Dean Hasl & Crew Win Sailboat Race

To Dean Rudy Hasl’s many accolades, you can add one more: winning sailboat captain!

Dean Hasl and his 40-foot sailboat “Hasl Free” won the prestigious Port Captain’s Race Around Bishop’s Rock over the weekend of August 26.

“It was an exhilarating race in the open ocean,” said Dean Hasl of the all-night race through heavy seas. Among his five crew members were Professor Jeff Slattery and TJSL alumnus Harry Powell ‘97.

The race began at Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The course went from Catalina west to Santa Barbara Island, then south to Bishop’s Rock – a submerged rock about 100 miles due west of San Diego – then back to San Diego where Dean Hasl and his crew of five crossed the finish line at 2:46 p.m. on Saturday the 27th. They covered about 220 miles in nearly 26 hours, averaging a speed of 8 1/2 knots.

To complete the grueling race, crew members worked in two hours on/two hours off shifts to try to rest up and re-charge their batteries.

“Three of the five boats in the race finished within minutes of each other in corrected time,” said Dean Hasl. “We edged our closest competitor by a little over 5 minutes to eke out a win!”

What does it take to win a sailboat race like this?

“It takes concentration and focus to get the maximum speed out of the boat,” said Dean Hasl. “The same kind of concentration and focus it takes to succeed in law school and the bar exam.”

In addition to the thrill of the race, Dean Hasl and the crew were treated to three whale sightings and dolphins frolicking in the front of the boat.

“It was a lot of fun,” he added. “It’s good to be back, safe and sound. But we were tired.”

Congratulations to Dean Hasl and to the intrepid crew of the “Hasl Free!”