April 10, 2002

By Grzegorz | April 10, 2002

Photos of the Day

April 10 – St. Barts

Today’s Photos of the Day don’t really
have anything to do with sailing, but since they come from a
sailing trip, we’re squeezing them in. During our annual New
Year’s vacation to St. Barts in the Eastern Caribbean, we bought
a package of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. As we sat at the Auberge
de Petit Anse above the tropically blue sea enjoying a bowl,
we were stunned to read the copy on the side of the familiar
box. It had nothing to do with free toys or sports stars, but
offered some surprisingly simple advice on how to improve one’s
life. We suppose it was just a matter of time before old hippies
started heading up marketing departments.

Speaking of St. Barts, here’s
a third photo that shows the difference between sailing in the
chic parts of the Caribbean and the West Coast of the United
States. The photo shows two boats leaving the harbor at Gustavia
for a daysail. The one in front is a J/40, which on the West
Coast qualifies as a relatively large boat, but in this part
of the Caribbean qualifies as a dinghy. The sailboat behind her
is a Swan 100, which in St. Barts rates as a relatively large
boat. We wonder if the owner had some Corn Flakes for breakfast,
and if he read the message on the side. In any event, if you
enjoy looking at big sailboats, there’s no place like St. Barts
at New Year’s.

Photos Latitude/Richard

No Sex for Us, We’re British

April 10 – Auckland, New Zealand

Apparently we missed this when it first
came around, but when it came time to be assigned sail numbers
for the more recent America’s Cup boats, the Brits were in line
to be given #69. Hilariously, they declined. The French, as you
might expect, enthusiastically claimed the number as their own.
Different cultures, different passions.

Oracle Ace on Top in Congo Cup

April 10 – Long Beach

Oracle Racing’s America’s Cup efforts haven’t
been the slickest looking show in the world, what with keels
falling off their boats and the demotion of sailing heroes such
as Chris Dickson and Paul Cayard. But maybe things are a lot
better than they appear on the surface. For one thing, the latest
fun rumor is that the keels feel off the Oracle Boats because
they are working on a way to move or twist them, as just a degree
or two of better pointing ability would be devastating. Secondly,
who needs a Dickson or Cayard when Peter Holmberg, originally
from the Virgin Islands, continues to kick butt in the match
racing circuit? At yesterday’s Congressional Cup put on by the
Long Beach YC, Holmberg was the top dog. Rich Roberts explains:

“Who is going to stop Peter Holmberg
from winning his fourth Congressional Cup in five years? Nobody
had the answer on a breezy opening day of racing Tuesday when
the world’s No. 1-ranked match racer ran the table against fellow
America’s Cup campaigners Ken Read and Rod Davis, former world
champion Ed Baird, local favorite Scott Dickson and Britain’s
Andy Green to stand alone at 5-0. Holmberg, from the U.S. Virgin
Islands, looked even more like a solid choice to lead Oracle
Racing’s challenge starting later this year.

“Holmberg, coming off wins in the
last two Swedish Match Tour events, was on his game. He beat
Read by forcing him over the starting line early with a quick,
deft tack. Next he got Dickson when he feinted a ‘dial-down’
hunting move, then came back on the wind as Dickson, sailing
with older brother Chris as tactician, hesitated and momentarily
fell into irons head to wind. Then Holmberg scrubbed off a penalty
against Davis with a hard luff near the finish that drew Davis
into a foul that canceled out his own.

“Other action included a couple of
America’s Cup veterans tumbling overboard – bowman Jerry Kirby
off Read’s boat and main sail trimmer Steve Erickson off Brady’s
boat. Each hauled himself back on board without serious injury,
although Kirby was still bleeding from the bridge of his nose
back on shore.
The Congressional Cup’s total purse is $25,000. The top eight
finishers receive Swedish Match Tour Championship Prize points.
The top eight point leaders at the conclusion of the Swedish
Match Tour divide a $200,000 prize purse, with the Swedish Match
Tour champion receiving $60,000.”

The Congo Cup continues through this weekend,
and is held right off the tip of the Belmont Pier, just south
of Long Beach. If you want the greatest possible front row seats
for the best match racing in the world, it’s free, and it’s at
the end of the pier. It’s entertaining beyond belief, and if
you’re in the area you really should check it out. In most racing,
the starting area is kept clear. In the Congo Cup, spectator
boats are anchored near the starting area, and used as weapons
by the competing boats. Near collisions are a dime a dozen.

Photo Rich Roberts

Racing for Dollars

April 10 – Fremantle, Australia

The Royal Perth Yacht Club burst back onto
the international sailing scene today with the launch of a spectacular
and innovative new ocean race, starting and finishing in Fremantle.
With a total prize purse of US $6.4 million, the race will pass
the three notorious capes – Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope – to
port, and take about 45 days, from a start in December 2004.
This will be a non-stop blast around the infamous Southern Ocean,
sailed in identical 25 meter boats, with the winner taking US
$2.5 million, and a ‘skins’ type format making it possible for
one boat to collect up to US $4.65 million. Although this is
a non-stop ocean race, there will be eleven legs, each one starting
and finishing with the fleet passing through a gate, either created
with electronic waypoints, or a physical gate like Cook Strait,
between North and South Islands, New Zealand.The organizers of
the ‘Antarctica Cup’ race will supply the boats, which are to
be designed by Ron Holland, and built in Western Australia, with
the entry fee for the event including the purchase price of the
boat. America’s Cup winning sailor, and lifetime Fremantle resident,
John Longley said about this new project, which is scheduled
to happen every two years, “It is not often that a great
idea corresponds with a great need.”

This race will be open to yacht clubs around
the world, which will represent their countries; boats will have
to be skippered and crewed by nationals of the country they represent,
making this very much a ‘nations cup’ of bluewater ocean racing.
There was no mention made of the entry fee.

Looking for Matching Money

April 10 – San Francisco Bay Area

“Thanks
so much for your support of Bruce Schwab’s Wylie-designed Open
60 Ocean Planet and the Made in America Foundation’s program
to get a U.S. entry into the Around Alone race. Once again we
find ourselves in need of help. We have a great opportunity to
raise the money that will get us to the starting line of the
Around Alone race this September. Hank Grandin – of Tinsley Island
fame – has organized a group of our existing supporters to put
forward a ‘matching grant’ of $50,000. However, we only get the
funds if we can raise at least that amount in new donations between
April 1 and June 15, when the matching grant expires. For details,
contact Dave Fullerton, Board of Directors, Made in America Foundation,
at (650) 701-8806 (work) or (650) 281-4519 (mobile).

Builder Steve Rander sitting on the boat’s
carbon fiber ‘throne’

Rander (in red jacket) supervises Ocean
Planet’s ‘nose job’.
Photos Skip Allan

Wheels for Dinks

April 10 – Zihuatanejo, Mexico

If you’re going to go cruising in Mexico
this winter, you’re probably going to want wheels for your dinghy
to keep from destroying your back. Which kind to buy? Mexico
vets seemed to express their opinion in this photo taken during
this year’s Zihua Fest.

Photo Latitude/Richard

YOTREPS

April 10 – 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 10 – 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/.
The National Weather Service site for San Francisco Bay is at
www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey/.

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 Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology
page posts a daily
map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.

Pacific Sea State

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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