2025 Boss of the Estuary Beer Can Series
Encinal, Island and Oakland Yacht Clubs collaborated to combine the scoring of their spring and summer evening races into the Boss of the Estuary Beer Cans. Justis Fennel and the crew of Good and Plenty (IYC) beat 104 other entries over the 37-race event, racking up an impressive 3,3576 points. He and his crew earn bragging rights for the year with nameplate recognition on the Boss of the Beer Cans perpetual trophy, kept in the EYC display case.
George Lythcott and Dream Catcher (IYC) took second with 2,746.61 points. Richard Standridge and Ursa Minor (IYC) placed third with 2,732.53 points.
Dawn Chesney and Bewitched (IYC) were fourth with 2,574.30. Walter Shih and Loki (IYC) were fifth with 2,493.61 points. Each of these top five skippers will receive a personalized T-shirt with their boat name and finish place at the first race of the 2026 season. There are no throwouts — all races count — encouraging participation. And turnout is up substantially since the introduction of the series.
Scoring for each race reflects the percentage of competitors beaten that evening across all classes, when ranked on average corrected speed: A boat that is faster than 90% of the other competitors earns 90 points. The last-place finisher earns points for beating all the entries that did not come — so just finishing is worth 33 points if a third of the entries miss that race. This season a boat that just showed up and finished last in each race would have earned 994.8 points.
In addition to the top five skippers, an additional six skippers will be chosen at random from the boats that scored more than 994.8 points.
Wooden Boat Show Organizer Randall von Wedel Finds ‘Grisette’ in Europe
While traveling in Europe, Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show organizer Randall von Wedel has a knack for discovering and visiting former Bay Area classics that have found a new home there. One of those is the cutter Grisette, which spent many years sailing on San Francisco Bay. Randall described her, saying, “You can’t imagine how excited I was to find Grisette in such good hands at such a fine boatyard after 30 years since I sailed on her as first mate (foredeck) on S.F. Bay 1991–1996.”
Randall included a few photos he took of her in the yard in Europe, and a couple of shots of her local sailing life.
Randall was able to visit Grisette while the 1904 English teak cutter was in the midst of a complete restoration. The restoration is taking place in the chantier du Guip shop in Brest, France. While viewing, Randall noted, “I was amazed to see how well the heavy teak planking has held up, now splined along every seam … amazing progress.”
“She was a highly admired classic sailing yacht on San Francisco Bay for decades (1980s, or earlier, to 1996). She raced actively in the Master Mariners Benevolent Association regattas (1991–96, skippered by lead owner Jim Van Dyke of Stockton, CA) and we participated in offshore races up to Drake’s Bay near Point Reyes.”
Randall reports she left the Bay Area when she was sold to a French artist who sailed her down to Costa Rica in 1996 for a retrofit that was never completed. Apparently, a group of investors paid to have the vessel shipped back to France in need of a new interior and other work. When she left Sausalito, her teak hull, deck and rig were in very good condition.
Jeremy Fisher Smith wrote, “Ah, now hurts my heartstrings.… I first came upon her at anchor in the cove at S.F.’s Aquatic Park, and was immediately infatuated. My attraction for her only grew when I rowed from shore and explored her inside and out. At the time, her local owner (whom I knew through other sailing channels) had donated her to the Sea Scouts, and knowing they fundraised by selling donated vessels, I immediately got in touch and made an impulsive offer of $10,000. I no longer recall how I thought I could come up with that kind of money at the time, but it didn’t matter, I was smitten. Sadly, they declined my offer and sometime later I heard they had sold her for … around what I’d offered. I still recall the details of her build: the planking scheme of her counter, those wrought iron hanging knees copper-riveted in place, all of them as fit as the day they were fastened (wait, we were taught not to mix metals, but that’s true iron, not steel!), and that classic rudder-stock/head/tiller treatment. If I remember correctly, she’d been re-rigged Bermudan with a second-hand mast.”
Jeremy added, “I’d been obsessively devouring the great reference works of Howard Chapelle, C.P. Kunhardt, W.P. Stevens, Wm. Atkin, John Gardner and the like, all through my 20s — so I was fully primed to meet Grisette when I did. I’d already cultured an eye for what she was, but never expected to find her archetypal form in our own front yard.”
Wood craftsperson Milly Biller chimed in, saying, “I have very fond memories of that beautiful boat — both sailing and working on her.”
Grisette is one of many classics whose long lives have included time on San Francisco Bay. They’re a beautiful addition to the Bay Area sailing scene but don’t always stay. Randall is also planning updates on former classics Pursuit and Wander Bird, which also spent many years on the Bay but are both now being restored by new owners in Europe.
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A Friendlier ICE Celebrates 10th Anniversary
In 2025, the International Charter Expo (ICE) celebrated its 10th anniversary in Amsterdam. When the organization was named 10 years ago, who thought it might conjure up any images but travel to tropical destinations for fun in the sun on sailboats?
This was the second time the charter expo was held in Amsterdam. ICE reports it continues to grow, bringing together more than 600 companies from over 57 countries.
Like all industry organizations, ICE hosts industry forums focusing on issues like the biggest challenges facing the global yacht charter market. If they do that well, all of us charter guests will continue to have great experiences in the best charter destinations around the world.
Don Trask — Builder of Sailboats, Sailing, and Sailors
The Bay Area sailing community recently lost one of its most influential and passionate figures. Don Trask, a lifelong sailor, competitor, and builder of boats who shaped generations of sailors, passed away at the age of 92 on September 29, 2025, in Mooresville, North Carolina. He left behind a legacy that extended far beyond San Francisco Bay. Don was best known as both a boat builder and fleet builder of Lasers and J/Boats, a competitive Star sailor, and a mentor who fostered a generation of Bay Area sailing champions.
After starting in the Bay Area as crew for his father, Don moved into sailing Snipes against the likes of Jim DeWitt on Lake Merritt. He then gravitated toward the Star class, where he challenged Paul Elvstrom and many of the world’s greats. Star sailing sharpened Don’s racing skills, demonstrated his competitive abilities, and solidified his dedication to the people and boats in one-design racing.
We took on the impossible task of reaching out for comments from many sailors whose lives were touched by Don. The response was overwhelming. We’re sorry we can’t include more, or even include the complete text from each of those quoted below. A comprehensive collection would fill several issues of Latitude 38. We hope the thoughts below give a sense of Don Trask’s character and impact on West Coast sailing.
Don’s Laser business partner at Performance Sailcraft, Bill Kreysler, responded, saying, “Don had an impact on our sport that touches more folks than most realize. It’s not only his considerable sailing skills, it was his talent for introducing literally hundreds of people to sailing, many of whom had no idea sailing was even a sport, and making them feel welcome and part of an extended family.
“I met Don for the first time in 1966 in Cleveland after his regular Star crew had to cancel at the last minute. We went on to win the Star North Americans. I sailed with him for the next four years, during which time he met Ian Bruce and secured a Western license to build the then-new Laser class dinghy.
“One story that sums up Don: He had just gotten into the Star class after a pretty successful Snipe and Finn record. After a day of racing, he was in the locker room at NHYC with most of the racers, but not a single one said hi, welcomed him, or even acknowledged his presence. From then on, he vowed to welcome whoever was new and build as many friendships as he could.
“Ever after, it seemed he knew everyone. He and his wife Nancy were the most generous, open and friendly couple. On the water, he was a fierce competitor, but had no time for folks who brought that to shore. His impact on our sport will outlast us mortals. He was a true Corinthian in the best sense of the word.”
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