Nancy Erley, captain of two world circumnavigations sailed in the Gulf of Aden and the Caribbean where pirates are currently active. Nancy shares the facts on piracy and how to find the global "hotspots", how to assess your personal posture toward risk and strategies to de-escalate a pirate encounter. Nancy's friends on "Asylum" were attacked while anchored with three boats off the coast of Columbia and she will share their story, lessons learned and advice to other cruisers.

Join Club Nautique instructor Rod Witel as he details his recent 14 day bareboat charter along Croatia’s beautiful Dalmatian coast on the warm blue Adriatic Sea. Learn the ins and outs of the islands, currency, language, chartering, navigation, Med-mooring and anchoring in this historic archipelago. Travel with Rod to Croatia's ancient walled cities, fabulous waterfalls, the birthplace of Marco Polo, National Parks, blue caves, UNESCO World Heritage sites, WWII submarine caves and much more. The English poet Lord Byron called Dubrovnik, Croatia "The Pearl of the Adriatic"; a must addition to your charter bucket list!

Kame Richards, Owner/Operator of Pineapple Sails is no stranger to racing. He has won the Rolex Big Boat Series on his Express 37, Golden Moon, for 4 of the last 5 years and is a fierce competitor on the San Francisco Bay. He is a respected racer/sailor and is widely known as a very entertaining and knowledgeable spokesperson for the sport. We're excited to have him share his know-how on racing tactics and we are looking forward to learning a lot and laughing some too!

Topics will include:
Measure the competition- if you know how they think, they are easier to pass; when someone tacks, ask yourself why; track their position, track the fleet position
Wind shifts- what do they mean, who benefits; love the header, tolerate the lift.
The starting line- which end is favored and why, should you try to start there? The personality of the boats on the starting line. Time spent near/on the starting line.
The first beat- which side of the course will be better? Does this affect where you start? When to duck, when to tack.
Approach to the weather mark- from the front of the fleet; from the middle or back of the fleet.
The run- Which side of the run is better? Inside overlaps at the leeward mark.
Clear air- is always in style.
The final beat- Maintain your position; improve your position; "covering" only works on the boats behind you.

Come spend an evening with renowned Bay area racer/painter, Jim DeWitt. Jim has been sailing the Bay for over forty years. You will be inspired by his enthusiasm and moved by the passion that he brings to his paintings. "To me, sailing is colorful, it's very colorful. A photograph doesn't do sailing justice, it's a gray-blue... thing... and when I do a painting of a sailboat, I can show some of the excitement and the fun of sailing in a painting that just doesn't show up in a photograph."

Click here to see a sample of Jim's style

Club Nautique School Assistant, Joe Brandt, will discuss the following topics relative to crew overboard rescue; why getting back to the person in the water quickly is important, four different rescue methods and the advantages of each one, how to get the person back into the boat, how to treat the person once you get them in the boat, how to prevent people from going into the water, contacting the Coast Guard. We will also talk about very real statistics that will drive home the importance of prompt recovery.

Join Master Chef, Chuck Dell'Ario for an evening of on board cooking tips. Shipboard cooking need not be boring. Good menu planning and storing your provisions properly insures success.
With a brief overview of these topics, we'll prepare some one-pot favorites emphasizing Caribbean flavors.