Dismasted Boat Towed to Port in Sausalito
A Beneteau Oceanis 38 from the Modern Sailing School and Club was given a tow across the Bay on Friday, July 31 after she was dismasted. We spoke with Modern’s chief operating officer, who confirmed the boat was Survivor, which had been on a charter with four “seasoned sailors” aboard.
The incident occurred on San Francisco Bay, west of Angel Island, at around 3:30 p.m. when the forward port shroud came off at the attachment point. “The crew did everything right,” Mark said. “They handled the boat very well.”
Weather conditions were fairly normal for the Bay; winds on the day were in the 15–20 range, “Not more than 20,” Mark said.
A handful of photos including the one above and the one below have been circulating in the sailing community.
Mark tells us the Modern Sailing fleet is put through an annual rig inspection. Survivor is now in port, where investigations are underway to identify the cause of the failure.
There were no injuries reported.
Good Jibes #255: Palmyra, Hawaii, the BVI — Three Sailors, Three Stories (L38 Verbatim)
In this week’s Good Jibes we share three stories from the August 2026 issue of Latitude 38 sailing magazine. Hear “Return to Palmyra” by Dustin Reynolds, “High Times in the Pacific — 2026 Pacific Cup” by Andy Schwenk, and “A Surprise Victory in the Heineken Regatta” by Nick Wynn. Read by host Monica Grant.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- How 1000 miles becomes trivial
- A BVI charter that accidentally became a regatta entry
- The 1000th boat to finish a Pacific Cup
- Ragtime tops ORR-1, correcting out 18 hours ahead of Roy Disney’s Pyewacket
- Shake and Bake loses both rudders after an underwater collision
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:
“Return to Palmyra” by Dustin Reynolds.
“High Times in the Pacific — 2026 Pacific Cup” by Andy Schwenk.
“A Surprise Victory in the Heineken Regatta” by Nick Wynn.
Check out the episode and show notes for much more detail.
Pumpout on the Go with the Pumpout Nav App
Boat sewage spreads disease, harms aquatic life & ruins water. Let’s put waste in its place. Get On Board with the Pumpout Nav app to find the nearest sewage pumpout, dump station, or floating restroom. Download it today at www.boatcalifornia.com/pumpout
East Bay El Toro Recollections From the 1950s
Bay Area sailor Mike Kelly recently came across the picture below of two young sailors racing El Toros in the East Bay. He sent it in to Latitude 38 with his recollections of the two sailors. We felt inclined to share the story, and hope that, whenever our readership comes across similar images or boats that bring up memories for them, they share them with us so that we can share them with the broader West Coast sailing community.
The two sailors are pictured sailing early El Toros, probably in the late 1950s. One is Jim Warfield, in boat 180, and the other is Brian McCarthy in boat 13. The picture may have been taken off the south shore of Alameda, as that is where Encinal Yacht Club (EYC) was located, at the foot of Grand Street.
Jim lived just a few blocks from EYC. This picture was spotted in the front window of Interactive Resources Inc., an architecture firm in Point Richmond. In the same window there is an early, almost- complete El Toro.
Jim and Brian ruled the El Toro class in *SBRA during that time period. They constantly split the top two spots in races from Monterey (Harbor) to Clear Lake, Sacramento (Lake Washington), and all the clubs in the Bay Area other than StFYC.
The fleet was very active and founded the Bullship Race during that time. Jim went on to sail Snipes and competed against Don Trask Jr. and all the other hot racers at the time. After graduation from Alameda High, Jim entered the US Navy. After that I lost track of him. Brian McCarthy was a Richmond Yacht Club member. After El Toros, I lost all track of him.
*The era of the now-defunct SBRA (Small Boat Racing Association) was when small boats had an active and competitive Northern California circuit. There is still lots of great youth sailing and adult small-boat sailing, and traditions such as the El Toro Bullship Race across the Bay continue. Our story on the closure of the Lake Merritt Sailing Club highlights some of that era when sailors like Jim Warfield were burning up the SBRA circuit. Jim’s name just popped up on John Sweeney’s FB page since he first raced a Moore 24 in the 1984 Nationals as bowman for Jim Warfield. The Moore 24s now have 71 boats registered for this year’s Nationals for the 50th anniversary, coming in Santa Cruz in September!
