Eight Bells - George "the Jockey" Luna

[solosailor]

George Luna of Berkeley has passed. George was an SSS regular for many year in the 90s and 2000s with his Chrysler 22 sailboat "Nightmare" and then on to the pocket cruiser "Tizna", a Morgan 24. He once won the concours d'elegance at the Plastic Classic, along with his division as well as 2nd overall for the regatta. On the Chrysler he had the distinguished honor of receiving the Singlehanded Farallones "Rubber Duck" award for the last boat to finish several times. George kept making guest appearances at the occasional SSS race once he no longer had a boat. I was fortunate enough to cross oceans and run up and down the coast with him. We did several Hawaii crossings, SoCal, Mexico, Panama Canal and the Caribbean. We logged 13-15k miles together. George was a former professional Jockey, equestrian trainer and ran his tack shop in Berkeley until the end making race saddles and making his rounds at Golden Gate Fields. George was an active Rotarian and spent a great deal of time volunteering and traveling for organizations like Doctors without Borders..... traveling to Central/South America, helping bring their much needed services to so many or raising money and building schools in lesser served regions of Mexico. Life with George wasn't like a box of chocolates.... it was more of a Ceviche Omelet while passing Point Conception.