Seminar Season Is Upon Us

During the years that we’ve been editing Latitude 38’s Calendar, we’ve noticed that a mustering of energy in preparation for the spring sailing season manifests itself as a spate of seminars during the break between the holidays and the beginning of evening beer can racing.

A portion of all crewmembers plus the skipper for most ocean races are required to be graduates of Safety at Sea Seminars. For example, in OYRA races 30% of the crew plus the skipper must have taken SAS. So sailors are eager to attend these before the first offshore races in March-April. February 12’s SAS in Berkeley is full. The next ones in the Bay Area will be the two-day seminars at SFYC on April 7-8 or 9-10. Others can be found in SoCal and the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, the half-day Coastal SAS is not currently available online, but we’ll alert you when it is.

On February 25, Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda and the YRA will host a San Francisco Bay Weather Seminar, presented by Mike Dvorak of Sail Tactics (Impacts to Local Weather) and Lee Chesneau (The Big Picture). 

On the same day, Berkeley YC will host a North U Rules & Tactics Seminar with Andrew Kerr, particularly important this year as the Racing Rules of Sailing have been updated for 2017-2020.

US Sailing Race Management Seminars will be held up and down the West Coast in the couple of months. The Bay Area one will be hosted by Encinal YC in Alameda on March 11.

Due to the conflict with the SSS Three Bridge Fiasco trophy meeting this Wednesday (7:30 p.m. at Oakland YC), BAMA has moved their 2016 Doublehanded Farallones awards presentation / 2017 pre-skippers’ meeting to next Wednesday, February 15, at Aeolian YC. Even if you didn’t win anything at either of the above regattas, if you raced there’s a shirt waiting for you.

On March 4, Richmond YC will host Sail a Small Boat Day, a free opportunity to get out on the water and try various centerboarders and other small boats.

A couple of events in San Francisco to save to your March calendar are Latitude 38’s Spring Crew List Party at Golden Gate YC on March 8 and the Ocean Film Festival at Fort Mason.

Kame Richards of Pineapple Sails will offer his popular Tides Talks at the Bay Model in Sausalito on March 29 and April 5 at 7 p.m. These sessions always book up, so reservations are a must. Contact Jim Tantillo by email or call him at (707) 759-2045. $15 cash only at the door.

For many more fine events along the West Coast during February and early March, please see our Calendar.