John Neal and Leon Schulz on Regina Laska in the Azores.
August 16, 2026 · 5 min · 88 views · Azores
What this video covers
John Neal — 430,000 miles sailed, 38 years of offshore instruction, and nearly 2,000 students taken across oceans — joins Leon Schulz aboard Regina Laska for a day sail between São Jorge and Terceira in the Azores.0:07 The passage runs at 6.2–6.4 knots on a broad reach under main and genoa in calm seas, with Terceira, Pico, São Jorge, and Graciosa visible simultaneously.1:46 Neal recounts starting in 1974 on an Albin Vega bound for Hawaii, then sailing an Hallberg-Rassy 42 (Frers version) before spending 22 years and the bulk of his teaching career aboard an Hallberg-Rassy 46 — hull number seven earlier than Schulz's own boat.1:07 A Hallberg-Rassy 31 passes during the conversation, which Neal identifies as a sister ship to a boat he sailed for 11 years and 44,000 miles.0:54 Now retired from professional sailing instruction, Neal lives on Terceira at Praia da Vitória, where he first stopped 20–25 years ago on student passages.3:21 His advice to young people: prioritize adventure over early career routine.4:24
Boats in this video
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