When I learned that the brigantine Kaisei has returned from its 2010 Pacific voyage in time to participate in a Parade of Sail on San Diego Bay, I was reminded of a conversation I had with Norton Smith, soon after Kaisei’s 2009 voyage. The ship’s crew and a boatload of scientists had been studying plastic [...]
Is it not deliciously ironic that the Little America’s Cup should emerge as the coolest act of the summer of ‘10 and a likely precursor to announcements now promised for September 13 regarding boat type (bet on multihulls), year (bet on 2014) and protocol—everything except the venue of America’s Cup 34. Anyone who [...]
It’s not just a full circle, it’s a rich full circle to see John Bertrand on San Francisco Bay, returning as a coach to the waters where, as a youth, he separated himself from the pack and then went on to win back-to-back Laser world championships, the Finn Gold Cup and an Olympic silver medal. [...]
All Photos by Kimball Livingston
Today we undertake a study of the habits of man. In particular, we ask why two of the most popular sailing events in Northern California are totally whack. Or, to rephrase that, why should two totally whack sailing events rank at the top of anybody’s local calendar?
You could ask, why [...]
The 18-foot skiff class is doing nicely in 2010, and they have sent their largest delegation ever to race an International Regatta on San Francisco Bay. Considering that most of them come all the way from Sydney, Australia, a showing of 13 boats looks good.
Naturally, they came here for the big breeze, and naturally, [...]
Semi-gratuitous image of an 18-foot skiff cranking down San Francisco Bay in the International Regatta, continuing through Thursday. Ahem, the America’s Cup boats will be faster. Photos by Kimball Livingston
In the Inbox, from David Lewis, is a copy of a letter sent Tuesday by one of my favorite environmental organizations—Save the Bay—to San Francisco [...]
Could an unstadium in Los Angeles consign the America’s Cup match to Italy?
Could a Chevron refinery in Richmond, California consign the America’s Cup match to Spain?
Is it possible for everybody to pull in one direction, and go nowhere?
18ft skiffs are racing through Thursday in the Alcatraz Channel. Substitute 72-footers and you have something of the [...]
Now I know how they say “yeehaw” in Brazil. It’s
YEEEHAAW!
Here is Brazil’s reigning Finn Junior World Champion, Jorge Zarif, port-tacking the fleet in Thursday’s practice race for the 2010 championship . . .
I could hear him across the water—YEEHAAW—as the shutter clicked.
Nobody bothered to finish the practice race, but [...]
The phone rang at 0511 and what followed was a truncated conversation with a strong-sounding Ronnie Simpson who was “inside the Gate” and—he’s now ashore—safe, after his borrowed 30-footer dropped its keel 800 miles off the coast on the return from the Singlehanded Transpac.
Warrior’s Wish was returning from Hawaii to San Francisco Bay, a distance [...]
Ronnie Simpson and Ed McCoy have crossed the 200 mile mark in their tip-toe journey home to San Francisco Bay after losing the keel from the 30-foot sloop, Warrior’s Wish.
It’s not as though either of them has had a “night’s sleep” since, living in the cockpit with life raft and ditch bag at the [...]