Latitude 38 March Issue Out Today
The year is “marching” on and so are the seasons. March is one of our favorite months as it heralds the onset of spring and then summer, both great seasons to spend on the water. The new issue of Latitude 38 is also one of our favorite things about March — a variety of stories and photos covering local racing with a feature on this year’s Three Bridge Fiasco; a hilarious account of one sailor’s voyage south with untried crew; an Olympic campaign; and a father and his daughter’s love for Folkboats, just to name a few. Here’s a peek:
2026 Three Bridge Fiasco – Why Don’t We Do This More Often?
On the last day of January, 277 of the 303 boats that had signed up made their way out onto the Bay to race in the 2026 edition of the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s (SSS) Three Bridge Fiasco. The regatta featured 31 different classes, including 10 one-design classes. All boats were either doublehanded or singlehanded, with all of the one-design classes and 15 of the PHRF classes doublehanding, and the remaining six PHRF classes singlehanding.
And So, I Decided To Do the Ha-Ha
“Get the **** off my boat.” I truly believed that was the end. Incorrect. She calls later to inform me she has my canvas bag and is holding it for ransom in exchange for the Mexican fishing license I paid for. Even trade, apparently. Sadly, the hostage exchange occurs in a crowded restaurant instead of a dark alley of my choosing.
RYC’s Hoel Menard Campaigns for L.A. 2028
As the winter Olympic Games fade out of short-term memory, we turn our attention to those athletes preparing for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. One such athlete is 22-year-old Bay Area sailor Hoel Menard, who recently announced he will be joining Sarah Newberry Moore’s Olympic campaign in the Nacra 17 class.
And just like that, I became the proud owner of my first Folkboat! I learned a lot on that boat. Much of it was not pretty. I learned that you should really go nowhere near Seal Rocks. I learned that the water rushing under the Fort Mason piers on a big flood can make leaving the East Basin much more exciting than it ought to be.
Also in this month’s issue:
Letters: Moitessier, My Friend; Fiasco Strategy; Twenty Feet of Terror; Is the America’s Cup Being Run Illegally?; Evolution After Failure in the Golden Globe; plus many more readers’ letters.
Sightings: Under the Same Canopy; RYC Asks, “Who’s Your Big Daddy?”; Closing a Central Coast Coverage Gap; Tall Ship Award for COTS’s Alan Olson; Crew Dynamics; and more stories.
Max Ebb: “Happy Endings”
Racing Sheet: The racing season for most fleets and yacht clubs kicks off in earnest this month; some racing already kicked into high gear in February. Covered in this month’s edition of the Racing Sheet: Scott Easom gives his take on the Three Bridge Fiasco; San Diego Yacht Club hosts its first Etchells regatta of the year with the Bill Bennett Cup; the first two stops of the California Dreamin’ Series; and various midwinter regattas are sailed at RYC, CPYC, CYC, and SFYC.
Changes in Latitudes: With reports this month from Heure Bleue on a memorable Ha-Ha; an interview with incoming Poobah Chuck Skewes; Madeline Mulligan’s crazy Mexican road trip just to get to the Ha-Ha; and a locker full of Cruise Notes.
Plus, all the latest in sailboats and sailboat gear for sale, Classy Classifieds.
Before this March issue hit the streets, we stopped by Marotta Yacht Sales and Sausalito Books by the Bay to check on the magazines. Marotta was out on the docks, but Books by the Bay manager Jeff Battis told us he was down to his last magazine and has been meaning us to ask for more magazines each month. He’s happy to regularly have Latitude 38 readers coming by his shop to pick up the magazine. It’s springtime and time to get Jeff (and you) some more magazines each month.
Drop in to your nearest distributor to pick up your copy of this month’s Latitude 38.
Second Annual Sausalito Crab Festival Draws a Crowd
Saturday, February 21, was the day of the second annual Sausalito Crab Festival. In the tradition of the Herring Festival of old that took place in Sausalito’s Gabrielson Park, the festival was a meeting ground for locals and visitors alike, where one could sample a variety of crab-inspired snacks, and of course, whole crabs.
The Crab Festival is hosted by the Sausalito Sustainable Waterfront Association (SSWA) with support from Clipper Yacht Harbor and Fish Restaurant (locally known as “Fish”) and other local waterfront businesses. Fish dedicated the day’s entire menu to the salty crustaceans, Hog Island provided oysters, and Patagonia Provisions ran the beer tent.
Two local sport fishing boats, Hog Heaven and Outer Limits, took festivalgoers on an hourlong Bay cruise; various local vendors set up shop to display their wares, such as Seaside Weavers with their crab-pot doormats and other items woven from recycled crab nets and other types of lines and fabrics. And, of course, members of the local crab fishing fleet were on hand to share some stories and background about their craft.
Launched in 2025, the Crab Festival was created as an avenue to support and strengthen the local commercial fishing fleet, which has faced significant challenges in recent years. It was envisioned as a celebration that builds awareness, fosters community, and brings people together around fresh local crab, good food and a shared love of the waterfront. Judging by the popularity of the second festival last Saturday, it seems the organizers are succeeding in their goals. Sausalito city councilmember Jill Hoffman was in attendance to announce a new initiative that will allow commercial fishermen to sell directly to consumers. Initiatives like this reflect the work SSWA is doing to promote and preserve the working waterfront while providing greater access to locals and visitors.
