Sailing Science Center News

January 2025

Vol. 8, No. 5

Welcome to the January issue of the Sailing Science Center News! The theme this month is Consistency! Showing up consistently can be hard, which is why it can really set us apart. For our thoughts on the master behavior for being consistent, check out this month's leadership blog, Kungfu China Master!

Also in this issue, a spotlight on one of the SSC's most consistent volunteers, Fun with Numbers, and an event notice from one of the SSC's most consistent supporters!

Do you like what the Sailing Science Center is doing? We depend on support from people like you to keep it going. If you haven't donated yet, please consider doing so. If you have donated, Thank You, we appreciate your support and hope you will continue partnering with us to make the vision of a larger, permanent museum a reality.

It isn't hard to be good in sports from time to time. What's hard is being good all the time.

— Willie Mays, Major League Baseball Player

How do tire pressure sensors, the Cleveland Indians, and a teacher named Mrs. Zook connect to the Sailing Science Center? The answer is through Michael Malaga, one of the SSC’s most consistent volunteers. His father, who had studied chemistry in college and had tried out as a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, had a sales job with a chemical company. Michael followed in his father’s footsteps through his interest in a childhood chemistry set and his AP chemistry class with Mrs. Zook. Michael was also inspired by his high school physics teacher, saying, “I wanted to understand it all!”

I wanted to understand it all!

Sports were another area where Michael followed his father. He played football and basketball for his high school, and pitched for their baseball team. He also played college football for Cornell, where he did his undergraduate work. He says he got better grades during football season because it helped him to stay focused, adding that throughout his working career he could always tell the people who had played team sports.

Michael studied engineering physics at Cornell, concentrating on semiconductor physics and structural dynamics. In his senior year he wrote to the author of a paper on silicon as a structural material. This led to an interview at Novasensor, a startup with just 4 employees. Rather than take the job, Michael headed to the University of Cincinnati for his master’s degree, joining Novasensor two years later, now with 50 employees.

My mom always knew that I would be an engineer.

At Novasensor, Michael helped to develop the first commercial silicon accelerometers, devices that are now in your automotive airbag systems and your cell phone. He sought to eventually start his own company and after a stint at a telecom provider, where he spearheaded the first DSL internet service in the U.S., he started Northpoint Communications, which he took public in 1999. One of his later companies, LV Sensors, made low energy tire pressure measurement systems to improve highway safety. Another, Ionetix, makes radioactive tracers for medical imaging, and is still growing.

Above: Michael's boat, Vento, ready to race!

Michael had experienced boating on his grandfather’s powerboat, and enjoyed canoeing and swimming in his youth. He had sailed while at Cornell and hoped to continue sailing in California, making that a reality in the 1990s by taking courses and joining local race crews. He bought a Swan 391 named Vento in 2010. Michael’s two daughters, who learned to sail Optis in summer camp, regularly spend time with Michael and his wife on the boat. His wife writes young adult books, with her current project telling the story of the first female circumnavigator.

The Sailing Science Center appeared on Michael’s horizon through the Out the Gate Podcast. He reached out in late 2021 and has been a consistent volunteer ever since. Later this month, Michael will be sharing his boat with the Sailing Science Center’s Exhibit team to kick off the team’s 2025 strategic planning session. The Sailing Science Center is privileged to have volunteers like Michael on the team and looks forward to spending time with him on his boat.

Michael's girls, asleep in Vento's cockpit

Have you thought about volunteering?

The SSC is always on the lookout for good crew!

Click below to sign up.

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

— Woody Allen, Actor and Comedian

Never miss twice...

Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.

— James Clear, Atomic Habits

Limited Pre-Sale Specials thru January 7^th

Young and old sailors race El Toro dinghies at the Vallejo Yacht Club. Whether you are racing an El Toro or a big, expensive race boat, the same principles apply. Success depends on consistency in everything from sail trim to the weight distribution on the boat.

Photo by Martha Blanchfield / Renegade Sailing

ON THE HORIZON

The SSC has a quiet public calendar for January. We will be holding special planning and sailing events for our leadership and volunteers. Look into volunteering if you want to learn more.

Check our online calendar for the latest information on all SSC events.

MOVE THE NEEDLE

KUNGFU CHINA MASTER!

There is a popular YouTube channel called Kungfu China Master. The channel posts short videos, a minute or less in length. The content is almost entirely clips of a young woman performing bo staff routines on what appears to be her family farm. Her recent videos have exceeded 40 million views! Read more...