Cavallo Point Taken... 'Race For The Cup' ushers in the AC for the North Bay

After three solid days of rain here in SF we woke up to bright blue skies on Wednesday. A welcome change in weather and an idyllic setting for the much anticipated 'Race For The Cup' event scheduled at Cavallo Point in Sausalito... an America's Cup launch party for our north bay friends hosted in partnership with Marin Magazine and Protector Boats. Featuring a gallery exposition of work from AC photographer Gilles Martin-Raget and an intimate chat with Artemis co-helmsman Loick Peyron and America's Cup tech expert & navigator extraordinaire Stan Honey, as one would expect this was a sold out event and inked onto many calendars for some time. 

The fog was just beginning to lick over Nob Hill when I walked over to Loick's place aka the 'little french navy barracks' which he shares with Artemis teammates Julien Cressant and Thierry Fouchier. I was running a little late, a block away and I already heard the baritone rumble of Loick's Chevy truck idling in the distance. "Allez let's go!" he yelled as he saw me down the street. I ran and hopped in the truck and a few short minutes later we were cruising across the Golden Gate Bridge in ol' Lady Blue 65 with the windows wide open, playing catch up over a cigarette and listening to the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack.

We arrived at Cavallo Point in fine time. The party was just beginning, nice ambient live music setting a perfect casual tone as guests began to saunter in and fill up the fireside patio. The attentive hosts weaved through the crowd with trays of tasty hors d'oeuvres and drinks, I caught up with some familiar faces while Loick was interviewed on the front lawn for Channel 5.

For those who have not been to Cavallo Point, this is hands down one of the finest hotels in the Bay Area. The proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge is magical, the grounds are immaculate, and the facility and staff posses a certain indescribable unique characteristic of being very elegant and prestigious yet completely down to earth and spirited. This was a recurring presence throughout the evening, complemented perfectly by Loick, Stan & Gilles who were all having fun mingling and chatting up the guests ...before we knew it, the familiar knife-on-wineglass 'tink tink tink' let us know it was all time to head inside.

In fine company.
The Dudes: Stan Honey, Loick Peyron, Kimball Livingston, myself, and Mike Martin
Thank you Marin Magazine for the photo

The room was filling up quickly, Stan and Loick were fitted with microphones and they took the stage with the moderator for the evening, Stephanie Martin. The tone of the discussion was completely relaxed and entertaining, Loick and Stan's clever quips often drawing laughter from the crowd. The talk was short & sweet and extremely entertaining, the room was pleased to have been treated to a special private window into the America's Cup articulated nicely through Stan and Loick's collective knowledge and experience. No surprises there, these two gentlemen are at the top of their game both as sailors and dynamic speakers, and Stephanie's experience in communications lent itself nicely to provoking insightful commentary. In closing, the Cavallo Point manager Euan Taylor hopped up behind the podium to thank the special guests and invite us to dinner.

The available moments before dinner were an optimum time to have a look at Gilles' photo expo in the hotel, such impressive work and so cool to see some of the images I've loved for many years in a larger scale gallery setting. Gilles is one of the best in the business without question and I admire him both as a professional and a friend... looking at his photos lit a spontaneous fire of inspiration underneath me... it was the ideal opportunity to grab him and snap a portrait pic. Have a look at the Scuttlebutt article on Gilles entitled: Wind, Water, Winning - The Works of Gilles Martin Raget

The party migrated upstairs in anticipation for dinner, the Cavallo Point staff efficiently seated everyone and poured wine, bustling back and forth from the kitchen to ensure everyone was properly attended to. I sat with Loick, Stan & Gilles and their fellow AC luminaries Mike Martin and Ian Murray...the lively ambiance that followed was an event unto itself, the dudes and their wives trading stories and barbs while we enjoyed a five course meal and wine pairing selected by Murray Circle Chef Justin Everett.

We're all still not sure how or why Loick and Gilles were wearing identical outfits. Chalk it up to zee french touch....  La classe for sure.

After the superb meal it was time to wrap up the evening and find Euan to express thanks for hosting us... Loick fired up ol' Lady Blue and we were back on the Golden Gate headed to SF, happily reflecting on the night's events.

