October 31, 2002

Happy Halloween from the Ha-Ha

October 31 – Baja California

The Grand Poobah checked in today with
this report off Cedros Island, about 45 miles from Turtle Bay.

108 boats started the Baja Ha-Ha, the highest
number ever. 34 of the slower entries started on Monday, and
they were blessed with the better winds. Journey, a Beneteau
Evasion 37 out of Redwood City, and Compañera,
a Tartan 3800 hailing from Cardiff, sailed the whole way to Turtle
Bay. The boats which started on Tuesday had wind on the nose
to the Coronado Islands, and very light or no wind and overcast
skies ever since. These are the most un-Mexican-like conditions
in the nine years of the Ha-Ha.

One boat, Geronimo, a Lancer 30
from Sausalito, had to drop out with a busted rudder. They put
in at Cabo Colnett. Another boat reported catching a 30-inch
tuna, but so far no really big fish to brag about.

The fleet is looking forward to more wind
and sunshine forecast for this weekend.

Tuesday’s start
Photos Above John Pettitt/Cloudview.com

Sunday’s Halloween costume party in San Diego
looks like it had the most sunshine the
rally has enjoyed so far.

Sole Female Skipper Second to Cross the
Equator

November 1 – Eastern Atlantic

Emma Richards sent in this email yesterday
from Pindar to say that she is in the Southern Hemisphere.
This makes Richards the second Around Alone skipper to cross
the Equator, after Bernard Stamm.

“1:18pm – Just crossed the equator
at 23deg 37 W! I was down below ready to log where I crossed
into the Southern Hemisphere when a squall came in, by the time
I had eased the sheets, adjusted course etc., we had crossed
but when I was on deck I didn’t see the big yellow line painted
so it must have washed away at that part. Let me know if Thierry
reports the line or not! Anyway, had a sip of fine rum and gave
Neptune the rest, hope he liked it, it burned my throat! Emma
x”

YOTREPS

October 31 – 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

October 31 – 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/.