2012 09 06

Page 1

Michelle Obama Page 8

“Don’t Call It Frisco” Page 4

Olly Murs Page 17

www.sfbaytimes.com

/SanFranciscoBayTimes

September 6-19, 2012 | www.sfbaytimes.com

/SFBayTimes

Hello, Sailor!

PHOTO CO URTE SY O F GRAH AM SHORT

LGBTQ Sailors Out on the Bay

Sailors Graham Short (center) and Bob Beth (right) with their “Aussie captain” friend (left); Bay Times special section on sailing begins page 9

Sailing San Francisco Bay PHOTO CO URTES Y O F KATHAR INE HOL L AND

By Maureen McEvoy The America’s Cup is now underway in San Francisco, with the first World Series races recently held in August and continuing October 2-7 during Fleet Week. But the biggest races are still to come, when the Louis Vuitton Cup, Challenger Series and Finals hit the Bay in 2013. Along with these races will come many opportunities for local firms looking to do business with the Cup and its partners. “Business opportunities are coming to San Francisco with the America’s Cup, and local firms are ready to benefit,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk. “This is an exciting time for the America’s Cup and for Bay Area businesses.”

and hosting and entertaining spectators will be needed to support the world-class sporting events and the thousands of visitors who will come to watch them.

The America’s Cup is one of the largest sporting competitions in the world, so city and Cup officials expect the series of sailing regattas will create thousands of jobs and generate millions in economic activity across the region. Products and services for developing event facilities, housing and supporting racing teams,

According to the workforce plan now in place for the America’s Cup, local businesses will receive priority in the bidding process for many Cup-related projects. The America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) will award at least 30 percent of certain race-related contracts to small local businesses and put local residents (continued on page 4)

PHOTO CO URTES Y O F KATHAR INE HOL L AND

Business Sails Into San Francisco

By Katharine Holland An Oprah Magazine article once asked me to list the things that made me feel privileged. Sailing was in the top 2-3 for me. To enjoy life, the author encouraged me to do these things as often as I could. At the height of my sailing on the Bay, I was racing three times a week. A prominent skipper took me under his wing 19 years ago when I mentioned I wanted to race. I had just come out and lost my 27-foot sailboat in the divorce from my husband. I

was awful, and was a real beginner as one of six crew on deck racing his Olsen 30. Each of the other crew had more than 10 years of racing on the Bay. I asked myself all the time, “Why does he keep me?” He had me there for one reason. He wanted to set an example to the other teams to put women on their boats. He wanted women on the water. My blonde ponytail flew out of the back of my cap like a windsock, causing other skippers to talk of my captain’s “secret weapon.” It was rare at that time to see a ponytail on the Saturday onedesign races. Thank you, Jack, for giving me a seat on your rail. I learned how to pull in the jib sail in the heavy winds, using my feet to brace me and amplify my efforts. I lifted weights, so I could hoist a heavy spinnaker pole on a moving deck. I bought gloves for my blistered hands. When I had to pee, I used a bucket down below that I had tied a rope to. That’s right. No bathrooms on racing boats. The weight of a bathroom would slow the boat down. When done, I lowered the bucket into the water, quickly rinsed it in the water and then hoisted it back in. The (continued on page 10)


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