Latitude 38’s September Issue Is Out Now!

Lots of interesting stories appear in this month’s issue of Latitude 38. Jonathan Livingston tells the story of 94-year-old Commodore Tompkins, a master of going with the flow, which he demonstrated again with a class win in the 2026 Pacific Cup aboard Flashgirl. We share a summer cruise down the coast to the Channel Islands; a preview of the Big Guns coming out for the Rolex Big Boat Series; September’s 50th Anniversary Moore 24 Nationals and some Moore 24 history; and a few helpful tips for doing the Ha-Ha from a four-time participant who’s going again for his fifth rally. Latitude racing editor Fritz went to Norway for the International Knarr Championship, where Bay Area sailor Jon Perkins raided the Vikings to bring home the trophy. Plus more racing, cruising, and some great letters including one sent by Jack London to the Vallejo Yacht Club in the early 1900s. Here’s a preview.

Moore Than Ever Before — Moore 24 50th Nationals

The 50th Moore 24 Nationals will happen September 24–27 in Santa Cruz, and at the time of this writing there were 75 boats registered — nearly half the boats ever made (only 156 Moore 24s were built). This is almost double the 42 boats entered in the 30th Moore 24 Nationals in 2006, at the time the most-attended event in the fleet’s history. How, then, did the 50th become such a big event?

Was This Mystic’s Last Race? — Dismasted In the Mackinac 

“I was trimming the main, actively scanning between the telltales, the draft and the knotmeter, and talking to Bob at the helm. A gust blew us over hard, the rig rattled, and then there was a mighty bang! Instantly, the pressure disappeared from the mainsheet, and the boat stood up. The mainsail was in a heap aft of the masthead that was bouncing on the deck and lifelines. The jib, lines and rigging were in the water.”

S.F. Knarr Sailors Renew Scandinavian Friendships

The IKC midweek party awards a trophy to the leader halfway through the regatta, and then requires the winning team to chug a bottle of champagne out of the trophy, in an effort to give everyone else a chance.

A quick note: Remember to join the Latitude 38 Fall Baja Ha-Ha Crew List Party on September 10, at Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito.

Now back to our September issue preview.

In this month’s regular columns:

Letters: A Letter from Jack London; Questioning a Greek Legend’s Seamanship and Decision Making; The Resourceful Sailor’s DIY Winch Maintenance, and the Case for Low Budget; Dismasted Boat Towed to Port in Sausalito; and stacks more readers’ letters.
Sightings: Commodore Tompkins races the Pacific Cup; Unplugged to the Channel Islands; Building a Wooden Boat in Redwood City; Rolex Big Boat Series Preview; Meeting Some of the Baja Ha-Ha Sailors; Sausalito Boat Show.
Max Ebb: “Fight to the Finish”
Racing Sheet: This month’s edition of the Racing Sheet kicks off with Encinal Yacht Club’s Encinal Regatta, traditionally the Second Half Opener. We then stay at EYC for the 2026 Corsair Nationals. Next, we journey up to the Sierra for a recap of Sail Week Tahoe. Then it’s down to Southern California, where a local wins this year’s Governor’s Cup. In closing, we wrap up with two national championships: the International 110s in Tomales Bay, and the Santana 22s in Santa Cruz.
World of Chartering: Our friend Jeff Lo was a golfer, auto buff and landlubber, until he did a charter with some experienced and not-so-experienced friends in the Bahamas. We asked him for his impressions of his first sailing charter.
Changes in Latitudes: With reports this month from Ethos’s adventures in the Med; a look back over 35 years of cruising aboard Mendocino Queen; Dragonfly’s Pacific crossing; and some interesting catch-ups with old friends in Cruise Notes.

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