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Liz Clark Looking for a Cal 40 Headsail

By Richard | January 18, 2008 | The Tuamotus, French Polynesia |

If you’re a frugal cruiser, it’s great to cruise on a boat that used to race as a class or whose sail dimensions are the same as a one design or popular racing class. That’s because racers usually have garages full of sails that are no longer capable of winning on the race course, but have many great years of service left as cruising sails.

If anyone out there has a medium to large Cal 40 headsail wasting away in their garage, we know a terrific young woman in the South Pacific who would love to buy it on the cheap. That person is Liz Clark of Santa Barbara, who is two years into her sailing and surfing safari aboard the Cal 40 Swell. Liz explains:

"I’ve been ripping more than waves down here in the Tuamotus. I did my first real upwind passage in the trades — 120 miles tacking against 15-25 knots! In the last 20 miles, I got hit by a 35-kt squall, and didn’t get my roller furling headsail in fast enough. RIIIIIIIIIIIP! My big headsail got three 4- to 5-ft horizontal tears. I limped into port on a small jib. I have now repaired the torn sail. It wasn’t without getting carpel tunnel in my right thumb and forefinger, plus having a cat pee on it, but that’s life when you’re cruising.

When not ripping waves or sails, Liz Clarks rips down a hill in the Society Islands on her skateboard.

Swell
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

"The important thing is that I’m in the market for a new roller-furling headsail. A new one just isn’t in my budget, so I’m wondering if there are any Cal 40 owners in Latitude‘s readership whose older but still serviceable roller furling headsail in their garage they’d be willing to sell cheap. My dad, who lives in San Diego, could pick it up, which would then give him the perfect excuse to come out here to visit me.

"Anyway, I am still in the Tuamotus — shhhh, don’t tell Immigration — but I plan to leave for Christmas Island within the week. It’s going to be tough to leave this place, as I’ve got a perfect little coral lagoon anchorage next to the pass where a beautiful right-hander just won’t stop breaking. Plus, I’ve made some awesome friends at one of the pearl farms. But I have to get out of his area, both because of tropical cyclones, and also because of bureaucratic reasons.

"No matter what, I wish everyone great sailing and cruising in ’08!"

If anyone has a sail that might be a good deal for Liz, they can contact her through us by email.

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