Pacific Seacraft : Sailing Symposium

Wade Dale is co-owner of Ocean Marketing, a 30 year old manufacturers rep group with a broad client base which includes all levels of the marine industry ranging from major retailers such as West Marine and Boaters World to manufacturers such as Hatteras and Viking. Representing a wide range of products, their line of safety products is very strong including such companies as Switlik, ACR, Mustang and the Mobi-Lert man overboard system. Wade is the VP of Original Equipment Manufacturer sales for his company.

Frank Smith, owner of Sea Power, is the "go-to" expert for marine engine and mechanical repairs. He is a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran with 30 years of on-water experience. Frank holds a 100 Ton Master U.S.C.G. license with unlimited radar and towing endorsement. In addition to his engine and mechanical work he also does private and commercial vessel delivery.

Jeff Burton has worked in the healthcare arena for over 25 years. After working as an EMT-Paramedic in N.C. for a short time he was accepted into nursing school where he obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nursing with a specialty in Nurse anesthesia. He currently works for his successful business, VMAX Anesthesia Associates, P.A., as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Jeff has certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Emergency First Responder and PADI Rescue Diver.

Prior to discovering sailing, Jeff’s passions were mountaineering and rock and ice climbing. He is keenly aware of the commitment involved in leaving basecamp or the marina, knowing that professional medical assistance may not always be close at hand. He has even had to sew his own chin back together after being hit by a piece of ice while descending from the summit of Mount Huntington, in Alaska’s Denali National Park.

Jerry Latell is the owner of Ullman Sails Virginia and Latell Sailmakers. His loft services and builds a wide range of sails from day-sailors to large square riggers for customers throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. Although they build sails for a wide range of boats their primary business revolves around coastal and bluewater cruising sails for boats in the 30’ – 45’ range. In addition to working with cruising customers the loft builds sails for one-design and handicap racers.

Latell Sailmakers is the loft’s traditional sailmaking division and in the last year they have built or repaired sails on boats such as the USCGC Eagle, the ketch Ring Andersen, and the square riggers Godspeed and Susan Constant (replicas of early 17th century ships). Jerry has sailed and owned a wide range of cruising and racing boats and currently owns a 36’ cruising boat. He resides in Irvington, Virginia with his wife and three year old son.

George Day is the Publisher and Editor of Blue Water Sailing magazine, which he founded with his wife Rosa in 1996. Prior to starting the magazine, the Days spent five years sailing, with their two sons, westabout around the world via Panama and Suez aboard their Mason 43 Clover. During the voyage, they sailed some 30,000 miles and visited 30 countries. Day was Editorial Director of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines from 1983 to 1990 and employed as editor of Cruising World prior to that. He is the author of the books Out There (with Herb McCormick), Safety At Sea and The Well-Managed Sailboat. The Days are members of the Ocean Cruising Club, Seven Seas Cruising Association and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.

Bill Biewenga is one of America's most accomplished offshore sailors. He has accumulated approximately 320,000 sea miles including 26 transatlantic crossings, several TransPacs, numerous record attempts, deliveries and races, as well as participation in four round the world races. He has worked as skipper, navigator, weather analyst/router, watch captain, helmsman, deck hand, and project manager collecting a vast amount of knowledge and experience. He now uses his extensive background in his work as a photojournalist and weather routing consultant while continuing his participation aboard a variety of vessels in the world's major offshore events.

In his work as a photojournalist, Bill has published over 210 magazine articles and numerous photographs in more than 20 magazines worldwide since September 1989. He is the author of Weather for Sailors, published in 2004 by North U. Also ashore, he works as a routing consultant for boats in the Atlantic as well as the Pacific. Vessels include both multi-hulls and monohulls doing speed record attempts, races, deliveries and cruises. Currently he's the Marine Consultant for Commander's Weather, Inc., a weather consulting business for a variety of sports, events, and record attempts where he works in conjunction with Ken Campbell and George Caras, two of the country's most highly regarded meteorologists in marine forecasting.

Syd Millman, Harken's Manager of Industrial and Sailmaker Products, has worked at the company for nearly two decades. He is a successful businessman in his own right, having owned and managed his own sailmaking loft. He spent years as a delivery and charter captain logging thousands of miles in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and East Coast, and has competed in everything from one-designs to offshore yachts.

Mike Williams is a retired UK paediatrician. He started sailing in 12ft racing dinghies on the Thames Estuary at the age of 13 years. He met his wife Angie when he was a medical student in London and they bought and raced a dinghy together. The dinghies became bigger and faster over the years but they took a break from 1975-1977 when Mike worked at Boston Children’s Hospital in Mass. In the early 1980s with four small children they started sailing cruisers. The first was a Moody 33S and later a Moody 376 when the children needed more space. They have sailed extensively in Northern Europe including France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

In 1999 Angie and Mike decided to retire early and cruise long distance. They researched suitable boats to commission from new and settled on the Pacific Seacraft 40 which arrived in 2000. Having retired, they sailed from the East Coast of the UK to the Caribbean in 2005 and then to the USA in 2006. Since then they have joined the annual migration from the East Coast of the USA to the Bahamas and back.

“Lady of Lorien” will sail back to the UK in May 2011 via Florida, Bermuda and the Azores. She is 10 years old now and has logged over 23,000 miles.