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| December 6 - Bahia Santa Maria Dick Markie, Harbormaster at Marina Paradise just north of Puerto Vallarta, holds up $420 U.S. dollars that had just been given to him by the Grand Poobah of the Baja Ha-Ha. The money was contributed by members of the '00 Ha-Ha fleet for a 90-minute sail aboard the catamaran 'Profligate' during a layday at Bahia Santa Maria. Markie will be taking the money to Norm Goldie, long time friend of cruisers in San Blas, Mexico. Goldie will use the money to buy life-support supplies - such as food and blankets - for the very poor children who live in the mountains behind San Blas. Just three days before, Marina Paradise had played host to a chili cook-off to support the Kids in the Dump - kids who actually struggle to stay alive by living in the Puerto Vallarta dump. We'll have more details later, but over $2,000 was raised in one day. We're proud to announce that 60 copies of the December edition of Latitude went like hotcakes at $2 each, adding to the total. In other Baja Ha-Ha charitable news, the Ha-Ha just sent a $500 U.S. check to the Club Cruceros de La Paz's Subasta program. Each year the program raises about $10,000 to support a breakfast program for poor kids in La Paz, as well as to purchase school supplies, uniforms and medical items for children, and to buy Christmas gifts for the orphans. The Ha-Ha donation represents the proceeds of selling aerial photographs of the boats at the start of the Ha-Ha. The photographs have been taken for the last several years by Tom Lyons, a vet of several Ha-Ha's. Because of the considerable expenses involved in taking and processing the photographs, it's not the most efficient method of fund-raising, but every little bit helps. We're also told that Mary Shroyer of Marina de La Paz has established four scholarships for poor children with high academic averages. The Club Cruceros has also contributed to the program. |
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December 6 - Atlantic Photos courtesy ARC Rally |
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December 6 - The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace
Who is out making passages in the Pacific and what kind of weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS - 'yacht reports' - at http://www.bitwrangler.com/yotreps/
December 6 - Auckland, New Zealand
A five-man international panel validated the Swiss Challenge for
the 2003 America's Cup. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron said
it had sought an interpretation of the Deed of Gift, which suggests
that no yacht club could enter unless it held an annual race on
an arm of the sea. The Societe Nautique de Geneve, for which the
Swiss entry would sail, is based on Lake Geneva, a long way from
the sea.
While the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron claims they wanted
to make sure they could accept the Swiss entry, a lot of observers
- 'Lectronic included - thought their months of delay was a wussy,
vengeful and completely un-Kiwi like way of getting back at Russell
Coutts and Brad Butterworth. Coutts and Butterworth were mainstays
of the victorious Kiwi America's Cup team in 2000, but have jumped
ship to more lucrative offers from the Swiss Team. When all is
said and done, the Royal New Zealand's Yacht Squardron's delaying
tactics have won them nothing - but a diminished reputation whom
so many had worked so hard to achieve.
December 6 - Auckland, New Zealand
Northern Californian John Kostecki and the illbruck Challenge
Volvo Ocean Race team from Germany arrived in Auckland, New Zealand,
after an exhilarating 3,270-mile training run from Fremantle,
Australia. "Sailing 12 days in 30 knots, that's when you
get a really good test," said Kostecki. They had a top speed
of 30.6 knots and a peak 24-hour run of 414 miles. Kostecki knows
Auckland, of course, having been Paul Cayard's right hand man
during the last America's Cup. Kostecki will return with the German
America's Cup effort in 2002.
Another top Northern California ocean racer who arrived in the
antipodespther on a Volvo 60 was Mark Rudiger, skipper of 'Assa
Abloy'. Thanks to light headwinds, Rudiger and crew had a relatively
slow sail from Hong Kong to Sydney. "This has been a very
successful sail as we have learned a lot about the boat, the sails,
systems, watches, nutrition and steering," said Rudiger.
He knows the Volvo 60s, having been the navigator for Paul Cayard's
victorious effort in the last one.
Kostecki, Rudiger and their 60s will be lining up with three more
top Volvo 60s in the Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race that starts
on December 26.
Vendée GlobeDecember 6 - Atlantic Ocean |
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December 6 - Pacific Oceans
The Atlantic/Caribbean region hurricane season is almost over.
To see what the winds are like on the Bay and just outside the Gate right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/.
Looking for current as well as recent wind and sea readings from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena and the Mexican border? Here's the place - which has further links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml.
You can view the University of Hawaii Department of Meteorology satellite picture by clicking here.
Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.
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