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Alameda Sailing News & Events

Learn about upcoming events and get to know the sailing center.

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2018 Year in Review

4/30/2019

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​Curious to know what adventures lie ahead and what lessons were learned over this past year at ACSC? Kame has written a spirited and thorough 2018 Year in review. Complete with a recap of pretty much everything, from our expanding classes to our expanding ambitions. Be sure to check it out.
acsc2018.zip
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Surf's UP: King Tides

1/20/2019

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Eric Gross, ACSC Webmaster
King Tides at Alameda Beach 2019
Alameda Beach, by Eric Gross
When the moon and stars perfectly align, you get some pretty spectacular things happening. Usually a solar or lunar eclipse, but if you're in the right spot at just the right time you get... a glimpse of the future.

Well a glimpse of the future if sea levels continue to rise at their current rate. For 2019 that time is Sunday January 20th at 10:30am & Monday at 11:30am. The Sun, the Earth and the Moon raise tidal bulges on the Earth's oceans. When all are in line (such as a Full Moon or New Moon), the gravitational forces combine creating a high tide called a Spring Tide. In January however, the Earth is at its closest point to the Sun and as such has it's greatest gravitational force. January 21st, we will experience a Full Moon that is also at a moment of the moon's orbit when it is closest to the earth (known as a supermoon). So all these factors combines for the greatest gravitational pull that we will see all year. The tide created by this force is called the King tide.

​These highest of high tides, will no doubt bring some flooding. And that's where the glimpse of the future comes in. Lest we curb the rising sea levels, scientists expect such flooding will be common place in the next 30 years. One project, the California King Tides Project hopes to help people visualize these future sea levels by observing these King Tides today. People throughout California are submitting photos to their interactive map. If you want to help them out, check your area for peak tides and submit your photos to the site. If you've got any good photographs of our Bay Area you'd like to share, feel free to send them to yours truly at webmaster@sailalameda.org or post them on our facebook page.
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My top 8 sailing camp memories from 2018

9/12/2018

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Emily Zugnoni, ACSC Program Director
As a long-time ACSC-er, and a rookie Program Director, my goal for 2018 was to run the same fun, safe, and exciting camp that we all love, while mixing in fresh new material to keep things interesting. With a dedicated instructor team, lots of help from skilled volunteers, and a couple hundred enthusiastic campers, this summer was a huge success! Here were my personal favorite moments from 2018 Summer Camp.
1. Big Boat SF Bay Day
Big Boat SF Bay Day is proof that ACSC has THE best volunteers out there. Thanks to big-hearted big boat owners and captain’s license holders, our campers spent a day skippering and crewing on keel boats for the first time! Campers chose destinations using SF Bay charts graciously donated by Waypoint Marine. Most weeks, we learned that the power of SF Bay currents would prevent reaching said destinations, but it’s all about the journey anyway (right?).

A huge THANK YOU to:
Captain Mitch and Quincey on Esprit qmtravels.com/
Captain Michelle on Blue Passion
Captain Kit on Cassiopeia
Captain Charlotte E.
​and
Paul M. of Close Quarters
2. Science Fridays with the Golden Gate Audubon Society
We know that sailing is all about physics, and as sailors, we have a special connection with the environment. Science Friday, the brainchild of our Lead Instructor and in-house Environmental Science specialist, Jamie, tied the unique relationship between science and sailing together in a more formal way. On Fridays, campers constructed ocean layers out of slime, collected and tested water samples from our cove, and had habitat scavenger hunts on the beach.
​We were lucky enough to have regular visits from the Golden Gate Audubon Society volunteers, who taught us about the fascinating world of our local feathered friends. With their guidance, our teen campers built monofilament collectors for our boats to protect wildlife from stray fishing line.
3. Western Gull Release with International Bird Rescue
This one goes hand-in-hand with Science Fridays. On this particular Thursday, our Golden Gate Audubon Society friend called upon us to help release 10 young Western Gulls back into the wild from the International Bird Rescue. We were more than happy to oblige!
​Check out the full article at alamedasun.com/news/sailing-students-help-young-birds?utm_source=Unknown+List&utm_campaign=d43d28d306-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_05_08_45&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d43d28d306-
4. Touring the Ocean Cleanup
Have you heard of the massive trash-collecting device on its way to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Well, our Session 5 campers got to climb in, on, and around the pipe used for that, just weeks before it launched! We sailed into Seaplane Lagoon for lunch, docked at the Saildrone docks, and were welcomed up to The Ocean Cleanup site for a tour and Q&A session. It was awesome.
​For more info on the project, check out www.theoceancleanup.com/
5. Cardboard Boat Regattas
They’re hilarious.
STEAM campers use buoyancy and displacement calculations to engineer vessels made of cardboard and packing tape. True craftsmanship is put to the test once the boats get launched with campers inside. The teams compete for designations like Furthest Travelled, Longest Floating, and Most Rickety.

