A Special Tribute to Sailors on Earth Day
Sailors are a special breed. More than most folks, they watch the weather, watch for a puff of breeze, look for current lines in the water, watch amp hours on their batteries, or make sure the hull is clean to move easily through the water. It’s why today’s April 22 Earth Day resonates with so many sailors. When out sailing, sailors try to understand, harmonize and utilize the forces of nature to get where they’re going. The act of moving a boat with just the power of the wind is one of the things that makes it so pleasurable and endlessly fascinating.
Today is Earth Day, the day we try to view the world like the astronauts who recently returned from the moon. Like a sailboat at sea, they saw the whole planet as a tiny ship in the vastness of space. The perspective of the astronauts is one shared by many sailors when they see Mother Nature, not as something to battle, but as a partner in our species’ survival. Like the saying goes, “You can’t change the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” Unfortunately, human-enhanced climate change may actually, inadvertently change the wind.
We know most sailors are trying to work with Mother Nature, not against her. Anchored in a quiet cove on the Sea of Cortez sailors are watching their amp hours, keeping their solar panels clean, making sure their wind generators are spinning freely, limiting the use of their Starlink, and making sure the refrigerator is insulated and the watermaker is operating efficiently. These habits are in a sailor’s DNA whether afloat or ashore.
Anyone who faced the past chilly Maine winter knows that they can turn up the thermostat to get more heat. They also know to close the doors and windows to keep that heat in. That’s really all Earth Day is about. Despite a temperate local climate, California is a leader in managing climate change and is hosting SF Climate Week in San Francisco this week, from April 18 – 26. They report 50,000 attendees and over 650 events. The Bay Area is on the leading edge of all of it with companies like Tesla that led the EV revolution. Politics aside, Tesla and numerous other California companies are transforming the economy to get it on a more sustainable track.
Yes, we know no one lives on the planet with zero impact. Every human activity, including sailing on plastic sailboats with diesel auxiliaries, has potential negative impacts. But the act of sailing inspires sailors to think differently about their interactions with nature, and how to minimize the impact while maximizing the benefits.
Using solar, wind and sailing for recreation also provides freedom and independence from the world’s energy choke points. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz has driven fossil fuel prices higher and driven demand for EVs and solar panels higher along with it. We hope that carries over to sailing (though without the higher prices). California’s climate and reliable winds make it possible to be on the water for endless hours without the use of fossil fuels. Freedom from the price at the fuel pump gives sailors the liberty to bask in the pleasures of the Bay while worrying less about geopolitics and the price at the pump.
In the big picture, Earth Day is about respecting Mother Nature and preserving a sustainable planet for the next generation. We noted in our article on the Sailing4Parkinsons race that most cases of Parkinsonss are preventable — according to research, up to 80% of the cases of Parkinson’s are caused by chemicals such as paraquat in our environment. Sea-level rise could be reduced with reductions in the use of fossil fuel. A cleaner Bay with more salmon fishing could result from eel grass restoration and the reintroduction of the native oyster population.
Luckily, it’s not just sailors. The Port of Los Angeles, the largest port in the US, is aggressively pursuing ‘zero emission shipping’ to prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change. We think the connection, care and respect for the planet are more easily taught to anyone in a small boat with their hand on a tiller. Working a small boat in shifting breezes, watching the tide rise and fall, or seeing a porpoise surface nearby connects you to something bigger than yourself.
We wish a Happy Earth Day to sailors and all organizations and individuals who connect the freedom and spirit of sailing to create a healthier planet.
Good Jibes #240: Elliot Aron on Singlehanding at Any Age, With Host Ryan Foland
This week we chat with 16-year-old singlehanded sailor Elliot Aron about sailing solo at any age. Tune in as Elliot chats with host Ryan Foland about his first solo crossing from L.A. to Catalina Island when he was 12, about the joy of being responsible for everything and about circumnavigating when he turns 18.
Hear why there’s nothing like singlehanding, how to learn about your engine, the top spots on Catalina Island, his aspirations for a solo circumnavigation, and how to break the norm and follow your dream.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- Circumnavigating at 18 and why the decision is already made
- “If you don’t die, it’s all a fun story”
- The throttle-cable disaster: zooming into Avalon Harbor at full power, solo
- Elliot is 16 years old and has been taking the bus to his boat every day
- Why sail solo? The freedom, the quiet and the joy of being responsible for everything
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!
Learn more about Elliot at ElliotAron.com and Ryan at Ryan.Online
Check out the episode and show notes for much more detail.
Come Visit Modern Sailing’s 3rd Location — Clipper Yacht Harbor!
Celebrate 109 Years of Opening Day on the Bay This Sunday
Opening Day on the Bay is just around the corner. To be more precise, it’s only a few days away, taking place on Sunday, April 26. We know many of you are already out on the Bay, sailing as if it’s summer, but Opening Day — the official kickoff for San Francisco Bay’s sailing season — is a great tradition to take part in, regardless of how often you’ve had your boat off the dock this year. This year marks the 109th Opening Day, along with host Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association’s 130th anniversary.
Celebrating to the theme “Myths and Legends,” the day kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with the Blessing of the Fleet in Raccoon Strait, hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club. Decorated sailboats, powerboats and youth vessels will embrace the folklore, mythology and storytelling of maritime history while passing by the the “God Squad” — a minister, a priest, and a rabbi — who will bless your boat for the coming season. This tradition follows in the the footsteps of fishing fleets being blessed at the start of their season.
