Jib Martens Set to Fulfill Lifelong Dream by Sailing Pac Cup on ‘Freedom’
As 2026 is a Pacific Cup year, Latitude 38 is profiling many of the boats and sailors who will be racing to Hawaii in the weeks and months leading up to the starting sequence. Jib Martens will be making his first crossing to Hawaii aboard his boat Freedom. Read all about his backstory and his goals for the 2026 Pac Cup here, in his own words.
I guess with the name of Jib I had no choice but to be a lifelong passionate sailor. While I spend as much time as I can on my boat Freedom — a Worth 40 from 1984 — racing, cruising, ocean sailing, cocktail cruising, puttering and just sitting, I have never spent two weeks in the middle of the ocean sailing to Hawaii. The Pac Cup has long been on my to-do list. Last year I pulled the trigger after my friend Jim Quanci said, “What are you waiting for?” Having just turned 65, I figured that I am not getting any younger.
I asked my son and then my brother about the trip, and they both jumped onto it enthusiastically. So here we are. My son, Will, is also a lifelong sailor, going from Optis through College of Charleston varsity sailing. He now races with me often. Being with him on this trip is hugely important and special to me, as is being with my brother. Since being with good people who are proactive and positive is critical to me, it has taken a while to fill our final two crew spots. A good friend from San Francisco Yacht Club and a good friend of his complete the team. I was looking for compatibility and solid sailing skills first and then racing/ocean/navigating skills second. I think we have a great team.
While Freedom is in good shape and has most of the gear, as I do a lot of ocean racing with SSS and BAMA, the amount of prep work is truly amazing and sometimes a bit daunting. Aside from the big things like new rigging, rudder inspection and a backup autopilot are lithium batteries, DC/DC charger, serpentine belts, solar panels, Starlink, some new running rigging/halyards and a few new sails (secondhand sails but new to me).
There are still a tremendous number of smaller things I want to take care of. Tightening vang fittings, replacing water lines, fixing window leaks, upgrading wiring to key gear, building a spinnaker net and a system to reef and douse the spinnaker from the cockpit, installing saltwater hand pump, reshaping my bow pulpit for the asymmetrical, adding climbing harness, fixing my tach, etc. Of course my 30-year-old transmission started slipping last year. That took me a long time to replace due to rusted bolts and then having to raise my engine. Is anything ever just simple and easy? It never seems that way, and I’m not sure that is the way of the world (sailboats) or my errors. Since I do all of the work on Freedom myself, I know every inch of my boat and systems, which is great. The downside is the time it takes as well as making sure I did not screw up anything. Good thing I have a wonderful and supportive wife who lets me tinker.
So why do this? For me, this is a great way to spend time sailing, being on the ocean, spending time with people important to me, and also surmounting a big challenge. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s, I always thought of sailing around the world, and one of the reasons I bought Freedom in 1992 was to spend two years cruising with my wife in the South Pacific. We never made that trip — or even one to Baja — due to family and life choices, but we did live on the boat for a year and we still have the boat. I am still as passionate about sailing and Freedom as I ever was. As I am slowing down my work schedule, I look at the Pac Cup as part of the original dream, and perhaps it will lead to other sailing adventures in the following years.
Our vision for the Pac Cup is to arrive safely, have a great time, and be as competitive as we can. We are competitive racers at heart, though we do realize our program is not the high-end, spare-no-expense campaign as other programs, so we take that in stride. Winning? A possibility perhaps. Coming in last? Don’t even think that. A good top-third fleet finish would be terrific. Regardless of where we finish, we will have an awesome time on the ocean with family and good friends and a major life experience. I also get to bring the boat back, so I will have nearly two months on Freedom on God’s beautiful and awe-inspiring ocean. What could be better than that? I’ve got to go.… Another preparation task is calling, as I need to figure out how to install the rudder feedback sensor for my new autopilot. Of course nothing lines up well, so new fabrication time it is! Ugh! See you on the water!
Eight Bells David Forbes
Like so many other Bay Area sailors, we were devastated to hear of the loss of David Forbes back in November. We crossed tacks with him many times on the water, on the docks, at boat shows, at “the office,” and in various committee meetings over many years. He was always upbeat and always helpful when it came to solving sailing’s issues of the day. When we were puzzling out a story perspective or looking for insights into the evolving world of sailing, David’s was a voice we sought out.
We’ll miss him on the docks at this weekend’s Corinthian Midwinters, where we often connected while he was crewing for the race weekend. He had both hustle and chill as he navigated his way through post-race analysis or calmly offered suggestions in boat show meetings. It’s always nice to connect with someone who’s happy to see you, David made everyone feel that way.
While we were reflecting on the loss, editor Monica Grant reminded us that it was David who connected us over a decade ago. We were shopping at the Sausalito West Marine, where David was the manager, when we asked if he knew anyone who might be able to help manage the annual Summer Sailstice celebration. David introduced us to Monica’s husband, Jay, who introduced us to Monica. Ten years later, we’re still working together with Monica, who now manages ‘Lectronic Latitude and edits much of our monthly Latitude 38 magazine.
It’s one of many small things that David did that led to bigger, better things for us. A memory of David is also offered in our Eight Bells section online and in the magazine, where others can also share memories of sailors who had a meaningful relationship with the West Coast sailing community. We find this a difficult new offering, but hope it is helpful to those who would like the chance to submit an Eight Bells remembrance for a sailing companion. It’s the joy of sailing the Bay and West Coast that makes all these memories possible.
Thanks, David, for all you did for us and sailors everywhere.