6. Girls Discover Sailing Camp
We’ve been fortunate to partner with Girls Inc. of the Island City for years, and this year we opened that camp to all girls, not just those from Girls Inc. It sold out immediately, and was an absolute blast. One highlight from Girl’s Camp was having special guest, Krysia Pohl, of the USCG, speak to the girls just days before embarking on her Pacific Cup voyage. I suspect some future ocean racing was inspired that day.
7. Graduation Potlucks
The camp potluck... a time-tested, camper-approved ACSC tradition. We go from a morning of free-sailing to an afternoon of downing delicious sailboat-themed treats. Lastly, to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance, and while donning their new ACSC t-shirts, campers are each awarded a personalized driftwood trophy.
8. End of Camp BBQ
The ACSC Board Members and volunteers stepped up once again to host a fun, relaxing, and yummy day for all of our beloved sailors. With beautiful weather and an ideal breeze, campers showed off their sailing skills to family and friends, and staff members took newbies out for skippered joy rides. In between sharing sea-stories and enjoying BBQ, we had over 160 sailors get out on the water. There couldn’t have been a more delightful end to our fabulous summer sailing season.
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Full STEAM ahead!

9/10/2018

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By Jamie Wai, ACSC Lead Instructor

ACSC’s science
, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) camps were an overall success. With the help of Bryan Leyda and other volunteers, ACSC was able to provide an enhanced US Sailing STEM program. Highlights included a cardboard boat building contest, anemometer construction, fish and squid dissection and of course- sailing! Campers also learned about hull and boat design, Plimsol marks and environmental stewardship. Not to mention the addition of Science Friday, which was a whole morning dedicated to environmental science. Campers and staff had a blast during STEAM camp. A HUGE and well deserved “Thank you” to all the volunteers and staff who made ACSC’s STEAM camp happen!
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A camper learns about navigation while sailing a keelboat underneath the Bay Bridge
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Campers line up for the second annual boat building contest
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Another great day of sailing
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Dissection Day!
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Our STEAM whiteboard after the buoyancy lesson. Thanks to our volunteer, and retired aeronautical engineer, Bryan Leyda, for his help with the curriculum!
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Sailing Students Help Young Birds

8/30/2018

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PicturePhoto by Emily Zugnoni. Alameda youngsters with a local sailing club helped young avians get back to their natural environment recently.
Originally written by Dawn Lemoine & Marjorie Powell in the Alameda Sun 8/23/2018.

Read the full article here.

Earlier this month 10 gull chicks just learning how to be Western Gulls in San Francisco Bay were helped by a group of youngsters learning how to be sailors.

The gull chicks had been raised at the International Bird Rescue (IBR) in Fairfield. Brought there as injured or orphaned chicks and after weeks of care, even surgery in at least one case, the birds were old and well enough to be released. The youngsters were sailing students at the Alameda Community Sailing Center’s (ACSC) summer sailing camp, which meets at the Encinal Boat Ramp on the West End.

