December 30, 2002

Photo of the Day

December 30 –
Point Conception

Dudley Gaman writes, “After seeing
the picture on December
4th’s ‘Lectronic Latitude of the Atlantic swell, I couldn’t
miss the similarities to a picture my wife Teresa took last July
just before we rounded Point Conception on our southward voyage
to the Channel Islands on our Catalina 36, Kia Orana.”

Jelik
Sinks in South China Sea

December 30 – Thailand

Don Radcliffe, originally from Santa Cruz,
is in Thailand aboard the Beneteau 456 Klondike, and notified
us of sad news from that part of the world: “Just heard
on the radio today that Jelik lost its keel and sank about
200 miles out of Manila in heavy weather on the way back from
the King’s Cup to Hong Kong. The crew all took to life rafts
and were quickly picked up by a freighter.

“I’ll try to pass on more details
when I get them. The King’s Cup press material said Jelik
was a Wylie 77, but it doesn’t look much like the Wylie designs
we know.” Jelik is indeed a Wylie, built by Schooner
Creek in Portland.

Sydney to Hobart Race

December 30 – Hobart, Tasmania

There we were, enjoying a few days off
after the Christmas rush, and the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2002 came
and went. The fleet left Sydney Harbour, Australia, on December
26, and, apart from two retirements at the start, all 55 yachts
have completed the 630 nm passage, finishing in Hobart on the
Derwent River.

Alfa Romeo, a
Reichel/Pugh 90 from New South Wales, took line honors.
Quest, a Nelson Marek 46 also from NSW, won overall on
corrected time.

Benign weather conditions prevailed this
year, so the only major damage in the sometimes brutal race was
caused by the racers themselves. The two entries which retired
soon after the start were involved in separate collisions with
other yachts. A collision between the Sydney yacht Loki
and the Queensland yacht Trumpcard resulted in the retirement
of Trumpcard. A collision between the French/Australian
entry Peugeot Racing and the Tasmanian boat Valheru
saw Valheru also forced to retire after a crew member
was thrown into the water and the yacht was seriously damaged.
Loki and Peugeot Racing have been disqualified.

Aspect sails off into the sunset

The Christmas Goose Controversy

December 30 – Auckland, NZ

The America’s Cup controversy this Christmas
was over a goose.

The ‘Goose’
Photo Franck Socha/Louis Vuitton Cup

The America’s Cup International Jury has
issued a ruling prohibiting the use of radar or laser range finders
on board the yachts during racing. The ruling is a response to
questions about the use of radar on Cup yachts following the
appearance of a device on board Oracle BMW Racing, nicknamed
the ‘Goose’. Oracle BMW have never confirmed what it is or does.
OneWorld, which raced Oracle BMW in the just-completed Louis
Vuitton Cup semi-final repechage, believed the device was a form
of radar, which could be used to lock on to a competitor’s yacht
and gauge its performance during racing.

The ruling comes as something of a surprise
in that laser range finders have been a common piece of equipment
on America’s Cup yachts for more than a decade. Radar, however,
has not been used. The Jury has prepared a draft document for
CORM, the remaining challengers and the Defender to consider.
The draft document approves the carrying of laser range-finders,
radar and related equipment and suggests restrictions on their
use.

Read Ivor Wilkins’ complete story at www.louisvuittoncup.yahoo.com/story1575.html.

January Latitude and 2003 YRA Calendar
Hit the Streets

December 30 –
San Francisco Bay Area

The 2003 Northern California Sailing
Calendar and YRA Schedule is being dropped off today at Bay
Area yacht clubs and marine businesses along with the January
issue of Latitude 38. And it’s going out in the mail to
more locations outside our regular truck route delivery areas.
If you’re a member of the YRA, their office will mail you one.
If not, pick one up quick, as they’re likely to go fast!

YOTREPS

December 30 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht
tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.

Weather Updates

December 30 – 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/Maps/Southwest.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 views of sea states anywhere in the world,
see http://www.oceanweather.com/data.