April 19, 2004

Photo of the Day: Hogan in Stitches

April 19 – San Clemente

On Friday,
we reported on Hogan Beatie’s unusual weight-loss program. A
professional sailor and member of Roy Disney’s Pyewacket crew
(mastman), the 34-year-old Bay Area native and a bunch of his
buddies were aboard Pyewacket’s 36-ft Protector off St.
Maarten, doing 30 knots, when a fish jumped out of the water
on the left side of the boat, took a chunk out of Hogan’s stomach,
and plopped back in the water on the other side. (Hogan was not
knocked down in the encounter as initially reported.) It happened
so quickly no one got a good look at the fish – even Hogan –
although he knows it was 3 to 4 feet long and had sharp teeth.
Scales and other hints led most to think it was either a barracuda
or wahoo. Hogan figures his sparkly watch may have triggered
the unusual attack.

Photo Courtesy Hogan Beatie

It took more than 60 stitches to close
the wounds, and Hogan was flown home to San Clemente to recuperate.
He will rejoin Pyewacket in Newport, RI, before she takes
off for the Bermuda Race in June.

For what it’s worth, a quick surf through
the Internet revealed that barracuda jumping aboard boats, while
not exactly common, is definitely not unusual in and around the
Caribbean. In 1963, there were five reports of exactly that happening
in Florida waters alone.

J/Fest Regatta

April 19 – San Francisco Bay

The 25th annual J/Fest Regatta, co-hosted
by Sail California and Encinal YC, was held over the weekend.
J/Boat president Jeff Johnstone came out from Newport, RI, to
watch the festivities, and liked what he saw. “This is the
original J/Fest, and still one of the strongest,” he noted.

Tim Russell’s winning J/105 Aquavit

On Saturday, the four classes sailed three
fairly windy races on the Treasure Island course, with the third
race finishing up the Estuary. Sunday’s racing was much tamer,
and race manager Matt Jones called the day off after only one
light-air race. Class winners were Mr. Magoo (J/120, Steve
Madeira), Aquavit (J/105, Tim Russell), Kiri (J/35,
Bob George) and Jaded (J/24, Deke Klatt).

Mr. Magoo won their division despite splitting their mainsail
in the third race on Saturday.

J/24s sail by the San Francisco skyline.

Arbitrage spun out onto the breakwater and had to be rescued.

Results will be posted at www.encinal.org and/or www.jfest.org within a day or two. Sponsors
of the fun weekend, which was dubbed ‘Norman and Pat’s Inaugural
Ball’, included J/Boats, J Vineyards and Winery, West Marine,
North Sails, B&G and Sunsail.

Bullship Race

April 19 – San Francisco

Petaluma sailmaker John Amen won the 51st
annual Bullship Race on Saturday, topping a 45-boat El Toro fleet.
Amen sailed his red Diablo from Sausalito to the Cityfront
in just 48 minutes, lowering the course record by about six minutes
in the process. Conditions were obviously perfect for the record
run – a moderate northerly veering to the west, combined with
a building flood.

Diablo and John Amen
Photo John Dukat

“It took me ten years to get it right!”
laughed Amen, who has been the bridesmaid in the event several
times. Vickie Gilmour was the top woman, finishing ninth. John
Walsh was second overall and top maiden voyager. The top 14 finishers,
all of whom received commemorative sweatshirts, follow:
1) John Amen; 2) John Walsh; 3) Eric Beckman; 4) Rufas Sjoberg;
5) Gordie Nash; 6) Dennis Silva; 7) Bruce Bradfute; 8) Mike Dias;
9) Vickie Gilmour; 10) Vaughn Seifers; 11) Skip Shapiro; 12)
Steve Jones; 13) John Gilmour; 14) Frank Healy.

Sausalito YC America’s Cup Entry to Be
Funded by European Company?

April 19 – Sausalito

According to sources from the Sausalito
Challenge, their syndicate has received two sponsorship bids
on eBay in excess of $19 million. John Sweeney, co-founder of
the syndicate, had declined to identify either one, except to
say that a European firm was involved. It’s unlikely, however,
a sub $20M bid is going anywhere, as the “buy it now”
price is $35 million.

Meanwhile, the German Pinta syndicate has
given their never-completed IACC boat from the last Cup to the
Kiwis, who will finish her off, use her for training and testing,
then give her back to the Germans for a possible German-Polish
entry.

Geronimo
in Tight Battle with Orange’s Jules Verne Record

April 19 – Atlantic Ocean

In what’s turned out to be a second straight
slow trip up the Atlantic to finish a Jules Verne record attempt,
Olivier de Kersauson and his maxi tri Geronimo are now
in danger of not beating Orange’s standing record – and
thereby finishing way off the pace of Steve Fossett’s record
for a nearly identical course with his maxi cat Cheyenne.

Stan Honey, frequent navigator for Cheyenne,
has analyzed the data, and notes that unlike the big cats, Geronimo
has never put in one, let alone a series, of really good 24-hour
days.

As for Cheyenne, which owns two
of the most coveted marks in sailing, the around-the-world record
and a transatlantic record that won’t likely be broken soon,
we’re told that her mast will be removed and she’ll be put up
for sale. Fossett, who has always been more interested in breaking
records than sailing for the love of it, feels he’s accomplished
what he set out to do on the water, and will pursue other types
of records.