A weblog for San Francisco Bay sailors

With all this talk and competition about who can be the youngest person to sail around the world, Alessandro di Benedetto accomplished an equally impressive feat by sailing non-stop and unassisted around the world in the smallest boat in history, just 6.5 meters. We always get a lot of questions asking what is the smallest boat that you could sail around the world, well, here’s the answer.  Scuttlebut had the story…

Italian-French Alessandro di Benedetto arrived this morning, July 22nd at the port of Les Sable d’Olonne in France, having completed his mission to sail around the world in single-handed, without any landing, not assisted, by a sailing boat 6.5 m. long, the smallest boat to attempt such a feat.

Starting in October 2009 from Les Sables d’Olonne, Alessandro has covered the 28,360 mile route in 270 days. The boat had left with a very low water line due to the weight of ship, and arrived after having faced many difficulties, most of all the dismasting prior to reaching Cape Horn.

Who is Alessandro di Benedetto. Yachting journalist Charles Doane explains:

“I first met Alessandro di Benedetto on a dock in November 1992 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as we were both preparing to sail across the North Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to America.

“Since then Alessandro has distinguished himself as a singlehander in his own right and has set two world records. In 2002 he sailed from Las Palmas to Guadeloupe and became the first singlehander to cross the Atlantic non-stop on a small open catamaran; in 2006 he duplicated the feat in the Pacific, crossing non-stop on an open cat from Yokohama to San Francisco.

“He set out from Les Sables d’Olonne in France on October 26, 2009, aboard a modified 21-foot Mini called Findomestic Banca (after his title sponsor), and things have seemingly gone smoothly until his approach to Cape Horn.

“According to some typically brief reports on his website, Alessandro’s boat was dismasted in ‘extreme weather conditions’ March 30th off the west coast of Chile. Alessandro originally intended to set up a jury rig and sail into Chile, but decided rather to continue and finish his voyage under a 20-foot jury mast.

“All I can say is: this guy has serious nerve and deserves a lot more attention than he’s been getting so far. Instead more people seem interested in the exploits of Abby Sunderland and Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old girls currently attempting to sail around the world alone and lock down the dubious and no longer officially recognized by anyone Youngest Around record.”

Sources:
http://tinyurl.com/www-wavetrain-net
http://tinyurl.com/www-wavetrain-net

As a few OCSC members know, I spent the better part of 2009 living on a boat in the Berkeley Marina that was given to me for free. People always wondered (and still wonder!) how and where they can get there own free yacht.  Wonder no longer! Tim Anderson, the author of the “Heirloom Technology” column in Make Magazine and co-founder of www.zcorp.com, has been chronicling his journey of his own free yacht at Instructables.

Tim and the Free Boat Crew will be coming to OCSC on August 5th at 7pm to give  a presentation on their adventures.  Of course, the presentation is FREE! (Although it’s free, please call to RSVP, 800-223-2984. We expect this event to fill up quickly!)

Tim was a big inspiration for me when I lived my own free boat adventure. Check out some of the stories from The Free Yacht Saga (link coming soon) and stop by to hear Tim’s stories first-hand.

When: August 5th, 7-8:30pm

Where: OCSC SAILING, 1 Spinnaker Way Berkeley, CA 94710

Cost: FREE

RSVP: Call OCSC, 800-223-2984

It looks like San Francisco is emerging as a possible contender to play host the the next America’s Cup race. Larry Ellison has identified it as the only suitable location in the US and given his Bay Area residence, it has to be a serious contender. Here was what NBC Bay Area had to report…

Call it the World Series, the Super Bowl or the World Cup of sailing. That’s how yacht racing fans would describe the America’s Cup yacht race. And for a race that lasts about four months, it’s not a bloated boast.

“It’s the holy grail of sailing,” said Norbert Bajurin, staff commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Now this most prestigious of events, which loosely takes place every three or four years, may be coming to San Francisco. Billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison and his BMW-Oracle racing team took the cup this past February. To the winner goes the spoils, or in the case of America’s Cup, the winner gets to pick the next venue.  READ MORE…

Bill Kinney, OCSC Instructor and freelance writer/photographer, recently published a fantastic article in Good Old Boat. Bill has been kind enough to let us share the piece here on the OCSC Blog. This is great advice and a good read for everyone interested in being a better skipper. Enjoy!

