‘DragonSlayer’ Sails Baja Alongside Racing Dolphins

Cliff Newell and Katy Jacobs, aboard the 2017 Beneteau Oceanis 45 DragonSlayer, were among the 105 boats that cast off from San Diego on November 3 in the 31st Baja Ha-Ha. Along the way they experienced the wonder of sailing with a very large pod of dolphins.

Cliff, 68, is a retired district attorney, while Katy is a DA prosecutor. Joining them onboard were John DuPerry, 50, a captain and camel trainer. (Yes! A camel trainer.) And a second crew member whose name we didn’t catch.

Cliff and Katy’s plan, post-Ha-Ha, was to moor their boat at their home on the East Cape of Baja. Though after watching the video they sent us last week, we’re wondering if they might just keep sailing to capture more of nature’s astounding beauty. We’re referring to a large pod of dolphins that was racing across the ocean, after the couple departed Bahía Tortuga.

“They converged on DragonSlayer at sunset,” Cliff wrote, “surrounding us, then just slingshotted away.”

Play the video with your sound on. Cliff says they sounded like a herd of mustangs racing across the prairie.

Given that one of Cliff’s favorite quotes is “To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest,*” we feel this dolphin encounter may have represented one of those impossible dreams, though not impossible for ocean sailors.

*According to Google, this quote is often attributed to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha, but is actually ‘a song lyric written by Joe Darion for the musical based on Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote.’”

“The Man of La Mancha was a real dragon slayer,” Cliff adds.

Who else has had a similar experience while sailing offshore? (This writer has! It is truly extraordinary.)