Introducing Jared

Bio: Growing up in Washington State and spending summers commercial fishing in Alaska, I spent a lot of time around boats and the ocean, but never on a sailboat. Sailing was something I became curious about after being impressed by its effect on the history of the world. Most of the cities on the west coast—and the world, for that matter—started out as seaports. Knowing that places have different faces when you arrive by car, by train, or plane, I wanted to see what it was like to see them from the water. Learning to sail seemed like the first step. I took that step and now I'm hooked.

"Why do you want to do this?"
When you take away the romance of sailing halfway across the Pacific, spending over two weeks with four guys I barely know cooped up in a 43-foot boat in the middle of the ocean seems crazy. But you can't. Even Phil, for whom this trip doesn't even rate on his list of sailing accomplishments, still gets excited when he talks about it. I'm sure there will be dull times and difficulties mixed in, but there's no denying it's an adventure, and that's what appeals to me. That, and lots (and lots) of sailing.

The Crew:
I'm surprised—and glad—at how comfortable I feel with this crew despite having never met one and only spending a few hours with the others. It seems like we all share a sense of adventure and a love of sailing. Gavin, Gautam, and Mai are members of the Cal Saling Club, where I learned to sail. It also seems like we all have a touch of geekiness: Gautam, Gavin, and Phil, like me, are software guys and Mai is an MIT grad. I'm looking forward to hearing the stories each has to tell. I've heard only teasers during our pre-trip meetings: Gautam has climbed the biggest mountains in the world; Mai came to the US from China, learned English, went to MIT, and started an investment business; Phil sailed around Cape Horn; and I know Gavin has a few up his sleeve too. It sounds like we'll have a lot to talk about.

The Boat:
Phil (and his boat, No Ka Oi) came recommended to me by Paul Kamen, a respected Bay Area sailor and fellow Cal Sailing Club member. Paul crewed on Phil's boat during the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Oahu in 2008. After the race, they took the plane back, which is how No Ka Oi ended up spending the winter in Hawaii. Phil wanted to get his boat back to San Francisco and needed a crew to help sail it. An ocean crossing was something I put on my "bucket list" not long after learning to sail, so I jumped at the opportunity. No Ka Oi is a good example of the kind of boat that races in the Pacific Cup: At 43 feet, it's big enough to manage the wind and waves, but not so big as to take away the excitement of sailing. It sounded perfect.