In This Issue:

Adaptive and Companion Sailors - Double the Fun

Dan Willan

Chuck Goodhue

San Diego Working Waterfront

Safe Harbor Sunroad

International Boat Show

Duck Derby

Training! Training! Training!

First Aid Scholarship

Take the Survey - Have Your SAY

July Calendar

Message from Our President

Read about big news from Challenged Sailors San Diego, providing FREE SAILING for those living with disabilities.

We, at Challenged Sailors, know a few things. We know that a person may come to us as an adaptive sailor, but adaptive sailors bring a myriad of skills that can help the organization. Some people keep their light under a bushel. Others are just very nonchalant about their other skills. Nevertheless, we will unveil your amazingness and find a way to put ALL of your skills to work for Challenged Sailors. The two gentlemen highlighted below do just that. They have or have had a physical challenge, but oh, do they have mad skills.

Dan Willan is someone many of you know as a companion sailor, crew lead, chase boat driver, and Community Outreach Director. He came to us after learning about CSSD while attending an Acquired Brain Injury class. He is also an adaptive sailor who has participated in regattas, always keeping pressure on the leaders.

Many of you, when you first joined us, teamed up with Dan to learn the ropes. He may have taught you the basics of sailing the Martin 16 or showed you how to sail with an adaptive sailor or trained you to safely helm the chase boat. Dan is now using his skills and talents in his role as Director of Community Outreach, leading our efforts to get more sailors on the water.

He is an inveterate volunteer, one of those unsung heroes who keeps our community strong. From the American Red Cross to emergency radio groups, he has a wide range of interests, all centered on supporting and serving others. You might find him responding to house fires with the Red Cross, aiding families on their worst day, or supporting other emergencies where his ham radio skills help keep hospitals and agencies connected when traditional communications fail.

Dan has had a lifelong fascination with the wind. He began sailing as a teenager and went on to found the San Diego Kite Club, which is now 36 years old and provides community access to kiting. His experience with both sailing and kite flying gives him what might be called a “wind whisperer” superpower. He can see and interpret the wind in ways most of us cannot, reading subtle changes in light and ripples on the water. He is also learning to be a tactician on a racing boat during Wednesday evening races.

Dan’s passion for Challenged Sailors San Diego is personal. Sailing with CSSD has supported him in many ways, giving him the opportunity not only to receive but also to give back.

Chuck came to us from the Comebackers Club an organization of stroke survivors. He had had a stroke that left him immobile and aphasic for a month and with residual issues when the speech and mobility resolved. Before the stroke, Chuck was the general supervisor of major construction projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But the stroke changed all that and he retired and needed to find a new activity to occupy his time. Between his family, his wife Linda, his daughter, his 6 grandkids and 3 great grandkids volunteering for us and the Comebackers Club, he has a whole new life and a whole new lease on life.

Chuck is no stranger to sailing and boating, so it was only natural that he would find a home in Challenged Sailors. His first boat was a 40 ft Block Island, and his second boat was a 27 ft Pearson. He spent many years sailing about San Diego Bay with a few trips up and down the coast. Ever the adventurer, he helped take an 85-foot motor sailor boat from San Diego through the Panama Canal and on to the Virgin Islands.

Although he is a very good sailor, he has made the chase boat his niche, because he still doesn't trust his balance enough to be a good companion sailor.

Ever humble about his volunteering, Chuck says he gets so much more from Challenged Sailors than he gives to the program. You would disagree with his assessment if you have lost one of your lines, your sails are flogging and here comes Chuck to your rescue. We are grateful for all he does.

San Diego Bay is beloved by everyone in San Diego. It is not just that the skyline is beautiful, but the Port of San Diego is key to the recreational and economic well-being for the City of San Diego and San Diego County. The Port Authority which, along with the Navy, acts as an orchestra conductor keeping all of the activities and businesses coordinated. What is not easily seen are the layers and layers of regulation and organization that support the businesses, the recreation, the Navy, and the environment, all working together almost seamlessly. One of the layers of organization is San Diego Working Waterfront.

Formed in 1989, the San Diego Working Waterfront* is a coalition of businesses and industries dedicated to enhancing trade, recreation, commerce, and tourism on San Diego Bay tidelands, while protecting the environment. These businesses operate on leases administered by the Port of San Diego.

Working Waterfront members represent manufacturing; ship building and repair; shipping and trade operating on two cargo terminals; marinas; commercial fishing and sport fishing; energy; the cruise industry operating from two terminals; yacht clubs, aerospace, and airport industries; the hospitality industry, including 18 major hotels and resorts, more than 100 restaurants, and retail merchants; as well as the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard.

