50 years after his first Transpac, Doug Jorgensen preps for his seventh
by Transpacific Yacht Club 2 Feb 06:53 AEDT
July 1, 2025
Doug Jorgensen prepares for his seventh Transpac © Transpacific Yacht Club
Pasadena, California's Doug Jorgensen agrees with that sentiment. This year, Jorgensen will be making his seventh crossing from Los Angeles to Honolulu racing in the 2025 Transpac.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Jorgensen's first time competing in the race, a milestone in his sailing resume.
Jorgensen and crew will be racing his J/111 Picosa, and although he was skipper in previous Transpacs, this time Doug is passing that role to his son, Jack, who recently turned 31. "This way I get to take away the opportunity for him to say, 'Gee, Dad, you really messed that up,'" Jorgensen says. He is happy to bear a bit less responsibility and enjoy more of the race itself as a watch captain. Joining the father-son team in this crew are several of Jack's close sailing friends.
The length of the race is what keeps Jorgensen coming back for more. "There really are no other distance races like this on the West Coast." Beyond that, he loves that Transpac offers rigorous competition and fun, yet challenging, sailing. "Two-thirds of the race is on starboard tack, and squalls are a pretty prominent feature of the entire course," he notes of the race's conditions. "Navigating those squalls sets up a challenge."
In past races, Jorgensen relied on celestial navigation to reach the finish. While he's glad that one of his crewmates is taking on the more modern navigation responsibilities, shooting the sun and calculating daily positions to find Hawaii was certainly a highlight of his early Transpac days.
When it comes to preparation, Jorgensen says his team has Picosa in good shape with several months left to finetune the details. "We are upgrading our battery power and getting ready to prepare meals and provisioning." Doug's wife, Margaret, has been invaluable in the planning and preparation process since it began back in November. He's grateful that the boat doesn't need too many upgrades to its sails—with the potential exception of a new spinnaker.
"The distance between the start and finish of the race behooves crews to find quality craftsmen to make upgrades and fixes to boats before they get to the starting line." Jorgensen emphasizes the importance of having enough runway before the start of the race to prepare. Meeting safety inspection requirements, booking tradespeople and sailmakers, and carrying out other logistics take a great amount of time—meaning it's best not to put anything off.
"Back in October or November I just thought to myself, 'shut up and go sailing.' This is an opportunity to do another race and I'm going to take it." — Doug Jorgensen
Sailing with his son this year is not the first time that Transpac has been a family affair for Jorgensen. In 2005, he co-skippered a J/120 alongside his brother. Fond memories like that made it an easy decision to do another Transpac. "Back in October or November I just thought to myself, 'shut up and go sailing,'' he says. "This is an opportunity to do another race and I'm going to take it."
In terms of the competition his boat and crew are going up against, Jorgensen thinks they will fare well. Plenty of preparation and experience are on their side, but he still feels he needs to get a better feel for the full entry list. He is especially looking forward to competing against the Cal 40 vessels in the class, which have a rich history in the race and often do well.
High on his list of his favorite things about Transpac are the shore events and hospitality once the race is complete. "I cannot stress enough how great the volunteers in Hawaii are—just truly great hospitality!" He also called out the Kaneohe, Hawaii and Waikiki yacht clubs for all they do to make landfall on Oahu an experience to remember beyond the sailing.
What about advice for anyone still on the fence about competing in this year's Transpac? "It's a personal decision," says Jorgensen, but he recommends making it soon. The opportunity to participate in a West Coast distance race, the exhilarating sailing conditions, and the events onshore all create a unique experience that is well worth the effort.
In addition to competitive sailing, Jorgensen is a director of the Transpacific Yacht Club, and a member of both Los Angeles Yacht Club and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. He is a decorated West Coast sailor, with podium finishes in recent editions of Rolex Big Boat Series, the Islands Race, J/111 Worlds, and the Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race.
Keep a look out for Doug Jorgensen and his crew aboard Picosa this summer as the Transpac fleet sets sail for Hawaii.
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