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The Latitude 38 Fall Baja Ha-Ha Crew List Party Is Coming Up!
It’s that time of year when sailors start thinking about the next seasons and where they want to be in the fall and winter (yes, we said those words out loud). It may seem a long way off, but scores of sailors are planning and preparing to head south for the cooler months, many with the Baja Ha-Ha that kicks off on November 2 from San Diego. You might be wondering, “How do I get a ride to Baja?” or “How do I get some extra crew to sail with me?” We can answer both of those questions.
Along with the coming season is the annual Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party on Thursday, September 10, at Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito. Here you can meet an “all-sorts” crew of sailors from around the Bay, and sometimes beyond, many of whom are looking to join a boat or find crew.
But the party isn’t just for people heading to Mexico; it’s for anyone who likes to or wants to sail. The Crew Party is all about making sailing connections in a relaxed, social setting. To get a good head start, make sure your name is on the crew list here.
Here’s what’s going on:
THE SEMINAR
We will hold our annual cruising seminar for Baja Ha-Ha sailors and cruisers preparing to head south.
3:30 p.m. – Doors open for the cruising seminar
4 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Seminar runs
5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Half-hour Q&A session
This year’s fall Crew Party will be an information-packed afternoon. We’re excited to present our annual Mexico cruising seminar featuring Baja Sur Tourism. “Assistant Poobah” Patsy Verhoeven will share experiences from her numerous decades of sailing her Gulfstar 50 Talion in the last 15 Baja Ha-Ha’s.
We’ll have tables from Baja Ha-Ha sponsors to answer questions about heading south, while Spaulding will run the bar to benefit their programs, and the Casablanca Mediterranean food truck will be parked outside.
THE PARTY
The Fall Crew List Party will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The event will be mostly outside, in the Spaulding Marine Center boat yard, with vendor tables set up inside. (This is Sausalito — so please dress in layers!)
Casablanca Mediterranean Food Truck will serve from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Spaulding will offer a no-host bar, with all proceeds going to benefit their education programs.
Vendors will be on hand to answer your questions about cruising and heading south to Mexico, along with local partners who want to help you get sailing in the Bay. San Francisco Sailing Science Center will set up an entertaining and educational exhibit.
Our crew parties are geared toward helping people find sailing opportunities for cruising, racing, or daysailing. The Fall Crew List party is ideal for boat owners seeking crew who want to head south to Mexico and for crew who want to do the same. It’s also well suited for folks looking for midwinter racing crew or anyone who just wants to sail the Bay.
Everyone is welcome. Come as you are.
ADMISSION DETAILS
Admission includes free munchies, a door-prize drawing, a sailing slideshow, and connecting to the most vibrant sailing community in the Bay Area.
Admission to the Fall Crew List Party: $10*
Admission to the Mexico Cruising Seminar: $10*
Admission to the Party + Seminar: $20
*Each skipper and first mate registered for the 2026 Baja Ha-Ha gets free entry to the Fall Crew List Party and Mexico Cruising Seminar.
Early Bird Perk: If you are considering joining the 2026 Baja Ha-Ha fleet, sign up before September 1 and get two free tickets to the Fall Crew List Party and Mexico Cruising Seminar.
PARKING
There is parking around Spaulding; please use the map to find parking: See the Parking Map here. Please do not park at Clipper Yacht Harbor.
Stay Connected
Join the Latitude 38 Crew List in advance to post or search for crew opportunities — and keep the connections going year-round. You can sign up to crew or to find crew using our free online Crew Lists, but you don’t have to be on a Crew List to come to the party!
Get your tickets, put it on your calendar, and we’ll see you there!
Sign Up Now for the 32nd Annual Baja Ha-Ha
Get off the fence and down to the docks for the greatest fun you’ll have all year — the 2026 Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally to Mexico. The thousands of sailors who’ve done it before you can’t all be wrong. Sign up, join the fleet and get ready for a fun cruise south this November.