Last weekend Captain Bruce and I headed out of the valley gloom to Oakland’s Jack London Square for the Strictly Sail Pacific Expo. Purveyors of all things nautical filled the waterway, outdoor pavillions and indoor showrooms. At the start of the show was the launch of the seventh leg of the Clipper Race Round the World which circumnavigates the globe in eight legs over a span of eleven months. The real attraction to this race is that all 10 clippers are crewed by regular folks from all walks of life, under the direction of an experienced skipper. Truly an experience few will ever get to experience.
The venue for the show is perfectly situated because of the access to the water. Sailing yachts are parked in slips along the waterway to be boarded and admired with a few lucky buyers sailing one home. Another perk of the location is the proximity to many local restaurants. Our favorite is right on the water and temptingly displays fresh seafood just inside the hammered copper doors.
Perusing stalls of sailing paraphernalia worked up our appetites and sent us to Scott’s by noon. There we feasted on jumbo prawns stuffed with goat cheese, spinach and pine nuts, before being wrapped in prosciutto and grilled and served atop a bed of baby greens. Succulent and meaty with a creamy interior they hit the spot. A healthy shaving of fresh Parmesan shards and ground pepper rounded out the flavors.
Before heading out to board the luxury vessels, I decided on a bread pudding with caramelized bananas and ice cream to share with the Captain. Caloricly fortified, and numbed by the sugarload, we were able to wander the yachts without being tempted to sail one home. After all, our 25 foot sailing vessel just needs a galley, stateroom and head to become an official yacht-away-from-home. Perhaps we can purchase a few upgrades over in the vendor building before going home.
