Pacific SAIL EXPO®
![](Its%20ALifestyle.jpg) |
It’s a life
style, Denis and Anna of Tahoe are done with
sking and ready to for the Pacific Sail Expo.
|
Five-day festival of sailing.
April is the month of the West Coast’s
largest sailboat only show and a major rendezvous for
sailors west of the Mississippi. Show goers can visit over
100 sailboats, from one-person dinghies to classic Tall
Ships, take part in on-the-water activities for sailors of
all ages, attend a wide range of entertaining and
informative seminars lead by notable experts, and see gear
and equipment from a worldwide collection of over 300
exhibitors. Pacific SAIL EXPO® (PSE) is in its eighth year
at Jack London Square in Oakland. It is centrally located
where Amtrak, Ferries, Bart and the airport are all close at
hand. Surrounded by restaurants and hotels on both sides of
the protected deep water of the Oakland Alameda Estuary.
The show includes ample opportunity to get
out on the water and go sailing. Even for those who have
never stepped foot on a sailboat before can head to Discover
Sailing, a national introduction-to-sailing program.
Newcomers to the sport can head out for a 45-minute cruise
with an expert skipper. Passengers can crew to pitch in for
a hands-on experience or sit back and enjoy a leisurely sail
to experience the lifestyle of sailing. Discover Racing
returns for the second year. Sailors can hop onboard small
fast keelboats to get a fun introduction to the competitive
and very social side of the sport of sailing. Discover
Sailing and Discover Racing are also an excellent way for
sailors to introduce family members or friends to sailing
and watch the smiles grow.
The romance of classic boats comes to
Oakland giving show attendees and participants a chance to
step back in time to an era when ocean-going sailing vessels
were the only means of traveling from continent to
continent. A special section of classic yachts are available
for tour. The largest vessel in the display is the 103-foot
Tall Ship Hawaiian Chieftain, a replica of a 1790s northern
European trading ship. A section for mid-sized classics (35
to 50 feet in length) will be included, as well as an
on-land showcase for smaller designs. The scuttlebutt is
that the Chieftain was sold and her long time owners Lynn
and Ian with transfer due to occur in June. Come say good
bye to the Bay Area’s favorite pirate ship of old with a
steam stack in her mast. A fine lady indeed.
![](J&ANeal.jpg) |
John and
Amanda Neal speak on Cruising |
Learn from experts and globe-trotting
cruisers. Part of what makes this event a must see event are
the many by a host of experts and voyagers who spend their
lives afloat. They have come to the Pacific Sail Expo to
share their stories, their passion for sailing, and their
expertise in seminars that are free with the price of
admission. There are over 80 seminars with a wide variety of
interesting subjects every day of the 5 day show. The range
has subjects of interest for all levels. Navigation,
cruising destinations, weather forecasting, and the
compelling stories of voyagers with endless-summer lives are
among the topics included in the schedule. Gary Jobson who
was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame this year,
Randy Repass who started West Marine and guided it from its
humble garage beginnings to a chain of over 200 super stores
for boaters had a cutting edge boat built for his personal
cruising with his family. The 65’ double handed Cat ketch,
designed by Tom Wylie, will also be at the show. The list of
luminaries of the personalities to see hear and meet is
truly stunning.
Tickets
can be purchased in advance at a discount at
www.sailamerica.com or by calling 1-800-817-SAIL (7245).
Tickets are $12 on weekdays ($9.60 in advance) and $15 on
weekends ($12 in advance). Show hours are Wednesday, 12 noon
- 7 PM; Thursday to Saturday, 10 AM to 7 PM; Sunday, 10 AM
to 5 PM.
Pacific SAIL EXPO® is
co-produced by Sail America and the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Sail America also runs
Discover Sailing, a national introduction-to-sailing
program, and six sailboat shows held each year throughout
the United States. For more information about this or other
shows, visit www.sailamerica.com or call 1-800-817-SAIL
(7245).