S.F. Blue Tech and Sofar Ocean Drop Data
This is not Yellow Bluff. The yellow buoys being scattered around the Bay and the world are real and will add to the information available to sailors and ocean adventurers everywhere.
As cited in E&E News, a proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget seeks to drastically reorganize NOAA and plunder most of its climate research programs in fiscal 2026, with a possible budget reduction of 28% from $4.8 billion in 2025 to $3.46 billion in 2026. The goal is to break up and end NOAA’s climate work by abolishing its primary research office, then directing the agency to help boost US fossil fuel production. What’s to blame? It could be climate science.
The conservative policy blueprint Project 2025 lists the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) to be a “source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism,” and therefore calls for elements of its work to be dissolved — from ocean observing and monitoring, as well as atmosphere, climate and weather research, to studies tracking toxic algae bloom and hurricanes. The Sea Grant program, a partner to 34 universities, is also slated for extinction.
NOAA produces and provides myriad essential services and voluminous data on which sailing, boating, fishing and shipping communities rely. Given this prognosis, can private industry fill the void?
Some signs point to yes, with one example being Sofar Ocean. This San Francisco firm is building the world’s largest privately owned network of ocean sensors, then sharing the data with private, academic and public audiences. Daily, via the Spotter platform, more than 1.5 million real-time inputs on wind/wave/current conditions, plus water and surface air temperature, are logged. Invited to testify before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology on blue-economy technologies, Sofar CEO Tim Janssen said, “The ocean data gap presents a major economic and strategic opportunity for the United States. And we are at an inflection point. [To] lead, strong public-private partnerships are key, and continued commitment and support for basic research through organizations like NOAA and others are essential.” He asserts the US needs strong public-private partnerships to accelerate the blue economy, and emphasized that continued collaboration among industry, government, and research is essential to bolster national security and protect coastal communities and infrastructure.
Yellow and roughly the size of a basketball, Spotters are deployed in hundreds of locations, and the count is growing; three can been seen from waterfront walkways along S.F. Bay. Data logged here is contributing to the Port of San Francisco’s new Waterfront Resiliency Program. For periodic testing, Sofar drops Spotters into the Pacific Ocean a few miles off the coast of Half Moon Bay and Ocean Beach.
Check other drop spots and see what’s happening in the ocean via their global real-time marine weather forecasting dashboard. Baja Ha-Ha, Transpac, California Offshore Week, and San Diego to Puerto Vallarta cruisers and racers will have hyper-local info available that may give them a leg up on course plotting. By assimilating observations gathered from this global network, Sofar claims its hyper-local forecasts are up to 50% more accurate than traditional models.
Interested in observing Spotter at work? View a buoy-in-Bay drop with live data tracking this Friday, April 25. S.F. Blue Tech is hosting a Blue Cruise on Just Dreaming, a 63-ft historic motor yacht that operates out of Pier 40. Info and register here.
Good Jibes #188: Josh Kali on Leg 1 of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race + Race Update
In this week’s Good Jibes we chat with returning guest Josh Kali to hear stories from Leg 1 of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race 2025. But first …
A quick update on the race: The fleet of 19-ft ocean racers is making good time, having crossed the halfway point from Panama to the Marquesas, where they will make a stop for eight days. Next they push to the leg finish in Fiji after another stop in Papeete and Tonga. The original 15-strong fleet is now down to 13 racing and two others, father and son, following as cruisers heading across the Pacific back home to Australia.
The fleet struggled in light airs to get south of the Galápagos and into the trades, but they’re now making good time west. The leader, Renaud Stitelman on Capucinette, made 125 miles in the last 24 hours on his 19-ft boat! It’s a far better pace than during the first couple of weeks.
Our Good Jibes guest, Josh Kali on Skookum, is currently in 12th place and has made 115 miles in the last 24 hours. The fleet anticipates reaching the Marquesas in approximately 45–55 days from their March 25 Panama departure, aiming for an eight-day rest before continuing their circumnavigation.
And now for this week’s podcast. Tune in as Good Jibes host John Arndt chats with Josh Kali about his first leg of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race 2025. Josh is a mountain climber, sailor, and professional marine technician. He built Skookum over the past 2.5 years and has sailed her from North Carolina to Antigua to Panama, and is now headed across the Pacific!
Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode:
- How does it feel to sail a 19-ft plywood boat?
- How is the transition from mountain climbing to sailing?
- Ways to strategize the route
- Do competitors choose where to stop and for how long at each pit stop?
- How are Josh and his boat doing?
- How does he keep morale up during a long voyage?
- How is the camaraderie among competitors?
- How does he pack food and water when away from land for so long?
- What are the perks of racing on a little boat?
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Catch our previous Good Jibes episode with Josh here.
Sponsor Josh at JoshKaliOceanRacing.com and learn more about Josh in Latitude 38’s April issue.
For real-time race updates and tracking, visit the Mini Globe Race.
Berkeley Marina: Free Day Slips Boat-In Berkeley Bay Festival 26
Free Day Slips Boat-In for Bay Festival + Scavenger Hunt 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 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].
