Etchells West Coast Spring Series Kicks Off in San Diego
On Monday we mentioned that San Diego is gearing up for the Etchells West Coast Spring Series, starting with the Bill Bennett Cup on January 18-19. Well, if you missed the sign-up for that race, make sure you get on board for the rest of the series, which will take you through to late April. Details are as follows.
Hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club in collaboration with Etchells Fleet 13, this prestigious series will challenge sailors on the Coronado Roads and serve as a lead-up to the 2025 North American Championship and the 2026 Worlds.
The 2025 event dates are as follows:
• Bill Bennett Cup: January 18-19, 2025 — Entry deadline is January 4, 1800
• Pacific Coast Championship: February 22-23, 2025 — Entry deadline is February 8, 1600
• Midwinters West: March 28-30, 2025 — Entry deadline is March 14, 1600
• Orca Bowl: April 26-27, 2025 — Entry deadline is April 12, 1600
The series will kick off with the Bill Bennett Cup in January and conclude with the Orca Bowl in April, featuring four regattas in total. The Midwinters West, the only three-day event, is required for series scoring. This format, combined with San Diego’s renowned racing conditions, promises another thrilling year of close competition.
Vince Brun, chairman of the 2026 Etchells World Championship at SDYC, shares his enthusiasm. “San Diego’s great weather, friendly hospitality, and outstanding racing conditions make it the perfect place for Etchells sailors. We’re looking forward to the West Coast Spring Series as an exciting lead-up to the 2025 North American Championship and the 2026 Worlds. Our team is already hard at work to ensure the Worlds will be a memorable and rewarding event for everyone.”
Each regatta will feature post-race debrief and socials, fostering camaraderie and offering invaluable insights from top sailors and coaches.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience world-class sailing at the 2025 Etchells West Coast Spring Series — a true celebration of skill, strategy, and sportsmanship.
Good Jibes #173: Turkey Trot, Sweetheart, and Survival Off Costa Rica (Verbatim)
In this episode of Good Jibes, we bring you three stories from the Latitude 38 archives. Host John Arndt shares “Turkey Trot Offshore 2024” by Andy Schwenk, “Exploring Baja Surf on S/V Sweetheart” by Jeremy Snyder and Maddie Zug, and from June 1993, “Triumph of the Spirit — The Odyssey of Bill Forrest” by Latitude editor John “JR” Riise.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What does it take to survive falling overboard?
- Where to find the best surfing spots during the Baja Ha-Ha
- The cardinal rule for singlehanded sailors
- What is a “stripper ticket” and how is it useful for sailors?
- Resources for sailing to Mexico or across the Pacific
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Follow along and read the articles here: Turkey Trot Offshore 2024; Exploring Baja Surf on S/V Sweetheart; and Triumph of the Spirit — The Odyssey of Bill Forrest.
Film: “Ron Holland:The Voyage of Discovery” on January 25
Ron Holland’s story is an adventure, driven by a relentless pursuit of dreams, armed with an original set of rules and life hacks — an inspiration for people in all walks of life. Details and tickets here.
Barra de Navidad Cruise-In Week Scheduled for February
The holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. In fact, in some places, it’s just getting started. If you’re down south — we mean, in Mexico — you might want to join the fun of Cruise-In Week and Fiesta de Veleros. Located in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico, this fun festival raises money for local schools. In submitting their application to receive a share of the money, schools present a plan of how they intend to use the funds and promise to show the results, and receipts. As a result of last year’s festival, five schools received around $5,600 USD.
This year’s Cruise-In Week runs from February 8 to 16. As part of the festivities, you can enjoy afternoon cruises on Barra Bay on February 11 and 13. And you don’t even need your own boat!
Here are the official details:
There are two afternoon cruises to sail Barra Bay, with live music — Tuesday, February 11, with the amazing Eva Kabande and Bongo Dan, and Thursday, February 13, with the legendary Salvador.
Tickets are 1,200 pesos each and include your round-trip water taxi ride to the marina, an afternoon sailing adventure, two beverages, an appetizer and a musical performance.
Tickets are available in Barra at MLS Realty (across from the fish statues) next to the ETN bus station. In Melaque, see Farmacias Arias, close to the immigration office on López Mateos 66, Centro.
There are a limited number of tickets available for each cruise. No holds will be permitted, and it’s on a first-come, first-buy basis.
NOTE: DO NOT buy any tickets online! We do not sell them there. Buy only from one of the above two vendors. If someone unknown to you is offering to sell you their tickets, contact us.
FYI. There are a limited number of large sailboats available this year. Large groups may be divided up on smaller vessels.
Unfortunately a number of boats are not coming to Barra for various reasons (boats were sold, boats require repairs, or the captains have found other adventures). This is why there are fewer seats available for the cruises.
For more information send us an email at [email protected] or by FB Messenger.
All net proceeds go directly to the schools and the library in Barra.
Tickets are on sale now!
Vendée Globe Leaders Sailing Into Their Final Week
If you’ve been following our stories on the Vendée Globe race, you’ll know the leaders are getting close to the finish in this 10th edition of the solo circumnavigation. It’s a fantastic event. After almost 60 days of racing and 22,000 miles of solo, unassisted sailing in IMOCA 60s, the two leaders, Charlie Dalin aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance and Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkéa, are just 145 miles apart. Charlie Dalin slipped past first-place Yoann Richomme just a couple of days ago. Meanwhile, Sébastien Simon aboard his IMOCA Groupe Dubreuil is about 700 miles behind. Amazingly, he’s held onto a solid third place despite missing his starboard foil, which broke off a month ago. In fourth place, Jérémie Beyou on Charal is 2100 miles behind the leader. These top four places are all French boats.
Thirty-five out of the 40 starters are still racing. British sailor Pip Hare, who dismasted 900 miles south of Australia, sailed to safety under her own jury rig. Sam Goodchild on Vulnerable is the first non-French competitor on the leaderboard. He’s running in fifth place, almost 2200 miles behind. The first female skipper is Justine Mettraux aboard Teamwork-Team SNEF. Mettraux is in 10th place about 2300 miles behind the leaders among a large group of competitors.
If all goes well, the first boat could be finishing off the coast of France after around 65 days, taking almost 10 days off the 74-day record set by Armel Le Cléac’h in the 2016 edition. That would be a stunning achievement, especially after a slow start.
The leaders still have to navigate through the tricky horse latitudes and then hope North Atlantic winter storms are kind to them as they approach Les Sables-d’Olonne. Like any yacht race, it ain’t over till it’s over.
Vallejo Marina: Gateway to the Bay, Delta, and Napa River
40′ to 45′ foot slips are now available at $9.97/ft. www.ci.vallejo.ca.us