Ocean.

We made our "land ho" call on day 20. We were all pretty excited, but Danika was even inspired to write and sing her second original ukulele song called LandHo! If you see us in an anchorage someday, stop by to hear it live!

Simplicity dropped anchor at Hiva Oa after 20 days and 14½ hours, 3,014 miles sailed; 0 hours motored; average speed, 6.1 knots. As we reflect on our passage, we are proud of what we've achieved as a family. We worked hard to prepare and it paid off. We are grateful to have had fair winds, following seas and friends with whom to share the experience!

— Chrissy 4/30/23 Instagram @sail_simplicity

Havili — T ranspac 49

Sam Whittemore

Back to the South Pacific

Los Angeles

That feeling when you lose a fish — no, not just lose, but land, unhook, photograph, and still manage to fumble over the toerail — sank in deeply on our 10th day at sea, certainly intensified by the lack of many other stimuli. This seemingly unfortunate event reminded me that overall, life aboard Havili was going swimmingly, and the freed fish proved to be the biggest mishap while we were en route from Ventura, California, to Nuku Hiva, January 25 to February 15, 2023.

Other details of the passage need only a few words. We found a break in this year's series of winter storms and left Southern California with a week of stable

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northwesterly flow. Tactics included sailing south on a starboard reach until the wind veered north. Then time for the whisker pole, and we ran downwind for a few days before the northeast trades filled in.

The least comfortable portion was farther south than expected, at about 9N 129W, when the period of a three-meter northeasterly swell tightened up in a northsetting eddy of current. Surprised? Yes. Bad luck? No, that's just sailing! The rest, entailing a little rain, no lightning, and a midnight arrival in Taiohae, overtop Havili's breadcrumbs from four years past.

So what marks the start of a voyage if you've already left and been there before? This one has multiple beginnings.

I met Chris Miyashiro, my crew, via Latitude38.com in 2022 when I was looking for help bringing Havili from Tahiti to Hawaii. We sailed that leg together 13 months ago as part of Havili's return to the US after her first Pacific crossing. Chris hails from Oahu and I couldn't have dreamt up a better oceangoing companion. Aside from his many talents and adventurous spirit, he's a student of Polynesian wayfinding and an accomplished alaia surfer. The latter is surprisingly relevant on board as it enchants him with a sort of can't-fall-won't-fall aura that isn't just useful for deck work, but also helps me trust that he won't hurt himself. Did I mention that he's an artist and recently got a voyaging canoe of his own? (Find him on Instagram @mystomiyashiro.)

August 1999, Neiafu, Tonga: I was 8 years old and about to learn one of my first Tongan words: Havili. Wind. It was the name of a 36-ft sloop, and five days of sailing around Vavau with my parents and sister were enough to give me a dream that I've kept for more than 20 years. I still remember sunsets full of whale tails, the excitement of dragging anchor in the middle of the night, and what it felt like to take the dinghy ashore — just me and my sister collecting fruit. So Havili was an obvious choice for the name of my boat, a 1976 Transpac 49 ketch that I've lived

aboard since 2016.

August 2016, Hawthorne, California: Deep inside the walls of SpaceX, there's a place called the Space Simulation Lab, or just "test lab" if you're a regular.

I was helping set up a vibe test for a helium regulator used on Crew Dragon and knew I would have to leave before it started. Thankfully, my teammates were sailors and offered no resistance as I slipped out and set off for the haulout and survey in Long Beach. I bought Havili in solid-but-needs-attention condition. Both masts — made of wood — badly needed paint. The exhaust riser on the engine had been rebuilt too short, and it took me one head gasket job to figure out that water was mixing with oil not from the coolant, but from following seas coming through the exhaust! With the engine room door open, the aft head has a nice view of the beast, and I was lucky that a friend noticed seawater flowing out of the air filters on a fishing trip to San Clemente Island.

The next two years were all about sailing for as long as possible on the weekends and coming back to work, often reluctantly and in the wee hours of Monday mornings. Smells of oil and scrap metal would hit uncomfortably as we glided back into Wilmington. While I wanted to spend more time in the Channel Islands, there was a balance that allowed me to get to know the boat and improve her slowly. With the wisdom of a great friend, I adopted the strategy of changing as little as possible and carefully wearing out the gear I already had. Havili has been around longer than I, after all!

Sometime in 2017 I picked a date with my friends Tucker and Catherine: In November 2018, we would drop everything and set sail. We spent a few months in the Sea of Cortez and then started our Pacific crossing with a monthlong trip to the Revillagigedo Archipelago.

If this were not already enough of an adventure, Havili's windlass broke at our first anchorage (Isla San Benedicto), and her autopilot broke the day after we left

the Revs. But with John Letcher's book, Self-Steering for Sailing Craft, we fashioned a sheet-to-

wheel system that carried us 500nm to Clipperton Island, and then 2,200nm farther to the Marquesas.

It was with the hands of friends and family that I managed to get Havili to Wellington, New Zealand, on Boxing Day 2019, only to leave for a short trip back

Sam has wanted to sail back to the South Seas since he went there with his parents at age .

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HAVILI EXCEPT AS NOTED

HAVILI

to the US at just the wrong time. COVID came and the boat sat there for 21 months, unattended in Earth's windiest city. I went back to work, lived on a 1976 Columbia 8.7 in Marina del Rey, and saved up for a new autopilot. With the help of Nico and crew from www. yachtdeliverysolutions.co.nz, I had Havili delivered from New Zealand to Tahiti in November 2021. A month later, I met the team at Coral Gardeners in Moorea and volunteered to help bring ReefOS online. (ReefOS is an AI system designed to

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hard to leave.

French Polynesia may be vast, but I don't think these stories are over. In fact, the islands are so well connected that the new batteries I ordered from Tahiti Yacht Accessories were loaded onto the Taporo IX and on their way to me in the Marquesas the very next day. For every beginning there could have been at least as many endings. But for now, the wind is up and the sails need a trim as we approach the southeast corner of Fakarava, and one of the only things I'm sure about is that it's not over yet!

— Sam 4/28/23

www.havili.org

Fundango — Bavaria Vision 46

Joanne Pilkington and Scott Sibbald

PPJ Doublehanded but not Alone

San Francisco

It's noon on Monday, April 3, 2023. We just completed the Mexico checkout formalities with the port captain in Nuevo Vallarta and we are on our way — on our way to French Polynesia, that is. It's hard to believe we are really doing it — well, sort of: We are still in Banderas Bay but heading that way! We are 1½ hours behind Ray and Debbie on Thursday's Child, who checked out just before us. We didn't know it at the time, but 22 days later, we would make landfall in Hiva Oa just a few hours after them.

measure the health of reefs over time.) With more CG Labs projects in the pipeline, I'm headed back to scale up restoration monitoring as an engineer.

Nico's team also did the delivery from Hawaii to California while I was working a solar job in Nevada.

After arriving in Nuku Hiva this year, the plan was for my boss to fly in and continue on to Moorea with me. The dates we chose gave me almost two months to explore (thank you, Drew!), at first alone, and by the end, with friends who were

Let's back up a bit. We are Joanne and Scott on Fundango. We spent a little over a month in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on Banderas Bay preparing the boat for a South Pacific crossing to French Polynesia. This would be our first ocean crossing. Our preparation included hauling out to do bottom paint, ordering spare parts, freshening up our sails, and some other minor boat projects. Back in February, we applied for long-stay visas for French Polynesia at the French Consulate in Mexico City, and were now waiting on the return of our passports. Our plan was to leave in early April.

While prepping Fundango and waiting on the return of our passports, every Friday evening we attended an organized gathering at PV Sailing (www.pvsailing. com) in La Cruz, where Mike Danielson discussed current weather patterns, upcoming weather windows, and routing for a Pacific crossing. We were so impressed with Mike's knowledge and passion regarding the weather that we decided to

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bo e ' a ili' was the first PP boat to arri e at uku i a this year. Left riends gathered below. Top left nchored at uku Island, a au. bo e right ' a ili' crewman hris is a student of alaia surfing which uses pre- th century wooden boards and Polynesian wayfinding.

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use his weather routing services for our own Pacific crossing.

Also discussed at these gatherings was the Pac Voyagers Net that was set up by PV Sailing, Dee Dee Christensen, and the sailing community in La Cruz. This net was a combination of daily SSB and email check-ins from a fleet of boats like us doing the Pacific Puddle Jump. The daily reports included the positions, current conditions and status of each of the boats in the fleet. If any boat were to have a problem, they knew there were boats ahead, behind and around that would be there to aid if needed.

We met Ray and Debbie at one of the Friday gatherings. They were waiting on crew, their daughter Dana and friend Maria, who would be arriving in La Cruz at the end of March, which was the same time frame in which we expected our passports to be returned. We talked about how our two boats, a Bavaria Vision 46 and an Outbound 46, might perform similarly, and since we were planning to jump about the same time, maybe we could buddy-boat.

On March 24, we heard through the cruising community that a Westsail 43, Niniwahuni, had dismasted the previous day approximately 900 nm from Mexico

on their way to French Polynesia. On board Niniwahuni were Travis and Shawna, along with their three young children. Mike from PV Sailing went into immediate action, coordinating communication and coming up with a plan to get Niniwahuni back to Mexico. Shawna and the children were picked up by a tanker, while Travis stayed aboard and got the boat to Isla Clarion (one of the islands in the Revillagigedo group). He was now faced with the long motor back to Mexico. He would need a lot more fuel than he had on board to cover the 900 miles.