Thanks to everyone for the super soiree... The America's Cup is alive and well ...and without a doubt the excitement is building everywhere.

a bientot

-fred 

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 4: Women's Jib

Women have always played an important role in sailing, evolving from their mythical presence of the siren calling sailors home into port to a formidable force on the water as both as amateurs and professionals. Throughout our sailing history names like Florence Arthaud, Isabelle Autissier, Sharon Sites Adams and Ellen MacArthur have resonated across the world and made us dream big, and today we have the likes of Sam Davies, Dee Caffari, Shirley Robertson, Alexia Barrier, Emma Creighton, Liz Wardley, Genny Tulloch, Paige Railey... and a host of other talented female sailors keeping the dream alive. We love these girls, many of them able to sail circles around their male contemporaries. There is nothing quite like having a chick dance around you on board a boat anticipating the skippers needs before any of the guys are clued in, weaving in and out of the rest of the crew with the focus & confidence of a champion and the agility of a fox.

There is also no comparison to being beaten in a race by a female crew and enjoying a beer together back at the yacht club. It is one of those rare times when elitist men will put their egos in their back pocket for a brief spell and give the ladies their due. The camaraderie we experience with the girls during these moments is great fun and an important lesson for everyone; bonding and communicating in the same language, laughing and clicking at the bar without the pressure of romantic intentions and facades... good healthy competition and rivalry bringing us together on equal footing. The sport of sailing is fortunate to have broken the gender boundary for the most part, girls are able to compete with the dudes in just about every race or record, limitations are defined by their own desires and personal abilities and not by what rest room they use. The reality might be humbling for some of the more prideful macho male types in our little village, but women who sail can be just as strong, just as talented, and just as dedicated to our sport as the men. These sailorettes have everything to prove and much to lose, but from my experience these things are insignificant to them. The girls are motivated by a fierce love for the sport and a deep passion for being on the water. Just like us. If only we could look so well put-together in our foulies.

The global presence of women in sailing doesn't stop at the tiller, every successful campaign is dependent on the talent and efficiency of the team on shore, and the ladies more than often are at the helm of the show. There are also some incredible female sailing photographers out there braving the seas to get the shot, some giving the men a run for their money too... check out the photography of Jen Edney and Nathalie Colloud.
It seems that currently things are only getting better for the female sailing community and that's fantastic news for everyone. I'm excited to see the developments of the all-woman team for the next Volvo Ocean Race.

While I was sorting through my vintage magazine collection for 'sailing-lifestyle' ads to scan, it was not surprising to see a handful featuring women in some context, but it is interesting how women and sailing were portrayed, what we were to assume sailing meant to them, and how we as a culture defined women in general. Have a look at the ads below and see for yourself. While the image of women in advertising today has deteriorated considerably, rife with objectification and sexism, we'll always have that magical era of time-passed to disappear into when we need a little refreshment from (and respect for) the opposite sex as she once was in print media. And for the fine fair ladies of sailing today, despite our current magazines sadly lacking advertising featuring the depiction of female sailors, in the 'real' world you've made a massive impact. Well done.
You've come a long way, babies.
Sail on les filles...

-fred

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 3: Smoke On The Water
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Auto Pilot

It Doesn't Get Any BAADSer Than This - Disabled Sailing With Loick Peyron

Loick sizes up the fleet for Awareness Regatta 2 in San Francisco     May 25, 2013

There are good days and there are great days. Then there are those indescribably great days which materialize into significant life events. The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS) hosting Loick Peyron for the Awareness Regatta 2 ticked the latter box with such a strong hand for so many of us that it has pushed the pencil right through the table.

It started a few months ago when I had the pleasure of working with the BAADS for the first Awareness Regatta, a concept from the ma(d)stermind of event coordinator Fernanda Castelo, a disabled sailor with an infectious smile and a spirit that can't be contained or deterred. Her passion for sailing is addictive, once she leaves her wheelchair and is hoisted into her dinghy she hits the water with her eye on the prize. Her flair for the race course is tastefully punctuated by her trademark black velvet equestrian cap on her head and despite her fierce competitive nature, the infectious smile is ever present. Fernanda's idea for the original Awareness Regatta was to have a day of inclusive sailing with representatives from Team Oracle racing in the BAADS access dinghies. This would be an opportunity for the BAADS to share a little of their world with the big dogs, and to also gain some insight into the highest level of professional sailing; the America's Cup. All in the name of fun.

