Starting to Sail

My Adventures in
Sailing

I started to learn sailing in Dec. 2007. I registered in the Cal Sailing Club of Berkeley. The winter is almost windless in the Bay Area and I had not much chance of regular lessons. There was, however, opportunity to learn from those experienced club members who went for keelboat sailing. By the end of my three months of membership I sailed both in dinghies and keelboats. In Aug. 2008 I became a 'Junior Skipper' at the club. Now I offer lessons to new members and try to advance my experience in sailing.

Here are some pictures:

A Dingy Lesson

I put on a wet suit and learned how to right-up a capsized Hunter dinghy, thanks to Carl, my teacher, who instructed me from the dock.

Ali in a Hunter

Ali at the helms

Keelboat Sailing

One of my several sailings in a keelboat. Caryl and Matheus (both experienced sailors) are seen. The picture was taken by Alan.

Baja Ha Ha
I found a skipper to sail with in the Baja Ha Ha 2008. This is a sailboat cruizing event which starts in San Diego and ends in Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja California peninsula in western Mexico. Harold, my skipper, had a Jeanneau 52 sailboat. We had to take the boat from Half Moon Bay to San Diego First. This added an extra leg to our trip and the whole trip was about 2000 kilometers long. I stayed with Ali Tassoudji, my brother-in-law and his wife Sogol for a week before the event started. The boat was parked in Southwest Yacht Club in Shelter Island. On Monday 27th of October the race started.
With Kris aboard our boat 'Sirius Star' in the Southwest Yacht Club's marina in San Diego.
Start of Baja Ha Ha 2008. I was at the helm all along the enterance of the San Diego Bay. We passed some Navy ships and facilities. There was a light fog when we entered the Pacific Ocean. Each of us had to do four hours of watch/skipping.
At each start all boats were close and visible to eachother. after a while boats went their own way in the vast ocean and were not seen till the next stop where they all came to an anchoring point. We had three starts during our trip. This picture shows boats after the start of the first day in San Diego.
Jim Parker took this picture saying 'you looked so much in control.' This was my first ocean sailing experience and I did well, I think. I had no problem with sea-sickness. I was able to navigate with or without GPS, I did an acceptable job at the helm, although Kris had some reservations on that. I also was good skipping with our spinakker in bad weather and even Kris admitted that 'you are a natural.'
Dolphines were playfull around our boat. At times we saw large schools of dolphines all around the visible horizons. Some left their flock and joined our boat to swim along for a while before joining their friends.
At our second stop in Bahia Santa Maria, me and Jim went to the shore and did a short hike. In this picture I am pointing to our anchoring spot where more that 100 boats of the 2008 Baja Ha Ha anchored.
Robyn took this picture. It should be somewhere between Bahia Santa Maria and Cabo San Lucas. I look to be enjoying my ocean sailing experience so much.
Here we are from left: Harold, Lenon, Ali, Jim, Kris, Tom and Robyn. Tim took the picture. We had a really good time together and I learned a lot from my fellow sailors.
These are the famous rocks around Cabo San Lucas, sometimes called Lovers Point.

Our boat, Sirius Star, a Jeaneua 52', which was spacious and ideal for an ocean trip.

A Dingy Lesson I put on a wet suit and learned how to right-up a capsized Hunter dinghy, thanks to Carl, my teacher, who instructed me from the dock.
	Keelboat Sailing One of my several sailings in a keelboat. Caryl and Matheus (both experienced sailors) are seen. The picture was taken by Alan.

	With Kris aboard our boat 'Sirius Star' in the Southwest Yacht Club's marina in San Diego.
Start of Baja Ha Ha 2008. I was at the helm all along the enterance of the San Diego Bay. We passed some Navy ships and facilities. There was a light fog when we entered the Pacific Ocean. Each of us had to do four hours of watch/skipping.
	At each start all boats were close and visible to eachother. after a while boats went their own way in the vast ocean and were not seen till the next stop where they all came to an anchoring point. We had three starts during our trip. This picture shows boats after the start of the first day in San Diego.
Jim Parker took this picture saying 'you looked so much in control.' This was my first ocean sailing experience and I did well, I think. I had no problem with sea-sickness. I was able to navigate with or without GPS, I did an acceptable job at the helm, although Kris had some reservations on that. I also was good skipping with our spinakker in bad weather and even Kris admitted that 'you are a natural.'
	Dolphines were playfull around our boat. At times we saw large schools of dolphines all around the visible horizons. Some left their flock and joined our boat to swim along for a while before joining their friends.
At our second stop in Bahia Santa Maria, me and Jim went to the shore and did a short hike. In this picture I am pointing to our anchoring spot where more that 100 boats of the 2008 Baja Ha Ha anchored.
	Robyn took this picture. It should be somewhere between Bahia Santa Maria and Cabo San Lucas. I look to be enjoying my ocean sailing experience so much.
Here we are from left: Harold, Lenon, Ali, Jim, Kris, Tom and Robyn. Tim took the picture. We had a really good time together and I learned a lot from my fellow sailors.
	These are the famous rocks around Cabo San Lucas, sometimes called Lovers Point.