Baja to France — Latitude 38 Goes Where the Wind Blows

Around 20 years ago, Latitude 38 reader Leonard Bisgrove, now of Colorado, was one of 29 sailors from the Polaris Single Sailing group [also known as Polaris Sailing Society] who had traveled to France to spend seven days cruising the Canal du Midi aboard six boats.

Leonard tells us that the group got together only once during their seven-day journey. It was in Carcassonne, and they managed to get a photo of everyone together. “Of course, being West Coast sailors, most of us brought along our copy of Latitude 38,” Leonard adds.

“This was a trip that all of us who are still around remember fondly,” Leonard says.

Motoring down the canals of France wasn’t Leonard’s only sailing adventure. In 2006 he joined the 13th Baja Ha-Ha aboard his Endeavour 40 Vallée Cachée. We found Leonard and Vallée Cachée in Latitude’s December 2006 issue — they had placed third in the Ha-Ha’s Iguana division (one of 14 divisions).

This year will see the 32nd Baja Ha-Ha departing San Diego on Monday, November 2. Poobah Chuck Skewes and Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven have been hard at work putting together the two-week cruisers’ rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. If you want to know more, check out the Ha-Ha website.

If you want to jump in and sign up to join the rally, you can sign up here.