Oracle Racing Team embraced her idea with open arms, and after careful planning, Fernanda's vision materialized on Pier 40 and throughout the day of racing in McCovey Cove. Oracle had sent Brian MacInnes and Sam Newton, both intelligent choices; their formidable sailing backgrounds and friendly demeanor lent itself nicely to the intended Awareness Regatta aesthetic. Returning to the South Beach Yacht Club, we enjoyed drinks and a nice Q & A session with Brian, a complete gentleman and athlete both on and off the water. The evening wrapped up with cheers echoing across South Beach Harbor and wide grins on every face. Awareness Regatta was a huge success.

What struck me most about that day happened early on. As I sat on board the media Whaler, idling in the harbor watching the dock-out, I was overcome with emotion and I couldn't hold back the tears. Witnessing these disabled sailors being lifted out of their chairs and onto the hulls of their boats was so incredibly moving to me... when just an hour before I was complaining to myself that I had to walk so far to get to the event. Despite their physical limitations, these 'disabled' sailors aren't disabled at all, they have more strength and ability in their minds and wills than myself and most everyone I know. I wiped my eyes and shook it off, and just as the BAADS were heading out to the breakwater, the Artemis AC72 gave us a fly by with a hull in the air. My first reaction was not the popular 'yeahhh AC action', it was: 'mann Loick would love the BAADS experience'. Back at the yacht club after the regatta I mentioned it to Fernanda who said 'Really? do you think he'd do it?' Of course he would. We instantly began strategizing over a margarita..
The next day I asked Loick for his thoughts and he said "Yes, definitely, I'd love to, let's do it dude".
And so the wheels were put in motion for the next chapter in the Awareness Regatta story. From that moment it has been a complete pleasure working with Fernanda, Loick, BAADS Commodore Cristina Rubke, and South Beach Yacht Club's AC Chairman Lisa Gidley to bring this vision to life. Before we knew it, the sun was high in the sky above the dinghy docks at Pier 40 on the big day.

We rumbled up in Loick's '65 Ford truck just in time for the skipper's meeting, the dock was already a hive of activity, sailors and volunteers bustled around while the media tried our best to stay out of the way.
The BAADS were thrilled to see Loick, and he wasted no time rolling up his sleeves and immersing himself into the preparations and dock out procedure, providing a motivating soundtrack with his signature whistling lilt and occasional percussive chuckle. There was a very comfortable level of focus & organization on shore which maintained the necessary dynamic of seriousness and laughter. No surprises there, efficiency and smoothing out the edges while putting everyone at ease is what Loick does best. One by one the sailors departed from the dock with Loick's assistance, and when the dock was clear he climbed into his boat and headed off to the course. We gathered our gear and Lisa swung the media Whaler around.. I hopped on board with Chris Barrineau and Jen Edney and we motored out to the race track at Piers 30-32. The little access dinghies were already in place rallying around the front yard of the America's Cup team bases... game faces were on. We zipped around to get some quick portrait shots of the sailors and then the 5 minute gun for the Liberty class popped off.

The racing was close while it lasted, the BAADS were in hot pursuit of their new french friend. Two races in and after Loick had nailed both bullets, the breeze started to kick up significantly and the remaining races were called off. Fernanda was skippering a double-handed 303 with her crew mate Kathy Bello Shephard and they also won their two races... she gives her account of the racing:

"A windward - leeward course was set, with the length of about 2 piers from leeward pin to windward pin. The start line is set at beam reach (directly across the wind), and the pin was slightly favored with winds up to 10-15 knots. We had a great start in spite of not having a watch/timer on our wrist; however, we were close enough to a chase boat who were assisting with an audible count downs at 35 seconds, as we gained speed for the start we counted one thousand one, two, etc. We had a fabulous start.

We were ahead of our fleet of four, rounded the windward mark and headed downwind. As we rounded the mark, we immediately noticed that the fleet of 8 Liberty's started their race and we did not want to get caught in their course, and be in the middle of traffic, so we tactically sailed between the port side of Race committee boat and Pier 32 building. The rest of the 303s sailed between Race committee boat and start pin.

As we passed the Race committee boat Kathy reminded me that we'll catch a strong gust of wind right at end of the building, so we had to brace ourselves because as the dead down wind shifts the boom will fly across causing an uncontrolled jibe. We decided a port tack way above the mark, and take advantage of the strong gust that will soon take us off, and by golly it worked! Made sense to sail wide above the mark to avoid a flying jibe, rounded the leeward mark to port by barring off and to avoid fleet traffic again. Worked well in the first race.

