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Reminder of the Day

October 4 - Alameda


Photo Latitude/Richard

Today's Reminder of the Day is for tonight's Latitude 38 Mexico-Only Crew List and Ha-Ha Party at the Encinal YC in Alameda. If you're looking for crew or to crew on the Ha-Ha or in Mexico, this won't be your last chance, but it will probably be your last best chance to make a match.

AIn addition to lots of other Ha-Ha folks - over 600 are expected for the Ha-Ha itself, but only about 250 for this party - there will be a slide show of past Ha-Has, folks representing marinas in Mexico, a liferaft demonstration, and all kinds of other good stuff. We'll also have t-shirts and hats as door prizes. Entry is free to anyone on the 2006 Mexico-Only Crew List or skippers and first mates entered in the 2006 Baja Ha-Ha Rally. All others pay $7. The party starts at 6 p.m. at the Encinal YC, which is located at 1251 Pacific Marina, Alameda. For directions, go to: www.encinal.org/directions.html

We hope to see you there.

- latitude / rs

 


Cutlasses, Boobs, and Rum at Two Harbors this Weekend

October 4 - Catalina Island

That's right, it's Buccaneer Day at Two Harbors, Catalina, this Saturday, the wildest day of the year on the island. It's everyone's end-of-season opportunity to be naughty - not idiotic, mind you - by dressing up like pirates and wenches and strutting their alter egos. The only caution is that you make some effort with your costume, for if you come dressed like a civilian, you'll look and feel like a complete idiot. The accompanying photos give you an idea of what kind of riff-raff and costumes to expect.

We haven't missed a Buccaneer Day in years, but it's looking dicey for us and our band of brigands and wenches. The problem is that we hauled Profligate to be painted what seems like about a year ago, but that dang fire in SoCal just kept burning and burning. As much as we encouraged him to go ahead, our spray painter refused to shoot the boat when it was covered in ash. So we're not sure if we'll see you there, but we'll do our best. Arrggggg!


Photos Latitude/Richard

- latitude / rs


16th Annual Racer Chaser

October 4 - San Francisco

We invite you to advertise in the 2007 Latitude 38 YRA Calendar, a comprehensive full color guide to Northern California racing. Ideal for any club, class, association or business wanting to reach local racers. Click here for details (a PDF flyer will download).
(415) 383-8200; John Arndt, ext. 108; Shawn Grassman, ext. 107.


Sunroad Marina Honcho Says He Has Slips for Ha-Ha Boats in San Diego - and at a Discount!

October 4 - San Diego

"The only publications we make available at the Sunroad Marina office here on Harbor Island in San Diego are The Log and Latitude 38," reports Scott Mac Laggan of Sunroad Marina. "Latitude is very popular here in San Diego, and so they are always the first to go. Speaking of these two publications, The Log recently ran a front page article titled SoCal Slips Face Uncertain Future, which went into great detail about how impossible it is to find a slip in San Diego. And in the October Latitude, you wrote, 'It's easier to find a seven-dollar bill than it is a slip in San Diego.'

"Fact: Sunroad Marina, on the east end of Harbor Island in San Diego, just across the way from where the Ha-Ha Kick-Off party will be held, is not only the newest and best marina in San Diego, but we've never run out of slips for boats under 53-ft since we opened in '87.

"Fact: We already have several Ha-Ha boats in our marina on a temporary basis - just as we have had every year before the start of the Ha-Ha. We even offer Ha-Ha entries a tremendous discount over our standard temporary rates.
Latitude would really be doing its readers and the Ha-Ha participants a great service by getting this message out loud and clear."


Photo Courtesy Sunroad Marina

We hope this gets the message out. The only downside of this news is that, as Mac Laggan will be the first to admit, Sunroad's standard prices, reflecting the quality of the facility, are somewhat higher than many cruisers are accustomed to paying. But for short term, it might make a lot of sense. At the very least, it might be worth giving him a call at (619) 574-0736. Or visit www.sdmarina.com

- latitude / rs


Maersk Building the Biggest Container Ship Ever

October 4 - Denmark

Visualize, if you can, a container ship that is 1,300-ft long and 183-ft wide, and you'll have an idea of the Maersk Emma which is currently under construction for the world's biggest shipping company. How many containers will she carry? The highly-secretive Copenhagen-based company considers it a trade secret, and is doing all it can to prevent competitors from finding out.

Container shipping started in 1956, and in recent years had become a major force behind globalization. How so? According to a report in yesterday's Financial Times, it is often times less expensive to ship a container from China to Europe than it is to truck it from the arrival port in Europe to some other destination just 100 miles away. Wow.


Photo Courtesy Maersk

- latitude / rs


Ageless Beauty

October 4 - San Francisco Bay

Although the 74-boat Star Worlds were an instant eye-catcher last weekend off the Berkeley shoreline, that 95-year-old class wasn't the only venerable group of boats out racing on the Bay.

As we perused East Bay waters, we were struck by the simple beauty of these Knarrs and IODs, effortlessly skimming across the Bay in Saturday's mild conditions.

The first International One-Design boats were launched in 1936, while the Knarr design came along a few years later - in 1943. Both of these actively raced designs, of course, are made of wood and were designed by Scandinavians. See http://sfiod.org and www.knarr-sf.com for more info.


La Paloma leads Never Again II and Bolero on an eastbound run


The IOD Xarifa cuts a pretty line toward Tiburon


Knarrmageddon and Huttetu trade tacks up Raccoon Strait

All Photos Latitude/Andy

- latitude / aet


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