Posts by John Riise
Misfortune, Murder or Manslaughter?
Back in September, we noted the strange case of Lewis Bennett, his wife of just three months, Isabella Hellman, and their honeymoon-gone-wrong aboard their 37-ft catamaran. The couple were on the way back to Florida on the final leg of a two-week Caribbean cruise in the spring of 2017, when, according to Bennett, he was awoken around midnight by the sound and feel of the boat hitting something. More »
Misfortune or Murder at Sea?
Surf into Summer, not lookin’ good.
© USCG
Back in the spring of 2017, Lewis Bennett and Isabella Hellman, both in their early 40s, were supposed to be enjoying a belated Caribbean honeymoon aboard the 37-ft catamaran Surf into Summer. More »
Taking Care of Business
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!
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
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 »
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 »
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 »
Singlehanders on Their Way to Hanalei
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 »
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 »
The r2ak Is Getting Interesting-er
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 »
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