Mike reached out to the Pacific Voyagers fleet, requesting help in delivering fuel to Niniwahuni on their way across the Pacific. At least three boats already on their way diverted to transfer some fuel to Travis. Since we were planning to leave soon, both Fundango and Thursday's Child also volunteered to bring extra jugs of fuel for transfer to Niniwahuni

At the end of March, our passports and Thursday's Child's crew arrived within a day of each other, and the next weather window for leaving was a few days away. Ray and Debbie had already made their checkout appointment and we quickly followed suit, managing to get an appointment an hour and a half after them. The buddy-boat plan was a go!

Once on our way, we set a westerly course for Isla Clarion, where we were to rendezvous with Niniwahuni. Four days and some 565nm later, we rafted up in the island's southern bay. We transferred fuel jugs, along with some treats and lots of encouragement, to Travis. We also got him set up with a phone app to make messaging from his Garmin inReach much easier. Thursday's Child arrived an hour and a half before us and had done the same.

After leaving Clarion together, Fundango and Thursday's Child set a more southsouthwest course for French Polynesia. For the rest of the passage, we remained within 25nm of each other and converged within eyeshot a few times. We kept in contact via VHF, AIS, and Iridium GO!, with VHF check-ins at least twice daily. We chatted about weather, our route, sail plans and anything else, including the nicknames we'd given our gear. We'd recently named our Hydrovane "Yoda," and Thursday's Child told us their asymmetrical spinnaker was named "Tweedy Bird." We mentioned we were still looking for a name for our ISTEC Parasailor. They came back later that day with the perfect name: "Tango." So we had Fundango doing the Tango with Yoda steering by The Force of the trade winds!

On April 13, six days after our fuel

drop at Isla Clarion, Niniwahuni pulled into port at Nuevo Vallarta. It was a huge collective sense of relief to hear Travis had made it back and was reunited with his family, all thanks to the amazing sailing community.

The rest of our passage was filled with great tradewind sailing, sleepless squally nights, motoring and swimming in the Doldrums, relentless boobies hitching rides, magical starry nights, and countless beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The time flew by much faster than we would have ever expected.

Having our buddy boat close by was comforting and provided some peace of mind because so many things can go wrong. While both Fundango and Thursday's Child were fortunate not to

Tra is of ' iniwahuni' was happy to get fuel, food and other help from ' undango', 'Thursday's hild' and se eral other southbound boats.

The PP was the first ocean crossing for oanne and Scott.

FUNDANGO FUNDANGO

experience any serious issues, other vessels were not so lucky. For example, just this season, Raindancer sank within 15 minutes of a whale strike, Niniwahuni was dismasted, Lucky Dog lost their rudder, and a couple of boats had medical issues that incapacitated crew members. In every case, it was a support network of fellow sailors who came to the rescue.

When we first started planning this voyage, we focused on getting Fundango ready for the voyage, knowing we would be alone at sea for about three weeks. We were not thinking about an onshore and offshore support network, which we understand now is just as important as preparing your boat. We were very fortunate that these things fell into place for us, that we crossed with a buddy boat, and

that we had a communication network with a fleet of other boats. It was such a positive experience that next time we embark on such a voyage, we will strive to have a similar support network in place.

On April 25, after 22 days at sea, including one fuel-drop pit stop, we made landfall in Tahauku Bay, Hiva Oa. Thursday's Child arrived a few hours before Fundango. We were all very happy to make landfall and celebrate an unforgettable journey together.

— Joanne 5/5/23

Cruise Notes

mon. Boats sunk by whales are rare — but that's what makes the evening news. We still had the loss of the 45-ft Raindancer

in March in the backs of our minds (the Kelly Peterson 44 sank in March in midPacific after an encounter with a whale; the four crew were rescued unharmed) when contributors Katherine and Andrés Gonzalez of the Pacific Seacraft 34 Ana Maria noted they also had an encounterto-remember a couple of years ago during a passage south from Seattle — fortunately with no harm to boats or whales. They were in thick fog off the Oregon coast. Andrés was forward hoisting the spinnaker when Katherine heard the first whale spout. It sounded close.

She picks up the story from there …

"Did you hear that? It sounds superclose," I shouted to the bow.

"Yeah, and did you hear the one up here? Not just spouting — there are two and I think they're singing to each other."

As the fog starts to clear, we start to see them: two whales to our port side … no, three whales. There are three more on our starboard side. Oh my gosh, there are four more right over there, and three more spouting up ahead!

The more the fog lifts, the more we see. They're everywhere. (We're not experts but we think they are gray whales.) We're surrounded in every direction. We can see their blows for miles, like a field of Old Faithfuls. They swim close, these creatures twice the size of our boat, just 20 yards away. We know we're supposed to stay away from them, but with whales on every side, the best we can do is continue to sail quietly south through the northbound migration and enjoy the sight.

For an hour, we find ourselves in the middle of a spectacular ballet performed by more than a hundred whales, some dancing gracefully. Some were alone, some in pairs, sometimes a trio. A great spout, the broad back gliding up through the surface, the flukes into elegantly raised straight into the air before sliding steeply into the deeper waters.

Near the end of the hour, I'm still watching. Andrés is down below. Not 20 feet away from our port side, I see two spouts coming our way and feel the panic rise. "They're coming closer!" I yell downstairs. "Make sure you're wearing your lifejacket!"

I hold my breath as I watch the two sets of flukes disappear underwater, visions in my head of the whales using our

PP outtakes clockwise from here Some of the early arri als anchored in i a Oa Tango on the job hitchhiking boobies na igation by a mysterious method called chart plotting fresh bread arri ed regularly in ' undango's galley ' undango' underway oanne center cools her heels off the boat's back porch.

Katherine and Andrés prefer no-contact whale encounters.

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Ana María as a volleyball. But sure enough, they pass right under our keel and I, too, let out a big breath as they blow water 20 feet on our starboard side, stick their tails up, and swim away.

It is a terrifying and awe-inspiring lesson that we are but tiny guests of the ocean environment, lucky enough to get a small taste of the expansive activities of this ecosystem. (www.CoCaptainsLog.com)

I sailed into the beautiful and remote waters of French Polynesia and fell in love," writes Josh Shankle of the Ventura-based Tayana 42 Agápe. "Maybe it's the tropical air, or the palm-dotted coastlines that seem as if they fell off a postcard, but something here has captured our hearts. Agápe has found a home. As a photographer, Rachel couldn't ask for a better

place to capture the raw beauty and power of the aquatic world. And as an 'all things ocean' lover, I have found true happiness just under the calm surface. Four years have passed, and we have sailed between atolls and islands, with no plans for stopping. We truly have fallen in love with the way of life here and everything that French Polynesia has to offer. We have only just scratched the surface of what the South Pacific has to offer and look forward to many more years of cruising here and beyond."

programs for high school, gap-year and college students. Last September, she joined their Pacific-based ship, Robert C Seamans (lovingly nicknamed the Bobby C), as chief mate, and "jumped the puddle" from San Diego to French Polynesia. After a short break, she returned in February for another program sailing around the islands. "Polynesia has been a dream landfall for me since I was a teenager cruising with my family, so sailing there was a special experience," she says. "The place lives up to its reputation."

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cled her crewing and cruising adventures aboard tall ships several times over the past few years, has just returned to Santa Cruz from Tahiti. Last year, she got connected with Sea Education Association (SEA), a nonprofit that operates tall-ship

The Bobby C is a 140-ft, 200-ton hermaphrodite brigantine that was purposebuilt for SEA in 2001 in Tacoma, Washington. Marine sciences constitute a large part of the accredited semester programs, so there is a full lab aboard, as well as davits and winches for all the science gear. Students learn to deploy equipment, and collect and then process data, which is used for their research projects. Above decks, the ocean passage trips focus on navigation, sailing and leadership skills. "This more academic kind of program was a new experience for me, as was deploying

Harbor Island West Marina Summer Sailstice Potluck

6.24.23 ~ 4 to 7 p.m. Harbor Island West Supports & Celebrates the 23rd Annual Summer Sailstice.

June 24, 2023

We are encouraging all of our boaters to get out, put their sails up and enjoy the day!

To cap off the big day, Harbor Island West is hosting a boater mixer/potluck on the deck with live music. See you on the water on the 24th!

osh and achel are four years into what looks to be a long-term lo e affair with rench Polynesia.

AGÁPE

science equipment under sail, and I learned heaps," she says.

Krysta is currently captaining Nomad, a Westsail 42 six-pack charter boat out of Santa Cruz.

Ha-Ha (the regular Baja Ha-Ha was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic),

and two seasons of cruising the Sea of Cortez, Katie Smith and Bill Edwards of the San Diego-based Seawind 1160 cat Flite Deck joined the Pacific Posse and headed from Mexico to the Marquesas in April last year. Jack, a retired firefighter friend, came on as crew for the 22-day crossing. Despite the "pre-Flite jitters," they had a great trip, had no major mishaps, and put only six hours on the engines.

Not long after arrival, a shoulder injury sent Katie home "for a quick fix that didn't happen," she says. "Bill got the boat to a yard in Apataki, I got surgery, and that season was done."

Now they're back. They expected to leave within a week of this writing to continue exploring the Tuamotus, "and catching up with all the awesome people we'd met the year before," says Katie.

After that, the Societies, then west, possibly to the Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji, and eventually New Zealand. Like all things sailing, the future is, as Bill says, "just a loose itinerary."

Greenberg of the Tartan 4300 Rio? You may recall him and fiancée Wei as the couple who, for several months, couldn't find a port that would allow them to enter. In 2020, during the COVID crisis, they departed Thailand for the Maldives, only to be denied entry when that country closed before they arrived. They were subsequently turned away from four other ports on the way up the Red Sea and into the Med until, after four months without getting off the boat, they were finally allowed entry into Cyprus.

