The SSS - Now that's REAL sailing

by Nancy Knudsen on 22 Feb 2009 The photo here looks like a normal crowd of sailing boats out for a sail, maybe a race, on a grand sunny day. That's all true, except for one thing - 'normal' it is not, as every single boat in the picture is being sailed singlehanded.

The Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay has a formula that could well be copied in many other parts of the sailing world. Whether you want to race or not, entering a race is generally acknowledged to improve your sailing, and discussing it with like-minded others is guaranteed to improve your technique even more.

So the SSS provides a forum where sailors and others interested in the sport of singlehanded sailing can share their ideas and experiences.

It is the stated intent of the SSS to make it possible for such sailors to compete in seaworthy sailing vessels of various types and designs on a fair and equitable basis. The races provide an organized arena in which ideas, equipment, designs, and vessels specifically created, built, modified, or equipped for long distance singlehanded racing may be tested and evaluated through friendly sportsmanlike competition. The development of personal skill in singlehanded sailing is encouraged through sailing events and seminars.

The Society organizes seven regular annual races in and around the San Francisco Bay. In addition to the races organized by the Society, each year the SSS sponsors lectures and educational seminars to promote safe shorthanded racing and cruising, and to help prepare interested skippers for the challenge of the long distance races sponsored by the Society.

Then there are opportunities to try your hand at singlehanded sailing across the Pacific. There are two of these, the Great Pacific Longitudinal Race (400 miles in the Pacific), and the Singlehanded TransPac (2200 miles from San Francisco to Hawaii) .

Even if you don't want to sail forever singlehanded, there's no better experience than singlehanded sailing for getting to know you boat VERY well.

For those close enough to take advantage, or just more information about the Singlehanded Sailing Society, go to their webpage