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Former Northern California computer whiz — Vallejo, Berkeley, the Peninsula — Roger Sturgeon and his nearly new and first-ever STP 65 Rosebud have put in an impressive performance, having finished fourth and being the corrected time leader in the 605-mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The last several days have seen brilliant French singlehander Francis Joyon and his 97-ft trimaran IDEC face the worst conditions to date in his quest for the singlehanded around the world record.
The January issue of Latitude 38 and the 2008 Northern California Sailing Calendar and YRA Schedule hit the docks today.
. . . individuals can fund — or partially fund — America’s Cup campaigns that cost $150 million, and still have enough left to own 450-ft giga motoryachts?
When Heather sees something she wants, she makes sure she gets it.
Capricorn Cat
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Heather ‘I’ll never do retail again, not even at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’ Cosario sort of looks like she’s dumpster diving.
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Heather ‘I’ll never do retail again, not even at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’ Cosario sort of looks like she’s dumpster diving.
Javier de Muns, our man in Brittany with his finger on the pulse of solo around the world racers, filed this report:
"Last Monday’s weather window, with 40 to 50 knots wind, big seas, and an air temperature of 30 degrees seemed to have done the trick for Thomas Coville and his 105-ft trimaran Sodebo, as they are already in the warmer latitudes of the Canary Islands, having averaged 20 knots since the start.
The day after Christmas (December 26) means the shopping is a faint memory, the presents are opened, the house is a mess and you’re ready for a little sailing ‘content’ in your life.
Doña de Mallorca and a new acquaintance sitting in front of Hilda’s Taco Stand in Turtle Bay.
In an effort to allow our staff to finish (and, in some cases, start) their Christmas shopping, and then to recover from the Big Day itself, ‘Lectronic Latitude will be on vacation until December 28.
Not having a lot of money didn’t stop Northern Californians Eli and Sara from enjoying a summer of cruising their own 36-footer in the Med.
The harbor at Gustavia is perfect for blockading.
latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Bonnie Russell of San Diego alerts us to the fact that the fishermen — and there are not many of them — on the chic island of St.
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Bonnie Russell of San Diego alerts us to the fact that the fishermen — and there are not many of them — on the chic island of St.
With the ideal weather window for crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia just a few months away, there’s lots of chatter — both on the docks and via email — between those who will soon join the ranks of Pacific Puddle Jumpers, as we like to call them.
"I do my job as a sailor, that’s all." So Francis Joyon said modestly after he and his 97-ft trimaran IDEC left the Indian Ocean and sailed into the deep South Pacific.
Despite the solitude and rigors of sailing solo around the world, Joyon’s state of mind has been described as “serene.”
With Francis Joyon and IDEC setting such a furious pace, Coville is having to start in storm conditions to try to keep up.
You may recall that New Zealand sailing hero Sir Peter Blake was murdered by pirates in the Amazon River six year ago this month.
"Who was that guy?"
That’s the question Baja Ha-Ha Rally Committee members were asking themselves shortly after the awards ceremony.
The ‘Freedom 32’ raft designed by Fidel Castro.
© 2007 Rod Williams
Today’s Photo of the Day, of a 10-person Cuban refugee raft that washed up on San Pedro Reef in Belize, should be a reminder to everyone just how good we’ve got it in the United States — and just how bad people have had it in Cuba under the tyrant Fidel Castro for more than 40 years.
The day after setting a 24-hour singlehanded record of 616 miles with his 97-ft trimaran IDEC, Frenchman Francis Joyon followed it up with a near 600-mile day yesterday.
Need the perfect holiday gift for your favorite sailor? Time’s running out — only 10 shopping days left.
The America’s Cup inaction has been moving along at a furious pace.
After BMW Oracle won their court case against Ernesto Bertarelli and Alinghi on November 27 — which meant the default became BMW Oracle racing the next America’s Cup in 90-ft (presumably) multihulls against Alinghi — BMW Oracle suggested a meeting with Alinghi to negotiate a more traditional America’s Cup, with as many participants as possible.
Tragedy has struck this year’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. On December 7, John Thompson, 54, of the Great Britain-based Oyster 41 Avocet was hit in the head by the boom during a broach and was severely injured.
Several readers thinking about doing next year’s Ha-Ha wondered what kind of experiences people had doing the Bash back north right after this year’s event.
"It seemed unavoidable, and indeed it has happened," writes Javier de Muns, Latitude‘s man in Brittany.
Cocokai as seen earlier in her travels, not the way she entered the bar at Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador.
There’s no denying that the French are showing the world the way when it comes to ballsy ocean sailing.
The youngest of all the Pirates for Pupils was Katie Millison of colony Emiliano Zapata, weapon at the ready.
I’m glad that you consider me “your man in Brittany.” I hope to honour that title and send you good, accurate and first-hand news from the sailing scene in this part of Europe.
With colorful sunrises such as this one almost every morning, and 7 a.m.
Bismarck Dinius, who was charged with manslaughter in the 2006 death of Lynn Thornton, appeared in Lake County Superior Court November 29 to plead not guilty to the charges, and to request that Lake County prosecutors be removed from the case.
In Wednesday’s ‘Lectronic, we reported that the disabled San Francisco-based 47-ft motorsailer Darla Jean washed ashore at Fanning Atoll on December 2 after two and a half months of drifting across the Pacific.
Nariida, a Wally 105 from Norway, has set her chute and is leaving volcanic Tenerife for the much warmer and lush St.
Jim Milski’s new self-built catamaran Sea Level tasted the water for the first time on December 3 at Mare Island.
"On the morning of December 2, the 47-ft San Francisco-based motorsailer Darla Jean wrecked on the reef on the southeast side of Fanning Atoll in the Central Pacific," report Robby and Lorraine Coleman, who have been there for several months aboard their Honolulu-based Angelman ketch Southern Cross.
Francis Joyon and his 97-ft Irens/Cabaret trimaran have slowed somewhat in pursuit of a new solo around the world record, but are still on a pace that is — incredibly — about 20% faster than Ellen MacArhtur’s current record.
Small Flying Patio Furniture and BreakThrough enjoyed Saturday’s mostly-clear, but cold, conditions.
© 2007 Peter Lyons
After the bleakest November in memory, midwinter racing got underway again this weekend with well-attended series in venues ranging from the South Bay all the way up to Vallejo.
As Harker rounded Cape Point, South Africa, he returned to the Atlantic Ocean, from where he started his circumnavigation.
Talk about ‘pucker factor’ – this monster is bigger than the storm that killed the crew of the northbound catamaran Cat Shot last December.
It wasn’t too many years ago that America’s Cup promoters were doing anything they could think of to make the contest for the Cup more appealing to the general public — that is, ready for prime time.
If actual racing, as opposed to America’s Cup lawyering, is your passion, you should direct your attention to the Atlantic Ocean right now.
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