Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

Ventura Summer Sailstice

by Bruce Fleming on 30 Jun 2014
Jared to leeward - Ventura Summer Sailstice Paul Marston

This Weta Weekend event was inspired by the need some of us had seen for a 'clinic' to raise the abilities of some of our fellow Weta sailors.

Ventura was chosen for idyllic weather and consistent winds in the low teens.

Mid-June had an open weekend, and by coincidence it worked out to be a great way to participate in the local phenom now known as Summer Sailstice. The latter even was dreamed up by John Arndt, of the famous local sailing rag Latitude 38, as a way to encourage everyone who owns a sailboat to get out on the water to enjoy sailing. When there’s never enough time in the day to do everything you want or need to do, why not make an extra effort to go sailing on the longest day of the year?

We had a few new faces join us this year, including: Ann Marie Moore from San Francisco, Ben Teitelbaum from Fresno, and new Weta owner, Mike Wright, who flew in from Seattle to join returning sailors Tim Corcoran, Bruce Fleming, Brian Grover, and Bob Shirley.


Bob, and Paul and Jared of Pierpont Performance Sailing, managed local details to make room for a bunch of out-of-towners to launch and dock our boats in the harbor. Paul and Jared borrowed YOLO, a tricked-out RIB from the guys who own a wicked fast 60 foot cat called Afterburner, and they chased us around for the weekend, took photos, set a course, and ran some starts for very short practice races on Sunday. A friend of Brian Grover brought his $2K goPro drone out on Sunday and shot some vids.

Like last year, we met each morning for a scrum in the casual clubhouse of Pierpont Bay Yacht Club to talk about the day’s sailing, discuss rigging or technique, and generally agree that we were all here to simply enjoy sailing together. Saturday, after getting all the boats on the water and out of the harbor, we conveined on a beach protected by the habor’s outer breakwall and ate a picnic lunch. Paul and Jared chatted up the Weta to a couple of inquiring Hobie sailors, who later went for a demo ride that required a bit of chasing by Paul on YOLO.

Stuffed with sandwiches, grapes, chips ahoy! cookies, and Dos Equis, we all hit the water and sailed three miles up the coast in wind of 6 to 8 kts to the calm waters off Ventura Pier. This is perfect water for noobs to have their first capsize, but of course, if you’ve ever tried to capsize a Weta, you know how difficult that can be! After about an hour of futzing around, the group began sailing back toward the harbor, and the breeze freshened along the way.


Mike Write says it was the most wind he’s ever experience, sailing a Weta, since the Pacific Northwest has been experiencing abnormally light wind lately, so this was a great way to get to know the boat in the range where it really starts to peform. I had a blast chasing and coaching Ann Marie, who was solo sailing her boat for the first time and learning to handle a tiller and lively boat under screecher at the same time. Over the course of an hour, the track of her wake progressed from wiggley and jerky to straight and smooth, and her speed increased signifiantly. Her confidence increased even further.

Saturday night, we watched a glorious sunset on the Pacific and enjoyed cheeseburgers in Paradise, which happened to be the theme of the Pierpoint Bay Yacht Club’s party/luau. After a few beers or margaritas, we each retired to our lodging—some at hotels or B&Bs nearby, and a couple on the blue triamaran in the harbor known as Orange.

Despite the grey weather predictions, the marine layer fog was thin and Sunday broke as sunny as Saturday. We met in the club house for a short discussion of starting and first-beat sailing tactics, led by Mike Hopper, a long-time local and dominant PHRF sailor who then joined us on the water in the spare Pierpont charter boat for seven super-short practice races. Over the course of the hour, the freshened and the starts got tighter.


After racing, we sailed back to the harbor and to de-rig at the ramp or the beach (Tim and Brian). Mike Write enjoyed docking his charter (no de-rigging required!) and heading to the airport to make his plane back to Seattle. This is a significant perk of chartering a boat over owning it! Mike says he had some explaining to do at Security, since he walked in still wearing his wetsuit, but he made it to the gate in time to change into street clothes before boarding the plane.

A few of us shared beers in the parking lot at the ramp as we de-rigged and prepared for long drives home. Like last year, we all agreed it was a great weekend of sailing and learning together. A lot more fun for everybody than just chasing the same hotshots around some buoys for a couple days. There was real enthusiasm for repeating this annual event, or maybe we should do two each year?


Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTERX-Yachts X4.3Vaikobi 2024 December

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 World Championship preview
The pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES will be held at Cascais The annual Rolex TP52 World Championship represents the top tier of monohull grand prix sailing. Held as the pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES, of which Rolex is also Official Timepiece, the regatta is one of the most revered in the sport.
Posted today at 9:01 am
Gitana 18, a new off the wall work
A 32-metre long and 23-metre wide flying carbon giant is taking shape For the past eighteen months, a new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a 32-metre long and 23-metre wide flying carbon giant, has been taking shape hidden from view behind the doors of the CDK Keroman shed in Lorient.
Posted today at 6:01 am
One month till close of entries into Mackay ‘25
Entries close July 18! Today marks one month till close of entries into Mackay '25!
Posted on 18 Jun
Competitors readying for epic battle
Distance racing is inherently an uncomfortable sport Enjoying a spectacular evening cocktail reception overlooking Newport Harbor, one competitor in the upcoming Transatlantic Race 2025, which starts tomorrow off Castle Hill Lighthouse just after 1 pm.
Posted on 18 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik day 3
Pieter-Jan Postma continues to lead after 5 races Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, continues to dominate the Finn World Masters in Medemblik, The Netherlands, after a fifth race was sailed on Wednesday in a north-westerly breeze building from 8-12 knots during the afternoon.
Posted on 18 Jun
24th Argentario Sailing Week day 0
Historic boats from 9 nations have gathered in Porto Santo Stefano Historic boats have gathered in Porto Santo Stefano to take on the 24th edition of the prestigious Argentario Sailing Week, organised by the Yacht Club Santo Stefano with the tangible support of the Monte Argentario Municipal Council.
Posted on 18 Jun
29th Superyacht Cup Palma fleet is ready to go
Crews are now able to size-up the competition in their respective classes The owners, captains and crews of the spectacular array of yachts gathered for the 29th edition of the Superyacht Cup Palma are making their final preparations ahead of the start of racing next Thursday.
Posted on 18 Jun
Swan One Design Worlds kicks off
Practice race and opening ceremony in Costa Smeralda The crystal waters of the Costa Smeralda once again set the stage for one of the most anticipated events in the international racing calendar: the 2025 Swan One Design Worlds, hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with ClubSwan Racing.
Posted on 18 Jun
Class40 top guns enter Rolex Fastnet Race
One of the most successful genre of offshore race boat ever Now 20+ years old, the Class40 has proved itself one of the most successful genre of offshore race boat ever.
Posted on 18 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik Day 2
Pieter-Jan Postma leads after the second day of racing in The Netherlands Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, is leading the fleet of 307 Finns from 27 countries after everyone sailed two more races at the 2025 Finn World Masters in Medemblik. France's Laurent Hay is second with Germany's Fabian Lemmel in third.
Posted on 17 Jun