Dawn Lemoine, an Alameda resident and relatively new volunteer for IBR, was looking for an open patch of beach near the USS Hornet  to release the birds. She had two large animal 

"When Emily asked for volunteers, all of the sailing students volunteered."

storage crates in the back of her car that were too large for her to lift by herself so she sought assistance from the camp.

The crates needed to be handled carefully as each contained five young Western Gull chicks for release.

​When ACSC director Emily Zugnoni asked for volunteers, all of the sailing students volunteered. A number of campers carefully carried the crates to the beach where Lemoine opened them. The students had several insightful questions and observations, all of which were discussed after the chicks were released. ​​

Lemoine had been warned that young chicks might be too nervous to... Enjoy the full article here.
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Opening bay

5/16/2018

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Originally posted on Latitude38.com
​
MAY 7, 2018 – ALAMEDA, CA

There's often a lot of bluster about growing sailing, so it's a welcome sight to see a new community program join the Bay Area's collection of dedicated sailing programs. Kame Richards and an able and qualified crew of volunteers have patiently brought to life an impressive community program adjacent to Alameda Point (the old naval air station). At the end of a narrow access road between Encinal High School and Alameda Point lies a launch ramp, parking and a scrap of land that's been transformed, by the arrival of the Alameda Community Sailing Center, into a very active sailing venue.
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The Alameda Community Sailing Center volunteers welcomed everyone with a smile — and free food, free lifejackets, free sailing and, best of all, a great afternoon on the Bay.
Photo Latitude / John
© 2018 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Beyond bluster, Sunday's blustery afternoon was also the time for a well-orchestrated open house at ACSC offering visitors and prospective sailing camp participants a chance to try out sailing, enjoy a buffet lunch, and check out the venue.
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With San Francisco as a backdrop and a beach in the foreground many discovered another hidden gem in Bay Area sailing options.
Photo Latitude / John
© 2018 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
The center went from an idea to an 'overnight success' in just five years. The upcoming season is the sixth of putting new sailors on the water. This summer's camp is currently sold out and looking for instructors.
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Rich Jepsen and Kame Richards were among the 'executive' volunteers who've spent nights planning and days on the beach organizing volunteers, safety boats and numerous other details necessary for a successful open house.
Photo Latitude / john
© 2018 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Is it part of a sailing renaissance? Hard to know, but many Bay Area sailing schools and community programs are finding more and more people interested in sailing. There's often a lack of instructors with the instructor training certifications necessary, which includes being certified to drive instructor powerboats, so the current shortage isn't boats or students but personnel. We spent three college summers teaching sailing, so we know it's a great way to spend a summer.
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The fleet has grown! They have boats, and they have students. Like many Bay Area schools, what they need are instructors!
Photo Latitude / John
© 2018 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Alameda Community Sailing Center is one more of many great Bay Area community programs making sailing accessible to more people.


- latitude / john
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Congratulations are in order...

2/5/2018

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This past week at the US Sailing Leadership Forum in St. Pete Beach, FL, many people and organizations were celebrated for their positive impact in the sailing community. Among those awarded was our very own Rich Jepsen! Rich was presented with the Timothea Larr Award for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of sailor education in the United States. This is US Sailing’s highest honor for sailing training!
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Ever since Rich joined the ACSC team as volunteer Vice President, he has brought a new sense of professionalism to the organization. He is a true mentor- motivating others to reach their personal bests in a kind and enthusiastic way. You can ask Rich the same question five times, and he’ll still respond with patience and a smile. Rich is always willing to uplift others and share his wealth of knowledge with anyone.

ACSC is so proud and honored to have Rich Jepsen on our team!

Here’s what US Sailing has to say about it:

“Perhaps no one has had a bigger impact on boating education nationally than Rich Jepsen. After serving as the chair of the commercial committee for two years he went on to serve as the chair of the training committee for 17 years and then as a member of the US Sailing Board of Directors in the late 1990’s, and again today. He also serves as a representative on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council, a group that provides direct advice to the US Coast Guard on a broad variety of safety matters.