At midday, the boats all launch off the shores of Crissy Field just north of Anita Rock, to sail along the San Francisco Cityfront from the Golden Gate Bridge to Pier 39 in the Decorated Boat Parade. Underway the boats will audition for trophies and prizes in the categories of Classic and Historic Yachts; Sailboats Decorated to Theme; Powerboats Decorated to Theme; Power or Sail Decorated by Juniors; Flags & Streamers by Yacht Club; Decorated Not to Theme; and Non-Decorated Boats. Winners will be decided by the PICYA officers and appointed community judges, led by PICYA vice commodore Michael Proctor, aboard the official committee boat Cabernet Sauvignon.
With Sunday forecast to be a pleasant and possibly breezy day, you’d be crazy to stay at home and miss out on the fun. Plus, you can join the official afterparty at South Beach Yacht Club, where a celebratory oyster bar opens at 5 p.m.
Register your boat and crew here. Or for more information go to picya.org.
If you want to join the fleet but don’t have enough crew, or maybe don’t even have a boat, check out the Latitude 38 Crew Lists; you might find the person or boat you need, just around the corner!
The Contribution and Subscription Forms That Didn’t Work
“We never thought we were perfect, and now we have proof,” wrote Latitude 38 publisher Richard Spindler in the May 1977 edition of Latitude 38. The comment was written in response to letters received after the first issue came out, letting him know that his suggestion that they subscribe to the new magazine by filling out the form in the first issue wouldn’t work because the form had been accidentally left out. We’ve been happy to do the best we can, carrying on the tradition, and we have succeeded. We’ve done it again!
In last Friday’s ‘Lectronic Latitude, we wrote a story about some of Latitude 38’s history, and asked readers for financial support. All you had to do was click the link in the story to go to the page with the contribution form. Checking the results later, we were disappointed to see that, unlike in response to our prior requests, we hadn’t received a single contribution. What are we doing wrong? Looking back at our story, we clicked on the link to go to the donation form, and sure enough, there was no form! Despite almost 50 years of striving, perfection continues to elude us.
If you were frustrated on Friday about being unable to make a donation we’re offering a second chance here:
Researching further, we also found that, just as in May 1977, our subscription form was not on our website either! We have no idea why things that have happily been working for years suddenly disappear from the website, but it happens.
Latitude 38 and Merlin are both heading toward their 50th anniversary in 2027. The boat’s new owner, Chip Merlin, continues to race the venerable Bill Lee-designed and -built Merlin while we continue imperfect ways of covering Merlin and the “world of sailing through the eyes of the West Coast sailor.” (That’s you!)
We pinky promise that prior to posting this story we checked, and both the contribute form and the subscription form were live and working on the site. Give them a try, or let us know if you can’t find them! (Subscriptions make great gifts.)
‘Sun Dragon’ and ‘Akumu’ Recap Doublehanded Farallones Race
We recapped the 2026 Doublehanded Farallones Race in ‘Lectronic Latitude last week, and we now have more accounts from the race to share with you. Sergei Podshivalov and Frank van Diggelen of Sun Dragon and Greg Ashby of Akumu tell their stories:
Sergei Podshivalov and Frank van Diggelen, Sun Dragon:
As two humpbacks patrolled the start line, Frank and Sergei on Sun Dragon joined 22 other brave twosomes for the doublehanded race.
A strong southerly breeze propelled us out the Gate as the promised wind built rapidly through the teens. The sharp, short-period swell was the initial challenge — lengthening as we progressed west. Then came the squalls. For us cool-weather sailors, unaccustomed to tropical systems, this was a rare novelty. Two squalls swept right over us en route to the islands. We reefed the main promptly as they approached, and wondered if that was enough as hail-blast hit us with 37 knots peak strength. Luckily it went by as quickly as it had come, leaving the textbook light wind behind. We’ve been studying squalls, in theory, preparing for our first Pac Cup, so this was fascinating to see, and feel, in real life.
Bottle Rocket and C Cubed led the way, as Raven, Ruffless and Jamani accompanied us approximately line-abreast as we approached the islands. After nervy jibes, we were homeward bound. With the swell slightly astern, we had a wonderful reach, Sun Dragon intermittently planing and surfing in conditions she was made for. Our top boat speed was 20 knots as we converged on the channel. We gratefully slipped into the calm waters of the Bay, happy to finish and tie up in the daylight before the worst of the squalls pummeled the smaller boats outside the Gate.
Sun Dragon corrected out top of the monohulls, with Bottle Rocket the lead multihull in a remarkable elapsed time below four-and-a-half hours. This was one of the fastest Farallones races, and definitely one to remember.
Greg Ashby, Akumu:
Definitely a rough, blustery day. We were a little late for our start but made good progress to the Golden Gate. You can see a jog in our track on the way out. We had just set the second reef and got blown sideways. We bore away to drop the jib. Came about and sailed under a double-reefed main for a while. We thought about setting the storm jib but reset the number three as the wind dropped a bit.
We had a couple of great surfs into the mid-teens after jibing around the back side. For the reach back, I think the sea state built, especially when combined with the northwest swell. A big one broke across the whole boat. About halfway back the pin came out of the gooseneck.
We dropped the main and lashed it all to the lifeline. After we crossed the bar, the seas mellowed and we lashed the gooseneck with some Dyneema and got the double-reefed main back up. Good thing, because the wind was going light.
We finished before sunset and were greeted by a whale.
Made some hot tea and chicken teriyaki for dinner while sailing back to RYC.
For More Great Sailing Stories, Tune In to Good Jibes
