Copyright © 2013 Tor Johnson

Hangin' Loose with Tor & Kyoko

His photography has graced many of the sailing world's most popular magazines. We sat down for a quick Q&A with Tor Johnson to learn a little about his passion for sailing. Here's your chance to learn a little more about the sailor behind the photographer.

What model Beneteau do you own?
I own a Beneteau 473.

For how long have you owned your boat?
I've owned my Beneteau since 2005.

What's the name of your boat?
Kāheʻa, it means "red streak" in Hawaiian as in the red streaks in the sky at dawn.

If you purchased your Beneteau from a dealer, which one?
Westerly Yachts in Vancouver, Canada. First Yachts commissioned the boat. They were amazing. We sailed away from their yard, and never came back. Anyone who has commissioned a new boat will know that it's usually necessary to return to the yard to take care of all of the glitches, minor and major. We had none! My family has owned many yachts over the years, and our Beneteau has been the most trouble-free boat we have ever sailed. I'm not just saying that...I really mean it.

Where do you sail primarily?
Well, that's hard to answer. We sailed our boat Kāheʻa up through Canada, and out the Alaskan Peninsula to the Shumigan Islands before crossing to home base in Hawaii. Now she is in Fiji.

Where's your favorite stop on the water?
We have spent several seasons in Fiji because of the amazing reef systems, but mostly because of the incredible people and their culture.

Do you participate in any racing?
Only with myself. I like to have the boat trimmed well, and can be a bit obsessive about it.

Any future plans for a new Beneteau?
I love the new models, but we are quite pleased with Kāheʻa.

Tell us about yourself - family, hobbies, career.
My parents took me and my older brother and sister, twins, cruising when I was six and they were nine. We sailed down the US West Coast, through the Panama Canal, and to Florida. My father is a real estate developer, whose project-based work allowed us to travel. We spent years sailing to Southeast Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific a handful of times each. At about ten years old, I ended up with an old camera donated by a beloved crew member, and began taking photos of the people and places we visited. Now my wife Kyoko and I live in Hawaii and run a photography business specializing in sailing and ocean lifestyle imagery. Our Beneteau 473 Kāheʻa has been on the cover of most of the major sailing magazines, usually with the lovely Kyoko handling the boat. We also work with Hawaii's tourism bureau and resorts. I invite you to visit my website www.tjhawaii.com.

The Gran Turismo 49 - a new perspective.

BoatTEST.com sent Elisabeth Soltes to review the Gran Turismo 49 at the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show this past February. Find out what she thinks of our girl.

The South Coast Yachts team.

South Coast Yachts shares the "motion of the ocean"

South Coast Yachts is located in San Diego, California and is a Certified Platinum Beneteau dealer with an impeccable reputation in the industry. As president and co-owner of South Coast Yachts, Barret Canfield explains, "Our primary objective at South Coast is to see that everyone who comes in contact with our team is served beyond their expectations."

Barrett Canfield has been sailing since he was five years old and loves to share his enthusiasm about the “motion of the ocean” and the way of the wind. He grew up on Long Island Sound, managed a charter company in the Caribbean, and lived and sailed in New England, where he started his 17-year career with Beneteau. He has deep passion for sailboats and all other things that float.

To learn more about South Coast, their team and what their clients have to say, visit www.scyachts.com

Mother Nature’s Angry Side

This year's Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week will be remembered for its epic sailing conditions courtesy of Mother Nature. It was a weekend of high winds and heavy seas. One might have considered it a victory to have even finished.

The ever increasing winds on Friday led to a Saturday that the crew of the Tutto Bene will not soon forget. The Beneteau First 35 was able to handle the seas without a problem, but the adverse conditions favored the bigger boats in the field. On Sunday, high winds turned into gale force squalls and the remaining races had to be cancelled.

When it was all over, Tutto Bene didn’t do as well as her crew and sponsors had hoped. Look for them to be back in a future edition of the Charleston Race Week a little stronger and a little wiser from the lessons Mother Nature provided in 2013.