Short Sightings of California Sailing
The 77th Newport to Ensenada Starts on Friday
This Friday, April 25, more than 130 boats and over 800 sailors will line up off Newport Beach for the 77th edition of the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. It’s a longstanding SoCal spring tradition as boats sail south across the border to be welcomed by our friendly Mexican neighbors. It’s one of the shorter, more pleasant downwind ocean races available, and the finish is celebrated with cold cervezas and margaritas.
The 135-mile course from Newport Beach to Ensenada also has shorter options, with starts in San Diego or Dana Point. The current forecast looks like enough light northwesterlies to get most boats to the destination.
Back again this year is John Raymont’s Fast Exit, the boat that smoked the course last year in just over 10 hours. Among the performance contenders is Greg Dorn’s TP52 Favonius 2 — the race will serve as a good warm-up for this summer’s Transpac. Another revered Transpac entry that will be on the Newport to Ensenda course is 63-year-old Kiwi-built legend Ragtime. Originally designed by John Spencer, Ragtime’s ultralight, plywood design helped rewrite Pacific offshore sailing in the ’60s and ’70s. She won Ensenada in 1977, and now, under the ownership of Tina Roberts, she’s back fully restored, refreshed, and tuning up for the run to Hawaii.
SailGP Not Coming to California in 2026?
SailGP has confirmed some of its 2026 season locations, but so far the stops do not include California. After two years with L.A. and San Francisco events, including the early years’ season finals on San Francisco Bay, the SailGP circuit has yet to confirm plans to race on the Bay. The schedule also has two events in Australia and does not show an event in New Zealand.
January – Perth Sail Grand Prix – Australia
February – Sydney Sail Grand Prix – Australia
April – Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix – Brazil
May – Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix – Bermuda
May – Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix – USA
June – Canada Sail Grand Prix | Halifax – Canada
July – Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth – England
September – ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez – France
November – Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix – UAE
November – Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2026 Season Grand Final – UAE
It looks as if it would be hard to fit California into this lineup.
2028 Olympics in Long Beach or San Pedro?
We’d presumed it was settled: The 1984 Olympic sailing events were successfully held in Long Beach, so it was thought that’s where they’d be in 2028. However, despite the City of Long Beach prematurely issuing a press release saying so, the LA28 Organizing Committee has still not confirmed the location. This is because Los Angeles is submitting a bid to be the host in the San Pedro area.
What we do know is the racing will be held from July 21 to August 6 and there are 10 classes competing, providing gender balance between men’s and women’s single- and doublehanded classes, as well as two mixed-gender classes. The following classes are racing:
Men’s One-Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (Formerly Laser)
Women’s One-Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (Formerly Laser)
Mixed Two-Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17
US Sailing and Olympic sailors are already in Long Beach to practice for the summer 2028 event. Are they practicing at the wrong venue? A final decision is expected by mid-May. And, like our current understanding of the world, everything is subject to change.
The Officer of the Day Club
I knew my turn as officer of the day (OD) at Sequoia Yacht Club was coming up. Every sailor knows it’s part of the sacred duty of club membership, like varnishing teak or pretending to enjoy light-wind races. But nothing prepares you for the existential drudgery of a full Sunday spent enforcing rules no one follows, watching people tie dock lines incorrectly, and babysitting a bar so well stocked it could sink a Catalina 27.
For those unfamiliar, being OD is the yachting equivalent of weekend detention. A full-day commitment, trapped within the hallowed halls of the club, watching time crawl like a becalmed race. If the ’80s movie The Breakfast Club had been about yacht clubs, it wouldn’t have been nearly as funny, and my fellow cast members would only include occasional appearances from: The Crusty Old Sea Dog, an actual retired skipper’s Labrador who stops by to critique my lack of OD and bartending skills; the Club Cheerleader, a perpetually smiling sailor who flutters in, thanks me for my commitment, and dashes off to go sailing, reminding me what I’m missing; the Bartender in Disguise, a longtime member who casually takes over the bar, side-eyeing my mixology experiments with visible concern; and, of course, my own Richard Vernon, our very own vice commodore Hans, a man whose Dutch efficiency, attention to detail, and complete lack of humor make him the perfect stand-in for The Breakfast Club’s vice principal. (“Your Ass is Mine.”)
My OD shift actually started the night before when I texted vice commodore Hans to ask if I could come in an hour late since I was flying in from out of town. His response was immediate: “Dis is not acceptable. De duty of de OD is important, ja? We haf rules! Dis is not some gezellig time in a café with a biertje!”
I knew better than to push my luck. But I also knew better than to show up on time. So, I arrived promptly at 10 a.m. And by promptly, I mean I was there at 10:30 a.m. I raised the colors and donned the OD badge like a sheriff walking into a town where nothing ever happens. Hans had told me where to find the OD guidebook, a detailed tome of responsibilities, but I could sum it up in one sentence: Be here. Try not to burn the place down.
The Spinnaker Cup Registration goes up $100 on May 1 — Sign up soon and save!
