It's Friday the 13th. Watch Out!
We've already had numerous technology problems today, and it's still morning.

Photo of the Day

April 13 - San Antonio, TX

The fellow in the accompanying photo is Grant Todd, who we've been reporting was severely burned when his Hans Christian 48 Koonawarra exploded in the middle of the night while sailing with buddyboats about 30 miles off the coast of El Salvador. The latest report is that Todd is still unconscious, but seems to be improving at a burn center in San Antonio, Texas. Keep those prayers and good thoughts headed his way. The photo was taken by Mike Miller on his boat in Cabo shortly after the end of last year's Ha-Ha.


Photo Mike Miller


America's Cup News

April 13 - Various A-Cup Camps
Yesterday Craig McCaw's OneWorld Syndicate out of Seattle issued a request for help with funding from private and commerical interests. When the syndicate was first announced, they said it would be funded entirely by MaCaw, and any additional money from other sources would go to protect the ocean environment. McCaw, the owner of a telecom fortune once estimated at $6 billion, has, like everyone else, seen the value of his tech portfolio plummet in the last year. Of course, it doesn't help that both he and his brother have new 300 and 350-foot motoryachts that are said to require crews of 65. Despite these problems, we're certain that he'll pull through and that OneWorld will be a formidable challenger in New Zealand. We wouldn't worry about Larry Ellison and Oracle Racing either. While Oracle has taken a pounding along with other tech interests, he started out nearly 10 times richer than McCaw. And even during the crappy last quarter, Oracle made a profit of nearly a billion dollars.

The first photo at right is of Le Grand Bleu, the larger of the two McCaw brother's new motoryachts. She's close to 350 feet long. The second photo is of the 72 foot Bellatrix. Normally the boat is carried on the deck of one of the McCaw brothers' boats.


Photos Latitude/Richard

Speaking of New Zealand, the strong but unconfirmed gossip down there is that Hasso Plottner, the German software mogul and owner of a series of racing boats named Morning Glory, is going to fund the New Zealand America's Cup effort to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. This would be great news for the Kiwis - but not as good as it could have been. Had Plottner and his money turned up a year ago, the Kiwi stars of the last defense probably wouldn't have fled to greener - as in money - pastures elsewhere in the world. It also sets up a potentially great battle between the Kiwis and Oracle Racing, for Hasso, majority owner of SAP software, and Larry Ellison, majority owner of Oracle - have a very long and intense rivalry both in the world of sailing, but even more so in the marketplace where they are bitter rivals in the same software market.

Tidbits: A little bird told us that Hasso's ILC 50 Morning Glory, which has been sitting on the hard at Anderson's Boatyard in Sausalito for years, has been purchased by none other than Dennis Conner, who also messes around in the America's Cup. On the Oracle Racing front, we've been told that the syndicate approached the Sequoia YC in Redwood City/Silicon Valley to discuss sailing for that club.


Why Cruise the Caymans?

April 13 - Cayman Islands

A few months ago the question was raised why so few boats cruise to the Cayman Islands. Here's what Pat Price of the SF/Monterey based Nordic 46 RS Blue Point has to say:

"In May of '99, Blue Point and I sailed from the San Blas Islands to Key West via Georgetown, Grand Cayman. This is nearly dead north and resulted in a 4 day, 18 hour beam reach virtually the whole way to Grand Cayman, offering the best sailing we'd had since departing Cabo. We then skirted the west end of Cuba and rode the Gulf Stream to Key West. Grand Cayman, as you say, is an offshore banking center and is very expensive. Notably, a case of Heinekin goes for $43. We were the only sailboat in the harbor and got yelled at because I couldn't find my quarentine flag. We were happy to leave and enjoyed the rest of the trip, which took 3 days. It was a fast trip with good western Caribbean trades for most of the way. Other than that I can think of no other reason to go to the Caymans. Right now I'm in Antigua waiting for the start of Sailing Week at the end of the month."


Baja Ha-Ha Announcement

April 13 - Oakland

The Wanderer/Grand Poobear would like to remind everyone that he and other Ha-Ha folks will be giving a seminar at Pacific Sail Expo next Saturday at 4:30 on the upcoming Baja Ha-Ha. If you've been a past participant, we'd love to see you there wearing a Ha-Ha hat or shirt, and if you're planning to do one in the next year or two, we'd like to see you even more. We'll be having special appearances by Dona de Mallorca, Barbara Marrett, Michelle Slade, the folks from Globalstar, and we're not sure who else. Profligate just got back from Mexico last week, and already we can't wait to head south again. We're not the only ones. A long list of folks who did the Ha-Ha are bringing their boats north this summer just to do it again in late October. We'll have a list of them next week.

 


Les Femmes de Profligate at the Cabo Falso finish.

Photos Latitude/Richard


Mothership crew jumping in the water at Lover's Beach in Cabo San Lucas.



Big Dinghy Regatta

April 13 - San Francisco Bay

Richmond YC's new Big Dinghy Regatta was a big hit last weekend, both on land and sea.

Patterned after the Big Daddy, the format featured buoy racing on Saturday, a big bash on Saturday night (the revived Beach Combers Ball, complete with hula hoop contests), and Portsmouth-based pursuit races (two courses depending on boat size) on Sunday. The racing on Saturday was wet and wild, with winds up to 25 knots and chop keeping RYC's crash boats busy. Sunday's racing was tamer, though still breezy enough to get the dinghies up on a plane.

A total of 96 boats sailed in the new event, a nice turnout despite a boycott by most of the El Toro class (something about the $35 entry fee). Results of the buoy races will appear in the May Latitude. Winners of the two pursuit races were Ron Boehm (I-14) in the Big Dinghies and Bob Cronin (Sunfish) in the Little Dinghies.

Photos Latitude/JR



YOTREPS

April 13 - 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/


Weather Updates

April 13 - Pacific Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

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/.

California Coast Weather

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.

Pacific Sea State

Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check out the Pacific Ocean sea states at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

Top / Index of Stories / Subscriptions / Classifieds / Home

©2001 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.