Since then, George has moved the boat to Marmaris, Turkey, for a year of boat

KRYSTA SWEDBERG

FLITE DECK

Krysta's se eral-month stint aboard the 'Bobby ' as chief mate included a Pacific crossing.

Tanned, rested and ready, Bill and Katie are looking forward to catching up with friends.

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work. During that time, Wei went back to China to help her son with his education.

George took off in 2022 to explore more of the Med, with stops in Crete, Malta and Sicily before heading up to Rome. From there it was over to the Balearics off Spain, then Gibraltar, the Canary and Cabo Verde Islands — and across the Atlantic in 16 days. Rio tied the knot of a 14-year circumnavigation off Grenada. George is currently in Antigua, where the boat is up for sale.

quickly in the cruising community. Although the promise of virtually unlimited internet and communication from anywhere in the world (not there yet, but coming) is enticing, not everyone is jumping on board, at least yet. Doug Hornsey and Sarah Hanna (and their kids) of the BCbased Orca 38 Mandolyn — a relatively

Spartan cutter with tiller steering — were still resisting Starlink even after losing the internet in Mexico. But as Doug reasoned, "Our lack of internet access was inconvenient, but after all, we were there to experience Mexican culture, not Mexican Netflix."

They held out until just two weeks before they were to take off on the Pacific Puddle Jump. Read all about what tipped the scales, what the system delivered for them — and what Starlink could mean to other ocean cruisers — in the July Changes. Freedom Kirkland had a great cruising season, starting in San Carlos on the mainland in November and going down the Sea to Cabo, across to Mazatlán, and continuing down the mainland to Zihuatanejo for Sailfest," writes Kirk Wagner of the Alberta-based Beneteau 393. Kirk and Charlene have been commutercruising Mexico every winter since 2008, "anchoring in just about every anchorage on the chart," notes Kirk. After a great

two weeks raising money for the schools during Sailfest (where the two met in 2012), the Wagners made their way back

up to San Carlos to put Freedom Kirkland on the hard for the summer. "We're currently back at our farm in Alberta, Canada, where we'll work the summer away, then get back to the boat in November to continue living the dream." — latitude/jr

Wei and George, who just completed a 4year circumna igation.

ihuatanejo Sailfest, the only 'must do' e ent on Kirk and harlene's yearly cruising schedule.

RIO

MARGARET REID FREEDOM KIRKLAND

CLASSIFIEDS CL ASSIFIEDS

Latitude 38’s Classy Classifieds is the place to buy or sell boats, marine gear, trailers, liferafts, boat partnerships, trades and more!

Submit your ad online at www.latitude38.com/adverts

One boat per broker, per issue. Logo or Graphic $30 Additional Biz ads do not appear on website.

Your ad is live online immediately upon completion of payment. Ads automatically renew every 30 days, you can cancel anytime.

THE PRINT DEADLINE IS ALWAYS THE 15TH AT 5 P.M.

QUESTIONS? ( 415 ) 383 - 8200 OR C LASS @ LATITUDE38.

DINGHIES, LIFERAFTS & ROWBOATS

A lively, fun boat to sail. See website for details on the Zest class of boat. This Zest has a King trailer, deck cover, and rowing and jib packages. The boat was used for family fun on three annual cruises to the Delta. Trailer and boat were lightly used and are in good condition. $3,000. Oakland. zeppsticks@gmail.com (510) 604-3258 www.rssailing.com/ Brandn ew. Epoxy/wood construction. Arch Davis design. Includes trailer, sail, cover & oars. $10,000 OBO. Carpinteria. carpdory@gmail.com (720) 250-8060

C O M

O’Day Day

Sailer. Multiple sets of sails. All the racing upgrades. Water Rat rudder. Dry-sailed in freshwater mostly at Huntington Lake, CA. $3,500 OBO. Fresno, CA. ken@tkcencal.com (559) 647-4451

John Marples and Jim Brown design trimaran. Comes with trailer. $1,000. Healdsburg, CA. annabelbentley@yahoo.com (707) 3228760

Good

The 18-ft 10-in ‘Helen Mae’ is handmade with eight kinds of wood, fiberglass, epoxy, lots of varnish. Four-oz. tanbark sails, oars, outboard motor mount (motor not included) and custom trailer. $10,000. Sebastopol, CA. jerrykermode@gmail.com (707) 824-9893 www.tinyurl.com/3vkdcfh2

24 FEET & UNDER SAILBOATS

#619. Freshwater boat and tandem-axle shock trailer, two-speed winches, Honda four-stroke outboard, on trailer in Merced, CA. Call Dan for details. $3,400. Merced, CA. daniel.scarbery@gmail.com (559) 2694015

EXPERT MARINE SURVEYOR Capt. ALAN HUGENOT

NAVAL ARCHITECT & MARINE ENGINEER - MASTER IN SAIL ACCREDITED MARINE SURVEYOR (SAMS accredited Oct. 2004)

Need Crew? A Boat to Crew on? Crew List Latitude 38

✩ Visit our website and sign up as Skipper or Crew ✩ It’s Free ✩

Boat and trailer in great shape, with the hulls amazingly having no damage at all! Can’t find a chip or deep scratch. Specifications: Length: 16 ft 7 in / 5.04 m. Beam: 7 ft 11 in / 2.41 m. 1500.00. Grass Valley. stephenffox@outlook.com

Gaff-rigged sloop, strip plank

Atlantic white cedar and steam bent oak frames. Bronze fastened. Built by internationally recognized violin builder, Scott Hershey. $15,000. San Diego. scarpy47@gmail.com (619) 694-7696

condition. Includes mainsail w/1 set of reef points, working jib, all newer running rig, 6hp Nissan outboard 4-stroke, model #NSF6BS, B&G tiller pilot, Danforth anchor w/rope-to-chain rode. Cabin has pop-top. All gear included: life vests, fenders, dock lines, SS swim ladder, etc. Trailer has been reconditioned: new hubs, bearings, rims, tires. Has been sandblasted and painted w/ two-part epoxy primer and paint. Inside has been painted with new cushions. Electrical system, new wire, LED running and interior lights, battery switch and smart charger. $4,000. Capitola. ben_lemasterii@yahoo.com (831) 3455246

LIST YOUR BOAT!

Deadline for the July Classifieds: June 15

Your ad goes live online immediately at www.latitude38.com

DAVE’S DIVING SERVICE

Serving Southern Marin Since 1984

RIGGING ONLY ✪ SMALL AD, SMALL PRICES

Standing and running rigging, life lines, furling gear, winches, line, windlasses, travelers, wire and terminals, blocks, vangs, and much more. ~ Problem solving and discount mail order since 1984 ~ www.riggingonly.com

. Rare allfiberglass Zephyr. #101. New mast, new sails, new standing and running rigging, new full boat cover. Road-ready trailer. Professionally rigged and restored. New sprayed LPU topside and deck paint. Flawless condition. $8,500. Richmond. ralf.morgan@comcast.net (510) 207-7343

25 – 28 FEET SAILBOATS

Built by Edey & Duff boatyard in Massachusetts. Fiberglass hull, Full ballasted keel. Five kW regenerative electric propulsion. Roller jib, self-tending staysail. Comfortable weekend cabin including V-berth, seating, wood stove and pump sink. Vessel is in excellent working and esthetic condition. Stone Horse is safe and simplistic by nature. The electric conversion has greatly improved the experience onboard. $30,000. Alameda. RykerUvila@yahoo.com (360) 626-3668

Up-

graded MacGregor 26M with aft cockpit seats, easy-entry lifelines, solo mastraising system, and many other upgrades. This is the rarer roomy interior with starboard galley. Includes trailer with many upgrades. $21,495. San Jose, CA. victry35@gmail.com (530) 420-6148 www.t.ly/UAzr

Excellent condition, set up for racing. Features: Raymarine ST 1000+ tiller self-steering. Small Honda 4-stroke outboard — very reliable. Lewmar winches. Harken furling.

7.5 kg Bruce anchor. Standard Horizon Explorer radio. Small solar panel for battery charging. Shorthanded racer with many racing sails plus serviceable Dacron sails. Very low maintenance. Photos and more info on Craigslist (see URL link above). Please email me to schedule a viewing. $14,000 OBO. Brisbane, CA. donndenman@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/36thbjhb

Very nice condition with newer electronics. Garmin wind, speed, depth, and GPS with sonar. Three sets sails. Contact Paul. $88,000. San Rafael, CA. pdescalso@gmail.com (415) 699-4290

Standard rig with wing keel, pop top and dodger. Has double lifelines, 4 Lewmar winches, with 2 that are self-tailing, and lazy jacks. 2013 Tohatsu 9.9 outboard with power start. Deck pumpout for permanently installed Thetford Porta-Potti. Interior has 2 new batteries, VHF radio, alcohol stove, Ritchie compass. and depth gauge. Hull has no blisters and is kept in fresh water. Price includes EZ Loader tandemaxle trailer. $13,000. Rio Vista, CA. royarnoldcameron@yahoo.com (209) 988-0148

Gr eat lake and coastal cruiser with lots of factory features. Call for details. $19,995. Penn Valley, CA. chrisfrank3@gmail.com (530) 902-4832

Excellent for the Bay, and a great first boat. Spacious below, lots of light, U-shaped settee, enclosed head, sink, cooler, two-burner alcohol stove. Solid Yanmar with 1800 hrs. Roller furling, VHF, stereo, plotter. Documented. $19,500. Alameda. tom@porcella.cc (510) 410-7221