Rich has been involved with every aspect of US Sailing’s training and educational programming, and has helped craft the standards that are in place today. He has assisted with the development of US Sailing publications and worked tirelessly to ensure that technical components are easily digestible to the first-time sailor.
Jepsen has always played a major role in the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS). He is constantly pushing staff and volunteers to do more while still being the consummate cheerleader and partner. From the way that awards are presented, to the way the actual events are constructed, he knows how to challenge and support simultaneously.
Additionally, he has been involved in a significant number of search committees for US Sailing, including for multiple Training and Education Directors, and the current Youth and Adult Directors. He has mentored the staff, served as a mediator and sounding board, and helped ensure that the organization never loses sight of the most important asset that US Sailing has – the people.
Over his time with US Sailing, he has helped establish a culture of excellence within the organization and position it as a leader throughout the industry. He is a subject matter expert, and his work, both with US Sailing and on the National On-Water-Standards, has benefited both sailors and schools across the country. He has impacted thousands of sailors and through the legacy he’s built he certainly will impact many more for years to come."​
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You can check out the full list of winners by clicking here: http://www.ussailing.org/ussailingawards-sfl2018/
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Why 21st Century kids need some 18th century skills

2/4/2018

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Have you ever been surprised to find out that your child doesn’t know how to do something that you’re pretty sure you learned by osmosis as a child. Something you couldn’t help but learn if you only woke up every day and lived with other human beings?
I have. My friends have experienced the same thing. I ask my wife, “Are we failing as parents?” That’s always an open question and the final results won’t be in for a long time.
But clearly, we need to think about doing something different because the world our kids are growing up in is very different from our own. Structured play, media on demand, … It might take a little effort to impart the lessons we absorbed naturally.
You wouldn’t send your kid to camp to learn how to put tape in the tape dispenser and other trivial tasks. What you would like is to stimulate their curiosity, learn how to work with others, solve problems and make all of that invisible because it’s so much fun, it happens by osmosis.
I didn’t learn to sail when I was young, but I wish I had. I learned in my 30s, made 3 passages across the pacific, became a professional instructor for a time and changed my life.
I have always been curious and was trained as a scientist. Besides a fascination with sailing upwind, I loved astronomy and the idea that the predictable motion of the stars could be used to find your position here on the earth.
But sailing also taught me about leadership, coaching others, planning ahead and developing alternatives in case things unfold differently from my expectations.
First of all you have to learn how a boat moves in a new and changing environment. Orienting to the wind instead of following a path laid out in advance. Then you learn to work with others as part of a team. The role of the crew (do your best, be observant and deliver your observations of the changing conditions) complements the role of the skipper (gather all the information, update your plan, let the crew know what you are thinking in advance of needing something to be done).
Now put all of this together where the environment is changing: the wind, the current (more to be curious about) and other boats trying to solve that puzzle at the same time.
What emerges is what we all want our children to be – tired and compliant. Those are just the positive side effects. They’ll be competent and confident, possessing skills they can use everyday on land as well as on water. They'll develop a love for the process of learning, and mastery of an activity that engages the mind, body and spirit.
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Chris Connor

Chris Conner is a former professional sailing instructor with extensive coastal and blue water sailing experience. He and his wife are currently parenting two teens, navigating the waters between the Boredom Sea and the rocky shores of Overwhelm. Chris is the host of two podcasts, Life Science Marketing Radio and Flip Turns, a love letter to the sport of swimming.

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Pacific Coast Herring Spawn

8/26/2017

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Fishy, Fishy, Fishieee

That’s the sound my 2-year old makes whenever he sees a slippery little aquatic critter. Actually it’s more like “wishy, wishy, whitchy”. Which is possibly even cuter. While too often in my household, the iphone screen is a source of soul wrenching tirades, there are lovely moments, where focus is on the natural beauty of the non-digital world. Since it will be a couple of years until I can teach my son the joys and serenity of sailing, we have been enjoying our local wildlife. Lately that means right at the water’s edge, and getting chased around by seagulls and ducks.
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And for that, this month has been pretty stellar!
If you’ve been within earshot of the water lately, you might have noticed there’s a big commotion going on. The San Francisco herring spawn is on! For fishermen, nature lovers, and our avian brothers, this is one of those large, planet scale events, and one which you can easily witness in person.

