Puddle Jump Seminar - Whale of a Close Encounter - Surviving a Sinking During the 2009 Ha-Ha

This is the opening session of the 2011 PPJ Seminar Series, which will be introduced by Dick Markie.

Eugenie Russell's 2009 Baja Ha-Ha experience was a memorable one, for all the wrong reasons.  Well off the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula, her boat was rammed by a whale, and quickly foundered.  Luckily, her boat and crew were well prepared for the scarce moments before the boat went down, so what came next was frantic activity, but not panic.  All crew members were saved.  Eugenie will share with us her encounter with the unthinkable, as well as what she learned about how do deal with emergencies at sea.

Eugenie was born and raised in France and started her sailing at a young age off the Brittany coast. She moved to the US, sailed throughout the Caribbean and the East Coast, raced in college, and then went off to sail the south pacific for two years. She moved to San Francisco to get her captain's license and instructor certificates.  For nine years she worked in the sailing industry: sailing schools, charter companies, inner-city youth programs, boat brokerage, and finally J-World, which brought her to Mexico. She now has been teaching sailing in Puerto Vallarta for five years.  Living in Sayulita, she spends most of her days on the water. She loves teaching sailing.  Her knowledge of the water and of cruising is addictive and she loves to share her experiences.