Recording with a view at sunset from the SDYC Cupola, Tiffany Billings introduces herself as the host of the inaugural episode of San Diego Sailcast. The three top news items this week are Peter Busch winning Junior Sabot Nationals sailed at Long Beach Yacht Club, the upcoming Juniors Nine-0 Fundraiser Luau on September 14th, and Eric Doyle's victory at the Star North American Championships sailed at California Yacht Club.
Tiffany has been a member of SDYC since 2014, but has been hanging around since she joined the Race Committee in 2009. Tiffany currently sails on member CF Koehler’s Sally, a 10 meter wooden boat, which recently took first at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club’s McNish Classic Yacht Race. Sally’s skipper and crew took home several perpetual trophies along with six cases of champagne, matching the weight of the skipper.
Our first guest is Alli Bell, SDYC's Race Committee Chair in both 2017 and 2018. Alli claims she’s been sailing since she was two-weeks old and tells us how she got into Race Committee, starting out as a 14-year old "Buoy Princess". The Bell family has a long history of sailing out of San Diego Yacht Club including many Transpac Races aboard Westward, including two such races with Alli in 2013 and 2015. She also raced to Hawaii in 2017 aboard Tim Fuller's J/125 Resolute, and hopes to sail again in Transpac 50 coming up in 2019.
“On Westward we had lasagna, biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, pancakes... On Resolute we had freeze dried... something.”
The SDYC Race Committee is considered one of the most important areas that a member or non-member can volunteer for. Over 100 volunteers dedicate thousands of hours, late night and early mornings to the committee. Alli tells the story of how she became involved and gives a shout-out to SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson for all his involvement in teaching her how to race and be a part of the committee.
The Dutch Shoe Marathon is an annual tradition for sabot sailors at San Diego Yacht Club, sailing over 7 miles from La Playa to Coronado. Alli was Race Committee PRO for this event in 2018, and shared stories about this year race along with her first experience 30 years ago... finishing dead last.
San Diego Sailcast looks forward to more episodes with guests from San Diego Yacht Club and beyond, sharing their on-the-water stories from near and far.
Alli also serves as the event chair for both the International Masters Regatta and the Lipton Cup, two annual October events that bring competitive sailing to San Diego Bay in 12-boat, J/105 rotation racing. And the Taste of Point Loma preceding the Masters Regatta is one of SDYC's premiere social events of the year feature over 30 restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and wineries serving samples to a huge crowd at the Club.