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 t's hard to even remember what was happening ten years ago, much less 25. So, let's set the stage for the birth of
48° North back in 1981.
In the Northwest, the previous year's devastating eruption of Mt. Saint Helens had prompted a run on volcanic ash souvenirs. The United States had just begun the Reagan era. The computer revolution was still to come. Personal computers were limited to those few nerds and wizards who understood the mysteries of silicone chips and BASIC programming. And no one, except a few dreamers, had a glimpse of another revolution - one of freedom that would rip the fabric of Eastern Europe. The Berlin Wall still stood as the symbol of communist oppression. Coincidentally, 48° North shares the same birth date, August 1, 1981, with another social phenomenon, MTV. So, just like there are generations that have never known a world without MTV, there's sailors who have never known a world without 48° North. Whereas MTV has been a catalyst for music that, too often, looks better than it sounds, 48° North, much like sailors themselves, has always concentrated more on substance than on style. Today there's a lot more color in the mag but the look has changed little over the years. It's still printed on newsprint, preferring the flash and dazzle to be in the contents. Early interviews with solo circumnavigator John Guzzwell and Olympian Carl Buchan; a talk with journalist, TV anchorman and long-time sailor Walter Cronkite, set the tone for quality conversations with some of sailing's luminaries in and out of the northwest. Yacht designer Laurie Davidson, World Match Racing Champion and America's Cup skipper Peter Gilmour, circumnavigators Karen Thorndyke, Lin and Larry Pardey, designer Paul Bieker and racing stars like Jonathan and Charlie McKee often appear along with the local stories and happenings. This month Gary Jobson, TV spokesman for the Olympics, America's Cup and the voice of sailing, has written a piece specifically for this issue on the past 25 years of sailing from a world perspective. In the past years, we have experienced the continual crowding of our favorite anchorages, watched Dennis Conner becoming the first American in over 100 years to lose the America's Cup, and then watched him on ESPN win it back from the Aussies. And we watched as the New Zealanders again took it away and now a team from Switzerland, that famous sailing country, now holds the cup. We have paid more and more taxes for the privilege of recreating on the water, and followed the introduction of Mylar, Kevlar and carbon fiber as integral materials in nearly everything from sails and spars to hulls and log books. Through the years and all the hanges, 48° North has been there, ringing sailors the best and the most up-to-date information available. Never have sailors wanted to sail further, faster and in more comfort than they do today. The magazine has helped us understand the changes, and constantly kept the focus that, as editor Rich Hazelton says, that “sailing is fun.” For those of us who matured into sailing with 48° North, it seems like the magazine has always filled that role. In the ‘80s we read and clipped articles, carefully filing Jeff Renner's marine weather pieces beside Rick Proctor's “The Missing Electron” under “I” for Important Information. We clipped recipes from the Gimbaled Gourmet by Kathy Farron in the ‘90s and currently share adventures and recipes with Amanda Swan Neal. Diana Jessie has shared her vast knowledge of the cruisers life in her column, Realistic Cruising, and Tom Averna has told us what to look for in new boats, old boats, and how to find and fix a boat's ailments. And Ed von Wolffersdoff has tried to keep us out of the protest room with his Racing Rules column since 1985. Many of us have bought and sold our boats through its classifieds. We have laughed at the misadventures of Roger and Jim, and prayed for someone, anyone, to douse Skippurr, the soap opera feline from “X Dock.” We've enjoyed John Vigor's humorous articles and his vital Vigor's Interdenominational Denaming Ceremony for those who need to rename their boat, which appears again in this issue. Most of us have laughed at the Nautical Inquirer, being able to recognize fact from fiction. Vicariously, we have sailed to many of the finest cruising grounds in the world, and still had the opportunity to explore the best anchorages in our own backyard. Jo Bailey and Carl Nyberg have given us detailed descriptions of favorite anchorages, sprinkled with a little history as well. Speaking of history, we have been honored to publish many articles by Hewitt R. Jackson, eminent nautical historian and reknown maritime artist. But mostly its been the stories from the readers; sailors from the Northwest and Canada who have shared their experiences, whether it's to the San Juan or the Galapagos Islands, Hood Canal or the canals of Europe, that have given 48° North its voice – sailors talking to sailors. Throughout the years, 48° North has helped many sailors cross important thresholds, but maybe the most important threshold is that it has always given us the freedom to dream. According to Editor Hazelton, “Sailing is about freedom.” It's also about balance, romance and adventure. We invest a lot of ourselves in our boats so it's not surprising we feel affection for them. A sailboat is a freedom machine that carries us away from the hubbub of shore. For some who have the courage to sever the dock lines, a boat becomes a “magic carpet” to carry us to distant shores. It gives us time to relax and travel at the amazingly slow pace of five or maybe 10 knots. It provides the rush of adrenaline as we race the buoys. It brings us together with family and friends and puts us in the midst of the natural environment where the most important things in life become miraculously clear. ...continue to 48° North Silver Anniversary ~ Page Two ...back to 48° North title page | |
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One of the founders, Charles "Chuck" Streatch worked as publisher/ad salesman of 48° North from day one until his passing this past June. He not only made sure that we never missed a deadline but we had fun doing it.