'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition

Photo of the Day

July 6 - Cook Islands

Photo Robin Stout

Today's Photo of the Day is of a great sunset at Penrhyn Atoll in the Cook Islands. "What more could you want?" ask Mike and Robin Stout of the Burbank-based Aleutian 51 Mermaid, which did the '03 Baja Ha-Ha before continuing on to the South Pacific. Mermaid is now back in Long Beach "awaiting her next adventure."

Delta Cruising

July 6 - San Joaquin River Delta

If you were like a lot of sailors, you headed 'up the river' for the holiday. John Arndt and his family aboard the Ranger 33 Summer Sailstice, along with the Tulls aboard the Beneteau 321 Bella Luna, and the Neukranzes' Catalina 400 Madcat, brought back some photos to give you a little idea of what it was like:

Oxbow Marina, which thanks to the palms, looks a little like the South Pacific

Spinnaker halyard flying is always fun - and a little dangerous.

Delta afternoons are often windy, but the mornings at Potato Slough can be calm.

Motoring past the bridge at Georgiana Slough
Photos Latitude/John Arndt

If you've not taken your boat to the Delta in the summer, you've been missing something really great.

Francis Joyon Breaks Solo 24-Hour Sailing Record

July 6 - Atlantic Ocean

Frenchman Joyon, who last year broke the around the world singlehanded record - later broken by Ellen MacArthur - has established a new 24-hour record while attempting to set a new singlehanded transatlantic record. His 543 miles - an average of 22.62 knots - with the 92-ft tri IDEC breaks the old record of 540 miles set 11 years ago by Laurent Bourgnon with the 60-ft tri Primagaz. Joyon was so intent on his primary goal of a transatlantic record, he didn't even realize he'd broken the longstanding mark.

Photo Courtesy www.trimaran-idec.com

Although both IDEC and Primagaz are trimarans, they are very different beasts. The much longer IDEC has a great waterline advantage, but Primagaz had a much greater sail area to length ratio.

FLASH! Joyon Breaks Transatlantic Solo Record!

July 6 - The Lizard, UK

Photo Courtesy www.trimaran-idec.com

Francis Joyon, the quiet and unpretentious Frenchman who does virtually everything himself, has just broken the 11-year-old transatlantic record by a staggering 22 hours and 33 minutes. He covered the 2,925-mile course in 6 days and 4 hours aboard his ancient 92-ft trimaran IDEC, which translates to a 19.75 knot average! That's equal to about a 4.5-day Los Angeles to Honolulu TransPac.

Joyon is easily one of the greatest offshore sailors ever.

Which Mexico Cruising Guide Do You Like Best?

July 6 - Mexico

We'd like to get your opinion. Do you like one more than the other? Or do you think both are indispensable? Short answers would be best. Email Richard.