Latitude 38 September Issue Out Today

September is a month of change. School has resumed, summer is drawing to a close, pumpkins and ghouls are starting to appear, and while some sailors are starting to think about boat storage, others are starting to think more about the idea of heading south for the winter months. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the joy of picking up a new issue of Latitude 38. We’re even giving you a couple of extra days with which to enjoy September’s offerings: stories including the 50th anniversary of Pi, voyaging on the USCGC Eagle, the Cal Maritime crew’s Transpac race, a welcome aboard to Latitude’s new racing editor, and many more. Here’s a preview.

Pi to the 50th — a Remembrance to Remember

On June 27, 1975, brothers Steve and Walter Fennell (aged 28 and 26) and 16-year-old Niels Kisling sailed out of Santa Cruz to take part in the Santa Barbara race aboard Pi, the 24-ft fiberglass sailboat Niels had helped his then-teacher Walter build. On the night of June 28, Niels was picked up from the ocean by the SS Utah Standard. Pi had capsized the night before. Niels was the only survivor.

Steve Fennell grew up the eldest of five siblings in Alameda, California. Sailing was the center of the Fennell family, and with their going out every weekend, it seemed that everything revolved around sailing. After graduating from SDSU, Steve found his way to Capitola in the late ’60s and purchased the historical Van Sickle house on Cherry Avenue. He lived there with his wife and daughter, Serena, and offered cheap rents to friends in one of the many rooms and apartments on the property. Steve became a middle school math teacher and was a free thinker way ahead of his time. He invented a honeycomb aluminum building material, the Fennell Module. He held ecology classes for students and “was a safe harbor” for young people in his community. Students could be themselves around Steve and “never have to worry.” – Story by Vikki Fennell.

My Voyage on USCGC Eagle

This summer, I had the rare privilege of sailing aboard the USCGC Eagle, the Coast Guard’s iconic barque, from San Francisco to San Pedro. While I’ve been fortunate to sail on Eagle before — last summer I joined her from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire — this voyage was different. It wasn’t just about the miles logged or the sails set; it was about the setting, the mission, and the remarkable people aboard. – Story by Will Sofrin.

CMA Transpac Team Silences Doubters

The 2025 Transpac featured plenty of great stories, including the Cal Poly Maritime Academy sailing team. The “Keelhaulers” competed on Oaxaca — a Santa Cruz 50 donated to the program in late 2024 — in the Cabrillo Boat Shop Division Five with five other boats. When all the results were tallied, they’d finished fourth in their division and 34th overall on corrected time. Oaxaca’s elapsed time was 10:22:47:17, with a corrected time of 9:22:05:10.

Who’s Aboard for the 31st Baja Ha-Ha?

Ahead of each Ha-Ha, the Poobah and Assistant Poobah gather a little background on the fleet: a who’s who of the Ha-Ha. Over the years this has proven to be a fun read and is great for getting to know one’s fellow cruisers. It’s also great for those following along from home. Of course, we can only tell you about the sailors — we know nothing about the cruising experience of the whales, dolphins, frigate birds, flying fish and other sea life you’re likely to encounter along the way. We can, however, assume that they’re very comfortable in their environment, and with a little luck, will happily cruise along with the fleet from time to time. Click here to meet a few of the Baja Ha-Ha XXXI participants.

Also in this month’s issue:

Letters: An Astounding West Coast Sailing Community; A Deep Dive Into Ocean Race Scoring; A Transpac History Hello; Do You DIY or Call a Pro?; and many more readers’ letters and comments.
Sightings: Welcome Aboard Racing Editor Fritz Baldauf; Sausalito Boat Show Take 3; Racing Into Environmental Action; A High Sierra Regatta We Won’t Forget; and other stories.
Max Ebb: “The Art of the Squirrel”
Racing Sheet: Summer regattas run hot and heavy as evidenced by the YRA Encinal Regatta and Offshore Series, the Estuary Extravaganza, the Plastic Classic, the I-14 Nationals, the Mercury Huntington Regatta, SFYC’s Summer Keel, and the Sears Cup. Box Scores is jam packed, and we finish up with Race Notes and a final special note.
Changes in Latitudes: With reports this month on Quark’s nice, long exploration of the twin islands of Raiatea and Taha’a; Kia Koropp’s renewed apprenticeship aboard Atea; Passiflor’s interrupted trip back from Tahiti; Fundango’s cruise through the islands of paradise; and a locker full of Cruise Notes.
All the latest in sailboats and sailboat gear for sale, Classy Classifieds.

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Now, go get your copy! Here’s a map of Bay Area distributors.