After years of wooden boat caretaking, it’s been a great freedom to own such a low-maintenance sailboat since 2013. I’m moving out of the area now and it’s time for a new owner. Fresh brightwork. Fiberglass hull, freshly painted 2/23. Brand-new batteries, charger, prop seal. Yamaha 9.9hp outboard (new in 2018) – electric start – 50 hrs. Inboard engine non-functioning. Mainsail and 3 foresails (80/100/120) good condition. V-berth/2 settee berths/quarter berth. All cushions recovered 2013, still great condition. Two full-length cockpit cushions. Electrical rewired 2013. New wind/depth/speed instrument installed 2020. New head 2013. All portholes reseated 2017. New tiller 2022. New sail covers 2021. $12,000 OBO. Sausalito, CA. jfa@skyseastone.com (970) 261-1611

Built in Denmark, imported 2007. Turnkey, ready to race or cruise. The perfect familyfriendly S.F. Bay boat. $24,000. SF Marina. ericjkaiser@yahoo.com (415) 290-5870

‘Fastlane’ sailed mostly at Huntington Lake, CA. Multiple High Sierra regatta champion. New Ullman Dacron main, used twice. Doyle spinnaker and genoa. Multiple other sails. Boat in good condition with trailer. $12,000. Fresno, CA. ken@tkcencal.com

This boat is in dry dock in San Carlos, Sonora. It will be in the work yard the month of May 2023. The Yanmar needs some work. The rigging should be replaced. Last sailed winter 2020. Includes triple-axle trailer $10,000 OBO. San Carlos, Sonora, MX. johannamcfadden953@gmail.com (435) 899-0545

WATERCRAFT MOBILE MARINE PROS

Specializing in: Stem to Stern Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Installation for Most Marine Watercraft (510) 367-8537 Watercraftmobile@gmail.com

VESSEL MOVING

No ocean too big, no trip too small, no ship too large, no mast too tall. Sail or power, we move them all! When you are ready give us a call.

Professional Service • cappytom@aol.com • (206) 390-1596

This is an

iconic one-design racing sailboat with active fleets in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. It comes with $15,000 worth of brand-new, never-used racing sails It is located, ready to launch, in Santa Cruz Yacht Club dry storage, Trailer included. I can help out with dry slip transfer. Outboard included. $13,000. Santa Cruz. pweaver@csumb.edu (831) 359-9073 www.tinyurl.com/3j7zxz7v

PHRF racer and comfortable cruiser. Interior and exterior maintained in excellent condition by meticulous owner. Yanmar 1gm10 diesel with very low hrs. Garmin chartplotter, Raymarine VHF radio, emergency beacon and many other items. $10,000. Alameda. Jnovie@aol.com (415) 271-3441

Afterguard Sailing Academy

The Affordable Way to ASA

125%

Genoa, autopilot, radar, GPS, Universal diesel, updated rigging in 2014, hauled November 2021 for two coats bottom paint, third coat waterline, replaced head valves, engine water valve, packing gland. New cockpit drain hoses and exhaust hoses. Boat has had two owners: 1989 and 2004. Regularly maintained boat by seasoned sailor. Maintenance log of services available. Boat sailed San Francisco Bay with trips to Santa Cruz and Monterey. Make this desirable Catalina your next boat for Bay Area adventures! $23,500. Brickyard Cove, Point Richmond. dbward@hotmail.com (805) 889-9944

‘Hot Betty’, Bay Area beauty. Hot race sails, practice sails, original gel bottom. Clean inside and out. Trailer with electric brakes, new tires. Excellent race history, 3 Nationals, 3 trophies! Six-time Vallejo 1st, etc. $16,000. Pt. Richmond. bluecanyondave@gmail.com

November

2020 bottom and survey. 2013 new electrical system/control panel. 2000 installed Yanmar 2GM20F diesel motor. Two self-tailing winches. Was in Pittsburg till this past spring. Needs haulout again in November 2023. $12,500 OBO. Marina Village, Alameda. f.j.marshall@sbcglobal.net (925) 2606429

Excellent S.F. Bay boat at a bargain price. Ready to sail with good sails, engine, Autohelm 6000, wind, backstay adjuster, spinnaker, spares. Hull just cleaned. Bad is it needs some easy DIY and deferred maintenance, upgrades. Must have realistic expectations, cash and serious inquiry. See at Emery Cove Marina, slip B60. Email Phil for more info/appointment, first contact by text only. $16,500. Emeryville, CA. pmchin47@hotmail.com (925) 477-9987

A well-equipped offshore sailing vessel that has undergone several upgrades and much maintenance work in recent years. It has participated in five Pacific Cup campaigns, achieving first overall in 1998, and third in class in 2012. This boat is a turnkey budget racer capable of offshore sailing, coastal cruising, and daysailing. New boom 2014. Rebuilt mast 2014. Rebuilt rudder 2023. New cutlass bearing 2023. Bottom paint 2023. Monitor windvane. M-Rud emergency rudder. Two spinnaker poles. Three headsails: 130; 110; storm sail. Three spinnakers. New mainsail 2012. New twin headsails 2014. New fuel tank and electronic fuel gauge 2014. Yanmar 2GM. USCG Documented vessel. Garmin navigation suite. $24,900. Redwood City, CA. Bh.hackel@gmail.com (510) 521-6213 www.tinyurl.com/5cwdjfze

See the link to get info and pics. $35,000. San Rafael. nomanski@gmail.com (360) 395-5120 https://tinyurl.com/ybr5a3wp

Well maintained, sturdy cruiser that races well to its PHRF rating. Perfect for the upcoming sailing season. Very easy to singlehand: all lines led to the cockpit, genoa on a roller furler, and lazy jacks for the main. Repowered in 2005 with sail, winch, and vang upgrades in 2015. Bottom job completed Sept ’22 with new dripless shaft seal. Ready to sail! Text for more info. $17,500 OBO. South Beach Marina, San Francisco. ericeli57@gmail.com (813) 451-9058

‘Encore’ is a beauty. Recent out-of-water survey. Check out Wooden Boat issue 12 for more build info. I would prefer that both boats go to the same buyer, but they have been apart before. By far the fastest boat I have ever sailed. Mylar main and jib, spare Mylar jib and a #3 Dacron jib. 2 spinnakers. $20,000. Treasure Island, CA. sawinery2004@yahoo.com (925) 2192279

Classic olderstyle sloop with modified scoop stern. Strong Volvo diesel 487 hrs. Harken roller furling. Tiller, older sails. Relocating and priced to sell. $9,750 OBO. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor. ngolifeart@gmail.com (747) 286-8311

Yanmar 15hp inboard (repowered 2006), two mainsails, two jibs, roller furling, two spinnakers, two anchors, anchor locker, dinghy, swim ladder, VHF, EPIRB, depth/speed gauge, battery charger, solar panel, separate starter/house batteries, AC outlets, head, holding tank. Mexico veteran, ready to sail! $11,000 OBO. San Francisco. gallagher415@gmail.com

Etchells USA #1091

‘Dinner Roll’. Speed shopped hull, spare spinnaker pole, tiller and rudder. Factory recessed traveler, spinnaker and deck hardware. Four Brolga turmbuckles, bungee tensioned running rigging, Proctor mast, Burtek single-axle trailer, new bearings, tires and spare. Three mains, five jibs, 10 spinnakers. Many more extras. Call Bill. $13,900 OBO. Stockton, CA. wccanepa@comcast.net 2095700501 www.wccanepa@comcast.net

‘Legacy’ is a beauiful racing boat, and so is ‘Encore’. Want to own a pair of dueling pistols? Check out Wooden Boat issue 12 for all the details. Recent survey out of water. Send an email and I will forward it to you. $20,000. Treasure Island, CA. sha32015@outlook.com (925) 219-2279

32 – 35 FEET SAILBOATS

Full-

masted sloop. Bronze ports. Seven sails. New 9 oz. main. Wilcox Crittenden head. 40hp Westerbeke diesel. Two-axle fiveton trailer. 1999 Ford 350 dually diesel. 30 years ownership. Spinal cord injury prevents refitting boat. $15,000 retallic@ pacific.net (707) 391-8605

Vitesse Too is a well-known turnkey SF Bay and Coastal racer. Fully optimized for Bay and offshore racing. Full set of Ulman racing sails, fresh haul out, upgraded rudder and rudder components, new boom, newer standing rigging, running rigging, 2 spinnaker poles. Dependable 9.9 Yamaha outboard. Fastest boat available for the money. $20,000 Alameda, CA grant.l.hayes@ gmail.com $20,000 obo. Alameda, CA. grant.l.hayes@gmail.com 5103819021

In great condition with extras. Good sails, new canvas and dodger, new exterior cushions, ready for your enjoyment. First $32,000 gets this boat. Email or call to make offer. $32,000. South Beach Harbor, S.F. naylorken@comcast.net (408) 446-1160

destinations, live prices and current availabilities Sailing boats, catamarans, motor power yachts bareboat or with first class skippers. All models Lagoon, Bali, Jeanneau, Beneteau, Bavaria, Hanse, Dufour etc, Gullets, mini-cruisers www.silversail.hr/en • info@silversail.hr

For your consideration, a very well-equipped Cal 35, set-up for cruising and racing. Modern navigation and communication equipment, re-rigged in 2017-22. Newer sails including asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers. Offshore dodger with bimini. Universal diesel (32 HP Kubota), custom composite rudder, below deck autopilot, 12-in Garmin chartplotter, AIS, IridiumGO, Balmar alternator, Furuno radar. Gori three-blade prop, recent haul out and bottom paint. Achilles inflatable with Mercury o/b. Located in Tiburon. $48,000. gwsbristol@yahoo.com

Too much to list. Vessel’s in excellent condition. Must see. $75,000. Sequim, WA. c.hawkdiesel@gmail.com (360) 809-9104

