Welcome aboard to Brandon Mercer. Brandon is an active member of the Richmond Yacht Club and a leader in Fleet 17. He has been helping us get the word out about Sailstice for a few years now, and we excited to have him on board officially as an Ambassador!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I cruised off Catalina on my uncle's boat as a kid, and sailed everything from Sabots to Solings at the Boy Scout Sea Base in Newport Beach. When I moved back to the Bay Area in 2014, I got invited out on a J24, and I never looked back. Just before the pandemic, I bought one of the boats I was sailing on, and I've been doing restoration on it and racing on it while also crewing with other J24s in Fleet 17, and getting my 12-year-old and 17-year-old out racing with me.
What is your favorite color?
Blue of course! And orange.
Preferred type of sailing:
Racing
Boat Make:
J24
Boat Length:
24
Boat Name:
Tenacious Cuttlefish
Homeport:
Richmond Yacht Club
Favorite Point of Sail:
Reaching, with a spinnaker
How long have you been sailing?
Actively, 6 years, but I learned 40 years ago.
What do you love about sailing?
Teamwork, physics, the chess game of racing, with tides, wind, angles, and the racing rules of sailing.
How long have you been participating in Summer Sailstice?
Off and on for about 4 years
What are your Summer Sailstice plans for 2021?
Family sail or trying to organize a fleet "beercan" style informal race
Are you a part of any sailing clubs, fleets or organizations?
Fleet 17 and Richmond Yacht Club
Why do you want to be a Summer Sailstice Ambassador?
I support the program and am already a leader in Fleet 17
How do you plan to promote Summer Sailstice?
Facebook, our fleet Slack group, and through RYC
Who is your sailing hero?
My uncle Frank Gumbinger. He taught me to sail, has done solo ocean journeys, with and without a cat, and inspired a love of the water and the feel of trimming the sails.
What is your bucket list sailing trip?
Transpac
Favorite Sailing Movie?
Honestly, I think Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker had an incredible "sailing" scene that probably got a lot of people thinking about sailing who hadn't before. Also, you can't discount What About Bob for its pivotal sailing scenes.
Brandon keeps busy off the water over at SF Gate. You can catch up with him on social media on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
