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Dwight Odom Na Na Saga 43 #1 Sausalito, CA During the sail back to California
in 2000, I told my daughter, Melissa, that I was so happy with the race
and the result that I would never have to do "THAT" again. But
it seems that every 6 years I am required to sail singlehanded across
the big pond from San Francisco to Hawaii, and then home again. I grew
up in Southwest Texas where the largest body of water was a stock tank
that we swam is as kids. I met a wonderful lady during medical school
(Mary) that had been the sailing director of Camp Lake Hubert for Girls
in Minnesota, and she taught me to sail in Galveston Bay out of the Houston
Yacht Club. After moving to Auburn we had a lot of fun sailing a Catalina
22 on Folsom and Donner lakes, and soon I was sailing the SC 27 Chief
in SF Bay and the ocean doing YRA and SSS races. The first SSS TransPac
in 1994 was a real experience with no wind and a flood tide at the start,
an autopilot that died with a subsequent accidental jibe which resulted
in a broken boom. I repaired the boom and had a wonderful sail on to Hawaii
using the Monitor windvane. Mary and Melissa sailed back through the islands
to Oahu, Lanai, and Lahina on Maui prior to the sail to Port Townsend,
WA. I got NaNa, a Saga 43, in 1999 to prepare for the 2000 Race. She is
ready to go again with new sails and her tested double headsail which
worked great in 2000. I will enjoy home made lasagna and tacos by Maria. |