Excellent racer/ cruiser that has been well maintained. Many upgrades including rebuilt standing rigging by Easom Racing, Quantum main w/Strong Track and battens, Santa Cruz jib and a North Sails asymmetrical spinnaker. NX2 instruments, Harken roller furler, Easom running rigging, updated electric panel, cabin and sail covers. Equipped with an 18hp Yanmar diesel engine with new impeller, exhaust elbow and dripless packing. Dual Plastimo compasses, Autohelm, stereo, GPS, lazy jacks, two VHF radios. $15,500 OBO. South Beach Harbor, San Francisco. rwcmccarthy@gmail.com

Great condition with recent upgrades. More photos in the online Latitude 38 classifieds. Call for details. $30,000. Delta. paulasunn@gmail.com (530) 514-1584

A Westsail-like boat, 11-ft beam, 5.3-ft draft, 41.3-ft LOA, 20,000+lb dis, Volvo MD3B frozen — needs replacing, sails old, dodger newer, very stout boat, polyester resin/fiberglass hull, wood deck 1.5-in thick. $7,000 OBO. ghenry1102@yahoo.com (510) 501-4927

‘Full Tilt’ — fast and versatile sloop-rigged racer/ cruiser. 33-ft 10-in LOA, 11-ft 2-in beam. Well maintained, new diesel tank, stern tube, shaft seal, steering system, rudder, recent bottom paint, raw water manifold. Fully equipped for cruising with Yanmar 3 GMD 20 hp diesel, dinghy, tools, spare parts, PFDs, safety equipment, Autohelm, new handheld VHF, basic instruments, stereo, galley, bronze BBQ, new cabin heater, jib furler, extra sails, EZ Jacks, boom kicker, spinnaker pole, ground tackle, folding Max-Prop, sleeps 6. Set up for singlehandling. Excellent S.F. Bay and offshore boat. Contact Bill. $18,000. Point Richmond, CA. randall2u@astound.net (925) 519-0471

Nice one head, two cabin layout, good sails, well maintained. Three cyl diesel runs great. With slip Pier 39 D4. Best buy on the Bay. Very close in. Go look, then call Ray. $16,500. San Francisco Pier 39. rayweathers43@yahoo.com (209) 6704920

‘Bazinga’ — Hull #118 fixed keel. Tandem axle trailer designed for hoist or ramp launching. Boat is located in dry storage at SDYC. This is a turnkey Hobie rigged for Transpac. All upgrades were completed not to affect her favorable PHRF Rating 96/81/81. Well optimized sail inventory. Includes all necessary gear for ORC Cat 1 offshore. A complete listing of equipment, upgrades as well as additional pictures are available. $49,999 OBO. San Diego, CA. steve@sartopools.com (480) 201-7178

‘Querida’ is a unique A35. She is an oldschool cruiser with some professional and tasteful improvements. Included are: a custom light dinghy/dodger, New Found Metals opening stainless portlights, Monitor windvane, narrowboat heater, composting head, sitz tub-style shower, stainless bowsprit/anchor roller, propane stovetop, and more. Sails include a full-batten main, 120 genoa, asymmetrical with sock, spinnaker, drifter, storm tri and storm jib. Westerbeke diesel with low hrs and more. REDUCED FROM $33,000! $29,900 Consider Cal 20 and trailer on trade. L.A. Harbor. bvbolton@gmail.com (541) 912-0211

Beautiful, strong cruising cutter Herreshoff designed, bowsprit and boomkin, cedar cold-molded hull, full lead keel, spruce spars, sails in great condition (mainsail with 3 reefs; stays’l, jib; 120% Dacron; 120% 1.5 oz. nylon; storm sail; trys’l); Aries wind vane self-steering; 10-ft fiberglass dinghy; sails beautifully; no engine; sail into and out of upwind Berkeley berth or use 16 ft oar; 4 anchors (45# 35# 25# CQR, fisherman); windlass. $39,500. Berkeley. kennoble40@gmail.com (925) 786-7878

Racing or cruising, the Beneteau First Class 10 has outstanding performance. Designed by Jean-Marie Finot and Jacques Fauroux. Full complement of recent racing sails and upgraded electronics. A quick, affordable sailboat. $27,000. Redwood City. dropbeer14@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/5ykvscns

‘Tooloco’ previously ‘Ripple’ sistership to ‘Terramoto’ is available. ‘Tooloco’ is a 35-ft ultralight water- ballasted planing machine designed by Paul Bieker, with a 40:1 sail area to displacement ratio. In the last 24 months she has been completely refit to include new: running and standing rigging, complete rewire with B&G 5000, new Quantum wardrobe, main, genoa, code 0 w/furler, J3, A1.5, A2, North main, A1,.J1, A2. New keel with cutter, rudder bearings, Awlgrip in/out+ nonskid, all deck hardware, clutches, turning blocks, lifelines, Yanmar 20GM rebuilt. Complete list available. Turnkey program. I have purchased interest in a RP 51 to campaign this year, so selling the 35. $150,000. San Diego, CA. larry.andrews@unitvestinc.com (760) 805-2883

Not your average J/100. Highly optimized for both crewed and shorthanded racing, ‘8-Ball’ can win and has won it all. No other boat has two distinct configurations depending on what type of racing you want to do. This boat has all the right stuff: B&G H-5000, all-new North 3DI sails, electric winches, electric hydraulics, and carbon accessories. The mainsheet, jib sheet, and spinnaker sheets are all controlled by electric winching systems. These are all operated by remote controls worn by the helmsman or a second remote worn by a crew member. The Easom Rigging Company has handled all optimizations of this boat. Call to get a full brochure. $220,000. Pt Richmond. seasom@sbcglobal.net (415) 686-9330

Latitude 38

SAILBOATS

‘DaddyO’ is a fantastic sailboat with an outstanding track record for heavy-wind ocean sailing with your friends, with upgraded version of the interior for comfort with the family while on the Bay or anchoring in Sausalito. We will miss ‘DaddyO’, But our kids are bigger now so we just upgraded to a bigger boat. Vessel has a solid engine and rigging, with lots of upgrades: inverter, autopilot, furler, travelers, jib cars and blocks, 2-reef mainsail, rigid vang, and more. Sails include 110 & 135 jibs, 150 genoa, a tri-radial spinnaker with pole on the deck. BBQ, dinghy and more. More details and pics and videos can be found on website. $29,000 OBO. Emeryville, CA. daddyosf81@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/3sb5zpay

Arguably one of the most updated PS37s available. Recently new: Yanmar 4JH45 (100 hrs), custom fuel tank, Ballenger mast and boom, North main and jib, all lines led aft, all new running and standing rigging, port light lenses and gaskets, thru-hulls, dodger, life raft, EPIRB, way too much to list. Amazing world cruiser and luxurious liveaboard. Possible one-year Santa Cruz slip sublet. Seller not highly motivated and price not negiotiable. Email for info. $175,000. Santa Cruz. 1987PS37ForSale@gmail.com (415) 297-8078

A true high-performance racer/cruiser. PHRF 63, stiff, stable, high-quality build and design with comfortable interior accommodations (6-ft 2-in headroom) for overnights spent offshore, at anchor, or in a slip. The 1080 has multiple firstplace finishes in major European regattas (Fastnet, Cowes, Middle Sea, Caribbean 600, RORC national champion, Sydney Hobart, etc.), and this boat has multiple local first-place finishes. Perhaps one of the best “do everything” designs ever built. Inshore, offshore, long distance or casual cruising. Carbon fiber mast/ boom, extensive B&G instrumentation. Full equipment list upon request. Very popular boat in Europe, a rare find in North America (only two 1080s in all of N.A.) Clean, excellent condition, meticulously cared-for. $235,000. Sausalito. jng7000@gmail.com (916) 719-5225 www.youtu.be/FCgYE3EZ5BQ

Solid cruising boat with lots of great features. Photos show her in good condition, but she is a project boat to some degree. Needs work on motor and some electrical as she is an older vessel. Batteries in good shape, all new thru hull fittings. She is a proven cruising boat with a full keel, plenty of head room and storage. New standing rigging of this past year and new electrical wiring and LED lights, VHF antenna, new hot water tank. Brought overland from the East Coast so life lines, stations and bow sprit were removed and will need to be reinstalled (all are included). Stainless frames for both dodger and Bimini but no canvas. Sails and covers are in fair condition. Interior cushions are in good condition. Nice interior layout. Well suited for someone with time and a little experience to complete the projects mentioned. Priced to reflect engine and other work to be completed. $25,000 neg. Sausalito. jaygrant11383@gmail.com

(415) 4136707

‘Nimbus’ is an excellent racing and cruising family sailboat for San Francisco Bay. Fiberglass hull and deck, varnished mahogany interior with teak and holly sole. Accommodations: Large “V” berth forward with head to port. Hanging lockers to starboard. Main salon: two settee berths, center table stows out of the way. Double quarter berth to port aft of the navigation station. Galley: Stainless steel sink, icebox, stove/oven. Mast and boom aluminum with stainless steel rigging. Manual jib furling system. Mainsail with two reefs. Jib and spinnaker. Engine: Westerbeke 38. Nimbus sits in a 40-ft slip in the West Basin of the San Francisco Marina. Slip rights available, additional cost. $20,000. West Basin, San Francisco Marina. daphnej@pacbell.net (415) 385-4157

The Blackwatch 37 is a predecessor of the Tartan 37 and is ready to be out on the water. She used to be a racing boat and was recently outfitted to go cruising. New in last 2 years: Autopilot, watermaker, electric toilet, windlass, anchor & rode, solar. $25,000. Tiburon. ilchianti@gmail.com (916) 995-7853

