Safety-at-Sea Seminar Set During Strictly Sail Show

Byline: The Log Staff

LONG BEACH — Organizers of Strictly Sail Long Beach — Southern California’s only all-sailboat show, running Oct. 18-21 at Rainbow Harbor — announced that a US Sailing-sanctioned Safety-at-Sea seminar is planned Oct. 21, during the show.

This full-day seminar at Shoreline Yacht Club, modeled after the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman training program, will feature live demonstrations and well-known keynote speakers covering practical ways to stay safe on the water, from giving and receiving aid to weather at sea.

The seminar also qualifies graduates to sail in long-distance sailing races. US Sailing certification is becoming a mandatory practice for many races across the country.

The seminar moderator is Ralph Naranjo, technical editor of Practical Sailor magazine, who has extensive experience with boat systems and construction, and is a circumnavigator.

Additional speakers include Bruce Brown, a past president of the U.S. Marine Association, an instructor for the Coast Guard 100-ton license program and an experienced Transpac Race skipper. Brown not only has offshore racing experience, but he also specializes in safety products, functions and operations, life rafts, marine communication and heavy weather sailing.

Speaker John Jourdane has 50 years of sailing experience and 300,000 miles at sea. He has made 49 Pacific and twelve Atlantic crossings, three circumnavigations and two Whitbread round-the-world races. He is the author of “Icebergs, Port and Starboard” and “Sailing with Scoundrels and Kings.” Jourdane specializes in heavy weather, damage control and repair, crew preparation and boat preparations.

Speaker Lee Chesneau is a professional meteorologist, Coast Guard STCW meteorology instructor and author. Chesneau conducts marine weather seminars at shows and forums across the country and specializes in interpretation of weatherfax charts, heavy weather avoidance and related navigation strategies at sea.

The cost of the seminar is $150 for US Sailing members and Transpac Race registrants; $160 for all others. The seminar fee includes a ticket to Strictly Sail Long Beach, lunch and a US Sailing certificate that will be mailed upon completion of the seminar.

Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Kevin Murphy at kmurphy@nmma.org or (401) 293-5207; or visit strictlysaillongbeach.com.

Strictly Sail Long Beach is produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the world’s largest producer of boat shows and the leading trade association representing the recreational boating industry. For more information, visit nmma.org.