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California crew profile: Shana Bagley

19 June 2009

Shana Bagley, a 39-year-old deputy attorney general from Walnut Creek, is one of seven Californians chosen to represent their state in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.

Shana recently flew over from the States to join 300 other Clipper crew at the allocation event on 30 May in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. It is the much-anticipated day when crew discover which of the ten yachts competing in the race they have been allocated to. And, when her name was read out by California’s professional skipper, Pete Rollason, she was delighted.

“I’m really excited to have been chosen!” Shana exclaimed. “I think I felt initially that any boat would be a good boat. However, when it came down to the announcement I didn’t realise how much I wanted to be on California until it came to the moment when Pete started to read out the names.

“It’s been fantastic to be able to come to Portsmouth to meet my fellow Clipper crew members. Everyone has been fantastic and many have travelled from all over the world to be here. We are all different but we’re all here for a common goal and I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know my team mates.”

A Californian, Shana grew up in Marin County, attended college in Davis and law school in Santa Clara. She then spent ten years in Modesto before moving to Walnut Creek.

Sailing is certainly in Shana’s blood; her great grandfather sailed to San Francisco from Italy more than 100 years ago. “My great grandfather Capitano Luigi Baglietto sailed 143 days from Genoa to San Francisco on a barque in February 1887,” explains Shana. “He jumped his own ship, started a bar in downtown San Francisco and married an Irish girl. My grandfather Nino Baglietto then changed our family name to Bagley in the 1940’s.”

With her nautical heritage Shana was attracted to the Clipper Race and the opportunity of taking on the world’s oceans in a sailboat. “I love sailing, racing and pushing my limits,” she says, “Life is too short not to give these things a go and if my great grandfather can round Cape Horn in a barque then I’m sure I can compete in an ocean yacht race.”

Although Shana regularly races an Olsen 911 in San Francisco Bay she relished the opportunity of coming to the UK to undertake her Clipper Training. Having successfully completed the first two parts in April this year, Shana will return to the UK in July to train with her skipper and team mates for the first time

 “The Clipper Race is a unique opportunity,” says Shana. “The training alone is worth the trip and it truly is the chance of a lifetime.”