40 – 50 FEET SAILBOATS

Bluewater boat for a couple to sail. Easy, comfortable and safe boat to cruise. Built to the highest standards, has been well maintained, with upgrades over the years. Includes a full complement of equipment, ready to go again. $79,000 Asking. Newport, OR. moctobi@gmail.com (503) 707-6062

Owner of 12+ years offering excellent example of this somewhat rare on the West Coast vessel. Well maintained, much newer equipment, Raymarine, Spectra, Victron, Pineapple, Lewmar, Cruisair. Everything works! Ready to cruise or PHRF with turbo’ed sail. $86,000. San Diego. mlarchplastics@yahoo.com www.tinyurl. com/2829b4tc

Great family and Bay boat. Replaced main and roller jib eight yrs ago. The stainless standing rigging was inspected five yrs ago. Fitted with autopilot and radar. Great start boat to get out on the Bay and sail. $15,000 OBO. Berkeley Marina. kh.weisenberger@gmail.com

Professionally built of mahogany over oak, ‘Debonair’ has been lovingly maintained and extensively upgraded. A seaworthy passagemaker, ‘Debonair’ recently completed a 16,000nm Pacific tour. From rig to sails, systems to safety, ‘Debonair’s voyage-ready. $89,500. Port Hadlock, WA. ketchdebonair@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/2s36wtce

Sailboat with brand-new bottom end job, 55hp Perkins diesel, teak wood deck, four batteries and AC inverter, two jibs, West Marine dinghy and 2hp outboard gasoline engine, new bilge pump, and clean survey as of July 2022. $20,000 OBO. Oyster Point Marina, San Francisco, CA. Flynhighaf23@gmail.com (505) 480-4025

TURN-KEY Boat… hull ’88, everything else upgraded 2017-23. New bottom paint, Ray Marine electronics, solar, Porta-Bote dinghy, dinghy lift, electric dinghy motor. Note: Slip is paid through Sept. 2023. Call for more info. $62,000 OBO. Ensenada, Baja, MX. petdr90@yahoo.com (360) 789-2716

Dick

Carter-designed Olympic sloop. Westerbeke 50hp diesel, dual steering, 12.75ft beam. Lines run below deck. Full standing headroom. Lewmar winches. Fast cruiser. $12,000. Oakland. cattail1956@yahoo.com (510) 537-9689

Great cruiser, sails beautifully. Outfitted for offshore. Self-sufficient with solar, Spectra watermaker and Frigoboat. Two state rooms, custom interior. Too much to list. Already located in world class cruising grounds. Check out url. $40,000 OBO. San Carlos, Sonora, MX. ALINDYROSEN@CYBERMESA. COM (360) 758-7452 www.tinyurl. com/56t6webp

Custom-built racer from Long Beach: Dencho Marine Inc. by Robert Vaughn. Best offer or will trade for classic vehicle. Call or email. $79,000 OBO or Trade. Sausalito, CA. libertyshipmarina@comcast.net (415) 613-3665

Beautiful sailboat for sale that sleeps six. This boat is perfect for a family or group of friends who want to enjoy the open water. It has a spacious interior with plenty of room to relax and sleep. The boat is in excellent condition and has been well maintained. It comes with all the necessary equipment and is ready to sail. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a beautiful sailboat that will provide you with years of enjoyment! Mainsail inmast furling. Genoa and jib sails included. Stern gangplank, 53hp Yanmar diesel, two heads, and much more. See URL for additional photos. $135,000 All offers entertained. Marina Bay, Richmond, CA. efhale@msn.com (831) 818-0199 www. photos.app.goo.gl/JUhgy2n8L8wZNHfV8

Frers-

designed ketch owned by the same family since 2000. Kids are grown and grandkids are busy so time for us to move to the dark side. Nearly everything above deck and down below has been replaced or upgraded. Great boat, easy to sail with in-boom furling on the main, all lines led aft to electric winches, nice cruising interior, at a great price. ‘Daring’ will take you anywhere in comfort and safety. Details of upgrades and photos at website. Serious inquiries only, please.

$129,000 OBO, Broker Inquiries OK, Possible Trade, Transferable San Pedro Slip in front of CBYC. San Pedro, CA. craig@novamar.net (714) 356-9816 www. dawn48.com

10k PRICE

DROP! PPJ veteran, ‘Mandolin’, our seaworthy home 14+ yrs. Cruising equipped, stable at sea, custom Hasse sails, meticulously maintained. Galley renovated, rebuilt shower, refinished floors, many upgrades. See boattrader link for specs & photos. $117,900. San Diego, CA. loriserocki@yahoo.com www.tinyurl. com/2p8pu38k

Cutter rig, New Zealand Yachts, center cockpit, aft cabin, cold molded kauri pine, Dynel cloth, Epiglass design: Jim Young N.A. Re-rigged 2018, New standing and running rigging, North main and jib, lazy jacks, Harken mechanical backstay tensioner, B&G wind and depth instrumentation, Simrad radar, Yanmar 4HJ, 50hp, ZF Trans, Fireboy auto fire extinguisher system, slipstream Aust. Feathering prop, toerails, handrails, caprail, companionway hatches, forward cabin top hatch varnished. Steering: mechanical, hydraulic. Natural gas stove/oven. New 300-ft 5/16 high-test chain, stainless plow anchor, Engel refrigeration, Lavac manual heads.

$100,000 Reduced. Long Beach, CA. jimwaide@gmail.com (949) 838-5880

Iantha is a Block Island “Cowhorn”

Ketch that was built in Cosa Mesa in 1945 The hull was originally designed by Trustrum Dodge in 1661 and is the first American designed boat. Length Overall: 50’ Length @ Waterline: 42’-0”, Deck: 38’-0”, Beam: 15’-6”, Draft: 6’6”, Displacement: 27 GT/32,000 lbs./ 16 Tons, Type of Construction: Oak Frames with 7qt. Vertical Grain Douglas Fir Planks, Spars & Mast: Spruce. Decks redone in 1012, Masts in 1013 and a new rudder in 2015. A great Ancient Mariners sailboat looking for the next Steward to take her to 100 years old and beyond. $80,000 OBO. $80,000 OBO. San Diego. jdarrochdesign@yahoo.com (619) 2436269

RE-

DUCED price, Opportunity Boat, 41 Gulfstar, CC Ketch, SOMEDAY. Is between a ready 2 go & project boat. Full operating systems. Engine purrs, excellent sails, rigging inspected & upgraded, fresh Pettit 5 yr bottom paint, Avon inflatable w 5 hp Merc, AiS receiver, 550 watts solar. Garmin depth/fish finder, VHF, radio, excellent windless, multiple anchors. Ready to go! Needs TLC, interior aged. bilge dirty, water hose leaks, other small stuff. Boat maintained. Am 83. Take advantage, buy excellent boat. Fix, sail, cruise, liveaboard. I owned 41 yrs. Now $35,000 reduced from $39,000. If looking for project , most need upgrades. SOMEDAY is fully functional, maintenance current. Can expect yrs of use without high cost expendatures. $35,000. Puerto Vallarta, MX. boatstuffster@gmail.com (541) 361-0239

Lovely ocean-sailing vessel. Needs TLC. Excellent deal as a fixer project. Now in Emeryville, CA. Three cabins, two baths. Complete details and photos on website. All serious offers considered. $49,000 OBO make offer. Emeryville, CA. gmeader@gmail.com (415) 987-3948 www.maxfx.biz

Worldcapable cruiser. Beautiful yacht in great condition. Ready to take you cruising. Cutter-rigged with oversized rigging and extra cockpit winches. Lots of newer equipment such as: large sail inventory, radios, GPS, windvane, heater, autopilot, radar, 40 hp Yanmar engine, stove/oven, fridge/freezer, watermaker. 2018 engine/ power train refurbished at $20K cost. Call or email Tom. $115,000. Orcas, WA. svlandsend@yahoo.com (360) 632-8896

‘Endeavor’ is a strong, sea-kindly vessel, designed by Henk Tingen and built in Holland in 1958. Purchased 1987 and brought back from near-extinction. We had 13 years cruising about the world; maybe now it’s your turn. Fall in love with your dream boat. Lots of good kit included, can be ready to sail to Norway in 2023! Contact C. Masters for complete list. $100,000. Ipswich, Suffolk, UK. svendeavor1958@gmail.com (206) 9603793

Extensive refit in 2000 — Lefiell mast, standing rigging, Yanmar 50hp, custom hard dodger, new fuel tanks, LP water heater, BBQ, windlass, roller furling main and jib, MPS, etc. Winner best maintained at SGYC 4 years. New house and start batteries, dinghy. See pictures info at website. Strong cruising boat and great liveaboard. Call Ron. $119,000. San Diego. ron@griffinformation.com (619) 226-6071

Type of vessel: ketch. Estimated speed: 10 kt power, 6-8 kt sail. Built Netherlands 1980. Time of lay-up: fall 2012. Hull: length 48-ft, beam 15-ft, draft 7-ft. Frames: varied dimensional steel. Topsides single skin steel plate, 1/4 thick estimated; bottom single skin steel plate, 1/4 thick estimated; deck and bulkheads steel plate. Hull layout: V-berth, forward head, forward triple berth, settee/berth, chart station, galley, captain’s berth, engine/machinery/ maintenance room, after master bath, after head, straight inboard diesel engine auxiliary powered. New bow thruster (2010), electronics, autopilot, forward underwater sonar. Six-cyl Leyland diesel, midline, 350 gal water, 250 gal fuel. Pictures at website. $54,900. Cleveland, OH. maudeij@yahoo.com.au (954) 235-2527 www.guapasailboat.com

