Ragtime Sailing

07/11/2025

Five hours in the air or nine days at sea—either way, Ragtime shows up.

With the boat back in California, our crew flew to Honolulu to welcome the Transpac fleet. We didn’t cross the line this year, but she still made her mark.

Naturally, we checked in and headed to the hotel bar.

Three sentences into telling the bartender about our experience, he nodded toward a guy at the end of the bar.
“I think that guy’s a sailor.”

He was.

I asked if he’d ever heard of Ragtime.

Without missing a beat: “Of course. I sailed on her. With John Jourdane, Mike Elias, and Pat Farrah—Lahaina inter-island races.”

His name is Les Vasconcellos. He sailed aboard Ragtime from 1987 to 1991.

I went upstairs, grabbed a shirt, and handed it to him.

She didn’t make it to Hawaii, but Ragtime still arrived. And somehow, she always finds her crew.

That’s the kind of legacy you don’t measure in finish lines.

—Tina

07/09/2025

Sometimes, the hardest call is the right one.

Transpac 2025 didn’t go as planned for Ragtime, but the crew did exactly what they needed to do.

An illness on board meant turning back early, and while that’s never an easy call, it was the right one. Keith Kilpatrick (captain) and Ernie Richau (navigator) handled a tough medical situation flawlessly. Our teammate is safely ashore and on the mend.

To the entire crew—thank you. Your preparation, teamwork, and care for one another showed the best of what offshore sailing is about.

Ragtime is back in her slip, resting for now, and ready for what comes next. I’ll be in Hawaii later this week to welcome the fleet and celebrate what represents: resilience, seamanship, and bonds forged at sea.

I’m always happy to talk more about Ragtime’s journey & the incredible team behind her. Please reach out if you’re covering this year’s race.

—Tina

07/09/2025

Sometimes, the hardest call is the right one.

Transpac 2025 didn’t go as planned for Ragtime, but the crew did exactly what they needed to do.

An illness on board meant turning back early, and while that’s never an easy call, it was the right one. Keith Kilpatrick (captain) and Ernie Richau (navigator) handled a tough medical situation flawlessly. Our teammate is safely ashore and on the mend.

To the entire crew—thank you. Your preparation, teamwork, and care for one another showed the best of what offshore sailing is about.

Ragtime is back in her slip, resting for now, and ready for what comes next. I’ll be in Hawaii later this week to welcome the fleet and celebrate what represents: resilience, seamanship, and bonds forged at sea.

I’m always happy to talk more about Ragtime’s journey & the incredible team behind her. Please reach out if you’re covering this year’s race.

—Tina

07/08/2025

Ragtime’s story is carried by those who believe in her. Chris Welsh saw her potential and gave her new life. Tina Roberts, now her steward, carries that legacy forward.

07/06/2025

Day One, Transpac 2025
July 5 — Just off Catalina

That charge in the air the moment you point Ragtime west and say, “Let’s go.”

The breeze is warm and low clouds hang to the north—typical for this stretch. We’ll be on this tack for a while. Settling in.

07/01/2025

Diamond Head on the horizon, the finish line near. This was in the 1980s—a time when Ragtime had already carved her name into the race’s legacy.
Still fast. Still feared. Still flying.

06/27/2025

Ragtime's been resting on the hard since ’09, but she’s back on the Transpac line for her 16th go. That makes her second only to Grand Illusion in total appearances, but she still holds the LONGEST active racing tenure in the event’s 119-year history.

Sixty-two years after her birth in Auckland, she’s still pushing hard—all heart, just like when she threaded the gap on Windward Passage in ’73.

Dive into Tina’s full Captain’s Log and join us as we ready Ragtime for Transpac 2025.

When you point Ragtime west, she’s ready to go. Doesn’t matter how long she’s been on the hard—this boat was built to race, and she’s done waiting around. In July, Ragtime will line up for her 16th Transpac. That makes her second only to Grand Illusion in total appearances, but she still h...

06/26/2025

From an aesthetic standpoint, Ragtime is one of the most striking sailboats ever floated. Modern sailboat designs come and go—we’ve all seen plumb bows, reverse transoms, windowless doghouses, and colorful graphics.

By contrast, Ragtime is unique: long, low, with an all-black hull, hard chines, varnished wood doghouse, stainless window frames, minimal freeboard, and a delicate taper aft. We rarely dock without her turning heads.

John Drayton. Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Photo by Steve Jost Photography

06/24/2025

She was lean. She was light. And in the 1960s, that meant she was different. But this crew knew exactly what they were sailing. They weren’t chasing tradition. They were chasing wind—and changing history along the way.

06/24/2025

When you point her west, she’s ready to fly.

Couldn't be more proud and honored to be a part of Ragtime's journey with Transpac

The story of Ragtime has many captivating chapters already, and this summer's Transpac Race is set to add another for this glorious 65-foot sled.

06/20/2025

Right before we lowered her back into the water—after years on the hard—we paused to take it in.

We’ve modernized Ragtime with cutting-edge sailing tech while carefully preserving every detail contributing to her ultralight design. It's this commitment to balance that keeps her legendary spirit alive.

Photo by Steve Jost Photography