Jennifer McKenna and Anna Alderkamp

San Francisco Bay

Please introduce yourselves:

We are Jennifer McKenna and Anna Alderkamp, and we have been co-fleet captains for the Santana 22 fleet in San Francisco Bay for the past 4 years. Jennifer is the outgoing fleet captain.

Santana 22 co fleet captains Jennifer McKenna (Left) and  Anna Alderkamp (right) take first and second in the  Berkeley Yacht Club Wheeler Regatta.

How did you get into sailing?

Anna: I got into sailing through my parents, who took me out in their 22' sailboat from the age of 3 months old on the Dutch lakes and canals. I then sailed Lasers through high school and taught at sailing camps through college. I got into racing on the bay through the crew list on the Santana22.com website and crewed with the fleet champion for two years before purchasing "Byte Size," a 2001 Santana 22. 

Santana 22 #801 - Byte Size

Jennifer: About 10 years ago, I was commuting from San Francisco to Marin over the Golden Gate Bridge and looking at the Bay twice a day thinking, "I should be out there."  I found an affordable, volunteer run sailing school in Sausalito called Sailing Education Adventures and signed up for an Intro to Sailing class and got hooked.  After the Intermediate class the following year, I bought my 1971 Santana 22 for a couple thousand dollars and the rest is history.

How did you become fleet captain? What was your path to leadership?

Anna was asked to become fleet captain by the prior fleet captain and figured it would be much more fun to do it together with Jennifer, who liked the idea as well.

Santana 22 Nationals 2014 as seen from "Shanman"

So far, what was your fleet's most enjoyable success? What do your sailors most enjoy about your fleet?

We have a competitive and friendly one-design fleet where skippers help each other out a lot. Our most enjoyable success lately was the 2014 Nationals at Richmond Yacht Club, last year, with 20 boats participating. Also, every year we organize the "Tuna Tune Up" to give every one some starting practice prior to the racing season. 

How does your fleet handle leadership succession?

Traditionally, the fleet captain that steps down has looked for someone to replace him/her, which was sometimes the fleet champion. When Jennifer has decided to step down after this year our current fleet champion Garth Copenhaver agreed to become a new co-fleet captain.

Anna Sailing in SF Bay

Do you have any additional insights on successful fleets?

We think the success of our fleet is to keep a one-design series going throughout the summer and winter with tight and fun racing, a friendly atmosphere with a combination of novice and very experienced skippers, and low costs that enable you to race on the San Francisco Bay. We have about a third female skippers in the fleet, and this fraction has been steady over the years. The fleet organizes social events, and Jennifer keeps the website and Facebook page up to date to keep everyone informed. As fleet captains we send out fleet emails and personal emails to fleet members to check in.