The Pacific Coast Herring Spawn

PictureHerring Spawn on Eelgrass -CDFW
​​The herring spawn offers us a short window to see the wonders of what nature has perfected over thousands of years. And lucky for us, our watery backyard is one of the rare places on the West Coast with just the right conditions needed to host such an event. Each year starting in November, hundreds of millions of Pacific Coast Herring leave the open ocean, swim under our iconic golden gate bridge and take up residence in the bay. Apparently they sort of loiter around for a few weeks, living off of their stored fat, taking in the local sights perhaps—and then all at once, and somewhat randomly, a spawn is triggered. Over a few days, a frenzy of activity occurs! The males rush into shallower waters, spraying their milt and releasing pheromones. This signals the females each of whom lay down about 20,000 very adhesive eggs. The result is a blanket of fish roe that clings to eelgrass, kelp, rocks, pilings and yes, your sailboat’s fine hull. It’s a large, large numbers game, and good thing too because...

On the opposite side of the food web, there are all sorts of animals that find the oil-rich herring and its eggs to be quite the tasty delicacy. Crustaceans, starfish, shorebirds and bottom feeders, feed on the high protein eggs. The spawning schools themselves are under aerial attack by dive-bombing cormorants,  guillemots, gulls and other swimming birds. From under the waves, sea lions, seals, and porpoises engage in some spirited fishing and can be seen surfacing then slipping under water, often with some surprisingly loud breathing. Even whales are known to feed on large schools of herring. True, that’s more in the open ocean than our bay, but it has been known to happen. 
Over all, the chances of surviving to the age of three, are thought to be about 50-50. Unlike salmon though, herring can reproduce each year and barring becoming someone’s dinner, live to the ripe age of ten.

Fate of the pacific herring

​The future isn’t exactly pretty, but not set in stone either. Commercial fishing and egg harvesting in the bay area is regulated. California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reports that the SF Bay’s 2016-2017 Pacific herring spawning biomass was estimated at 18,300 tons. For the third year in a row, that is below the historical average 49,400 tons. Why such a dismal turnout? It is believed that the 2015-2016 El Niño event, and 2016 “Warm Blob” produced sub-optimal conditions in the northeast Pacific. Furthermore, snow melt due to 2016’s warmer spring plus a wetter winter, also reduced salinity of the Bay Area, possibly affecting the young larvae. So, yes, this year’s report (expected June) may not turn out to be the best on record, but the population numbers in the past have rebounded pretty dramatically. With one female producing about 20,000 eggs, it’s easy to understand why as Ryan Bartling, a fisheries scientist puts it, “the only predictable thing about herring is that they’re unpredictable.”
As good stewards of the world, we need to make sure the bay stays healthy. Like a nice healthy heart pumping fresh life, driving the cycle. Join us as a volunteer at our next beach clean up perhaps?

Where can I find the spawns?

To enjoy this limited time spectacle check in with our good friends at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for reports of active sites. This year Mission Bay, Paradise Cove, Brooks Island Bird Sanctuary (Point Richmond) and even our very own Alameda rockwall have been listed as active spots. The peak is usually mid-January thru February. 
A good rule of thumb is to look for a large number of very squawky birds, diving ducks, snorting pinnipeds, and fishing boats. Oh and no doubt, you’ll hear me and my little herring saying, “here fishy, fishy, fishieee.”
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Great Day At the ACSC Kick-off BBQ!

4/15/2017

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Nothing helps bring out the smiles like a beautifully sunny day, free boat access and some tastey bbq.

​Special thanks to all our volunteers that helped by captaining a boat, or captaining the grill and info desk. Our safety boats motored around our harbor as Sail Cubes, CFJ's and two of our Capri 14.2s gave free boat rides. Lots of excitement in the area with Hobie Cats launching and a Flying Dutchman enjoying the breeze.
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