img9649Oakland, CA - A trip to Pacific Sail Expo (PSE), the largest sailboat show on the West Coast, is a rite of spring for thousands of sailors west of the Mississippi. Held April 14-18 at Oakland's Jack London Square, this annual event is a five-day festival that showcases the latest in boats and gear from over 300 exhibitors, seminars with world-known experts, and special events where showgoers can socialize with their sailing peers. The tradition of the show is to include something for everyone; but this year, show organizers have added attractions to strengthen that appeal even further.

The show's seminar program has been expanded beyond the classroom with onboard sessions on a variety of sailboats. PSE 2004 has drawn the attentions of U.S. and European boat builders who plan to debut just-launched designs: approximately 13% of the PSE fleet are new to West Coast sailors. A special section for classic boats has been added to showcase vessels of traditional design. And opportunities to go sailing include on-water events geared for all levels--from those taking their first sail to veteran racers.

"This show is an annual event that pulls sailors from such a vast geographical region, so we work hard to include attractions that make Pacific Sail Expo a festival that truly includes something for everyone," said Scot West, Executive Director of show producer Sail America. "From experienced racers to beginners, from those drawn by the romance of traditional boats to those who want to see cutting-edge designs, from those who want to sail for a day or cruise for a year, we've fine-tuned our attractions so this year's show truly feeds the interests of all sailors."

Showgoers will get a first-hand look at the inner workings of a variety of boats in a series of onboard seminars. Daily sessions will be held on the Wylie 65, the largest boat making its debut at PSE 2004. Created by the California Wylie Design Group for West Marine founder Randy Repass and his family, the boat features an innovative unstayed rig and systems that have been chosen for performance cruising. Stepping onboard the Schumacher 46 Surprise, which has been equipped to race from San Francisco to Hawaii in the 2,500-mile West Marine Pacific Cup, and Alaska Eagle, a past Whitbread Round-the-World Race winner and sail-training vessel for Orange Coast College, will serve as an important lesson in how to prepare boats for offshore passagemaking. Onboard sessions will also be held on Tall Ships Hawaiian Chieftain and the 80-foot Alma.

The just-launched Wylie 65 will not be the only new boat making its first appearance at PSE 2004. Approximately 13% of the fleet are boats making their debut to West Coast sailors, including: Beneteau 323 and Beneteau 373, Elan 37, Island Packet 370, J/133, Jeanneau Sun Fast 35 and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49, Nauticat 515, Sabre 386, and the Wauquiez 40.

PSE seminars draw notable experts who come to Oakland to share their wisdom, their stories, and their passion for sailing. Seminar leaders this year include world cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey and John and Amanda Swan Neal. Both couples have made bluewater adventuring their life's work--as voyagers, and as authors and speakers who educate others about the cruising lifestyle. Tom Leweck, creator and principal editor of the electronic newsletter Scuttlebutt, will take a close look at how Internet technology and its instant mode of communication has wrought big changes in the sport of sailboat racing. World-class competitor and journalist Gary Jobson will take showgoers inside the world of grand-prix racing.

Seminars on navigation, onboard systems, cruising destinations, and how-to sessions round out the seminar schedule. A new series of seminars on the cruising grounds of Mexico will be held on Friday, April 16. Show attendees will learn about Baja and destinations along Mexico's Pacific Coast from veteran cruisers who have lived and cruised in this area of the world.

A special section for classic boats will showcase a variety of traditional vessels, from a 28-footer whose lines were drawn by the legendary Nathanael Herreshoff to the 103-foot Tall Ship Hawaiian Chieftain. Also included in the display is the National Historic Landmark Alma, an 1891-built Bay Area scow schooner that will take showgoers back to the maritime past of San Francisco Bay. Additional vessels in this section include Grace Quan, at 42-feet, a just-launched replica of a traditional junk; and Runa IV, a vessel built from Norwegian pine and oak in 1918.

Sailing opportunities will be available for newcomers, racers, and those who want to step back in time and travel on a Tall Ship. A special Discover Racing section will give more people an easy entrée into the Bay-area racing scene. Etchells races will be held on Saturday and Sunday; showgoers can jump onboard as crew in a series of round-the-buoys races run off the show docks. In land exhibits, local racing organizations--including the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay, the San Francisco Bay Etchells class, and Treasure Island Sailing Center--will be on hand to answer questions. Races will be run on the weekend days, but the land display will be open all five days of the show.

Newcomers can head to the Discover Sailing dock for an introduction to sailing with an expert skipper on a fleet of monohulls and multihulls from Corsair Marine, Hunter Marine, and Johannsen Boats Works. The Tall Ship Hawaiian Chieftain will also run a daily sail-training excursion from the show. All seminars and sailing excursions with Discover Sailing and Discover Racing are free with the price of admission. Sails onboard Hawaiian Chieftain will carry an additional fee of $20 per person and can be booked in advance at www.hawaiianchieftain.com.

Pacific Sail Expo is co-produced by Sail America and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and sponsored by Allstate Insurance, boats.com, BoatTraderOnline, and West Marine.

Show hours from April 14-18 are: Wednesday, 12 noon to 7 PM; Thursday to Saturday, 10 AM to 7 PM; Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Tickets at the gate are $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends; tickets can be purchased in advance at a 20% discount. To purchase tickets and for more information on PSE 2004, visit www.sailamerica.com or call 1-800-817-SAIL (7245).