Pacific Offshore Academy

While the boats in this year’s TransPac are clawing away from the California Coast, the Pacific Cup YC will be hosting the first installment of its biennial seminar schedule — the "Pacific Offshore Academy" — with a revamped, more user-friendly format.

"We have expanded our seminars to include any and all offshore sailors," said the race’s Pat Lowther. "We think that the series offers a tremendous opportunity for anyone interested in sailing offshore to gain knowledge from some of the best in the industry."

Planning on doing the Pacific Cup someday? How about the Baja Ha-Ha? Coastal ocean racing? Then be at the Berkeley YC on July 10 for the Pacific Offshore Academy. This year marks a shift from the traditional eight-hour format to a more attendee-friendly half-day schedule. The race’s really useful website has a complete explanation of the changes to the schedule, not to mention an archive of previous topics free for downloading. In yet another progressive step, if you’re not in the area, the club is willing to consider setting up a webinar for you. It’s obvious that the Pacific Cup volunteers are putting a lot of effort into making this worthwhile, so take them up on it!

We’ll have a preview of the TransPac — the first starters leave the dock on July 4 — including a heads-up on the race’s new after-party, on Friday.