There are many ways you can support Oakcliff. The easiest is to make a donation but check out the revamped page on our new website for other ways, including donating your boat or
'planting an acorn'.Speaking of Acorns made good, Jeff MacFarlane offers the reflection below:
As I look back over the time that I spent at Oakcliff. I am astonished by the amount of knowledge that I gained and the opportunities that were given to me.
It all started in February when I arrived at Oakcliff with a strong desire to advance my knowledge in racing as well as in acquiring sponsorships. Dawn and I hit the ground running, she began teaching me the many different facets of how to put together a sponsorship proposal. Working on these projects through the cold winter, my desire to race single-handed was re-heated. We began discussing if any of the Oakcliff boats would be good candidates for shorthanded sailing and the Ker 11.3 was chosen.
The first race that I did with Mike Nicoletti was the Block Island Race. We finished fourth and learned a tremendous amount and identified modifications the boat needed for shorthanded racing. Thus began the quest for the perfect autopilot and more importantly a way to attach the pilot to the boat and integrate it with the electronic systems. We chose a B & G pilot and I built a custom carbon fiber quadrant for the hydraulic ram to attach to.
With the boat optimized, the Marblehead to Halifax race was the next event. The weather cooperated and provided us with steady reaching and running conditions all the way to Halifax. We finished first place in the double-handed division.
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| FAST sailing in the Halifax |
From Nova Scotia I flew straight to San Francisco to race with David Haliwill on Oakcliff's J-120 Peregrine, quickly changing gears from skippering a double-handed team to being a bowman on a fully crewed team. Over the summer I raced three regattas on Peregrine. Our finishes were first, first, and third!
I raced the Ker 11.3 with either Claudia or Nico in a total of seven double-handed races, logging just under 3,000 nautical miles. We achieved a race record of 4th, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 1st. I am very pleased with the knowledge and opportunities that Oakcliff has given and bringing my dream of racing single-handed around the world closer to a reality.
For the winter I very excited to be running America's most celebrated short handed sailor, Brad Van Liew's Open 60 "Le Pingouin". We'll be racing the Caribbean circuit including the Caribbean 600, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, and the St. Thomas Rolex Regatta.
And we at Oakcliff are very proud of Jeff and expect GREAT things from him in the future. This is what your dollars go to support. Plant an Acorn and see them grow! - editor :-)
Finally for all of you readers spread across the country. I will be on the road a fair amount over the next two months spreading the word about Oakcliff. Beginning December 28th, I'll be at the 