Center cockpit, ketch, 80hp Ford Lehman diesel 3800hrs. Aft queen w/windows, sails good Spruce main, aluminum mizzen, lower deck teak removed, bath tub, PEX plumbing, no rot. $78,000. Berkeley. tcparfitt@yahoo.com (707) 861-2954

PRICE REDUCED:

‘HIgh Five’: Cookson-built Farr 40 / Kevlar hull. Volvo Penta 40 hp; 250 hrs on engine and saildrive. Includes multiple sails. Extremely well maintained. Call to get more details. $38,000. Morro Bay, CA. goldconcept@sbcglobal.net (805) 5501118

Fully loaded in mint condition — This boat was truly loved on! She is ready to take you anywhere in the world with safety, class and style. Please call for extensive inventory list. Must see her! $425,000. Alameda, CA. lrtravioli@hotmail.com (559) 269-7669

CLASSIC BOATS

‘Lady Hawk’ is a North Sea fishing trawler converted to a sailing ketch in 1985. She was our home for over 20 years when traveling thousands of miles. She is 85-ft LOA with her lifting bowsprit. She has a classic Garena 100hp two-cylinder two-cycle hot-bulb semi diesel engine with a 52-in reversing propeller. She sleeps six comfortably. ‘Lady Hawk’ has been with this owner 45 years. He seeks to pass on this heritage sailing vessel to the next generation. $175,000. Port Townsend, WA. svladyhawk@gmail.com (360) 379-4994

Low

hrs Yanmar diesel. NEW: worm drive steering, SS fuel tanks, solar panels, air head, Simrad plotter and more. Completed extensive boatyard overhaul. Master Mariner race winner, Transpac vet. $11,000. Owl Harbor. sagieber@gmail.com (206) 384-1175

A drysailed, US-fabricated and -assembled racing/cruising folding trimaran (and trailer), designed by Ian Farrier and customized by Mike Leneman of Multi Marine. This is one of the lightest and fastest boats on the West Coast. $82,500. Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, CA. uncllou@gmail.com (310) 770-1103

Extensive refurbishing of beautiful, classic, carbon-fiber, Farrier design has just been completed by Spectrum Marine. This rare gem is now offered for $32,000. Call for an appointment to view. $32,000 OBO. Los Angeles, CA. (310) 310-4914

POWER & HOUSEBOATS

Great Bay boat for fishing, crabbing, family fun. With trailer and Evinrude 70. Current registration. Located at Tomales Bay Resort, Inverness $7,500. Inverness, CA. Kathleen.m.campbell@gmail.com (415) 509-2949

Slips 30’-75’ at great rates! Amenities: parking, bathrooms, laundry, pumpout, free wi-fi, keyless entry. Guest berths also available. Call for availability. 451 Seaport Court, Redwood City, CA 94063. crevay@redwoodcityport.com (650) 3064150 www.redwoodcityport.com/marina

Galilee

Harbor Community Association is accepting applications for a temporary berth. Applicant must own their vessel and live aboard fulltime. Low-income household only (based on HUD 2023 maximum annual income limits for Marin County). Applicant must be actively engaged in maritime service, or be a working artist. Selected applicants will interview with harbor members. Membership will vote to select a candidate. Must be willing and able to participate in cooperative activities, which counts toward required work hours to maintain the harbor. Must comply with GHCA bylaws, and city and state requirements. For more information or an application, please visit website. Sausalito, CA. galileeharbor@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/ bfyafpm6

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Truly stunning Folkboat ‘Snabben,’ lovingly restored in 1996 by Michael Johnson, needs a little TLC. Beautifully detailed cabin, full galley, heater set up, sleeps three; looking for loving home; must see to believe! Truly priceless! Near Rio Vista, CA. (530) 9062159. janenebj@outlook.com

MULTIHULLS

Modern mini-houseboat. Includes transport to your slip in the Bay Area. See Airbnb review — link below. $1,500,000. Steinberger Marina. e.stancil53@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/ d7dzbbvm

BERTHS & SLIPS

Catamaran

Moored in San Rafael under roof. Beautiful classic boat. All new Renogy electric system, three lithium batteries. The whole boat is rewired. Cushions and curtains made by Marcia. $50,000. San Rafael. melco@mcn.org (707) 884-4836

project, fiberglass hulls, gear to finish, needs interior. Mast, boom, sails, engine, 20+ new Lewmar ports and hatches, container, pulpits, stanchions, lifelines. Temp. yard to finish, easy move. $50,000 OBO. Santa Rosa, CA. john@windtoys.net (707) 696-3334

I no longer need my 36-ft slip (#B28) at Pier 39. The slip has about 10 years left. Pay XFER fee ($1,200) and it’s yours. No text, just call or email. $1,200. Pier 39 S.F., CA. rwnicho@hotmail.com (415) 648-7960

F. Bay. Are you equally at home managing sailing instructors and organizing and marketing sailing programs as owning a budget? Our Club was “built for fun!” Please help us keep that going. . manager@richmondyc.org (510) 2372821 www.richmondyc.org/

Custom canvas business ISO sewers! More sewing/making experience the better and willing to train for the right can-do attitude! Quickly growing company looking for another great fit in our team. Great benefits and culture. PT/FT. Point Richmond. david@compass-canvas.com (415) 2993415 www.compass-canvas.com

Bird Boat 1932 . Aldendesigned #22. Many recent updates, including major restoration 2001 and 2022. Call for recent survey, details and pics. $9,500 OBO. Sausalito. pjpillsbury@icloud.com (415) 444-6180

Highly sought-after 55 Light. Ideal for passagemaking and enjoying remote anchorages. Well maintained by the original owner. Never chartered or raced. Four-cabin arrangement. Continuously upgraded and maintained. Contact for details $385,000. Newport Beach, CA. midocean.cb@gmail.com

will pay

$300 of your transfer fees (net cost about $900). Coit Tower and SF skyline views. Slip (D-42) has permanent, soft bumpers installed to protect the sides of your boat. Two parking passes included, secure parking only $4/day (normally $10-12/hr). Slip lease through 2034, HOA fees about $350/month. Great deal, the $900 (net) transfer cost would be recovered in 6 months compared to next best options for berthing in North Bay. $1. Pier 39 in San Francisco. jjstanford@yahoo.com

Apply today for our 12-month, paid educational career training program in the Marine Service Industry at Spaulding Marine Center. At our Sausalito boatyard, you’ll learn from professional craftsmen how to service and maintain traditional and modern power and sailboats. Paid $20/hr full-time, Monday–Friday. No experience required – just a great attitude! Apply on our website. Sausalito. education@spauldingcenter.org (415) 3323179 www.tinyurl.com/5n7n85pb

Sailing instructors and captains, Spinnaker Sailing SF is hiring F/T or P/T aboard our best- maintained fleet of 21- to 53-ft yachts. $20-25/hr DOE. Midweek/weekend work available, flexible schedule. Email or call. San Francisco. staff@spinnaker-sailing.com (415) 5437333 www.tinyurl.com/mvbvddte

To operate 28-ft passenger vessel ‘Bay Voyager’ at Pier 39. Four hr minimum. Second language, former USCG, a plus but not required. Paid training. Six pack, 50-/100-ton lic. OK. Full-/parttime available. Pier 39, San Francisco. charles@bayvoyager.com (510) 612-1251 www.bayvoyager.com/

Club Nautique is an Alameda Membership Sales Representative. Come join the fun and share your love of boating with others. We offer competitive compensation ($70,000–$90,000+) and full benefits. Apply today! stephanie@clubnautique.net www.clubnautique.net

Golden

Gate Yacht Club is seeking a motivated, energetic and dedicated head coach to lead our high school sailing programs. The Head Coach is responsible for scheduling, designing, organizing and executing activities, practices and regattas, and is expected to be active on and off the water. This is a part-time position. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please email the GGYC Waterfront Director. Golden Gate Yacht Club, San Francisco. waterfront@ggyc.com

Positions

available for 2023 season! Two Harbors Harbor Department, on the west end of Catalina Island. Looking for experienced boat operators for seasonal harbor patrol positions (March–October). Harbor patrol assigns and facilitates the use of 700+ moorings on the west end of Catalina Island and assists with transporting passengers to and from shore. USCG license required for passenger transport, seasonal mooring included for patrol personnel with liveaboard vessels. Rates from $18-$21/hr. Two Harbors, Catalina. Jrconner@scico.com (310) 510-4201

NANCE We are looking for a motivated individual who can join our team and assist on maintaining our beautiful marina and buildings. Hours are flexible and it can be full- or permanent part-time work. This could be ideal for a retired military person. We prefer that the individual has skills/ experience with construction, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, mechanical equipment and machinery, welding, diving, etc. These are not requirements, but a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic are essential. We offer training with most of these skills. Liveaboard moorage is available in our marina at a discounted rate. If you have interest please email your résumé. Sausalito, CA. mikerainey331@gmail.com

SLO Sail and Canvas is hiring for multiple positions in our busy sail loft in beautiful San Luis Obispo, California. We specialize in building boat covers, trampolines, and sails for sailing dinghies, one-designs, and beach catamarans. The following job opportunities are open for immediate fulfillment: Sailmaking Department Manager, Manufacturing Assistant — Industrial Department, Production Sewing & Prep — Trampoline or Boat Cover Department, and Office Assistant. To learn more about each job opening, visit website. erik@slosailandcanvas.com (805) 4796122 ext.9 www.tinyurl.com/fpdkrmt

Wanted:

Licensed Captain with towing endorsement for TowBoatUS./Vessel Assist on the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Preferred if you live by SF waterfront, Alameda or Bethel Island areas. . towboatus.bay.delta@gmail.com (925) 382-4422 www.towboatusdelta.com

