Singlehanded Sailing Society

Resources

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Books by SSS Members

Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing

by Andy Evans

10 years, over 250 races, and 3,500 hours of singlehanding is what Andy considers “a reasonable start” to solo sailing. He shares his mistakes so you don’t have to make them too.

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Black Feathers: A Pocket Racer Sails the Singlehanded TransPac

by Robert & Jeanne Crawford

Robert Crawford raced the 2008 Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race aboard Black Feathers, his 1961 Cal 20, finishing in 19 days 21 hours… making Black Feathers the smallest boat to have finished the race. Crawford followed the 1990’s mantra of the Singlehanded Sailing Society, of which he is a member: “Do the race in the boat you have.“

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The Floating Harpsichord

by Peter H. Strykers

One Sailor’s Log and Manuals for Solo-Sailing and Solo-Medicine

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Not A Yacht Club: The Singlehanded Sailing Society

by Jackie Philpott

History of the Singlehanded TransPac race and the Singlehanded Sailing Society of the San Francisco Bay. Includes a number of interviews with sailors who have participated in the SHTP over the years.

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Lee Shore Blues: Sex, Drugs and Bluewater Sailing

by Peter M. Heiberg

Lee Shore Blues is not your average sailing book. Peter Heiberg takes us on an irreverent charge through the highlights of his life at sea, from evading the homosexual advances of a 300-pound steward in mid-Pacific at 19 years of age, to rebuilding and sailing a thirty-ton engineless Bristol Channel pilot cutter from the UK to Canada’s west coast.

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Member Blogs & Channels

Tiger Beetle Sailing

https://tbeetle.wordpress.com/

Sailing Rumour

https://sailingrumour.com

Nonsuch 22 Blueberry

https://nonsuch22blueberry.blogspot.com/

Jetstream Racing

https://jetstreamracing.blogspot.com/

Tips for a Successful Season

  1. Read the Sailing Instructions! Every year they are modified. Skippers are responsible for knowing the Sailing Instructions and any changes to the Instructions that may be presented at the skippers meeting.
  2. For each race, don’t forget that the Standing Sailing Instructions also apply, in particular, the various Restricted Areas.
  3. Completing a Membership Application and joining the SSS for the year is cheaper than paying individual race entry fees, since the race fees for the whole season are covered by your annual membership fee. However, you still need to complete a Race Entry Form for each race you enter.
  4. Remember that the entry deadline for each race is the Wednesday evening before the race. If you can’t get to the skippers meeting, mail your entry early and check the website sfbaysss.org before the deadline to be sure it arrived! If you try to check in Saturday morning and you’re not on the Race Committee’s list, there’s nothing they can do about it.
  5. Get your current-year PHRF (or MPHRF) certificate! To enter an SSS race, you must present a current certificate, even if you generally sail with a one-design fleet. Contact the YRA or BAMA to apply for a certificate. Make sure the SSS actually has your valid and current PHRF certificate – SSS does not have access to the YRA files, so having one “on file” with YRA does not meet SSS requirements.
  6. Be sure you know whether your boat is a SPORTBOAT or not, using the formula shown in the Standing Sailing Instructions. If your boat is a SPORTBOAT you must sail in the SPORTBOAT class. SPORTBOAT includes, but is not limited to, the Moore 24, Melges 24, Antrim 27, Santa Cruz 27, Express 27, Olson 30 and Hobie 33. The value of your “DLR Ratio” is listed on the lower right corner of your PHRF certificate.
  7. If using the paper entry form, be sure to sign and date the Race Entry Form. And check that you’ve filled in or circled every applicable item. But please use jibeset if you possibly can!
  8. Remember that if you do not finish within the time limit or withdraw from a race for any reason you must contact the race committee as soon as possible by VHF radio or by telephone. Refer to the additional sailing instructions for each race for the radio channel or phone number.
  9. Come out and volunteer on Race Committee. It’s fun, and you will learn a lot. For those who are competing for the season perpetual trophy, volunteering for Race Committee will still count toward your season score. Refer to the Standing Sailing Instructions for more details on scoring.

Seminar Materials & Other Documents

Miscellaneous

    Communications

    Safety / Medical

    Rudders & Self-steering

    SHTP

    PDF Documents List

    External Links

    Sailing Organizations

    Yacht Clubs Supporting the SSS

    Local Media

    Major West Coast Ocean Races

    Other Shorthanded Sailing Groups

    Archives

    History of this Site

    There have been several versions of the SF Bay SSS website over the years. The domain sfbaysss.org was initially registered in 1996. Our current archives of the site date back to the early 2010’s. Here’s a high-level history:

    • 1996 – Domain registered
    • 2013 – Site revised
    • 2024 – Site revised (you’re looking at it!)

    Before 2013

    After 2013

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    Random History

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    TODO(vanilladuck): these links need to be fixed