It’s never too early to start planning your summer sailing events. We’re privileged to have several key events happening right in our backyard – Laser North America’s, U.S. Sailing Youth Champs, 29er events – and a full schedule of top-notch regattas. Expect to see us out at the Gorge with parts, apparel, and advice. Feel free to get in touch if we can provide any assistance as you plan your events this summer.
Charter Inquires – Contact Chris Brown – sales@westcoastsailing.net
This April, West Coast Sailing will once again participate in Strictly Sail Pacific, the West Coast’s premier sailing only boat show. You are invited to join us in Oakland at Jack London Square as we show off boats from RS Sailing. This year we’ll have an RS 100 – 2011 Boat of the Year – and the popular Tera and Feva, two of the most successful roto-moulded boats in the RS line up.
The show runs April 12-15 – local bay area sailors are invited to come by, check out the boats, and say hello.We’ll be at booth B14. We love catching up with old friends and making new ones! Let us show you what we’re all about – 100% dinghy sailing! Download your Boat Show Guide Here.
If you thought the winter was a quiet time in the sailing industry, we’re certainly breaking from tradition. In addition to the launch of our new website, there are many fun and exciting things happening at West Coast Sailing. This past weekend we brought down four Lasers to our local sailing hotspot, the Willamette Sailing Club, for use in their new Middle School Race Team Laser program. This 12 week program is designed to take single handed sailors to the next level with expert coaching and race opportunities. We’re proud to support such a program!
Around the shop, improvements to our office and retail space have continued in the weeks following our move. New boats have arrived from both - Laser Performance and RS Sailing – and our shelves are stocked with the latest parts, gear, and accessories. Looking forward, George and Phil will be headed down to the annual Hobie Cat Dealer Meeting in San Diego and hope to gain some fresh insight on multi-hull sailing. For those of you located in the San Francisco area, mark your calendars to come visit us at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show April 12-15. We’re also planning our annual Open House and fine tuning our event support schedule for the Summer season. Stay tuned for a calendar update in the coming weeks. As always, there is lots on the go at West Coast Sailing and we thank you for checking in!
To the casual observer dinghy sailing may not seem like an extreme sport. It is likely this view will change when you mix a long distance Laser sail with the goal of raising awareness for a great cause. That is just what Chance Busey is banking on. Later this month, Chance will attempt to sail his Laser 23 miles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to raise money and awareness for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. A life long sailor, 17 year old Chance was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2007. Thanks to successful treatments he has been in remission for two years and will use his passion for sailing to raise awareness for these diseases. His project is the appropriately named “Crossing for Crohn’s and Colitis.”
The opportunity to support sailors and events is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work here at West Coast Sailing. When Chance approached us seeking support for his project, we were more than happy to lend him a hand. We set up Chance with a new Henri Lloyd Drysuit so that he’ll stay warm and dry on his journey. His courage and dedication speaks volumes and we’re glad to be a part of this project.
The Crossing for Crohn’s and Colitis is scheduled to take place between March 23rd and 25th, depending on the forecast. We invite you to check out Chance’s Facebook Page and donation page, as well as a video he recently posted on YouTube.
Good Luck Chance!
West Coast Sailing Team Member Hanne Weaver recently traveled to Miami, FL for the Miami OCR Regatta. Here is a quick regatta report : “Here in Miami, Florida, I have been practicing with Claire Dennis and Paige Railey. This was very exciting! I was honored by the fact that I was invited to sail. The wind was very steady, around the range of 8 to 18 knots through out the regatta. It was my first OCR and I was here just to learn. And that is what I did. I placed 49th out of 65 boats. But for my first regatta, I thought I did okay. I gained experience sailing against professional sailors and learning their techniques. I can’t wait until next year when I hope to do better.” Another one of our sponsored sailors, Isabella Bertold, also competed at Miami OCR. Isabella placed 23rd. Great job, girls!