We have recently joined this organization to better understand how we fit into this mix and to help local businesses better understand what we do and how Challenged Sailors supports their recreational mission and how they can support ours. It's a Win! Win!

There are many unsung heroes that help to keep Challenged Sailors humming along. Safe Harbor Sunroad Marina has been a major supporter from the very beginning. Most of our sailors and volunteers know that they make parking free for our participants and this is a huge blessing to everyone. But they do so much more. Safe Harbor gives us a discount on our slip fees, they had a new ramp constructed to make it safer for our sailors to get to the dock, they gave us a complimentary spot at the Boat Show, and they are working with us to install a fixed ladder in one of our slips. Their facility is world class in the design of its slips and amenities. We are so fortunate to be able to have Safe Harbor as our home base and we are grateful for all they do to support Adaptive Sailing.

Alright, listen up, folks. We’re about to tell you about the coolest event in the bay – the San Diego Duck Derby. This one-of-a-kind event brings together sailors from all over the galaxy… but mostly from San Diego.

Basically, the San Diego Duck Derby is a fun pursuit style sail race around the bay, where the slowpokes start first and the speed demons start later. It’s a game of duck, duck, goose but on the water! And don’t worry about your skill level – this race is open to anyone who wants to have some fun. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a newbie, you’re welcome to join us. We don’t discriminate here.

Oh, and did we mention the after-party? Yeah, we’re gonna have one of those, too. We’ll be hanging out, drinking, and having a good time. If you’re lucky, you might get a trophy, but it won’t be cool.

Challenged sailors is putting together a list of sailors who want to participate. If you would like to have a little fun on a Friday evening, contact Peter Phillips, our organizer. As we work on developing our racing program, this is a fun and not too stressful way to get the feel for racing. We are tentatively scheduled for July 24.

We work continuously to expand and improve our training materials, and to make sure that everyone “gets the word” as we improve processes. We improved the arrangement and descriptions of the materials on the website. Anyone can now go to ChallengedSailors.org/Training to see the materials, grouped by topic.

Just within the last month we have:

Added a search function on the Training page to help you find what you’re looking for among the 30+ documents (top of the page)

Published a map showing San Diego Bay Landmarks and Reporting Points for our Companions and Chase Boat Operators (in the General Info section)

Published a Spinnaker Training Curriculum and signoff sheets in support of our spinnaker training efforts (in the Martin 16 section)

Drafted a new course to train current operators of our 13-foot chase boat on how to step up to operate Salty, our newly-acquired 17-foot Boston Whaler (coming soon to the Chase Boat section)

Continued our ongoing series of operational notes, advising on topics from halyard locations to return-to-dock guidance. These are first sent as emails, then also gathered here for later reference (in the Operational Notes Section)

If you have any suggestions for new or improved training materials, or you’d like to make some short training videos, contact our Training Lead, Dale Burchby, at t raining@challengedsailors.org

The CSSD Scholarship Committee is excited to open applications for our brand-new First Aid Scholarship Program.

Safety and readiness are at the core of everything we do as volunteers. Whether you want to master essential life-saving techniques for the first time, or you simply need to refresh an expiring certification, this initiative is built to remove financial barriers. We want to give you the practical skills and confidence needed to handle medical emergencies effectively, ensuring our entire community stays safe and well-supported during our operations.

This scholarship is designed to cover the costs associated with approved CPR, AED, and first aid training courses. By equipping yourself with these vital skills, you are helping us build a more resilient, prepared team that can protect both our members and the public.

Take the next step in your volunteer journey and get certified. If you wish to participate, we ask that you use the classes from Breakwater Aquatics. They offer many times and days. Once you have completed the course, you will be reimbursed throught the program. Spots are limited.

Ready to jump in? Click the link below to review the eligibility guidelines and submit your application:

LINK HERE

The International Boat Show was a big hit. We had a pop-up with all of our materials but more importantly, our volunteers. They spoke with every kind of sailor, from big boat buyers to boat dreamers. We do a lot of good work and because the sailing community is fundamentally kind, we knew this would be a great opportunity to spread the word, find adaptive sailors and volunteers, and gain recognition from organizations and individuals who might be able to donate to our efforts. After all we still have 5 boats to rehab. Good work everyone! Thank you!

Our boats, the Martin 16, are specially adapted for our challenged sailors. Our boats are regular sailboats. They look like dinghies, but they behave like keelboats. They respond to wind etc. in a similar fashion to a 30 ft boat. Many of you have asked for more information about the nuances of sailing a Martin 16. In the future, we will have this section that is more detail and technical. After all, you might want to come in first in one of our regattas. Check here for more tips and tricks.

