TALKINTRAVEL™

All aboard Sailing in Santa Cruz has its own style
By Ruth and Rich Carlson

"Wind... we have it, and you can't buy it, which is why the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor is one of the most desirable places in the world for sailors," says Morgan Larson, an internationally renowned sailor. Larson has sailed in three America's Cup races, the international competition considered the Holy Grail of yachting. "Santa Cruz has produced an amazing number of internationally renowned sailors for a port this size," says Brian Foss, newly retired port director for the 1,500 boat harbor. Rick Smith is the new director. They include Jack Halterman who was a crew member of the yacht that won the Sydney to Hobart race last year; famous sailing boat builders George Olson and Ron Moore; Phillippe Kahn, head of Pegasus Racing; and Ernie Rideout who is still winning races at age 82. "The Monterey Marine Sanctuary is unique in the whole planet. Where else can you sail out in three minutes and find whales, orcas, seals and sea otters," says Kahn. Kahn is CEO of Fullpower Technologies and the inventor of the camera phone, among other things. He could live anywhere in the world, but prefers his new, modern pre-fabricated home overlooking the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor. Rideout, who is also a local historian, claims that boat designer Bill Lee is largely responsible for putting Santa Cruz on the map. In the 1970s, Lee was one of the creators of ultra light boats and coined the term "Fast is Fun." He "created a cult following," according to Larson, whose father was one of those cult members. "People saw these hippies winning races and thought if these guys can do it, anyone can," says Larson. Today Lee owns Wizard Yachts in the Harbor, and Foss says he is a pioneer in using the Internet to broker boats. Jack O'Neill is undoubtedly the most famous name associated with Santa Cruz. The inventor of the wetsuit, he is now involved in O'Neill Sea Odyssey that teaches children about the mysteries of the sea. "We bring science to life," says Executive Director Dan Haifley. Underprivileged children get a chance to go out on the bay and come away with a commitment to better protect the ocean. "Sailing is great for the environment because it gets people outdoors into the wilderness," says Kahn. "Once a kid sails with whales around or sees a mother otter with her pup playing, they will want to protect the magic of their natural habitat. It's perfect for our changing world. More sailors make for a better planet." "We live in a beautiful area where the sea meets the trees. There are no facilities nearby that come close to what we have in Santa Cruz," according to Chuck Izenstark, assistant harbormaster. The waters of the Monterey Bay have an international reputation among sailors; the harbor does as well with a newly remodeled walkway with educational signs, five restaurants, a free water taxi service, an informal yacht club and cheap rent for live-aboards in an insanely expensive housing market. Yet, ask most people if they take advantage of the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor, and you'll get a blank stare. "It's the best-kept secret in Santa Cruz," says Izenstark. "Most people's only contact with the Yacht Harbor is coming to the annual Lighted Board Parade, held the first Saturday every December, or walking across the bridge and admiring the boats," agrees Haifley. "Most people don't know they can walk and bike along interpretive kiosks that tell you about the harbor wildlife and history." Subhead: Sailing for the common man Maybe residents are put off by the name Yacht Harbor; which sounds like an elitist sport for the wealthy. While it's true the rich are different from you and me and many have selected sailing as a hobby, if anyplace has made sailing egalitarian, it's Santa Cruz. Like the rest of Santa Cruz, the Yacht Harbor is laidback; you're as likely to see a skipper wearing flip-flops as topsiders. Homer Lighthall, former skipper of Chardonnay II, recalls a race where a crewmember wanted to sheet in the mainsail to go faster, but Homer cautioned him, "Whoa, slow down, the hot dogs will fall off the grill," which was located on the stern pulpit, not below deck. Santa Cruz has different priorities than most places. Take the "beer-can races" for instance. "Wednesday night boat races are commonplace in most beach towns but Santa Cruz is unique in that it doesn't keep score or have any trophies," says Foss. "I'm sure someone, somewhere keeps score of the winners," he laughs, "but that's not a high priority or the point of the race." There's a Santa Cruz myth that anyone who shows up Wednesday nights on the dock with a six-pack (hence the nickname beer-can races) can join a crew for the night. Morgan Larson, an internationally renowned sailor who lives in his hometown of Capitola, said the truth is, "If you come down to the Yacht Harbor on a Wednesday between 5 and 5:30 p.m. with a six-pack of beer, or a smile, and a lifejacket and gloves, you'll get out on the water." On a nice evening, when the rabbit (the lead boat) blares the starting horn, skippers on up to 200 boats start screaming instructions to their crews who scramble to hoist spinnakers, the colorful sails used going downwind. The audience also enjoys free entertainment. A local ukulele club serenades people sitting in beach chairs in front of the Crow's Nest and the Kind Grind coffee shop. After the race, crews gather at either the Yacht Club, where they grill their own hamburgers, or walk to the Seabright Brew Pub. If you don't know a tack from a jibe, there are plenty of ways to become a boating expert. "You can learn how to sail for practically free at UCSC," says Larson of the UC Santa Cruz sailing program. Young people can also take inexpensive lessons through the Santa Cruz Yacht Club's junior sailing program. If you successfully pass Marc Craft's Pacific Yachting sailing school, you can rent any of the boats in his inventory. Krista Lighthall, RELATED TO HOMER and a licensed sailor, is doing her part to get more women into sailing by providing lessons. With only four women on Lighthall's