Category — Sailing News

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 →]

We just got word from Jane Moon, Sales Manager at Hotel Shattuck Plaza, that they are running a special of $119/night (including breakfast) through the end of the year. This is a great option for anyone considering traveling to Berkeley to take a course at OCSC.

Here’s the info:

• Rates start at $119/night including a continental Grab & Go breakfast
• The above rate is also applicable for your friends & family
• This promotion is valid for guests checking-in between November 1, 2009 – December 30, 2009
• Reservations can be made in one of two ways

1.      From the link below, click on “Corporate Rates” and enter your corporate code https://reservations.ihotelier.com/istay.cfm?hotelid=17233

2.      Contact either Joe or Heather, M-F between 8am-5pm, for your reservation

Zac Sunderland sits down with ESPN’s Jim Rome to discuss his solo-sail around the world.  They talk about why he did it, how he prepared, pirates and what he’s going to do next.

Have you ever wondered what is going on in the depths of the Bay, been curious how does the wildlife behaves below the surface, or just dreamed of cruising in a submarine? Well, it’s closer than you think.  In fact, a personal submarine has already been cruising in the Bay.  Graham Hawkes showed off the  Deep Flight Super Falcon, a small battery-powered submarine, at the California Academy of Sciences on May 13th, 2009.

Deep Flight Super Falcon

The 20 ft winged submarine, Super Falcon,  is set to fly around Monterey Bay from June 19th to July 17th, and will be on display to the public when not in use.

The curious craft with its 10-foot wingspread looks like a sleek jet plane, not what it really is: a small submarine capable of flying deep beneath the ocean’s surface to survey whatever’s there. [Read more →]

We here at OCSC have been following the story of Zac Sunderland, a 16 year old Californian attempting to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the world single-handed.  He is currently approaching Grenada, one of the last few stops of his journey.  He has a remarkable story:

From the first day Zac Sunderland said hello to planet earth, it seems he was destined to live the sailor’s life. Brought home from the hospital to his first home, a 55′ Tradewind in Marina del Rey, California, he was assigned his first bunk and listened to his mom tell the world of his birth over a single side-band radio…he never looked back… [Read more →]

A computer rendering of what the Plastiki will look like

We have been following the voyage of the Plastiki since we first learned of their trip in this National Geographic Article.  The premise of the Plastiki is to build a boat out of recycled plastic bottles and sail it across the ocean to bring attention to the incredible amount of waste that is accumulating in the worlds oceans.  We have stopped by Pier 31 every few weeks to check on the progress of the fateful ship.  In the beginning, it was very difficult to see how they would make it all come together. [Read more →]

Called “the Everest of sailing”, the Volvo Ocean Race is a 37,000 mile sailboat race with stops at 11 ports around the world taking the competitors 9 months to complete.

Here’s a little sample of what this race is all about:

The 2008-2009 race began in October 2008 out of Alicante Spain, and will finish in St. Petersburg, Russia in June of 2009. Out of the 8 teams that started the race only one has dropped out, two are down for repairs for this leg and the 5 remaining are currently sailing near Fiji in the South Pacific on their way to Rio de Janeiro. [Read more →]

In January, as the Chair of the Education Division of US SAILING, I accepted an invitation to attend a conference of Yachtmaster Instructors and Examiners of the Royal Yachting Association in England.  While it was a little chillier than the SF Bay Area, the reception I got was quite warm and inviting with lots of professional sailors filling me in about the sport and the industry in the United Kingdom. [Read more →]