Ocean breezes. Sea salt air. The love of sailing has taken Auburn’s Dwight Odom over thousands of nautical miles in open seas.

In 1960, Odom, a retired obstetrician, learned the basics of sailing from his wife Mary. He’s been viewing landfall from a different perspective ever since, charting sailboats in Tahiti, Greece, Croatia, West Indies and the Mediterranean.

His latest endeavor last summer was the 2008 Singled Handed Trans Pacific Race, a solo journey that would take him and 22 other competitors over 2,000 miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Hawaii. The midway point of just over 1,000 miles marks the longest passage away from any semblance of land.

Odom also competed in the race in 1994 when celestial navigating was the main way of negotiating the race route. He won his division in the 2000 version of the same race. Although he did not covet this year’s trophy, he did encounter trials that would have earned him the perseverance award had there been one.

Electrical problems on his boat forced him back to bay twice, putting him five days back of his fellow rivals. Odom’s daughter, Melissa Blide, waited on the boat’s home dock in Sausalito both times and assured her seafaring father that she was certain they could fix the problem. Lady luck and Mother Nature showed favoritism to Odom by granting favorable winds. With sails and knots up, he soon passed fellow racers who had a five-day head start.

Odom sails in a Saga 43-foot boat named NA NA, a Tahitian name, which translates to “Bye, Bye.” The division Odom races in is for bigger boats. Odom doesn’t shy away from admitting he wants to beat the other racers to the finish line.

“My goal is to keep sailing as fast as I can, and not get off course. There’s constant motion, holding on, bracing, changing sails, staying in tune with the boat,” he said.

In the approximate 14-day journey of the Trans Pacific race, catching up on sleep isn’t on Odom’s “Things To Do” list. It’s not uncommon for sailors to get only short naps of 20 to 30 minutes. Even one hour of sleep at a time is a lot, and as a physician, Odom has counseled members of the Singled Handed Sailing Society of the dangers of sleep deprivation.

Sailing conditions can often be miserable and sometimes downright dangerous.

Odom ran into two storms on his recent return trip home from Hawaii. It was after dark when hurricanes from Mexico crossed paths with Odom. For 48 hours, he would ride out mighty winds and waves that would test his tenacity. Later, along the coast of California, he would again be hit by a gale he would spar with that would pack a punch of 30-knot winds and 20-foot waves that eventually blew him 135 miles off course.

“It’s you and the elements out there, a true adventure,” Odom said. “Like a hike in Alaska — when are the bears coming out? The experience is so intense.”

Yet for every storm, there are contemplative times of monk-like solitude. In the two weeks that Odom spent on his last voyage, he did manage to get one book read. His wife, Mary, makes and freezes home-cooked food.

“You’re on your own, it’s isolating and can be depressing. In quiet times, alone,” Odom says. “ I think about how lucky I am to have had my profession and my family. You stimulate yourself to keep going.”

Self-described pit crew, chase crew and encourager, daughter Melissa is impressed by her dad’s accomplishments.

“I don’t necessarily get it,” she said, in reference to his desire to race solo across the ocean for 14 days. “I know he enjoys sailing and loves the challenge.”

Odom sees the similarity between his career as a physician and the aspects of sailing.

“It’s the same experience of dealing with all the things that come your way,” he said. “The challenges you don’t get anywhere else. The thrill of the challenge and dealing with emergencies where there is a good outcome.”

Near the end of the Trans Pacific race sits a lighthouse in the distance that reassures Odom landfall is near and a third successful race is almost complete. This year family members waited for him on shore, wearing “Three’s a charm” T-shirts, the sight of him as welcoming to them as the lighthouse is to the weary sailor.

The Odom family had no doubt that their captain would make it back whole.

“I have every confidence in him,” said his wife. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Give the man a Mai Tai.

Carol French is a freelance writer who lives in Auburn.