When you are the skipper of the boat, you are in charge; you are responsible for everything that happens on the boat, and to the boat.  Nerve-racking, isn’t it?  You don’t know everything about sailing. Even the stuff you do know, you sometimes forget.  Stuff keeps going wrong.  Equipment breaks. The crew doesn’t know what to do!  It’s enough to make you scream!  But don’t!  Wait, take a deep breath, and think of what a great skipper would do.  Bad skippers scream and yell.  Great skippers speak just loud enough that the crew can hear and understand, and they never insult or demean.  If somebody does something wrong, they suggest “Let’s try it this way….”  Great skippers take their time, even when things go wrong.  They don’t worry about “looking bad” because they know that a classy response to a problem can make them look good.  Great skippers know that everybody thinks better and works faster when they feel like they are surrounded by calm confidence.  Great skippers know that even when they aren’t feeling especially calm and confident on the inside, being calm and confident on the outside really can make things go better.

In the world of sailing legends, we can learn from two of history’s most famous characters.  One name has become synonymous with “floating tyrant”: Captain Bligh of the Bounty.  He was an incredibly skilled sailor.  His boat handling and navigation talents were truly exceptional.  But does anybody think of that first when they hear his name?  Nope.  We think of the problems he had with crew moral and motivation.  Nobody wants to be known around the docks as “a real Captain Bligh.”   On the other hand, Admiral Lord Nelson, the British naval hero of the Napoleonic wars, was made famous not by his obviously superior sailing skills, but rather by his ability to inspire the devotion and loyalty of all who served under him.

How does the average skipper make that magical transformation to “Great”?  A good start is by always knowing what is important, and having a “Plan B”.  Knowing what is important is easy:  Crew and boat safety.  In that order.  On my boat we have three rules:  #1:  Be safe.  #2:  Have fun.  #3:  See Rule #1. [Read more →]

We just got word from Larry and Lisa Anderson, OCSC Alumni, from their Tayana 55 in Puerto Vallarta. They replied to our last newsletter with exciting news…

I have sold my house, bought a Tayana 55 and have sailed from Ventura Ca, to Puerto Vallarta so far. Tell Capt Ray thanks for his great instruction in Coastal Cruising Class. Gave me a lot of good insight heading down the Baja on those moonless nights.

You can keep up with their trip on their website.

We love hearing these stories! Keep them coming! If you have similar dreams, we’d love to hear about them. Feel free to post comments on the blog or on our Facebook Page.

OCSC SAILING is always proud to host the Ailey Camp crew for an afternoon of sailing on the Bay.

AileyCamp is an innovative summer program designed to serve inner-city children in grades six through eight, ages 11-14.  It does not serve as a training ground for professional dancers, but rather uses dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, self-discipline, creative expression and critical thinking skills.  The Ailey Camp of Berkeley makes an annual stop at OCSC for an afternoon on the water.

We all had magic moments of accomplishment and insight when we were young. My hope is that these young students experience a flash of inspiration from their dance camp and sailing that will inspire them to take on greater challenges in life.
-Anthony Sandberg, OCSC SAILING President & Founder

Founded by Alvin Ailey and the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey in 1989, AileyCamp targets students with academic, social and domestic challenges, but also welcomes students who have little opportunity to develop their artistic interests.  An important aspect of the program’s success is in providing positive adult and peer role models, and giving campers an invaluable opportunity to explore their creativity, learn to master their bodies, and strengthen their respect for themselves and others within a supportive framework that gives them an important foundation for the future.

Even some lifelong residents of SF Bay have never heard about the Farallon Islands.  The mysterious islands remain one of the best kept adventure secrets in North America.  The islands are currently a wildlife sanctuary home to the largest seabird nesting colony in the country and one of the most biologically diverse environments in the world.  The islands are located 27 miles outside of the gate. They are not accessible to the general public, which makes sailing one of the few opportunities to see these magnificent ecosystems. [Read more →]

Nick Allen’s beautiful wave photography has been on display in OCSC’s Clubroom for a few months now. We always get great compliments on the artwork and people are always curios to know how it was shot.

Nick will have a larger photography exhibit at the Mill Valley Public Library from July 2-30th. If you like the work in the OCSC Clubroom, you will definitely enjoy this exhibit.

There will be a reception on July 6th, 6-8pm.

This Saturday will be the longest sunlit Saturday of the year and the 10th Annual Summer Sailstice.  The Summer Sailstice is a

… global holiday celebrating sailing held annually on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice, the longest sailing days of the year.

We’ll be sailing the 82′ Schooner Seaward and coming back to OCSC for a BBQ. Others will be chartering boats and heading over to Treasure Island event. Regardless of how and where you’re sailing, if you’re out on the water, be sure to register with the official Summer Sailstice event. You’ll be eligible to win one of over 400 prizes.

If you’re still looking for a way to get on the water, we still have a few spots on the Seaward. Call us asap to reserve your spot(s)! 800.223.2984