July 7, 2003

Photos of the Day: TransPac

July 7 – Los Angeles

Today’s Photos of the Day are from Sunday’s
last start of the 42nd TransPac Race 2,225 miles from Los Angeles
to Honolulu.

Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay’s Cal 40 Illusion, the only
boat to hit the starting line on time during the light air first
start last week. Stan and Sally are currently leading their class
and the entire fleet, with 1,400 miles to go.

The two elapsed time threats, Roy Disney’s R/P 75 Pyewacket
and Philippe Kahn’s R/P 77 Pegasus, both of which started
on Sunday and both of which are doing their last races for their
current owners.
Photos Rich Roberts

Rich Roberts reports: “Roy E. Disney’s
Pyewacket led Philippe Kahn’s Pegasus 77 past the
West End of Santa Catalina Island and into open ocean as the
great match race of the 42nd Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii
unfolded Sunday. ‘We’re about a mile ahead of Pegasus,
which is dead astern,’ Peter Isler, Pyewacket’s navigator,
reported by phone. ‘I can’t see anybody else right now in the
haze.’ The two lead boats passed the island 23 miles off the
Pacific Coast a bit more than 2 1/2 hours after the start.

“Meanwhile, two smaller boats that
started Friday dropped out. Lucky Dog, a J/125 being sailed
doublehanded by Peter Putnam and Len Bose of Newport Beach, returned
to its home port at noon Sunday because of a leak in the steering
column of its rudder. The Cone of Silence, a Super 30
from Australia and the smallest boat in the race at 31 feet,
withdrew reporting ‘structural damage.’ Skipper James Neill said
he did not require assistance. Another boat transmitted an automatic
distress signal early Sunday morning – apparently accidentally.
A Coast Guard C-130 responded to an EPIRB alarm sent by Nick
Martin’s Schock 40, On Point, from Wilmington. On Point
reported later that it had taken a wave over the side that
activated the alarm but caused no damage.

“The last 12 of 57 boats to start
(now numbering 55) were surrounded by a sun-splashed spectator
fleet at the end of the Independence Day holiday weekend. They
started in light wind off the cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Their destination is the landmark Diamond Head finish line 2,225
nautical miles away.

“The best start was claimed by a TransPac
52, Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste from Hong Kong that has Gavin
Brady and other world-class New Zealand sailors on board – all
sailing their first TransPacs. Beau Geste started to windward
of Alta Vita and slightly ahead of John MacLaurin’s fire
engine-red Pendragon 4, the Davidson 52 prototype for
the TransPac 52s. Pyewacket started near the middle of
the line directly windward of Pegasus 77, which then played
the puffs and zephyrs expertly to sail higher and faster until
Pyewacket was directly behind. That changed in mid-channel,
and Pyewacket seized the lead as a fresh westerly breeze
of 9-10 knots arrived, allowing tacks to starboard for the first
time. ‘It was pretty fickle, Isler said. It kept teasing us halfway
across [the San Pedro Channel]. But we’re easily laying the West
End by about four miles.’

“Among the boats already at sea, Peter
Johnson’s Maitri, a J/160 from San Diego that started
Friday, had the best 24-hour run of 246 miles, averaging 10.3
knots, to stretch its lead in Division 3. The front runner was
still Roger and Brenda Kuske’s Dynamique 62, Lady Bleu II,
from San Diego, that started Tuesday in the Aloha fleet.
Lady Bleu II was almost halfway, 1,271 miles from Honolulu.”

Daily position reports, charts, news summaries
and photos will be posted at www.transpacificyc.org until the completion
of the race. Usually they come up between 2 and 3 pm each day.
Check them out!

Catalina as Seen from the Cockpit of a
747

July 7 – Santa Catalina Island

“Here’s a photo of the crowd of boats
that was at the Isthmus at Catalina on July 5 – as seen from
11,000 feet,” writes Rennie Wexlax. “I was hoping it
would come out a little more clear, but a combination of a slight
haze and the windshield caused the fuzziness.”

