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March 12, 2010

Playing Hooky on Thursday

Full Tilt scoots across The Slot on a sunny Thursday afternoon.

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

While the rest of us were working our fingers to the bones yesterday afternoon, a number of Bay sailors were out playing hooky — and good thing they did it before the rain set in.

We bet no one who took time out yesterday for a quick sail is regretting it today.

latitude/LaDonna
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

The good news is that this weekend’s forecast is for sunny — if not particularly warm — weather, so if you couldn’t find time during the week for a daysail, all is not lost.

Can you believe this shot of Anatrina’s crew playing hooky was taken less than 24 hours ago? Don’t let this weekend’s forecasted nice weather go to waste — get out the boat!

latitude/LaDonna
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Nereida Gets Back Underway

After three frustrating months in Cape Town, South Africa, Jeanne Socrates restarted her second solo circumnavigation — this one aboard her new Najad 380 Nereida — on Tuesday. She had left the Canary Islands last October on a planned non-stop circuit, but Nereida developed a few nagging, but potentially dangerous, problems that Socrates wisely felt needed fixing before continuing her journey. Most of them were quickly resolved, but she soon realized that her Yanmar would need to be replaced due to seawater having backed into the engine under sail. Cue the red tape. Three months of haggling with Yanmar and Najad finally resulted in a new engine, but too late to finish her circumnavigation.

Jeanne Socrates says she made many new friends in Cape Town, but she was relieved to finally leave.

Nereida
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Instead, Socrates is planning to sail nonstop to San Francisco. "I hope to make the start of this summer’s Singlehanded TransPac," she said. "Having had to miss the race start last time, it would be fun to do it this year and would fill in the time up to the end of the year when I could make a second attempt at a nonstop circumnavigation." Follow her progress at www.svnereida.com.

Crew List Party

The two Andrews — Andrew Vik found crewmember Andrew at last year’s Spring Crew List Party. Asked if he had a good time cruising the Med on Geja Andrew #2 replied “How can you not have a good time cruising the Med?!”

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

We thought last year’s Spring Crew List Party was a monster at just over 200 attendees, but nearly 300 skippers and crew jammed themselves into Golden Gate YC on Wednesday night for cocktails and socializing.

Barry Demak, left, spent some time in a liferaft last fall, and is uniquely qualified to teach Daryll Santuray and Dan Begonia how to enter one from the water.

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of connections were made, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Fifteen students plus the crew of Plastiki took advantage of the in-the-water liferaft seminar taught by Sal Sanchez of Sal’s Inflatables in Alameda and Barry Demak of J World, and everyone crowded around the windows and onto the race deck to watch the Coast Guard helo SAR demo. Though it was a little too dark to see what was happening, everyone appreciated the effort and gave the Coasties a big round of applause.

This group of potential crew in their mid-20s — Andrew, Sarah, Jen & John — met more-experienced skipper Daniel in a well-balanced crowd.

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

As for demographics, it’s couldn’t have been more balanced. Men, women, young, not-so-young, skippers, crew — the numbers were so even, we can’t believe anyone left disappointed. If you missed the action but still want to find a ride or crew, be sure to sign up on our online Crew List, and start contacting folks who are already listed. You never know who you’ll meet!

Free Publicity in Latitude 38

With the economy on life support, we realize how tough it is for many sailing organizations and businesses to promote their services. So we’re happy to tell you about two special opportunities to get free publicity in the pages of Latitude 38.

Here at ‘world headquarters’, we’re hard at work on the April edition, which will be on the street during the region’s biggest boat show: Strictly Sail Pacific (April 15-18). That issue will contain a comprehenvise overview of the Greater Bay Area’s youth sailing opportunities — from year-round community sailing programs to summer sessions hosted by many local YCs. We invite all purveyors of youth sailing to check out our current listings, and alert us of any errors or additions. We’d also love to receive a selection of your best high resolution photos via email.

The Richmond YC’s junior program has launched the sailing careers of hundreds of happy sailors — including several world-famous yachtsmen.

© 2010 Greg Gorsiski
Since its creation a dozen years ago, the nonprofit Pegasus Project has introduced thousands of kids to the joys of sailing — many of them from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

© 2010 Richard Gillette

In our April World of Chartering section we’ll run our annual overview of Greater Bay Area charter vessels, which will include listings of every ‘bareboat’ available for rent, as well as every crewed charter yacht. Community sailing programs will also be included this year. As you can imagine, the goal of being thoroughly comprehensive is a tall order — and we’d hate to leave anyone out. So if you’re in the charter biz, please check out our 2009 listings and email us updates or additions. Here also, we’d love to receive new images of your boats via email.

Student sailors from OCSC get fired up during a breezy day on the Bay.

© Greg Tarczynski/OCSC

Needless to say, we are a publication that exists solely on advertising revenue, so these freebies are once-a-year offerings. Don’t miss the boat. Give us your info, and let the thousands of dedicated Latitude readers know what you have to offer them.

Despite not being able to fly their main for the last 12 hours, California is still within striking distance of the leaders in Race 7 — from Qingdao to San Francisco — of the ’09-’10 Clipper ‘Round the World Race.
In Friday’s ‘Lectronic, we reported on Arizonan Keith Carver’s having shipwrecked on the north end of Vancouver Island, and his subsequent rescue.
"Don’t be a fool by missing the April 1-6 Sea of Cortez Sailing Week," advises Patsy Verhoeven of the Portland/La Paz-based Gulfstar 50 Talion.