Now our stretch is the finish line headed upwind, and time it well so as not get caught into downwind racer's traffic. As we started, we used the same layline angle for our finish.

Second start our timing was not good. We were behind two boats, first out was Nettie Wijsman and Kimball Livingston. Trailing, we tacked behind them and made up a ton of ground. We were smooth tacking on the layline without overstanding the windward mark. We replicated our course downwind, we were lucky because our contenders messed up right up to the leeward mark, their sails spun quickly on their jibe. We rounded the mark and the finish was on sight. It was fun, it was windy and we won both races. Races 3- 5 were called off due to wind conditions at 20+/- knots."

The fleet headed into the harbor and back to the South Beach Yacht Club where the atmosphere was fizzing to life earlier than scheduled. We settled in for drinks while Loick had a quick power nap in his truck, emerging just as the chicken and ribs were being shoveled from the barbeque as if timed like a clever alley cat. The casual environment of SBYC is always perfect, something unique and it's the main reason it is my preferred yacht club in SF. This afternoon was no exception, the sunlit deck and warm hospitality from the staff complemented the informal meal perfectly. Loick sat with Kimball ('dude keep an eye on my bag') Livingston, BAADS sailors Brian Pease & Kevin Seimens, and we witnessed a very memorable experience from that table that lit the club on fire. Ask Kimball.

Dinner was winding down, and Loick sat for a little Sharpie signing session with BAADS sailor Carwile LeRoy and SBYC members before hopping up to the front of the club to field questions from the room. Loick discussed everything from his early days in the Mini-Transat to the Trophee Jules Verne to the AC, and all stops inbetween. Topics like family, perseverence, fatigue, 'the french way', and even the current climate of sailing in Asia were all adressed with an insuciance and wit exclusive to Mr. Peyron. Throughout the chat, Loick emphasized safety at sea and the importance of preparation and proper training, a hot-button topic for our local sailing community. Hearing the wisdom and insight from his lifetime of sailing experience was an invaluable gift to everyone there.

Loick was then presented with his broken dinghy rudder he had snapped in the racing a couple of hours earlier which was signed by all the BAADS and accompanied with a nice bottle of Pinot Meunier. Fernanda led us into an enthusiastic round of  'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow' with Loick beaming and the whole place radiating along with him. Riding that high, it was time to give our final departing hugs, exchange our last bits of information and say goodnight. All of us, including Loick, have cryogenically frozen that experience in our minds so that we're able to access such an unmeasurable level of positivity whenever we need it. This is what the Awareness Regatta program is all about. Hope to see you in the near future for the third chapter in the series, Cheers.

( fade out to scene of '65 Ford truck slowly chugging away from the yacht club and down the Embarcadero, trails of Marlboro smoke wisping out of the windows ...  )

photos
Jen Edney
Chris Barrineau
Loick's facebook

press
America's Cup
Blue Planet Times
Sailing Anarchy
Pressure Drop

website : baads.org

The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors with Loick Peyron    South Beach Yacht Club    May 25, 20013

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 3: Smoke On The Water

We all have our vices. For better or worse, many of us seek comfort from additives that aren't good for us. Despite sharp warnings from the Surgeon General and grotesque imagery on cigarette packs, a large percentage of the population still puffs away on their cigarettes, even though the popular smoke-break has become more difficult than ever seeing as cigarette smoking is now a publicly forbidden pastime. Smoking was once a prevalent force in advertising long before studies revealed it to be extremely harmful to one's health, and even shortly thereafter the ads continued. In the past smoking was perceived as the epitome of 'cool' and the quintessential expression of relaxation. The relationship between smoking and sailing are no exception, the thought of smoking on board a boat instantly conjures up imagery of salty captains and rugged crew members of days gone by, or unwinding on a pleasure cruise after a long afternoon of messing about on the water.

I have been both a smoker and a non-smoker and now a smoker again. Smoking was the norm in my glory days of being in a band and working in bars and nightclubs in SF, we all smoked on the job and so did most of our clientele. And after quitting for 12 years, I've taken up this nagging habit again thanks to several recent trips to Europe. It isn't something I am proud of and I know I will quit again soon, but for now it's something that I enjoy. Because of my complicated friendship with cigarettes, I can fully appreciate the pleasure one receives from a good smoke, and also completely understand the disgust that some people have when in the presence of a smoker.

