Sailing’s Great

True Spirit the Movie

Kurt Hoehne Community, Sailing's Great, Women Sailors, Youth Sailing 1 Comment
True Spirit the Movie

If you’re like me, you have some mixed emotions any time a sailing movie comes out. I keep hoping one of those brilliant movie minds will somehow share with the world how great sailing is. Sometimes it comes close. More often, we get The Whomper (Wind) or the abysmal All is Lost. I’m pleased to report that True Spirit, the recently released Netflix movie about Jessica Watson’s circumnavigation, is engaging and accurate enough. It is only cringe-worthy in a few places, which for a sailing movie makes it a success.

Actress Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson

First off, Jessica Watson’s story is remarkable. You might remember when in 2010 the 16-year-old sailed into Sydney Harbor to be greeted by 100,000 thousand adoring Aussies including the prime minister. She is the youngest person to solo circumnavigate nonstop. While much of the sailing world wasn’t aware of her trip until that moment, Aussies had been tracking it all along. The movie makes clear just how important this voyage was to Australians.

The movie splits time between “Jess” on the boat and her family watching from home. Unlike sailors like my childhood hero Robin Lee Graham, today’s adolescent voyagers can (and do) call home daily on satellite phones. And with help from big sisters on shore, they even blog en route.

As far as the sailing footage and computer-generated monster waves, I’m reminded of A Perfect Storm. Some sensorial things can’t be generated in a computer. The cringe-worth moments were an overly drawn-out pitchpoling which left the lovely S&S 34 upside down for an eternity. While it surely felt like that to Watson, the sailors in the audience will likely cringe at the boat being upside down long enough for the EPIRB to go off, that information to be picked up by the rescue services, and a phone call made to the family.

Anna Paquin had the most impressive acting performance as Watson’s mother, transitioning from supportive and loving to her daughter and family, then breaking down with fear when the time came to be afraid. Teagan Croft does a good job of portraying Watson, and director Sarah Spillane managed to craft a movie that is inspiring but not too sappy.

The real Jessica Watson.Photo by Kate Dyer

My favorite moment in the movie was when the sailing community pulled together. I’ll bet they did just that. And I’m so glad Watson did her circumnavigation in a modest (but well built and prepared) older 34-footer. No need for new or big.

You might remember Maidentrip, the story of Laura Dekker’s circumnavigation. That too was a worthwhile movie and an amazing story.

I’d suggest going to the history vs. Hollywood website page to weed through the real vs fiction versions.

As an aside, moviemakers seem to be drawn to idea of a girl circumnavigating as opposed to a boy. One thing that True Spirit, Maidentrip and Jeanne Socrates‘ voyages make clear: the love for sailing and the desire to head out to sea doesn’t have much to do with gender or age. Girls of any age are just as drawn to it and capable as boys of any age, if not more. No serious sailors I know would see it any other way.

Star Fever, the Story of Seattle Sailing’s First Family

Kurt Hoehne PNW sailors around the world, Sailing's Great 0 Comment
Star Fever, the Story of Seattle Sailing’s First Family

In Seattle sailing circles, the name Buchan conjures an image of infinite sailing expertise that seems, in some ways, other-worldly. Across generations, the Buchan lineage seems to sail smart and fast nearly all the time. Actually, the Buchans are very human, and Bill Buchan’s autobiography Star Fever (written with Maureen Lander) explains a lot.

Star Fever chronicles how Bill Buchan’s father, also a William, applied his Scottish work ethic to the world of sailing. And how that do-it-yourself and do-it-right attitude filtered through the family. Early on, the father Bill home-built Heather, from lofting her on butcher paper to steaming the oak ribs himself. Heather was fast and a good cruiser.

Bill took it all to to the next level, immersing himself in sailboat racing. The father and son team won the Mallory Cup in Lightnings, among many victories. But the pinnacle of sailboat racing was (and some of us think still is) in Starboats. Bill and his father started creating (designing and building) and refining Stars, taking advantage of the loose tolerances allowed at the time and coming up with light, fast boats. Along the way Bill met his wife Karen, who despite spending some of their first date bailing out a Star, enjoyed Bill and sailing!

Fast forward through several Stars, innumerable regattas and three children. Along the way, Buchan won the Soling Worlds and his Star designs based on his various Frolics were being adopted around the world. Locally, he built the Peterson 44 racer cruiser Sachem from a bare hull to compete in the Pacific Northwest. Disappointment at the Olympic boycott in 1980 turned to Star triumph at the 1984 Olympic Games. That was followed by another Star Worlds victory in 1985 with Steve Erickson as crew.

While Star Fever is well worth the read simply to get insight into Bill and the whole Buchan sailing tradition, I think it’s worth a read from a sailing cultural standpoint as well. Bill and his father designed and built boats, refining and improving them with each iteration. They weren’t the only ones. All this time there was a family to raise and a business to develop. These days, racers often can’t get away for a casual Wednesday evening race.

Proceeds for this book go to the University of Washington Sailing team. It can be purchased here at Fisheries Supply.

Sailing May Not be the Cure, but it Will Help

Kurt Hoehne Sailing's Great 0 Comment
Sailing May Not be the Cure, but it Will Help

The Seattle Laser Fleet (Lasers and RS Aeros) is just finishing up its 19/20 season today. In the last couple of days an email flurry has been going on about whether or not to hold event in light of the coronavirus. It’s not a huge fleet (<30 boats), but there is a gathering afterward in the clubhouse where there could be contact between the sailors. There isn’t enough manpower to have a race committee, which has never stopped the SLF from thrashing about on Puget Sound, so rabbit starts were agreed upon.

Derek Bottles hiking an RS Aero down.

Some sailors have opted out, and one doctor who is on the front medical lines weighed in with some reassuring words about the likelihood of transmission. Obviously, everybody who had any indication of being sick decided to stay home. And my guess is handshakes and hugs will be minimal, if at all. Hoorah for the SLF.

Yesterday some intrepid South Sound racers tucked reefs into their mains and zoomed around the Islands racecourse in seriously gusty conditions.

I expect as the weather warms this week we’ll see a lot more sails dotting the Pacific Northwest waters.

Hychka, Sweden 36

I make no claim of medical expertise. Obviously, we don’t want to do anything to spread the coronavirus. And we don’t want to get sick ourselves.

However, here is my pitch for us all to go sailing, especially if we have some time on our hands. Boats these days seldom require a large crew. Most cruisers sail with 2-4 people.  Even large raceboats have a limited number of people on board. Usually, after sailing, the boat sits for a few days during which the virus will die.

And of course, if you’re single handling even a few feet from shore, well, I can’t imagine a much safer place.

But getting on the water and feeling the wind on your face, the pull of the helm and the tug of the sails filling will raise anyone’s spirit and should convey a feeling of optimism that we all sorely need.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I’m in despair, a gull’s cry, sea lion’s bark or the smell of saltwater can pull me right out of it.

And for racers, effectively lee-bowing someone or nailing a takedown injects some serious endorphins.

Sailing gets you outside into the fresh air in about as safe (for both you and others) a way as possible. More importantly, it can renew one’s optimism and mental health. We’re lucky, we get to do what we love.