Santa Barbara Sea Shell Sailing Association Holds 40th Annual Sips and Ships Fundraiser
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Sailing Seashells by the Seashore
A long whistle sounds on Santa Barbara’s West Beach as a fleet of small sailing dinghies and skippers, ages 6-17, aim for an imaginary starting line between two anchored flags in Santa Barbara Harbor. “All Clear,’ yells the Race Committee and fledgling skippers trim their sails in tight, heading upwind in flat water and idyllic breezes under sunny skies. Beneath umbrellas and on beach blankets, family and friends enthusiastically encouraged the kids on. It’s a scene that has repeated many times during Sunday afternoons from April to October, and a scene that has been repeated countless times throughout the 76 years the Santa Barbara Seashells Sailing has been in existence.
“Sea Shells is a little different from other Santa Barbara youth sailing programs in that this is a whole family affair,’ says current commodore Andrew Bermond. “We have 40 families that help maintain our boats and run the races. Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 there are two kid races, then an adult race, organized by the kids, which features some comedy in full size adults crammed into kid sized boats, and then a final kid race. We have two safety boats to deal with the inevitable capsize. And while the racing is fun and skill building, results are tallied and awards are given though out the season and at our awards ceremony in November.”
The term “Sea Shell” harkens back to 1948 when Santa Barbarian Ray Kieding was trying to find a small sailboat suitable for his boys in Santa Barbara Harbor. He ended up ordering and building two Sailing Sea Shell kits from the Hagerty Company in Cohasset, Massachussets. Within a year there were close to a dozen of the boats, and the sailing hasn’t stopped. In 1991, the Sea Shell was replaced by a commercially available sailing dinghy, the Sabot, essentially a fiberglass version of the Sea Shell, of which some 30 are used today. The association also uses more modern and performance orientated dinghies, including the Open Skiff, RS Tera, and RS Feva, which is sailed with a crew of two and has a spinnaker for downwind sailing. Many Santa Barbara sailors got their start with Sea Shells and gone onto race professionally, cross oceans, sail to distant lands, and pass along the skill set that make up the art and magic of sailing.
The Santa Barbara Sea Shells Association hits another big milestone in its history this September 28, as it celebrates its 40th Annual Wine Tasting and Yacht Tour fundraising events. “Big or small, all boats need funds for maintenance,” continues Bermond, “we have one fund raiser event of the year to cover boat maintenance, two safety boats, educational materials, and the big project we have our eye on is a much needed refurbishing our aging storage ‘Condos,’ the green plywood storage sheds next to the boat launch in Santa Barbara Harbor. There are mice that have shown a taste for new sails and on more than one occasion opossum, raccoons, and the odd transient have left their mark on the boats. It’s a capital intensive project for our non-profit, family run, all volunteer organization, but we’re duty bound to keep the program in good standing for the future generations of Santa Barbara sailing youth.”
The gala known as ‘Sips & Ships’ will be held September 28, 2024 from 4-8 pm, Marina One in Santa Barbara Harbor, and will feature silent auction items that include items from Circle Bar B Ranch, Santa Barbara Trapeze Company, Ivy Cove, High Line Adventures, Ensemble Theatre Company, and more, as well as food, wine, craft beer, live music and a chance to tour yachts in Santa Barbara and meet their owners. For more information and tickets check out SBSSA.org
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