It's interesting to look at these ads below, the perception of smoking and sailing as something fun and almost even somewhat healthy. The refreshing experience of the great outdoors was complemented nicely with the addition of that tobacco crutch... or so we thought. The truth is, the natural high of sailing needs no embellishments, the pure invigorating feeling of flying along the water unassisted by nothing but the control of the wind is something that can't be harnessed and sold in convenient little packages.

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 1: Auto Pilot

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place

I've received some nice response to my first installment of this series I posted last week entitled Auto Pilot, thank you all for reading and for your messages. Not surprisingly, the popular reaction from members of the sailing community to those idyllic car ads which feature the 'sailing lifestyle' in some capacity is... "So.. What Happened?"

This is a difficult question for sure. As the years go by and technology changes our gauge on the 'good life', having to process and form opinions and perceptions of our hyper-chaotic immediate surroundings are enough for our brain to deal with. For most of the population, whatever is happening this very instant has a tendency to take precedence over our rich history and what happened in the 'olden days'. All of us are feeling the pressure of the 'now'. Because of this, it's easy to look at vintage advertisements with warm fuzzy nostalgia and with a desire for simplicity and innocence... these days it's difficult to just find a minute to yourself, let alone be able to break away for an afternoon of sailing. or a pleasure cruise in a car. We are constantly bombarded with so many distractions and propaganda in the media today, ultimately advertising now confronts us with the demand to consume life instead of enjoying life. Thankfully our society has an unbelievable perpetual popular culture archive occurring organically, and we have the means to access it anytime. These things, these ideas of our 'happy place' make us feel good and we should embrace them. It's always important to look back to the past for some perspective on the present, our knowledge of history is increasingly relevant to how we live our lives today and how we communicate with each other as humans. It's also very therapeutic and enjoyable to lose yourself in the way things were, aside from sailing there is no better escape than letting your mind wander through a good classic book or vintage magazine, or listening to an LP on an old record player. Tune the 'real' world out for a few minutes.

That is, if you can find the time.

My first sailing experience was at eleven years old, with my brother on a 10' Montomery dinghy my dad had just bought. A few years earlier, my parents had purchased a waterfront vacation home on the Georgiana Slough in the California Delta, and summer was in full swing again. We would all muck about in the water from sunup to sundown, taking full advantage of our new playground and our new little boat. The property was magical, across the slough from us was a picture-perfect dilapidated barn behind a levee wall covered in blackberry bushes, met at the water's edge with a natural beach which only appeared at low-tide. We would swim over with coffee cans and jars to pick the blackberries for mom's famous cobbler, and then cool off by walking out into the water up to our necks, searching through the sand and mud with our toes to find clams for bass fishing.

On this particular day, I was with Tom on board the 'Misty' for transportation duties of our family foraging, he was at the tiller and I was in charge of gathering all the containers of berries and clams from my mom and my sister. We'd beach the dinghy, load up, and then sail back to our house on the other side and drop the bounty off with my dad. I felt like a little bad-ass sailing on that boat... until... we were on our second trip back and were buzzed by our neighbor Brett on his shiny new white Jet-Ski. He had just customized the machine to shoot out a massive rooster tail of spray, and he completely soaked us as he passed. I looked up and Brett nodded at me and my brother and smirked. I remember feeling so lame at that moment, like some sort of Huck Finn farmboy with my ill-fitting outdated life vest, holding stupid berries and stupid clams on a stupid sailboat. This emotion was a complete contrast to the 'cool' nodding experience I'd had years before riding in my dad's MG. What happened? It wasn't the embarrassment of getting hit by his spray, we were all friends and this type of playful water harassment was normal. It was because my 11 year old brain didn't like that his leisure time was more advanced and faster than mine, and therefore more 'fun' and more 'cool'. It's strange to think that such a perfect and memorable day with my family was ruined for me in a second by jealousy for something I didn't have, and something I couldn't do. Something I assumed was 'better'. I often think of that period in my life and would give anything to go back to those times in the Delta. I would be super proud of that stupid sailboat. And perhaps if Brett is thinking of that incident today, he's visualizing my family picking berries and our sailboat with the same endearment we have for these vintage advertisements.

So, before we rush to consider what happened to the real or advertised 'sailing lifestyle', let's relax and enjoy another group of ads I scanned which express the carefree unpolluted climate of days gone by... that seemingly unobtainable 'Happy Place' feeling of sailing bliss sorely lacking in our current pressurized marketing world...

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 1: Auto Pilot