As hard as we try to make ourselves available to all of our volunteers and sailors, it is difficult to speak to everyone at every sail to gauge the success of the day. It is also hard to see patterns of where we are succeeding and where we are failing or what needs or opportunities exist. We ask that you take a few moments of your time and fill out this survey. It will allow us to fix issues, capitalize on strengths and gain a greater understanding of our volunteers, companion and adaptive sailors alike. Please take a moment to have your say. You will find the survey here.

Friday and Saturday Sailing 955 Harbor Island Dr Dock D, San Diego (Safe Harbor Sun Road Marina)

SAILING DAYS

If you have signed up with Challenged Sailors then you can reserve a sailing spot as an adaptive sailor, companion sailor or dock support.

Please email Sue T.

Friday July 3rd 11 to 3 PM

Saturday July 4th- Volunteer Holiday (No sailing)

Friday July 10th 11:30 to 3 PM

Saturday July 11th 11:30 to 3 PM

Friday July 17th 11:30 to 3 PM

Saturday July 18th 11:30 to 3 PM

Friday July 24th 11:30 to 3 PM

Saturday July 25th- Group Sail

Friday July 31st 11:30 to 3 PM

Saturday August 1st 11:30 to 3 PM

MORE FUN STUFF - Mark your calendars

Duck Derby July 24 (check with Peter for the details)

Sept 26 - Charity Bay Race - Sponsored by Point Loma Yacht Club.

Sept. 19 Coastal Cleanup Day on . Sponsored by I Love a Clean San Diego Register here on or after August 25

October 24 Halloween Regatta ,

December 12 Year End Regatta

Board Meeting July 13th 5 PM to 6:30 The meeting is remote. To get the login please contact Morgan.

Learn the rules of racing (Seminar) Rules of Racing Tuesday, June 16 6:30 – 9:00pm San Diego Yacht Club, 1011 Anchorage Ln, San Diego, CA 92106, in the Jessop Room

No Charge, Open to all, hosted by SDYC

Spinnaker Sunday --training on spinnakers (and any of the other skills we teach) -- is ad hoc. If you are interested in participating please contact our Training Lead Dale.

As we celebrate Independence Day, we are reminded that freedom is not only a founding ideal—it is something that should be experienced by everyone. At Challenged Sailors San Diego, our founders believed deeply in expanding access to the water and the sense of independence that sailing provides.

Every time a sailor takes the helm, trims a sail, or feels the boat respond beneath them, that belief comes to life. Independence is not just a word—it is a moment, a feeling, and a shared mission.

This July, we honor both our nation’s founding and the visionaries who built this organization. Their commitment continues to guide us as we create opportunities for freedom, confidence, and joy on the water.

Thank you for being part of our mission.

Our powerhouse Board keeps our sails full and our mission on course! Their strategic vision, financial expertise, and community connections ensure Challenged Sailors San Diego delivers smooth sailing and nonstop adventure all year long.

Each year Challenged Sailors replaces four of the eight members of our Board of Directors, who will each serve a two-year term. And at the end of next year, we replace the other four for two years. This maintains continuity and institutional knowledge.

The most significant leadership update is the appointment of Steve Bridge, MD, as President of Challenged Sailors San Diego. Steve is a familiar face on the docks and on the water, and has recently been serving as Vice President. Peter Phillips will continue serving on the board as Vice President in the interim.

The current board of directors is:

President - Steve Bridge, MD

Vice President (Interim) - Peter Phillips

Treasurer/Director of Development - Chet Howe

Secretary - Morgan Wright

Marketing and Communications - Ryan Sullivan

Community Outreach - Daniel Willan

At-Large - Micah Shanks

At-Large - Sam Graber

We are looking for people to step up as:

Vice President

Director of Volunteers

What skills and talents do you have that can help us continue to be the best that we can be? If you're interested in being considered for, or want to learn more about, a position just email Steve Bridge, or call at 619-665-5716.

Steve Bridge, MD President

For those living with disabilities: MS, CP, TBI, quadri or paraplegia, Down syndrome, hearing impaired, blind...we are YOUR program that sails EVERY WEEKEND to get you 100% FREE on the water with special adaptive boats. Safe and fun. No experience necessary.

You on a sailboat is just a click away. If you've been gone from our docks for a while then there’s never a better time to come back.

Honor the mission with a contribution that enables us to continue delivering the creation of bonds through shared experiences of generosity and compassion.

This is San Diego and #WeSailEveryWeekend. Our program exists through the generosity of people in our community. Please consider making a donation to help us continuously achieve our mission. Every weekend.