April 30, 2004

Photos of the Day: Geronimo Crosses
the Finish Line

April 30 – Brest, France

Photo Vincent Curuchet/DPPI/Capgemini Schneider Electric

Olivier de Kersauson’s Cap Gemini Schneider
sponsored trimaran crossed the finish line for the Jules Verne
Trophy, between the Lizard in Cornwall and Ushant (Ouessant)
Island, at 1517 local time yesterday, April 29. Her elapsed time
of 63 days 14 hours, 59 minutes and 46 seconds is approximately
18 hours faster than that of the previous Trophy holder, Bruno
Peyron in his maxi cat Orange.

De Kersauson is now the official holder
of the Jules Verne Trophy, originally awarded for the fastest
outright time sailing round the world. But the Trophy no longer
has the same cachet since Steve Fossett and his crew on Cheyenne,
not members of the Jules Verne ‘club’, broke the around the world
record earlier in the month and were almost five days faster
than Geronimo, having sailed the same course in 58 days,
9 hours, 32 minutes and 45 seconds. See
www.yachtingworld.com/auto/newsdesk/20040329152628ywnews.html
for the whole story and www.trimaran-geronimo.com
for details and more photos.

Photo Courtesy www.trimaran-geronimo.com

Speaking at a press conference at the Moulin
Blanc marina after docking in Brest, Olivier de Kersauson stated,
“I never want to repeat the experience we had in the Southern
Ocean, but at least half our voyage around the world involved
some magnificent surfing, for which this boat has such a wonderful
talent.

“As for the second half of our trip
– well, it was a nightmare relived every day: not knowing when
we would get through, not knowing what the wind would do and
not knowing whether we would have any wind or not. We had no
surfing, no enjoyable sailing with the boat ­ even as we
approached the finish, we didn’t know whether the wind would
turn in our favor or not. So it’s been rather a severe experience.
Just now, we were passing the coast of Ushant where you meet
the ocean, where we should have been with the boat this morning
when the current and the wind were working together, but what
we had was almost uncrossable. If sailing was always the way
we have had it in the last month, I wouldn’t sail at all.”

Antigua Sailing Week

April 30 – Antigua

As promised in Wednesday’s report,
more photos of Mari-Cha IV at Antigua Sailing Week

Photos Latitude/Richard

After a lay day of fun on Pigeon Beach
yesterday, Antigua Sailing Week returned with a vengeance today
with 6-8 foot seas and winds topping 30 knots testing crew and
equipment as they raced off the south coast of Antigua.

Tom Hill’s Reichel-Pugh 75 Titan XXII
reveled in today’s conditions storming home to two wins, putting
her in second place in Big Boat Racing I. “We did a good
job getting off the line. We made a game plan before the start
that the pin end was favored and thought that there’d be some
nice shifts off the shore,” said tactician, Peter Holmberg.

Pyewacket
continued to have problems, including a torn spinnaker at the
first windward mark of the first race. Morning Glory had
problems too, including a spinnaker drop that went awry. At the
end of today’s racing Morning Glory leads by five points
and barring disaster is in good shape to take class and fleet
prizes tomorrow.

In Racing III, Roger Sturgeon’s Transpac
52 Rosebud, out of Santa Cruz, continues to lead. For
more details, results and photos, see www.sailingweek.com.

Dept. of Boating and Waterways Again Endangered?

April 30 – Sacramento

The California Association of Harbor Masters
& Port Captains is circulating a letter urging immediate
action to prevent the elimination of the Department of Boating
and Waterways.

“We have just been alerted by a VERY
reliable source in Sacramento that the Governor plans
to eliminate the Department of Boating and Waterways in his proposed
re-organization plan. The plan could be introduced
publicly within the next two weeks. The way his proposal will
work is that he will make it public and it will then be approved
by the Little Hoover Commission, followed by a vote by the
Legislature. The Legislature will NOT be able to amend the plan.
It will be given a Yes or No vote only. Given that boating
is such a small part of the plan, our opposition AFTER the plan’s
release will have little impact. Our best chance is burying the
Governor in letters requesting a change before the plan goes
public.” Readers are requested to write to the Governor
to ask that the DBAW not be eliminated.

Some points favoring the DBAW:
Has contributed greatly to the economic success of boating and
the state economy in general.
California’s long and diverse coastline and its extensive inland
waterways are unique in the world, and are used by hundreds of
thousands of boaters.
Three previous attempts to merge DBAW into the Dept. of Parks
and Recreation have all failed due to public outcry. (You knew
this sounded familiar, didn’t you?)
Monies for boating programs should be controlled by a boating
agency.
Uses only gas taxes paid by boaters, vessel registration fees,
and repayments from loans for construction of small craft harbors
for its budget. There is no general fund support for the department,
so no general funds would be saved by its elimination.
Works with other agencies, including the Coast Guard, and schools
to improve boating safety, education and access.

Letters can be addressed to:
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor
State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

J/Boats in the Journal

April 30 – Alameda

Coverage of last weekend’s J/Fest was run
Tuesday in the Alameda Journal and posted online by the
Contra Costa Times. You can the online story at www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/counties/alameda_county/alameda/8529757.htm.

The article’s author, George Carvalho,
notes in regards to the grounding of Arbitrage: “My
original draft had quotes around the phrase, ‘Unable to pull
the centerboard up.’ (I know keel boats don’t have centerboards!)
My editor thought it was an unattributed quote.”

Toros on the Tube

April 30 – San Francisco

The SF Bay El Toro fleet’s annual long
distance race, the Bullship, from Sausalito to the SF Marina,
will be featured on the Thursday, May 6, edition of Evening
Magazine. Tune in KPIX-TV, channel 5, at 7 pm.

Latitudes
on the Loose

April 30 – SF Bay Area

The May issue of Latitude
38 hits the stands today in the Bay Area and makes its
way around elsewhere by UPS and mail at the beginning of May.