Cayard and Spithill Join America’s Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2025
California sailing legend Paul Cayard, Australian-born racer Jimmy Spithill, and Susan Henn, the first known woman to compete in the America’s Cup, have been announced as the Herreshoff Marine Museum/America’s Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Each sailor is recognized for their personal achievements and positive influence on the sport and in America’s Cup racing.
Paul Cayard has been in the sailing news for decades and has won seven world championships and the Whitbread Round the World Race, competed in seven America’s Cup campaigns, and is a two-time Olympian. He has also been highly active in official roles behind the sailing scene including board chair for the St. Francis Yacht Club, former executive director of US Olympic Sailing, and president of the International Star Class Association.
Cayard’s first America’s Cup campaign was as a sail trimmer aboard the 12 Meter Defender in 1983. He served as tactician in the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia. He went on to win multiple sailing events and championships including the International Star Class Worlds, the Maxi Yacht World Championship, and the 1997–98 Whitbread Round the World Race. In 2000 Cayard launched an America’s Cup campaign on behalf of his home club, the St. Francis Yacht Club, with his team AmericaOne. He is also an inductee of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Spithill was just 4 years old when Australia II won the 1983 America’s Cup. His first boat was a race-ready dump-find, recovered from a dump and made ready for racing, and in 1989, together with his sister, he won the first race he ever entered. In 1997 he captained his crew to win the Australian High School Sailing Championship. That same year Spithill was named New South Wales Youth Yachtsman of the Year.
In 1998 Spithill was recruited to race the Rolex Sydney Hobart race aboard Ragamuffin, and in 2000 at age 20, he became skipper of Young Australia for the 2000 America’s Cup in San Diego — the Cup’s youngest-ever helmsman. Subsequent America’s Cup campaigns followed, including roles with the USA’s American OneWorld and ORACLE teams, and Italy’s Luna Rossa. In 2024, Spithill retired at the conclusion of the America’s Cup in Barcelona but not before having led numerous teams aboard foiling trimarans, the foiling wing sail AC72 and AC50 catamarans, foiling AC75 monohulls, and the foiling F50s as captain for the US SailGP Team.
Susan Matilda Cunninghame-Graham Henn (1853-1911) is celebrated as the first woman to compete, and ultimately command a yacht, in the America’s Cup. Henn sailed aboard the 102-ft steel cutter Galatea in the 1886 match against the Mayflower. Henn and her husband Lt. William Henn sailed across the Atlantic for the race against Mayflower, proving Henn’s disposition for a life at sea. When her husband became ill during a race, Henn took charge of their yacht, once more demonstrating her exceptional sailing skills.
The America’s Cup Hall of Fame has inducted over 100 individuals since its founding in 1992. Candidates eligible for consideration include sailing team members, designers, builders, syndicate leaders, supporters, chroniclers, and other individuals of merit. Each nominee is judged on the basis of outstanding ability, international recognition, character, performance, and contributions to the America’s Cup. The members of the Selection Committee are intimate with the history and traditions of the America’s Cup and are committed to maintaining the integrity of the Hall of Fame.
Cayard, Spithill, and Henn will be honored on October 16 at the America’s Cup Hall of Fame Induction at the New York Yacht Club.
USCG Barque ‘Eagle’ Is Coming West
The USCG barque Eagle is headed to the West Coast. It’s the first time she’ll have been west since 2008!
The Coast Guard reports, “The selected port calls leverage Eagle’s unique ability to advance and foster international relations with some of the region’s most critical partners, and provides an opportunity to integrate domestic engagements along the US West Coast.”
We’re glad California is on the list of critical partners.
The Eagle is currently nearing Cuba as she heads toward the Panama Canal. Her ports of call and dates (subject to change) are below:
April 27: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
May 9: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
May 23: Los Angeles, California
June 6: Portland, Oregon
June 13: Astoria, Oregon
June 25: San Francisco, California
July 7: Victoria, BC, Canada
July 15: Seattle, Washington
July 25: San Francisco, California
August 1: Los Angeles, California
August 8: San Diego, California
August 15: San Diego, California
September 4: Panama City, Panama
September 18: New London, Connecticut
She’s traveling the entire West Coast with a couple of opportunities to see her in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Known as “America’s Tall Ship,” Eagle is a 295-ft, three-masted barque used as a training vessel for future officers of the United States Coast Guard. It is the largest tall ship flying the Stars and Stripes and the only active square-rigger in US government service. Approximately 120 cadets will crew the ship at any given time throughout her tour of the USA’s West Coast; cadets will swap out at various ports.
Eagle is expected to be open for free public tours on all their port calls, including both stops in San Francisco, though exact hours are still TBD. Public tour announcements will be made as the ship gets closer to each stop.
Berkeley Marina: Free Day Slips Boat-In Egg Hunt on April 19
Free Day Slips Boat-In Egg Hunt on April 19, and Bay Festival + Scavenger Hunt Visitors April 26! Did you know that the Berkeley Marina offers free dockage to visiting boaters for up to 4 hours? So bring your friends and boat in to the Berkeley Marina for our Waterfront Egg Hunt this Saturday , April 19th, and boat in to the Berkeley Bay Festival during Opening Weekend on the Bay for free boat rides, a giant fish tank, food and music, and hands-on lessons about our San Francisco Bay ecology. The Berkeley Marina is part of the broader Berkeley Waterfront where there’s always something wonderful to enjoy. Tie up with the Berkeley Marina for a free day slip, available on a first come, first served basis. Advance requests are recommended. To reserve your spot, please contact the Berkeley Marina Office at (510) 981-6740 / [email protected].
