The 2018 Pacific Cup Biennium starts with the first Pacific Offshore Academy (POA) at the Pacific Sail & Power Show in Pt. Richmond, CA. on Saturday April 8th from 11am to 4pm. The POA is designed for skippers and crews of boats registered for the 2018 Pacific Cup and those seriously considering signing up.
2016 Pacific Cup Overall Winner Mark English says “Our preparation for the 2016 Pacific Cup started immediately after the finish of the 2014 Pacific Cup. Our race to Hawaii was really a race to get thoroughly prepared in the years and months leading up to the start, so that by the time the starting gun sounded we were focused on the race itself, not whether our instruments worked, whether we liked the food we had brought, or even whether the boat would perform in heavy conditions. The POA was invaluable for Mas! by providing easy access to subject matter and contacts that we relied on heavily in our preparation.”
English continued “This year we are starting the POA series in the Spring to give racer participants the maximum running start for Pac Cup 2018. We are fortunate this year to kick off the POA series as part of the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show, held at the Pac Cup’s West Coast home port of Richmond, CA. The first POA will be held on the Saturday of the Boat Show, meaning POA participants will have access to both the POA program, as well as the show’s exhibitors. The Saturday program also includes a happy hour party hosted by the Pacific Cup Yacht Club and its sponsors, so plan for a full and fun day. Space at the first POA is limited to 100 entries and we expect a sell out, so sign up early.”
The Pacific Offshore Academy is a program designed by the Pacific Cup Yacht Club to help each race participant get the most out of its race to Hawaii. For skippers and crew crossing the Pacific Ocean for the first time, the POA series is designed to establish a strong foundation for preparation– from goal setting, work plan development, safety regulations, to crew selection - early in the race cycle, and to build on that foundation in later programs with technical help on everything from weather forecasting, navigation, preparing your rudder, keel, mast, sails and communication systems to organizing your medical kits and emergency gear. For more experienced racers, the POA series is a great way to brush up on the latest developments in boat, sail and systems innovations, and tap the collective knowledge of the series speakers on how to get the most out of your Pac Cup campaign.
The format of the POA series is a mixture of presentations by leading industry experts and past Pac Cup veterans, as well as breakout sessions where participants can sit down with those speakers in smaller groups. Each POA also features ‘Boats in the Water’, -- past and future ocean racers, in sizes ranging from 24’ to 60’, to give participants a chance to see the systems and equipment on board well prepared boats.
Sign Ups are available now on the show website - https://pacificboatshow.com/seminars/pacific-ocean-academy-pacific-cup-seminar/