There’s nothing quite so awe-inspiring as watching classic wooden boats slice through the windswept waters of the San Francisco Bay.  

Hello Vince Casalaina,

This month I’m taking you behind the scenes of the making of the forthcoming documentary, Wind in Their Sails: Death and Resurrection. 

Our documentary film will tell the story of a few beautiful and historic sailing boats and those who care for them. It’s time that you met our cast of characters—the three stars of the documentary.

Meet The Boats

Brigadoon - The Cherished Heirloom

Certain lucky boats are well taken care of by the owners. These owners see themselves as not just caretakers but stewards who pass their boat on to the next generation. Brigadoon is an example of the unwavering spirit of caretaking.

Photo: Brigadoon under full sail, by Jon Riise

Pursuit - The Fading Fleet

Some unfortunate boats fall into neglect for various reasons. We see boats disappear from the Bay every year for this reason. Whether for financial constraints, time limitations, or waning interest, some owners just can’t take care of the boat. Pursuit, however, was saved from being broken up, when she found  a home and caretaker far away in France.

Pursuit, photo by Peter Lyons

Pursuit, photo by Vince Casalaina

Freda - The Phoenix

There are a lucky few boats that die and come back to life. Freda, built in 1885, has died twice and been brought back to life twice. The first time she was rescued by Harold Sommer. The second time she was rescued by the Master Mariners Benevolent Association with the work done at the Spaulding Yard and overseen by Bob Darr from the Arques School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

Photo: Freda, by Martha Blanchfield

Behind The Scenes: What We're Filming

We’ve filmed 5 events and done over 40 interviews over the past 18 months! 

Filming at the Master Mariners Race

I was on Brigadoon for the Master Mariners race. Brigadoon turned 100 this year and has been in the Klaus family for roughly half its life. The first time I encountered Brigadoon was in 1985 when Terry Klaus was driving. Today Brigadoon is still racing and his daughter Lindsay is driving. It’s a family commitment to keep that boat sailing.

Photo: Master Mariners Race

Check out the video from the Master Mariners race on our Facebook page for the documentary. 

Filming the Wooden Boat Show at the Corinthian Yacht Club

Every year at the Corinthian Yacht Club’s Wooden Boat Show in June, the harbor is full of boats with freshly painted brightwork—and caretakers who are more than happy to tell you about their boat. It’s fitting the CYC should be the home for this event. You can see their clubhouse in the background in the photo below. It was built in 1912 for a mere $25,000.

Photo: Corinthian Yacht Club

Interviews at Svenden’s Bay Marine

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. I was at Bay Marine doing an interview with General Manager Sam Elliot about Pursuit, the classic wooden sailboat that had been on the hard for almost five years. The interview just happened to be on the day the yard was breaking up Vadura and I took out my trusty iPhone to capture the end of her life.

Photo: Valdura, by Tim Sell

Coming soon to our Facebook page: A video about the life and death of Vadura!  (She had a storied past until she fell into disrepair.)

Fall and Winter Filming

Over the fall and winter, I’ll be finishing up additional videos on the 2024 Rolex Big Boat Series where I was on board both Mayan and Hurrica. I’ll also have some footage from the 2023 Rolex Big Boat Series when I was on Ocean Queen V.

That story is told directly by the owners, sailors, and boat restorers who have dedicated their lives to preserving these beautiful boats with deep roots on the Bay. These people are passionate about their work and it shows in the way they talk about the boats and the care they take in maintaining them.

Photo: Alma, courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service

Goodbye, Vadura

Sometimes boats die. Other times, boats die when their owners die.

Without the care these boats need, they fall into disrepair quickly. Every year we see a few disappear from the Bay. In the past year, we lost Vadura, an anchor out in Richardson Bay that had a storied past sailing the South Pacific and later in Southern California.  Below is a picture of Vadura at her mooring.

Photo: Vadura, by Tim Sell

Vadura ran onto hard times when her owner died. This spring, as part of clearing anchor outs in Richardson Bay, Vadura was towed to Bay Marine and broken up. 

About The Documentary

Wind in Their Sails: Death and Resurrection provides a fascinating look at the Classic Wooden Sailboats that have become such an important part of San Francisco's history and culture. The documentary is helmed by Emmy award winning producer Vincent Casalaina and hosted by legendary yachtsman and America’s Cup winner Gary Jobson. 

Support the Documentary

If you are looking for some fun, consider donating some time to help make this project happen. No prior experience is required but a “can do” attitude is. My email address is below. Drop me a line and we can see how you can best help out.

to learn about this film on Facebook.

Help this film complete its voyage

with a tax-deductible donation.