Rennie and his lady Anne did the Ha-Ha two years ago, and are
signed up to do it again this fall with their Swan 65 Cassiopeia.
Photo Rennie Wexlax

TransPac Report from Beach Music

July 7 – Pacific Ocean

Northern Californian Kirby Coryell, who
survived a very serious health crisis last year, has returned
to sailing with a vengeance aboard his TransPac 52 Beach Music.
He’s doublehanding the TransPac and will be doing another Baja
Ha-Ha in the fall. Here is his report on the TransPac:

“We had a horrible start, as we were
an hour late, it was only blowing 2-3 knots, and a spectator
boat forced us to a dead stop right at the line – but we’ve done
okay since then and have been having a great time. Doublehanding
has been a challenge on a boat this big, as everything is fine
until something goes wrong – and then it goes really wrong quick.
We purchased a SkyMate email system days before the TransPac,
installed it in under two hours, and it worked immediately and
continues to work 900 miles from shore. It cost less than an
SSB modem and I am very impressed with the simplicity and functionality
it provides. I’ve having fun on the TransPac but can’t wait for
this fall’s Ha-Ha!”

Bruce Schwab to Speak at Corinthian YC
on Thursday

July 7 – Tiburon

“Bruce Schwab, local rock-star sailor
and rigger extraordinaire, will be speaking in person at the
Corinthian YC in Tiburon on Thursday, July 10, and everyone is
cordially invited,” writes Mark Leonard. “About two
months ago, Bruce finished the pinnacle of a lifetime of adventures:
he raced around the world, alone, on the innovative Tom Wylie-designed
Open 60 Ocean Planet. Bruce, a rigger by training, has
won just about every West Coast race during his career, but this
challenge was an order of magnitude larger. He will share his
joys and terrors with dramatic photos and video taken from all
around the globe.

Photo Courtesy Ocean Planet

“The doors will open at the club at
6 pm, and a buffet ($10/person) and a no-host bar will be available.
Bruce will start his talk around 7:00 pm, and we expect to wrap
up around 9:00 pm. Admission is only $10 per person, and all
proceeds will go to the Made in America Foundation, supporting
Bruce’s bid for the Vendée Globe and his outreach activities
to youth. We strongly encourage you to make reservations, as
there will be limited seating. To make reservations, please call
the club at (415) 435-4771 or visit our Web site at www.cyc.org/speakers and fill out the online
reservation form.”

Looking for One of the Wildest Sailing
Photos Ever?

July 7 – Marseille, France

Check out the home page photo for www.martin-raget.com. The shot was taken
at the recent ORMA regatta at Marseille. Will somebody please
ease the traveler!

Napa River Cruising

July 7 – San Pablo Bay/Napa River

We hope your Fourth of July cruising weekend
was as good as ours. We joined up with four other boats for a
cruise up the Napa River and a barbecue at the Napa Valley Marina.
Here’s some shots from the trip up, where the breeze was as light
as it was heavy coming back, and on the hook. More on Wednesday.

Wing-on-wing across San Pablo Bay, where the wind was light and
the air was warm.

Friends Jeff and Linda reaching up San Pablo Bay aboard their
South Beach based Catalina 27 Second Draft.

After passing the Mare Island Causeway Bridge, we saw a couple
of boats – and houses – that could be classified as ‘fixer-uppers’.

Dave and Anna’s Peterson 34 Baccarat rafted up with Barry
and Silvia’s Islander 36 Tom Cat. Dave used to be one
of the most relentless sailors on the Bay, but the birth of daughter
Madeline has kept the couple off the water for three years. This
was their first cruise with their daughter.

Always trying to be helpful, we advised Wayne and Wendy to anchor
his S&S 47 Moonduster close to shore so she wouldn’t
be hit by the sand barge. How were we supposed to know the boat
draws eight feet!
Photo Latitude/Richard

YOTREPS

July 7 – 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

July 7 – Pacific
Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

Check out this guide to San Francisco Bay
Navigational Aids: http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/sfports.html.

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.