Of course, no festival is complete without music. This year’s stage acts included three bands.
Given that this was only the second Sausalito Crab Festival, judging by the number and enthusiasm of the attendees, next year’s Crab Fest will be a humdinger!
Haven Boatworks: Full Service Boatyard in Port Townsend
Blake Oberbauer Navigates the Transition Into College Sailing
By the time Tiburon sailor Blake Oberbauer arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, this past fall, she already had years of planning behind her. She had been thinking about college sailing since middle school, mapping out a path that would eventually lead her to New England. Now a freshman on the Dartmouth sailing team, she’s discovered that the experience is about much more than just racing.
Blake’s introduction to sailing came early and at home: “Both my parents sail, so I’ve been sailing on our family J/105 since before I can remember,” she said. At 7, she joined the Optimist program at San Francisco Yacht Club’s summer camp and worked her way through Green Fleet. But she didn’t immediately enjoy it. By fifth grade, she’d convinced her parents to let her quit. After a few months, and several other attempted sports, she realized what she missed. She returned to the race team, and sailing became something she chose, not something she simply grew up doing.
The turning point came in middle school, when she learned that older sailors from her club were competing at colleges, including Dartmouth. “I had never really thought about what sailing looked like past high school,” she said. Blake responded with focus and ambition, even writing out a multi-year plan that stretched from seventh grade through high school graduation. “It became super-clear that I was going to try and sail at the highest level I could as long as I could,” she said.
That long-range vision carried her through high school sailing and into college. Her first term at Dartmouth was, in her description, “incredible.” Academically, she found herself in a mix of classes, including Intro to Anthropology, a Philosophy of Knowledge writing seminar, and a calculus prerequisite. “I really liked all of my classes and professors, and I was pretty sad when they were over,” she said, adding that she’s now considering a philosophy minor.
Athletically, the schedule is demanding: four days of practice a week, regattas most weekends, and early-morning conditioning sessions. The pace is fast, but the growth is tangible. “I improved a ton,” she said, “and I definitely have a lot to work on in the spring.”
Socially, the sailing team became the center of her college life. From the first night on campus, her closest friends were her fellow freshmen sailors. The team’s culture, supported by upperclassmen who help with everything from class scheduling to boat work, made the transition smoother. “It really feels like a family,” she said. One of her favorite moments didn’t involve racing at all. On Halloween weekend, the freshman class took a trip to a teammate’s home in Vermont, hiked to a fire tower, and spent hours talking and bonding. “It really cemented to me that I had found a place, a group of people where I belonged,” she said.
For high school sailors considering college sailing, Blake emphasizes balance and perspective. “Think a lot about what you want your college experience to look like,” she said, noting that sailing is a major commitment, but it shouldn’t be the only reason to choose a school. She also encourages students to reach out to coaches early and often, building relationships rather than viewing the process as a competition.
Now settled into life on Mascoma Lake, Blake is still guided by the same motivation she found years ago on San Francisco Bay: to keep learning, keep improving, and sail at the highest level she can, all the while making the most of everything school has to offer.
WMRT Announces Ficker Cup Teams for Long Beach
On February 23, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) and Long Beach Yacht Club (LBYC) announced their skipper lineup for the Ficker Cup, April 24 through 26.
Eight teams will compete in the WMRT’s SoCal stop, with three American teams in the lineup. The winner and second-place finisher will qualify for the Congressional Cup. Scotty Dickson will be competing for the host yacht club, and 2025 US Women’s Match Racing national champion Nicole Breault will be competing for St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC). Chris Weis, who competed in the 2023 Congressional Cup, will represent Richmond Yacht Club. According to the Notice of Race, the competition will be conducted in “Catalina 37 type boats” provided by the organizing authority.
“We have an amazing lineup for the 2026 Ficker Cup,” regatta chair Tom Camp says, per the WMRT press release. “All of the skippers selected have proven their mettle either in previous Ficker Cups or on the World Match Racing Tour. Any of the eight could win it.”
The full lineup of skippers is as follows:
- Oscar Engström, Sweden
- Nicole Breault, USA
- Lennard Bal, Netherlands
- Patryk Zbroja, Poland
- Tom Picot, Australia
- Ruairi Finnegan, Ireland
- Chris Weis, USA
- Scotty Dickson, USA
Good Jibes #232: AI Pacific Cup, Lauducci Family, and Honolulu Jail (L38 Verbatim), With Host Monica Grant
In this week’s episode of Good Jibes, we bring you two stories from Latitude 38’s February 2026 issue and one throwback story from the February 2006 issue. Hear “Will AI Win the Pacific Cup? Not This Year” by Michael Moradzadeh, “Back and Forth” by Josie Lauducci, and “Helluva Homecoming — Jailed in Honolulu” by Jim Welch.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What is Racing Rule 41?
- Where is La Cruz?
- Are monohulls or catamarans better?
- Why did Jim Welch get arrested?
- What are jails like in Honolulu?
Follow along and read the articles at
“Will AI Win the Pacific Cup? Not This Year” by Michael Moradzadeh.
“Back and Forth” by Josie Lauducci.
“Helluva Homecoming — Jailed in Honolulu” by Jim Welch.
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!
Check out the episode and show notes for much more detail.
Don’t Miss the Latitude 38 Spring Crew Party