Berkeley Marina Cuts the Ribbon on New Green Energy Vehicles
Green power is expanding on the Bay, with Berkeley Marina adding one new boat and five vehicles to its fleet. On Thursday, April 10, a large crowd of supporters gathered on the lawn at the Marina Mall to cut the ribbon and celebrate Berkeley Marina’s newest harbor patrol boat — the all-electric Vita Power Seal — five additional new electric vehicles, and brand-new boater Wi-Fi.
The Seal is a zero-emission, 24-ft Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), built by Vita Power, and purchased with the aid of the CORE Voucher Program of the California Air Resources Board. Local businessman Tanguy de Lamotte of Vita Power spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, congratulating Berkeley Marina for being on the “front edge,” for “pioneering electric boating in the Bay,” and for “successfully navigating the CORE voucher process” that offsets the higher cost of electric technology.
Other speakers included Berkeley City Councilmember Terry Taplin, Deputy City Manager David White, and Director of Information Technology for the City Kevin Fong. Mr. Fong spoke about the challenges of Wi-Fi connectivity in marinas posed by mast and water interference as well as changing tides and choppy water. He was proud to announce the efforts in place to establish reliable Wi-Fi connections across all Berkeley Marina docks, resulting in broader coverage and sound Wi-Fi connectivity.
Marina staff met with boaters and gave e-boat demonstration rides through the harbor and into the Bay. Marina staff will be offering e-boat demos again on April 26 at the Bay Festival.
Everyone in attendance, from slip holders to boat-in visitors, also enjoyed affogatos from the Berkeley waterfront’s Roaming Bean Coffee, music, cookies from the waterfront’s Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, and Berkeley Boathouse’s beautiful cupcakes.
The Berkeley Marina is pleased to be leading by example on their commitment to sustainability and connectivity.
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Short Sightings: YRA Lightship Race and Marine First Aid Class
This Saturday, April 19, the YRA will host the Lightship Race as part of the 2025 Offshore Series. When we wrote to Richmond Yacht Club member John Dukart to learn more about the history of the race, John replied, “When the Lightship started is the ‘Big Bang’ of Bay Area yachting,” and that this is “the umpty-umpth Lightship race.” He later sent us a copy of a newspaper clipping from the San Francisco Examiner, dated 1908, with the headline, “YANKEE MAKES BEST TIME IN RACE AROUND LIGHTSHIP.” (Note the all-caps style.)
John also sent us a couple of images of the actual Lightship that we understand served as the race buoy. Our research indicates that the San Francisco lightship, vessel number LV 605, was anchored in the shipping lane 8.5 miles from the city.
John sent us the photo below of a Bird boat appearing to hit the mark.
And as for John’s personal race experience? “My own personal anecdote was I once rounded the lightship buoy while it was on the deck of a buoy tender getting some maintenance.” That is certainly unique, John!
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In other news for this weekend, the Island Yacht Club’s Women’s Sailing Seminar is hosting a Basic Marine First Aid course on Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to noon, at Alameda Marina.
Join fellow sailors, Registered Nurse Caroline Schrader and Respiratory Care Practitioner Tracy Ward, to learn the basics of first aid when you’re on the water (or land) and understand the most important supplies for your first aid kit. The class includes a short presentation from the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. Bring your PFD to be properly fitted by an Auxiliary officer.
The class is open to everyone. BYO lunch. Beverages will be provided.
Registration is $40. This covers the cost of materials. Build and take home your own first aid kit.
Register here by April 21 to win a prize at the class.
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Urgent Call for Funding to Protect the Bay
Richmond Yacht Club member Mike Josselyn wrote in with an urgent appeal to Bay Area sailors to help find funding for San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center:
As Latitude 38 has covered, San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center, the only marine science laboratory on San Francisco Bay, is slated to close due to a loss of university funding.
The EOS Center has been funded for 47 years by San Francisco State University, which now faces a severe systemwide budget shortfall. SFSU can no longer support the EOS Center’s operations and has recommended imminent closure. Sustained financial support is critical to ensure a marine research and training center uniquely positioned to confront California’s climate crisis, especially in S.F. Bay and its communities.
The center’s director, Katharyn Boyer, has been diligently seeking funds to meet the $1.2 million per year needed to cover the cost of operations and essential programs that SFSU can no longer afford. Recently, the university has set a deadline of April 30 to have funding pledges (in writing) to cover at least three years of operational funding ($3.6 million). That three years would provide a runway for development of public-private partnerships and other funding mechanisms to support a long-term funding solution.
Dr. Boyer has received commitments for over $2 million since the closure recommendation in early February, but is still $1.5 million short. We are meeting with members of the sailing community that may be able to close this gap, but support from individuals, corporations, and yacht clubs is urgently needed. If anyone in the sailing community has ideas or potential contacts willing to provide substantial funding for this vital institution, please email Romberg Center Director Dr. Katharyn Boyer or myself, Mike Josselyn.
As Opening Day is approaching, consider the benefits you receive from a healthy Bay and donate to the EOS Center at their web page.
The Spinnaker Cup Registration goes up $100 on May 1 — Sign up soon and save!