Catalina 36 at a time, her students learn every aspect of boating. When they take couples out for lessons, her husband Scott observes, "When I see a woman struggling, I want to step in and help, but Krista -- she puts them to work." Former student Deb White, who now owns the Debonair 30-foot Catalina sailboat with her husband, Pat, says the lessons were very empowering. "I went from being a chicken to feeling confident." After she graduated, she participated in the only all-women team that competed in a Catalina 30 nationals race held in Santa Cruz. "We didn't win, but we didn't come in last place either!" says White. SUBHEAD: Along for the ride Those who prefer to leave the work to others can act like a millionaire for the day by taking a leisurely cruise on a charter boat, including the Chardonnay II, Lighthall Charters and the O'Neill Catamaran. These yachts are also booked for weddings, private parties and scattering ashes. Kids love the free water taxi service provided by the YachtHarbor. Foss believes higher fuel prices may convince more people to take up sailing, which he says leaves a very light carbon footprint. Krista Lighthall makes a good argument that boating is an affordable sport. "My husband and I have one car but we have three boats, it's all where you decide to spend your money." Once you buy your boat and pay your slip fees, sailing on the Monterey Bay is free. Unlike golf, you don't need to join a club or pay every time you engage in the sport. "Sailing small boats is within the reach of most people," says Kahn. "It's much more cost-effective than big yachts and more fun too." The Harbor also contributes to the region's economy. "We have about one big race a year which we estimate brings in at least a half-million dollars to the community through spending at hotels, restaurants and shopping," says Foss. In addition, a large amount of the berth fees are turned over to the city and county. The funds also pay for the Yacht Harbor Search and Rescue teams. "A big part of our job is emergency rescues," says Izenstark. "Weather is the factor that can get people in the greatest trouble and overwhelmed. Big surf at the harbor entrance is always a problem -- people are just unaware of how powerful this can be." The job can be dangerous but it had an unexpected bonus for one Deputy Harbormaster. After the Coast Guard gave up on two men lost at sea in a Hobie Cat, Deputy Harbormaster Don Kinnamon and Carey Smith found the men and saved their lives. One of the rescued sailors was getting married in four days and insisted Kinnamon come to the wedding where he met the woman who became his wife, now the mother of their son. The same weather conditions that are risky for inexperienced sailors are one reason so many world-class seamen hail from our area. "Santa Cruz is one of the few ports in Northern California located directly on the Pacific Ocean," says Foss. "The winds are steady and consistent making this an excellent place to experience ocean sailing. Mother Nature however is in a constant battle with the Santa Cruz Port because the harbor wants to return to its natural state of a lagoon. Mud has to be dredged from the entrance every winter to give boats enough depth to leave the harbor. "Dredging is probably always going to be controversial no matter how well we know the science, and no matter how well we perform it, it's a decision we have to make as to how frequently we change the harbor depth," says Izenstark. Foss may be retired as port director but he's still working on getting more federal funds for the harbor and encouraging more people to sail. One of the last small craft harbor built on the on West Coast, Santa Cruz Harbor was constructed in the 1950s at the request of fishermen who wanted a safe place for their boats. Now it needs more recreational boaters to fill slips. If you've ever dreamed of having a boat in the Santa Cruz Harbor, this is your best chance in 25 years. "For the first time since 1973, berthing spaces are open," confirms Foss. The change is a result of the two-year ban on salmon fishing, which the harbor is trying to counteract by attracting more recreational sailors. "We're hoping to get by on our good looks," chuckles Foss. "Sailing needs a comeback in Santa Cruz. It takes a little time, it's not like turning a key," he says. Yet, Krista Lighthall says, "Once someone goes sailing it's infectious." Bill Lee recommends it as a family activity. "In the '70s, a lot of the boats leaving the Harbor were dads racing with their kids, and we're not seeing that now." In this age of constant communication, sailing is one of the few places you can truly escape; from the Internet, cell phone calls from the office, and TV white noise. Out in the deep Monterey Bay, it's just you and Mother Nature and some curious seals, indifferent sea otters, and hungry pelicans. Using ancient, simple techniques of capturing wind to fill sails, skippers glide hulls over rolling swells with gray and humpback whales in the distance. The feel of the wind whipping through your hair as you steer past the lighthouse into the rocky entrance of the Marine Sanctuary and ride waves next to jumping porpoises doesn't have to remain a dream, it's in your backyard. Come on aboard! Rich and Ruth Carlson are travel writers and sailors. Find out more about them by visiting www.talkintravel.com <http://www.talkintravel.com/> Resources Chardonnay II831-423-1213 www.chardonnay.com <http://www.chardonnay.com/> Lighthall Charters www.lighthallcharters.com <http://www.lighthallcharters.com/> 831-429-1970 O'Neill Sea Odyssey www.oneillseaodyssey.org 831-465-9390 O'Neill Yacht Charter www.oneillyachtcharters.com 831-475-1561 Pacific Yachting & Sailing www.pacificsail.com (831) 423-SAIL Pegasus Racing www.pegasus.com <http://www.pegasus.com/> Santa Cruz Yacht Club www.scyc.org <http://www.scyc.org/> 831-425-0690 Santa Cruz Harbor www.santacruzharbor.org <http://www.santacruzharbor.org/> (831) 475-6161 Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitor's Council www.santacruzca.org 831.425.1234 UCSC Boating Classes Email: ucscboat@ucsc.edu (831) 425-1164 Wizrd Yachts www.fastisfun.com <http://www.fastisfun.com/> 831-476-9639