'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition

Photos of the Day

November 20 - Cabo San Lucas, BCS

Today's Photos of the Day - to honor those who got down into the surf and sand for photographers - are more shots from the recent From Here to Eternity contest at the Baja Ha-Ha Beach Party in Cabo San Lucas. You've got to love the enthusiasm and passion which, in fact, was so great that we've been unable to identify the participants. But we do want to thank them, and promise that it won't be too much longer before the sand gets out of their various crevices and orifices.

- latitude / rs

Photos Latitude/JR

Smith Leads Etchells Worlds

November 20 - Fremantle, Australia

Jud Smith of Marblehead, MA, leads the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds after three races. With two firsts and a second, he holds a five-point lead over second-place Andy Beadsworth of Britain.

The "Fremantle Doctor," the famed summer sea breeze on Australia's west coast, made an inconsistent appearance in the regatta's first two days, but today gave the 70-boat fleet 20 knots of breeze and plenty of whitecaps. Or, as PRO Denis Thompson of New Zealand put it, "There were plenty of sheep in the paddock."

Wave action at the Etchells Worlds in Fremantle
Photos Courtesy Audi Etchells Worlds

Of the NorCal boats racing at the event, Craig Healy sits in 33rd after being scored over early in the second race. Andrew Whittome is in 49th, John Gilmour in 60th, and Kers Clausen in 61st. The 8-race series continues through Saturday.

- latitude / ss

Bullimore: The Rest of the Story

November 20 - Hobart, Tasmania

British sailor Tony Bullimore finally made contact with his shore crew on Saturday. At the time, the British sailor and his delivery crew on Doha 2006 were approximately 420 miles from the West Australian port of Albany. Bullimore had been out of contact with his shore crew for 11 days while delivering his 102-ft trimaran from the Maldives to Hobart to begin an attempt at Ellen MacArthur's round-the-world solo record. The silence prompted concerns from media worldwide, though his shore crew was not unduly alarmed.

Explaining his lack of communication, Bullimore said, "The crew and boat are fine. We have simply been out of satellite range for our Mini M phone which is working again now that we are approaching Western Australia. We have two other satellite phones onboard but there seems to be a problem with the aerial connections which we will try and get fixed in Albany before heading on to Hobart."

- latitude / ss

Homer Simpson-Style Sub Found Full of Coke off Costa Rica

November 20 - Costa Rica

Costa Rican officials - helped by the FBI, DEA, U.S. Coast Guard, and Colombian officials - seized a funky 50-ft homemade submarine loaded with three tons of cocaine 100 miles off Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya. What gave away the craft - which was traveling at seven knots about six feet beneath the surface - where three plastic pipes used to get air into the sub. Seized along with the coke were two Guatemalans, a Sri Lankan and two Colombians. Costa Rican officials have confiscated a total of 18 tons of coke this year.

- latitude / rs

Misplaced Islands

November 20 - Baja California

In last Friday's 'Lectronic, we reported that singlehander R.T. Osborn of Portland abandoned his Balboa 35 after it began taking on water 35 miles from the San Benitos Islands, and that he was rescued unharmed by the San Diego fishing boat Royal Polaris. Inexplicably confusing the San Benitos Islands with Isla San Martin, we reported that Osborn was about 150 miles south of San Diego when he left his boat. Fortunately, reader Peter Wilde caught our blunder. The low-lying Benitos Islands are just to the west of Isla Cedros, about 300 miles south of San Diego.

- latitude / rs

Jennifer DeLeon Found Guilty of Murder

November 20 - Santa Ana

Jennifer DeLeon, the first of five defendants to stand trial for the murder of Newport Beach-based cruisers Tom and Jackie Hawks, was found guilty on Friday of two counts of first-degree murder. It took the jury of seven women and five men just over four hours to reach their verdict - which included finding "true the special circumstance of murder for financial gain" - against the 25-year-old mother of two. She faces the distinct possibility of life in prison without parole when she is sentenced on February 23.

We'll have a full report in the December issue of Latitude 38 which will hit the stands on Thursday, November 30.

- latitude / ld

Tuna Record

November 20 - Punta Mita, Mexico

Hector, the owner of Mañana Restaurant, a popular cruiser hangout and sometimes headquarters of the Punta Mita Yacht & Surf Club, reports that a free diver speared and landed - we don't know how - a 360-pound tuna the other day. We're told it's a world record, but we don't know about things like that. Tuna in excess of 200 pounds are not rare 15 to 20 miles west of Punta Mita, which is at the northwest tip of Banderas Bay not far from Puerto Vallarta.

- latitude / rs