The Strictly Sail Pacific show this week at Jack London Square in Oakland will display the America’s Cup  which organizers hope will bolster  attendance.  


The Cup will be on display on opening day, April 15, at the sail show from noon until 6pm.  If your taxes are giving you headache, maybe seeing the Cup will ease the pain.  The BMW Oracle Racing team will be on hand from 6-7 pm for a free presentation that is open to the public and will feature video highlights of the race and a Q&A session.  I’m sure it will be standing room only so get there early. 



Photo by Dean Purcell/Getty Images


Strictly Sail Pacific was been completely restructured for 2010.  A major portion of the exhibitors will now be housed inside a 30,000 square foot hall in the building that used to hold Barnes & Noble and a few other retailers.  Given that this show has suffered in the past from weather issues including flooding inside the tents, that’s good news.  Better parking is also an added benefit and take it from someone who’s gotten her share of parking tickets up there, that’s great news. 


Additionally, Strictly Sail is rumored to have a dedicated area for catamarans and an area for affordable, small, trailerable and one-design class boats.  There will also be a section for brokerage boats which is a very smart idea since used boats are about the only thing showing signs of movement in this economy so why not bring the used boats to the (hopefully) buying public. 


If it’s education you’re after, you’ll have almost 100 seminars to choose from.  Most are about an hour long and are free but there are a couple longer seminars on weather and cruising that require registration and payment. 


Finally, we at Latitudes & Attitudes will be throwing our usual party on Saturday night.  Free pizza and beer – you can’t beat that.   See you in Oakland. 


 

Written by: Zuzana Prochazka
Zuzana Prochazka is a writer and photographer who freelances for a dozen boating magazines and websites. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana has cruised, chartered and skippered flotillas in many parts of the world and serves as a presenter on charter destinations and topics. She is the Chair of the New Product Awards committee, judging innovative boats and gear at NMMA and NMEA shows, and currently serves as immediate past president of Boating Writers International. She contributes to Boats.com and YachtWorld.com, and also blogs regularly on her boat review site, TalkoftheDock.com.