Skip to content
Posts by John Riise

Taking Care of Business

September 21, 2018
When it comes to money, there are two types of cruisers: those who have enough that they no longer need to work — and those who don’t. Among that second set, there are also two types — commuter cruisers and those who work along the way. More »

Viva la Transpac!

September 19, 2018
Cal 40s are great boats, and we’re happy to bring you the news that another one is being revived and returned to racing. Belvedere’s Don Jesberg acquired Viva, hull #103, last year and the boat is currently undergoing a rebuild in preparation for the 2019 Transpac. More »

Tale of Two Storms

September 17, 2018
By now you’ve doubtless seen the stats on Florence. Since coming ashore in the Carolinas early Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm has left 17 dead, almost a million evacuees still unable to return home, extensive flooding, major highways shut down, 700,000 homes and businesses without power — and it hasn’t stopped yet. More »

Singlehanders on Their Way to Hanalei

June 25, 2018
In the age of insanely tall skyscrapers and self-driving cars it’s nice to know that a San Francisco tradition is still around and unchanged since 1978. On Saturday the start of the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Singlehanded TransPac was off and running with 19 diverse boats heading to Hanalei, Kauai.  More »

Mystery Boat No More

With 32 responses — and counting — a family ‘mystery’ of over half a century has finally been solved. I thank all of you who wrote. A photo of a photo of a former mystery boat (you can just make out the silhouette of the author, snapping the shot). More »

The Winners Sail Like a Girl

And the winners are… First Federal’s Team Sail Like a Girl! Team Sail Like a Girl finished the Race to Alaska yesterday just after midnight. © Katrina Zoë Norbom The first monohull and the first all-female team to win the Race to Alaska sailed into Ketchikan over the weekend to claim the $10,000 first prize. More »

A Flyer Clinches Volvo Ocean Race

French skipper Charles Caudrelier hoists the trophy after claiming victory. His first win was six years earlier while sailing with Franck Cammas’ Groupama team. © Eloi Stichelbaut / Dongfeng Race Team The Volvo Ocean Race has arrived at its closest finish in the race’s long and storied history. More »

The r2ak Is Getting Interesting-er

June 22, 2018
The 25 teams that remain in the fourth annual Race to Alaska are finally getting some wind. For the first three days after last Saturday’s high-noon start, the fleet sweltered under a blob of high pressure that, if nothing else, gave the human-only powered craft their, ahem, day in the sun — and left everyone else wishing they’d brought more sunblock. More »

r2ak: The Race Is On!

June 18, 2018
Two days into the wild and crazy Race to Alaska, Russell Brown’s Gougeon 32 PT Watercraft is already looking like the boat to beat. Last year, Brown set the solo record for the 710-mile race from Victoria, BC to Ketchikan, Alaska — 9 days, 6 hours. More »