SIGHTINGS voyaging to a climate summit
continued on outside column of next sightings page Page 66 •
Latitude 38
• September, 2018
ers with more than 800 races each year. Therefore, it's important that yacht clubs work with the YRA and with each other to minimize conflicts. Some clubs have worked at thinning their race schedules, removing races that have fallen out of favor and are no longer well attended. All clubs could benefit from analyzing their races to see if any thinning can be done. Try to think more broadly about the race season and discuss not only the club's needs but the needs of racers, especially members who race consistently." Active racers compete in regattas put on by their own clubs, other clubs and organizations like BAMA, SSS and the YRA. Don points out that "Running too
Scenes from the departure of the 'Hikianalia', which left from Honolulu on August 18 on her way to San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit.
KAIMANA PINE / POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY
The Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), which will take place in San Francisco September 13-14, is a celebration of climate action, and a launchpad for deeper worldwide commitments to protecting the environment. The two-day Summit has an impressive list of powerful, influential and inspirational attendees, but no one is traveling as far, or with as low-carbon a footprint, as the crew of Hikianalia. The Hawaiian voyaging canoe and floating classroom Hikianalia set sail on August 18 from Sand Island, Honolulu, bound for San Francisco and the GCAS. Her departure marked the official launch of the Aluhula Kai O Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage, which is a continuation of the "Malama Honua" campaign — started by the Hikianalia's sister canoe, the famed Hokulea that was launched in 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) — which is meant to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world. Though Hikianalia's departure was delayed three weeks due to weather (she managed to avoid Hurricane Lane before it swept past the islands), the canoe is expected to arrive in the Bay on September 16 to a welcome ceremony at Aquatic Park. Hikianalia and her 13 crew members will make the 2,800-mile passage in approximately 30 days. While any ocean voyage is an undertaking most people in the world will never make, even fewer will do so without a GPS or modern navigational instruments (most of us can't get to Starbucks without modern navigational instruments). But that's part of what makes Hikianalia and the PVS endeavors so special. Using the sun and the stars, they can get pretty precisely from Point A to Point B. Or in this case, Honolulu to latitude 38. The Hikianalia and her crew aren't just bringing a message of caring for the oceans and Island Earth — they are the message. Powered by wind and sun, taking water samples and tagging garbage as they sail, Hikianalia represents the type of integrative, collaborative and powerful thinking we hope that leaders at the GCAS see as integral to finding solutions and adaptations to climate change. In addition to Hikianalia's arrival at the Summit, Polynesian Voyaging Society president and navigator Nainoa Thompson has been invited by California Gov. Jerry Brown to speak on one of the Summit's five main "challenge areas:" Land and Ocean Stewardship (other areas include Healthy Energy Systems, Inclusive Economic Growth, Sustainable Communities and Transformative Climate Investments). Thompson is known for being the first Hawaiian to practice long-distance wayfinding since the 14th century; he learned the ancient art from Mau Piailug, a Micronesian navigator from the island of Satawal. Thompson has spent the last 40 years teaching not only the ways of Polynesian navigation, but also the principles of respect for the ocean and the Earth. The overall goal of the Aluhula Kai O Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage is to connect, learn and share the Malama Honua message with schools and communities in California. The PVS hopes that this voyage will help to develop the next generation of voyaging captains, navigators and crewmembers; as well as to share the story of Hikianalia, a canoe that blends ancient wisdom and modern solutions to address the environmental and cultural issues of today. After San Francisco, Hikianalia's California Voyage will continue south along the coast to San Diego, before returning to Hawaii in December. (Updates can be found on at www.pvs-hawaii.com.) On their website, the PVS writes: "We dedicate this sail to all of the vibrant California-based communities of Hawaii islanders who have represented the heart and soul of Hawaii for over 150 years. We also celebrate the many island-continent relationships that reflect a shared vision for a sustainable Island Earth, a thriving future for our children, and a global consciousness towards human kindness. This sail in the fall of 2018 is critical as we develop younger generation leadership and prepare for an unprecedented trans-Pacific voyage
2019 calendar