January 28, 2004

Photo of the Day

January 28 – Atlantic Ocean

Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Having covered more than 25,000 watery
miles, Francis Joyon, singlehanding the 90-ft tri IDEC around
the world, is at 23º41N and 33º02W just north of the
Tropic of Cancer in the mid-Atlantic. Meteorologists had forecast
very little wind, and so Joyon worked through the calm night
to catch the slightest breeze. After dealing with squalls on
Tuesday and a hole in his port float, Joyon is now in his 67th
day at sea. Once he emerges from the tropical doldrums, Joyon
should be able to put on some speed, and he estimates that he
should arrive at the finish line in the English Channel on Sunday
night or early Monday morning, to set a new solo around-the-world
record. Joyon’s Web site (in French) is at www.trimaran-idec.com/trimaran-idec/public/page.php.

Like Ping Pong Balls in a Wind Tunnel

January 28 – Tortola, BVI

Antrim 27 sailor Tom Mullen writes, “My
A27, Rhumb Squall, USA17, is based in Tortola, British
Virgin Islands. Each winter and early spring, Rhumb Squall
competes in a number of regattas around the Caribbean and
folks come down from the States to jump on board, race and party.
The group includes some of the A27 crowd from California
along with that well-known party animal himself, Jim Antrim.

“This year we are doing the following
events: St. Croix International Regatta, February 14-16; the
Dark and Stormy, Tortola to Anegada and back, March 5-8, International
St. Thomas Rolex Regatta, March 26-28; BVI Sailing Festival,
Tortola to the Bitter End at Virgin Gorda and back, March 29
thru April 1; BVI Spring Regatta, around the buoy racing out
of Nanny Cay, Tortola, April 2-4; and the Puerto Rico Heineken
Regatta, around the buoys out of Fajardo, PR, April 9-11.

“Lastly, there’s a group of us that
would like to compete in Antigua Sailing Week from April 25 to
May 1, but we won’t take the Antrim all the way to Antigua. The
trip is too long from Tortola and the seas are too rough. The
last Antigua Sailing Week cost us a new mast, a new main, a new
rudder gudgeon and a new spinnaker. As a result, we’re trying
to find a more substantial boat to do Antigua and there’s a class
for large cats. Perhaps you’d like to enter Profligate
and have a ready-made crew for the event? My California soulmates
told me that you’re in the Caribbean now on Profligate,
and that you might want to cover the antics of an Antrim doing
the circuit for your magazine. I and my crew need a Mothership
for portions of or all of the circuit with a few berths
for our tired heads and for the black and blue bodies we always
end up with following a day of being tossed around like ping
pong balls in a wind tunnel – that’s how I describe racing on
an Antrim 27 to the uninitiated.”

Wind Steals the Show at Rolex Miami OCR

January 28 – Miami, FL

The first day of the 2004 Rolex Miami OCR
was cut short for most of the 11 classes competing when a rain
squall bearing high, shifty winds rolled down Biscayne Bay at
mid-day. With six racecourses in six different areas, some classes
were affected more drastically by the surprise conditions than
others. “The water was foaming,” said US Sailing Team
Coach Skip Whyte, who was on the 470 course where several of
the boats purposely capsized to avoid wind damage to their rigs
and one signal boat reported a waterspout hitting it. “The
gusts felt like bowling balls coming at you.”

Nevertheless, scores tallied – even if
it was for one race – were important for all 11 Olympic and Paralympic
classes competing. The Rolex Miami OCR, in its 15th year, has
attracted 503 sailors from more than 35 countries.

Great Britain’s Iain Percy had an “untroubled
start” in the Star class’s single race and led Mark Reynolds
of San Diego, the 2000 Star Olympic gold medalist, around the
course to win. When a 40-degree wind shift forced the race committee
to abandon the second race halfway through the first beat, Percy
was sitting in 15th. “That was going to be the hard one,”
said Percy, conceding that winning in this fleet, with 58 entries,
will be no cakewalk. Paul Cayard of Kentfield and crew Phil Trinter
are in 20th place.

Sally Barkow, Deborah Capozzi and Carrie Howe lead the Yngling
fleet after one race. Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Hannah Swett
of New York, sailing with regular crew Melissa Purdy of Tiburon
and Joan Touchette are in second.
Photo 2004 Rolex Miami OCR/Dan Nerney

Hopefully they’ll get more races in today.
The event runs through Friday, and is hosted by the US Sailing
Center in Coconut Grove; the Coral Reef, Key Biscayne and Miami
Yacht Clubs; the Coconut Grove Sailing Club; and Shake-A-Leg
Miami.

For full results, details, updates and
more photos, see www.ussailing.org/olympics/RolexMiamiOCR/index.htm.

YOTREPS

January 28 – 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 Links

January 28 – 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

The site for the Pacific Ocean sea states
has moved to http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/PacRegSSA.shtml.

For views of sea states anywhere in the world,
see http://www.oceanweather.com/data.