May 4, 2001

By Grzegorz | May 4, 2001

Photo of the Day

May 4 – California Coast

Our Photo of the Day is of making landfall
just as both night and the fog are descending. We’ve made ports
before it got dark and after it got dark. The former is much
better.

Photo Latitude/Richard

The Vallejo Race Is this Weekend

May 4 – San Francisco

Good luck to everyone. May you sail deep
and fast, and may your jibes be smooth as silk.

U.S. Mom Hopes to Enter Mini-Transat

May 4 – Atlantic Ocean

One of the most challenging of all ocean races is the Mini-Transat,
a 4,500-mile enduro from Brittany, France, to the Canary Islands,
then on to Brazil. It wouldn’t be so difficult if skippers didn’t
have to do it singlehanded in wildly overcanvassed 21 footers.
The event has been held 12 times in 24 years, and has been the
proving ground for many great sailors, including the likes of
Yves Parlier and Isabelle Autissier. Next fall, American Gail
Browning will try to make a name for herself in the Mini-Transat.
Most women who sail offshore start when they are young and before
they have children. Not Gail. She’s 43 and is the mother of three.

If Gail does make the start and finish, she will be only the third
American to have done so. Can you name the other two? We can.
Norton Smith of Mill Valley won the inaugural event in 1978 with
the Wylie 20 American Express. Finishing not far behind
was 20-year-old Amy Boyer, also of the Bay Area. As difficult
as the racing itself was – and it was hard – the mental stress
was even greater. Both Norton and Amy told us they broke down
and cried several times during the event, wondering what they
were doing out there. Back then, of course, long distance singlehanded
races were still very rare.

Caption Contest

May 4 – Catalina Island

While motoring along the front side of Catalina, we came across
this powerboat in distress. When you’re aground, one tactic to
get free is to try to kedge yourself off. In this case, however,
we’re not sure how effective it would be. Email captions to Richard.

Photo Latitude/Richard

YOTREPS

May 4 – 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

May 4 – 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.

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