Episode #12: Jim Hancock on Sailing for Your Pastime and Career

Welcome back to Latitude 38’s podcast, Good Jibes! In this podcast, we’re bringing you the world of sailing through the eyes of the West Coast Sailor. Each week, you’ll hear stories and tips from the West Coast sailing community on cruising, racing and just plain sailing. Cast off, laugh and learn, and become a better sailor. Hosted by John Arndt, Nicki Bennett, Ryan Foland, and the team at Latitude 38 – the sailing magazine for West Coast sailors since 1977!

This is Episode #12 and we’re casting off with San Francisco Sailing Science Center President & Founder Jim Hancock, who’s interviewed by Latitude 38 Publisher and host John Arndt to chat turning your passion for sailing into both your favorite hobby and your career. Jim grew up in a boating family, would build models of sailboats as a child, and sailed from California to Australia starting in 1999. Hear what goes into sailing around the world, how the San Francisco Sailing Science Center aims to inspire, where he got the idea from, why the Bay Area sailing community is so special, and sailing is one of the most fun and valuable things you can do. This episode covers everything from crossing an ocean to inspiring the next generation of sailors. 

Good Jibes is brought to you by the Safe Boating Campaign, in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council and U.S. Coast Guard. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com.

Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• When did Jim first go sailing?
• What inspired him to start the Sailing Science Center?
• Does he still sail recreationally?
• What makes the Bay Area sailing community special?
• How long did Jim take to get to Australia?
• Where is he in the lifespan of the Sailing Science Center?
• What is the biggest barrier to people going sailing?
• Short Tacks: What is Jim’s racing-to-cruising ratio?

Learn more at https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/san-francisco-sailing-science-center/.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!

Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Jim Hancock on Sailing for Your Pastime and Career
  • [0:00] Good Jibes is brought to you by the Safe Boating Campaign, in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council and U.S. Coast Guard. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com
  • [0:34] Welcome to Good Jibes with Latitude 38
  • [0:39] John Arndt
  • [0:43] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [1:04] Learn more at https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/san-francisco-sailing-science-center/
  • [2:38] What is a story that shaped Jim about sailing?
  • [3:39] Flying Cloud
  • [4:57] When did Jim first go sailing? 
  • [5:22] El Toro
  • [6:01] How has it been to combine his pastime of sailing with his career?
  • [6:39] Engineering, UCSB (UC Santa Barbara), Ocean Engineering, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
  • [7:27] Marine Engineer
  • [8:42] Jim interviewing John on a podcast
  • [9:08] Does Jim still sail recreationally?
  • [11:11] Bodega Bay
  • [11:23] Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
  • [13:32] Software Development
  • [13:57] Was Jim’s wife involved at the time?
  • [14:31] Spinnaker Sailing
  • [15:21] West Marine
  • [15:49] Freya 39, Richard Spindler
  • [17:08] Coyote Point
  • [17:44] How long did Jim take to get to Australia?
  • [18:23] Coconut Milk Run
  • [18:44] Hurricane Ida
  • [19:49] “An Unmanned Circumnavigation” from the September 2021 issues of Latitude 38
  • [20:11] Good Jibes is brought to you by the Safe Boating Campaign, in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council and U.S. Coast Guard. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com
  • San Francisco Sailing Science Center
  • [20:23] What inspired Jim to start the Sailing Science Center?
  • [22:37] Wind Tunnel
  • [22:53] J/World
  • [25:19] What would you think of the Sailing Science Center if you’ve never been sailing?
  • [26:13] Aeronautical Engineer
  • [26:34] Bernoulli’s Effect, Treasure Island
  • [27:25] Where is Jim in the lifespan of this project?
  • [27:30] Pandemic
  • [27:45] Mount Everest
  • [29:32] Treasure Island YMCA
  • [30:58] Podcast
  • [32:27] Matthew Turner
  • [33:09] Gilligan’s Island
  • [33:43] S.S. Minnow
  • Community
  • [34:18] What makes the Bay Area sailing community special?
  • [35:17] Latitude 38
  • [39:18] Singlehanded Transpac
  • [40:25] What is the biggest barrier to people going sailing?
  • [41:18] Sunfish
  • [42:23] Financial Crisis
  • Short Tacks
  • [44:24] J/80
  • [46:00] What is Jim’s racing-to-cruising ratio?
  • [47:32] What’s the longest offshore passage he’s taken?
  • [49:00] Does he prefer East Coast or West Coast sailing?
  • [49:13] What would he tell people who are hesitant to go sailing?
  • [50:58] What is his favorite part of Summer Sailstice?
  • [51:49] Solstice
  • [52:15] Good Jibes is brought to you by the Safe Boating Campaign, in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council and U.S. Coast Guard. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com
  • [52:17] What is Jim’s most important safety piece other than a life jacket?
  • [53:13] The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier
  • [54:17] What’s the next sailing trip Jim has planned?
  • [54:52] What final thoughts does he have?
  • [55:24] Learn more about the Sailing Science Center at SailingScience.org
  • [57:02] Learn more at https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/san-francisco-sailing-science-center/
  • [57:14] Make sure to follow Good Jibes with Latitude 38 on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
  • [58:32] Follow our sponsor, the Safe Boating Campaign, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @boatingcampaign and use the hashtags #SafeBoating and #RealBoatersWearit. Learn more at SafeBoatingCampaign.com
  • [59:03] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • Theme Song: Pineapple Dream by SOLXIS