Discover San Francisco Marina Small Craft Harbor
Help Kohala Sailing Foundation Create Opportunity for Youth
While you’re planning your 2026 Pacific Cup race and what you’re going to do after you’ve reached Hawaii, perhaps you’d like to consider a sail over to the Big Island, where Kohala Sailing Foundation is giving kids the opportunity to learn life skills through sailing. Your involvement could be instrumental in changing someone’s life. Sydnee Kimmel explains.
Kohala Sailing Foundation is a Hawai‘i Island–based nonprofit dedicated to connecting local youth with the ocean through hands-on sailing and maritime education. Our Keiki Sailing program provides free sailing experiences for kids ages 11–17, many of whom are stepping onto a sailboat for the very first time despite growing up in an island community deeply tied to the sea.
Operating out of Kawaihae Harbor, the Keiki program introduces youth to the fundamentals of sailing, including steering, sail trim, knot tying, teamwork and basic seamanship. Beyond technical skills, the program emphasizes confidence-building, responsibility and trust. Keiki are encouraged to take the helm, make decisions, and work together, lessons that extend far beyond the boat. Ocean education is woven throughout each sail, with discussions about marine ecosystems, conservation, and respectful ocean use.
Along the way, they learn essential life skills: listening to directions, communicating clearly, and balancing independence with teamwork. Every four-hour voyage is designed to pack in as much learning and excitement as possible!
Kohala Sailing Foundation was created to remove barriers to ocean access. While in some regards sailing can be an expensive and exclusive activity, we believe it should be available to all keiki, regardless of financial background. By offering the program completely free of charge, we ensure that cost is never a limiting factor.
Every sail is made possible by a mix of community support, private charters, and generous contributions from individuals who believe in the power of sailing to change lives — a combination of private donations, community partnerships, grants, and local business support, as well as proceeds from private sailing charters operated by the foundation’s founders. All funds raised go directly toward program expenses such as vessel maintenance, safety equipment, fuel, insurance, and educational materials.
We also invite visiting sailors, educators, and leaders to join us on the water and help inspire these young sailors. If any of your readers are planning to be in Hawai‘i, we welcome them to reach out and be part of a keiki sail day. It’s a beautiful way to connect and give back.
Through the Keiki Sailing program, Kohala Sailing Foundation is helping cultivate confident young sailors, ocean stewards, and future leaders one sail at a time.
You can learn more at www.kohalasailingfoundation.com.
We’re profiling this year’s Pac Cup sailors in ‘Lectronic Latitude. If you’re signing up for the race, let us know a little about your crew, your boat, and yourself. Send to [email protected].
Latitude 38 Sales Position Open
Every new year brings some new horizons to cross. Our sales manager, Nicki Bennett, has decided it’s time to change course. We’ve been fortunate to have her skills, dedication and enthusiasm for sailing and Latitude for the past five years, but now we are looking for someone to take the lead on managing our media sales.
We are seeking an ambitious, creative, adventurous advertising sales professional to lead our sales department.
It’s a key role, tailor-made for a sailing enthusiast who’s strong in relationship selling. While the position is remote, the right candidate must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and be an engaged member of the local sailing community. Duties include actively selling and servicing current advertisers while also prospecting and acquiring new advertisers for our multi-channel media platform, including our monthly and specialty publications, website, email newsletters, events and podcast.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record in sales, enthusiasm, creativity and knowledge to help our customers in the dynamic advertising market. You are detail- and team-oriented with excellent time-management skills and follow-up. The ability to work within deadlines is essential. You are up to speed in the world of digital/print/publishing while continuing to learn and grow.
Latitude 38 has been serving West Coast sailors since 1977, both in print and online. The ideal candidate is excited about integrated print and digital advertising and is comfortable with the operational side of media sales, including CRM/database management, campaign tracking, coordination with production, and ad fulfillment.
2025 Season Champions, Pt. II — January Edition
January means time for everyone to swear that they’re actually going to be better about going to the gym this year, time to get some skiing in (if the Sierra actually gets any snow) — and the second installation of the Latitude 38 2025 season-champs feature.
After highlighting 10 one-design classes in the December issue, we have many more in this edition. The January issue covers everything from dinghies such as the El Toro and Mercury classes, up to long-standing keel classes such as the Express 37 and Moore 24.
Moore 24 Roadmaster Series — Firefly, Joel Turmel, RYC
The Moore 24 is one of the legendary one-design racing boats of the West Coast, and this season’s champion in the fleet was Richmond Yacht Club’s Joel Turmel and team aboard Firefly.
“The 2025 Moore 24 Roadmaster Series was certainly a challenging one, with up to 16 events covering the majority of the West Coast, from Long Beach, CA, to Hood River, OR,” Turmel tells Latitude. “Firefly has been campaigning with the same crew, who are Chris Weis, Rob Dubuc, and Noah Barrengos, for the last three years. My mates are very talented sailors and great friends, which is certainly needed to compete against a fleet with such high-caliber competition. Of course, others sit in from time to time, which is always appreciated!
“I cannot say enough about the Moore fleet in general; the family-type atmosphere along with the extremely talented competition is the part I enjoy the most,” Turmel continues. “Firefly looks forward to next season’s campaign, which is a milestone for the Moore 24 fleet. It is our 50th-year anniversary, and the Nationals will be held in Santa Cruz, the birthplace of the Moore 24! We are expecting at least 50 boats to compete for the 50th! The regatta will be one for the ages.”
Next up in this feature: Olson 25, Wylie Wabbit, International 110, Mercury Travel Trophy, Express 37, Express 27, Tahoe Cup, and El Toro. Read here.
Our last installment of the season-champs feature will be in the February issue, primarily highlighting YRA and SSS season champions. However, if your one-design fleet or club perpetual trophy hasn’t made it, please reach out by emailing me at [email protected].