Cal Maritime Battles the Pros in Transpacific Yacht Race
A young, yet experienced crew will race against the world’s top professional teams when Cal Maritime competes in the Transpacific Yacht Race for the fifth time in program history, starting July 3. Cal Maritime is the only college team competing in this year’s edition of the biennial 2,225-mile offshore sailing competition (as was the case in 2019 and 2023), which commences in Southern California and ends off Diamond Head Lighthouse in Honolulu.
California State University Maritime Academy (CSUM) will compete aboard the TS Cal Maritime (formerly Oaxaca), an offshore race boat provided by the California Maritime Academy Foundation. Cal Maritime is a Bill Lee-designed Santa Cruz 50 that was one of the original “fast is fun” light, narrow and easy-to-sail off-the-wind designs. Since her launch in 1980, Oaxaca has spent quality time in the yard, and received new rigging and a high-aspect rudder.
Leading CSUM in this year’s race is a crew that includes recent graduates, a slew of first-time participants, sailing program head coach Kerry Deaver, and a pair of individuals who are fulfilling a dream by sailing home.
Providing valuable experience and hands-on knowledge gained from offshore competitions throughout their respective college careers are CSUM alums Max Roth (this year’s skipper), Cyrus Khaleeli (navigator), Jacob Fisker-Andersen and Django Knafo-Tomlinson. For the native Hawaiians, the Transpac provides Roth and Knafo-Tomlinson an opportunity to return home. For Fisker-Andersen, this year marks his third appearance in this world-renowned race and his inaugural opportunity guiding Cal Maritime’s boat back to the mainland as its delivery skipper. All four of those individuals were part of the 2021 or 2022 John F. Kennedy Memorial Trophy-winning crews that helped Cal Maritime become just the sixth school in Kennedy Cup history to win the regatta in consecutive seasons.
Cal Maritime has also won the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup, one of the premier collegiate offshore regattas in the nation, eight times in program history, with this quartet playing key roles in the team’s recent championship performances.
Not only is Cal Maritime the only college team competing in the Transpac, its crew is the youngest, with the rest of the team comprising recent graduate Etienne Quille, senior Logan Chapman, sophomores Julian Levash (offshore team captain) and Oscar Perry.
Sailing fans are encouraged to visit the sailing team’s Instagram feed or visit the Transpac’s official website before and throughout this year’s competition.
Go team ! I will be following them !
Send it…see you there
It’s a great race, but I don’t feel it’s appropriate for college age to participate. It can be dangerous that far out at sea and would hate for even one of their futures cut short by remote accidents that can occur. There are much less dangerous coastal races that would be more appropriate.
Nobody should allow the pressure of creating an image for a leading maritime college cloud ones decisions on this.
#HFACS
Wow, I was not aware that CA – HI races were that dangerous. I have done 4 and have friends that together would account for dozens of trips without major incidents. Do you have any injury and fatality statistics to back up your opinion?
Go team GO!!
We’re with you all the way Logan.
Smooth Sailing!
Mikel + Amy from Hawaii
They make these “Statistics” about as readily available as the statistics that Scuba Diving near Cozumel is dangerous. (Dozens of shark attacks and other incidents kept from the public) And Im specifically refering to College Level Comptetition where these book smart seafarers have had nominal ocean experience. But I would argue that to even with extensive experience, the competition is not without significant risk. But if a death or serious injury doesn’t occur to one of these students for at least 10 years, I will still consider my original post necessary and warranted.
Rich — We couldn’t disagree more, and we reject several of the premises of what you said.
Your dissenting opinion instantly reminded us of a recent quote from legendary sailor and navigator Stan Honey made on our own Good Jibes podcast (#149), who said of the members of the L.A. Yacht Club: There was a community of folks there who had the shared commitment and common sense to bring kids along in our sport by making them feel appreciated as important team members. If there was a major ocean race and a kid with a seabag, there was zero chance that kid would be left on the dock.”
We reject the notion that the crew has “nominal ocean experience.” While there were some first-timers aboard, the very first line of the story reads: “A young, yet experienced crew will race against the world’s top professional teams.” We reject the notion that there is or ever was “pressure of creating an image for a leading maritime college.” Mass Maritime has a long history of competing in the nearly 700-mile Marion to Bermuda Race.
As with each of the six state maritime colleges in the US, students at Cal Maritime are training for dangerous, high-stakes jobs. Many of them have already worked aboard a variety of commercial vessels throughout the world, with some cadets even conning ships. Mistakes on those vessels result in injury and millions of dollars in damage.
We appreciate a culture of safety and a healthy respect for the ocean, but we reject this kind of blanket skepticism that seems to be based on the false premises we just outlined. Of course this isn’t to say that ocean racing isn’t dangerous. It most certainly is(!) and accidents can obviously occur. But we don’t think that college-aged students should be shielded or automatically exempt from the same risks and challenges that adults choose to take on — especially students who have been rigorously preparing for careers in the maritime industry.
For the record: To our knowledge, there has never been a fatality nor serious injury in the Transpac, though several vessels have sunk. We say “never” with some reservation and degree of superstition — we don’t want to jinx it.
Be safe out there, everyone.
Tim Henry
Letters Editor