It’s On Again in 2023 — 29th Baja Ha-Ha Cruising Rally Announcement
The 750-mile cruisers’ rally between San Diego and Cabo San Lucas, with R&R stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, is back for the 29th time starting on October 30, 2023. (Here’s what 2022’s Ha-Ha send-off looked like.)
Over 14,000 sailors have participated in the event. If you haven’t yet, this would be a good year, as nobody is getting any younger.
The Ha-Ha is packed with activities: the Last Cheeseburger in Paradise and Costume Kickoff Party at West Marine; the fireboat-escorted parade out of San Diego; the world-famous Baseball Game at Turtle Bay where women and children are always safe; the Turtle Bay Beach Party; the children’s Diving Olympics off the back of Profligate; the surreal live-band rock ‘n’ roll party at Bahia Santa Maria; the popcorn throw and dance party at Squid Roe in Cabo; the Beach Party from a private terrace overlooking the fleet in Cabo; the From Here to Eternity Kissing Contest in the surf at Medano Beach; and the Awards Party with free beer for all.
All of the above, of course, is in addition to the 750 miles of offshore sailing, with daily weather reports and roll calls. The winds are almost always light to moderate, and 83.75 of the 84 legs to date have been off the wind.
Perhaps the best aspect of the Ha-Ha is the number of people you’ll bond with over the two-week shared cruising experience. You make numerous friends for future cruising in Mexico, the South Pacific, around the world, and quite possibly for the rest of your life. The Ha-Ha has even been responsible for several marriages, to say nothing of children.
When in Mexico you can’t help bumping into Ha-Ha vets. For example, we were walking through Costco in Puerto Vallarta yesterday when we spotted a couple where the guy was wearing the distinctive Ha-Ha livery: faded salmon-colored “Some Like It Hot” shirt and a white Ha-Ha hat.
It was Jeff and Marcia Parten, formerly of the Bay Area, who did the Ha-Ha two years ago with their Cape George 36 On3. “We had a great time,” they said.
Since then Jeff, a former IT worker, and Marcia, a retired nurse, have been enjoying mainland Mexico and will be heading up into the Sea of Cortez for the summer. Next season they’ll continue on to Central America and Panama.
The Ha-Ha is open to boats that are 27-ft or longer and were designed, built, and have been maintained for open-ocean sailing. There must be at least two crew with overnight sailing experience on each boat.
For the 25th year in a row, the 63-ft Profligate will be the mothership of the event, with the same management team since the first Ha-Ha.
Registration for the Baja Ha-Ha begins on May 9. Mark your calendar.
If you’re on the fence, here’s a peek at last year’s Ha-Ha fun.
Good Jibes #77: Lin Pardey on Storytelling for Sailors
Welcome to Good Jibes, the fun and informative sailing podcast brought to you by the crew at Latitude 38. This week’s host, Nicki Bennett, is joined by Lin Pardey, who returns to Good Jibes for a second time. Lin has sailed over 200,000 nautical miles, completed two circumnavigations, and has enjoyed a lifetime of sailing adventures, many with her late husband, Larry Pardey.
This time around, Lin is sharing updates from her sailing life over the past year, including her recent induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Lin also talks about her new course, “Storytelling for Sailors.” The course teaches sailors how new storytellers can stand out, how to insert content creation into their cruising life, how to build and keep an audience, and much more.
This episode covers everything from storytelling to sailing awards. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear:
- What has Lin been up to over the past year?
- How did it feel to accept the award?
- What is “Storytelling for Sailors?”
- How do you go about storytelling as a sailor?
- Why is storytelling important?
- What has Lin learned about storytelling?
- How do you make income in the sailing content space?
- Does Lin have any events on the calendar over the next year?
Take Lin’s course here: https://www.thesailingchannel.tv/product/storytelling-for-sailors-usb/.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Join the Naos Yachts Grand Opening In Point Richmond
Naos Yachts is expanding — We have a new office in the San Francisco Bay Area!
Join us on Saturday, February 11, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for our Grand Opening in San Francisco Bay at the Maritime Centre, 530 West Cutting Blvd., Point Richmond.
Where Do You Pick Up Your Latitude 38? We Have Two New Outlets in the North Bay Area
“We Go Where the Wind Blows” — that’s our slogan, and it’s never been truer than it is in these fast-moving times. There are always so many changes along the California waterfront, we find ourselves adjusting our distribution as frequently as we adjust our jib trim. During a recent pass along the Marin waterfront we found a couple of new places for you to pick up the latest issue of Latitude 38, and as we were in the neighborhood, we also stopped by one of our many stellar distribution points.
Woodlands Market in Tiburon and the Taste of Rome, on Bridgeway in Sausalito, are now carrying Latitude 38 each month. Both are central and excellent places to stop for your favorite magazine, and more.
While we were in Sausalito, we stopped by the Spaulding Marine Center. Spaulding has been serving boaters on the Bay since 1951, and distributing Latitude 38 since it was founded in 1977! (They don’t serve lattes, but they’re adept at working on boats.)
If you’ve had a few wind shifts in your sailing neighborhood and would like to suggest a new place to distribute Latitude 38, please let us know where that is by emailing [email protected]. We’ll be happy to reach out to set up any new locations you suggest. You could also just let Heather know your current favorite place to pick up a copy.
US Sailing Open Sailing Series Qualifies Sailors for World Events
The three-regatta Florida/winter portion of the US Open Sailing Series wrapped up in Clearwater last Sunday, February 5, with 200 athletes representing 30 countries and territories participating. Regatta conditions varied wildly. Thursday was too light for most classes to race. Friday’s gusts over 30 knots kept competitors ashore. Perfect weather on the final two days allowed for several quality races.
For Americans, it was the final qualifier for the 2023 Olympic Test Event in Marseille on July 7-16; the 2023 Sailing World Championships in the Hague on August 10-20; and the 2023 Pan American Games near Santiago, Chile, on October 25-November 5.
Top Finishers from the West Coast
Newly minted as the 2022 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Bay Area Formula Kite phenom Daniela Moroz took first place in the Women’s Formula Kite with 11 points over eight races. Marcus Erdegan scored second place in the Men’s Formula Kite. Moroz and Erdegan are both St. Francis Yacht Club members.
American teams swept the 49er podium this year, with US Sailing Team athletes Ian Barrows and Hans Henken finishing first, securing USA selection for the 2023 Pan Am Games and Olympic Test Event. A San Francisco native, Henken has a master’s degree from Stanford and also sails for StFYC. Training partners Nevin Snow of San Diego and Mac Agnese came in second.
Other US sailors from the western states on the prize podium included Hawaiian Danicka Sailer. She placed third in women’s iQFOiL windsurfing. Kyra Phelan, a young college student from Santa Cruz, and Sawyer Bastian of San Jose placed third in the Mixed 470 sailing. Congratulations to all the top finishers! See the complete results here.
What’s Next?
The US has qualified for the nine Olympic classes that will be represented at the Pan Am Games (which do not include the 470), plus the Snipe and Lightning. Country qualification events for the men’s and women’s Sunfish will begin in March to complete the Pan Am sailing slate.
The US Open Sailing Series will pick back up this summer in San Diego (June 16-18), Long Beach (July 14-16) and San Francisco (August 12-14). Registration isn’t open yet, but when it is, you’ll find it here.
San Francisco on the Bay: “The List”
Dine, Drink, Smoke, Stay, Play and Shop. Discover San Francisco Bay and all that inspires those of us who live or visit here.