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Modern Sailing School and Club is looking for sailing instructors to join our growing team! USCG OUPV License is required, though if you are interested in getting your captain’s license we can help there too. We have opportunities to teach aboard boat tiller-steered sportboats and wheelsteered cruising vessels ranging from 24 to 50 . We focus on the education of adults in a fun, welcoming and safety-oriented environment. With locations in Sausalito and Berkeley we are just minutes from the best sailing grounds on San Francisco Bay! Do you enjoy racing? Our performance program is going strong and we need racing- and spinnaker experienced captains as well. US Sailing and ASA Instructors welcome! Competitive pay! Free boat use! 415-331-8250. Sausalito & Berkeley. careers@modernsailing.com. www.modernsailing.com/careers

Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for someone to assist in the maintenance and repair of our fleet of 30 sailboats. Should be familiar with sailboat rigging, ship’s systems, outboard motors, light electrical, plumbing and diesel engine service. Consider either part time or full time. Pay rate commensurate to experience. Call or email Rich. Redwood City, CA. rich@spinnakersailing.com (650) 3631390 www.Spinnakersailing.com

Join the captains at Club Nautique and start teaching US Sailing’s most comprehensive curriculum of sail and power courses, both offshore and inshore, in the nation. We have openings now for USCG-licensed captains who exhibit exceptional communication and boating skills, and the willingness to train and work in a professional environment. All instructors are classified as employees, not independent contractors. Fulltime and part-time positions available. $28-$35 depending on experience. schooldirector@clubnautique.net (510) 865-4700 x313 www.clubnautique.net

Mexican stone “casita” & 3 out buildings on close to 4 acres with 300 beachfront in Rincon. New certified survey available, 24/7 Guard. Corporation owned and approved for marine businesses, etc. See video, Fiesta del Mar: www.tinyurl.com/yc7eks5c. $300,000. Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja MX. capnernie1@aol.com

Volunteer docents wanted to staff educational science exhibitions. Volunteer or contract graphic designer wanted. Photographers and photography wanted. Ask about other volunteer positions. info@sailingscience.org (510) 390-5727 www.sailingscience.org/

Rubicon

Yachts is seeking a professional yacht broker/salesperson for its new Alameda, CA office. Yacht sales experience required, must be a self-starter, membership in CYBA is a plus. Contact owner/broker Mark Miner. Alameda, CA.mark@rubiconyachts.com www.rubiconyachts.com

Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for ASA-certified sailing instructors to teach out of our Redwood City Marina location. Part-time, flexible schedules, midweek and/or weekends. Please contact Rich or Bob by phone or email. Redwood City Marina. office@spinnakersailing.com (650) 3631390 www.spinnakersailing.com

At the gorgeous Cielo Y Mar condos. Located in Punta Mita, 35 minutes from Puerto Vallarta, available to rent from private owner. On the beach, 10 feet from the water, they offer spectacular views of ocean and mountains, the biggest infinity pool in the area, an endless beach, great surf breaks, great fishing, tremendous views of whales, bird life and the islands. While uncrowded and tranquil, just a fiveminute walk to several waterfront restaurants. Choose from a spacious, beautifully furnished one- or three-bedroom unit, or an amazing two-story penthouse with lovely shade trellis on the top floor. To reserve, call or email Dona de Mallorca. puntamitabeachfrontcondos@gmail.com (415) 269-5165.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Due to a family move out of the area we are reluctantly selling our well-established industrial sewing business. Bullseye Canvas has been operating out of the Santa Cruz harbor since 2006. Our market is mostly in the custom manufacturing of marine covers, dodgers, biminis, enclosures and upholstery. In addition to the marine market, we also manufacture architectural covers and shade structures. 420sq.ft. harborside shop. Loyal customer base. The market demand is high and this business could easily grow by 4X to support that demand. Enjoy growing this thriving business in Santa Cruz while having the flexibility to make your own schedule. Training or apprenticeship available. $50,000. Santa Cruz. paul@bullseyecanvas.com (831) 2953330 www.bullseyecanvas.com

PARTNERSHIPS

Dehler 34, 1986, tiller, Yanmar. An established non-equity sailing partnership: $275/ month includes fuel, insurance, two pre-assigned weekend days, four weekdays per month. No charge for vacant days. Maintenance fee $1000/year. For details call/text. South Beach Harbor. valtaft@gmail.com (650) 670-5300

Looking for partnership on 30-50-ft sailboat, preferably East Bay. Equity and non-equity considered. Have 20+ years of experience sailing on the Bay and chartering internationally. I have partnered successfully on a 31-ft Beneteau for five years. Now I have a small sailing dog that I want to sail with me and the others are allergic. Looking for a clean boat in good condition that is sailed regularly, and responsible, nice sail partners. Berkeley. ddodgesf@gmail.com

GEAR

. Love to sail? Make a great living in the Pacific Northwest running a fantastic charter business! After 34 years it is time to sell our dream job. We have already done the hard work for you. Dedicated client base, beautiful website, five-star reviews. Outstanding modern 55-ft sloop with moorage. USCG Coastwise trade endorsement. Great income if you are ready to take the helm of the best job in the world!. San Juan Islands, WA. islandsailor600@gmail.com

PERSONALS

I am a senior female. My husband passed away last year. We had 40 years of boating life, both sail and motor, visited marinas in the Bay and Delta, chartered in BVI and Greece. Sold our boat, and miss boating life. Looking for someone to share the passion for boating. San Francisco. hokumen2016@yahoo.co.jp

Selling 20hp Honda 2022 (new), motor dolly (new) and accessories. Price firm. Call Bob. $2,850. Crescent City, CA. bobhartt6@gmail.com (619) 665-2528

PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT

Enjoy breathtaking sunsets from this lovely 3BR, 1BA home perched above the gentle shore of Beal’s Cove, perfect for kayaking adventures, watching wildlife, and relaxing by the sea as the afternoon light floods the windows. You’ll love exploring all the islands have to offer during the day and retreating to the cottage in the evenings to catch the gorgeous pink, purple and orange hues of a Harpswell sunset. marcia@homesandharbors.com 866-8350500 www.tinyurl.com/43475rkj

NON PROFIT

The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors strives to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. BAADS is always on the lookout for donated boats to support its mission. Help an all-volunteer organization while receiving a charitable tax deduction. . boatdonations@baads.org (415) 5329831

MISCELLANEOUS

Nautical vendors! Artists! Reserve a spot at our annual waterfront event. Saturday, August 5, 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. in beautiful Sausalito. Sell your wares among the live music, historic boats from S. F.’s Dolphin Club, free rides on S/V ‘Carodon’, dinghy races, fish & chips, homemade pies, beer & wine, and an olde tyme jar raffle! This family favorite event is FREE to the public. Call, email, or visit website to reserve your 10×10 spot ($40). 300 Napa St., Sausalito, CA. galileeharbor@gmail.com (415) 332-8554 www.galileeharbor.org

TRYING TO LOCATE

Dramatic waterfront Alameda 3BR/2.5 BA townhome with a private 44-ft deep-water slip attached to the property. An impressive 2,054 sq ft with multiple living spaces all designed to overlook the glistening Ballena Bay. $1,249,000. leah@leahtounger.com (510) 701-6497 www.tinyurl.com/3wdmepyu

CREW

White pleather dining table cushion for Catalina 34 sailboat. Cushion is still in plastic shipping wrapping. About half retail price. Also, navy blue handrail canvas for both port and starboard deck handrails. $250. Foster City, or meet at South Beach Marina. kenludlum@yahoo.com (650) 759-2120

He, extensive Southern California and Mexican racing experience ranging from Cal 20s to Maxis and a few Pacific crossings. She, lives on a boat and has four years of local and coastal sailing. We’re fit, hard-working and have the “game on, let’s be safe but have fun” personalities. Contact Wally by email or phone. Baja Ha-Ha. go2wallyworld@hotmail.com (805) 8968926

I have some ocean experience, some racing experience and some Spanish. I can help with expenses, sail changes, driving, and cooking. Thanks, Michael. S.F. Bay. michael.s.121@att.net (707) 354-4326

ISO owner of a Lake Union Dreamboat bought at auction from Oyster Point Marina after she sank. I have fittings that I want to return. Peninsula. Sheilaholmes@mac.com

Wanted: May 1984 issue of Latitude 38. Please contact Mike. michaelirby65@gmail.ccom (858) 3541241

Deadline for the July Classifieds: June 15

Your ad goes live online immediately at www.latitude38.com

Who Are These Guys?

The Top TEN Reasons For Doing The 29th Annual Baja Ha-Ha!

More than 3,000 boats and 10,000 sailors have done the 750-mile cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Here are some of the main reasons. 1) It’s really, really fun. 2) Superb safety record. 3) You get a Ha-Ha backpack filled with swag at the Halloween costume kick-off party. 4) To a great extent there is safety and shared knowledge in numbers. 5) Daily roll call, professional weather forecast, and net.

6) Six social events in which to make lifelong cruising friends. 7) You’ll be featured in the Ha-Ha bio book. 8) Experienced leadership. Collectively, the three event leaders have transited the Baja coast more than 80 times. 9) Ha-Ha discounts can easily exceed the entry fee. 10) It gives you compelling deadline to leave the dock. And Bonus Reason #11, most cited by past participants, all the new cruising friends you’ll make.

THE HA-HA RUNS FROM OCTOBER 30 TO NOVEMBER 11 REGISTER

ADVERTISERS' INDEX – cont'd

Barney: 510-541-1963

Bill: 510-410-5401

Michael: 831-236-5905

David: 781-526-8469