For Tim Han, winner of the pair of free VIP Box Seat Tickets to the Steve Miller Band at the America’s Cup Pavilion, the news was both good and bad. A real fan of both the Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers, Tim was excited to win. But, turns out, he’d have to miss one of his other favorite things – Friday night racing out of Berkeley Yacht Club.
We asked Tim to send us some of his sailing background which is how we got this picture of him at the top of a mast in the middle of the Pacific and his story below!
"My first sailing experience on a Sunfish in Hilton Head Island, SC. The day ended with a pod of dolphins surrounding me as I was sailing back to the marina. They were swimming so close to me that I could touch them as they surfaced right next to the boat; needless to say I was hooked for life."
"Flash forward 33 years and now I'm sailing on the opposite coast, and doing it for a living. I'm a Club Manager at OCSC Sailing, and there I get to introduce new people all the time to the joy and excitement that I felt on that fateful summer day in Hilton Head; sailing for the first time."
"I still experience sailing firsts myself, such as in 2008 when I was asked to do the Pacific Cup on "Velos", a Tanton 73. As bowman one of my jobs was to go up the mast each day to swap spinnaker halyards and inspect the rig; it was the favorite moment of each and everyday of the race. This is me at the top of the mast somewhere in the middle of the Pacific."
"As you can guess my idea of recreational sailing is racing, and I currently crew on the J/105 "Sophia." I've been racing in the J/105 fleet for 9 years now and it's been a blast."
"I'll experience another sailing first this year when I race the first boat I've ever owned, a Laser. Yes, I'll be back on a 13 foot dinghy again and I can't wait to find some dolphins in this bay!"
The tickets were offered by the America's Cup Event Authority in support of SailSFBay.org, a San Francisco Bay sailing organization dedicated to growing participation in sailing through community outreach and is the official 'Community Supporter of the 34th America's Cup. Along with running the pinnacle of racing America’s Cup, the America’s Cup Event Authority has had a number of initiatives to both support participation in sailing and create healthy oceans. The recently donated tickets to the Steve Miller Band and Doobie Brothers playing at the America’s Cup Pavilion on the solstice, Friday, June 21st is continued welcome support for sailing!
The spectacular America's Cup Pavilion on the San Francisco waterfront.
Tickets were offered up to participants signed up at the San Francisco Sailstice celebration at the Encinal Yacht Club winner picked by random drawing. And we’re happy that both a enthusiastic sailor and Steve Miller Band fan won the tickets! It should be a spectacular evening at the America’s Cup Pavilion on the San Francisco waterfront and a great start to the Summer Sailstice weekend for Tim.
A pair of tickets were also auctioned off to support the Encinal Sailing Foundation’s youth sailing programs adding more opportunity for more youth sailors. Encinal Sailing Foundation is just one of numerous Bay Area sailing organizations that collaborate with SailSFBay to bring more sailing access to Bay Area residents. A portion of each ticket to the Steve Miller Band will also be contributed to SailSFBay allowing the organization to continue growing Bay Area sailing outreach.
In addition to the Steve Miller Band tickets the America’s Cup Healthy Oceans Project is organizing a beach clean up in Alameda as part of Summer Sailstice. If you’d like to be part of both the Sailstice celebration and beach clean up make sure you come to Alameda and Encinal Yacht Club Saturday, June 22!
Please RSVP to the beach clean up here.
SailSFBay.org helps keep youth sailing in the picture along with the America's Cup!
