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Francis Joyon has absolutely crushed the record for a non-stop, singlehanded circumnavigation. Joyon sailed his 97-ft trimaran IDEC across the finish line off the Brest inlet in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds — not only was it the fastest non-stop, solo lap around the world, but the second-fastest circumnavigation .
If you’re a frugal cruiser, it’s great to cruise on a boat that used to race as a class or whose sail dimensions are the same as a one design or popular racing class.
The Corinthian Midwinter Series is the biggie of the Bay. Not only do these two full weekends of racing, raft-ups and partying fun in January (19-20) and February (16-17) attract the largest fleets of any midwinter races (140-150 boats are anticipated this year), they can also boast the fourth largest fleet of any event all year long (behind the Three Bridge Fiasco, Vallejo Race and Great Pumpkin, in that order).
"I was a bit surprised last week when one morning I had three new emails from ladies I didn’t know," writes Marc Hachey of the Auburn-based Peterson 44 Sea Angel which is now in Dominica.
We’re writing a report on January 4’s whopper of a storm for the February issue of Latitude, including some amazing photos taken in the midst of the mayhem.
Francis Joyon’s IDEC is skirting over the top of the Azores High, which is centered about halfway between the Azores and the Canary Islands at present.
Local kids take a spin in Clipper Cove. © Treasure Island Sailing Center Where will tomorrow’s circumnavigators and Olympic sailors come from?
Here’s an example of just how small the world of sailing can be: While doing the Banderas Bay Blast in Mexico in early December, we became friends with new Profligate crew Tim Dick of the Hawaii-based Beneteau First 42s7 Eau de Vie, and his lady friend, Kim Le, of Sausalito.
Capt. Scotty and his family and crew romp along aboard the schooner Juno on the way to the Columbier anchorage.
Peter and Antonia Murphy, who embarked last summer on what they called the Trans-Pacific Baby Project aboard their wildly painted Mariner 36 Sereia, welcomed their new deckhand, Silas Joseph Murphy, into the world at 2:23 p.m.
Over the last year or so, we’ve gotten several reports of cruisers having to pay big bucks to: 1) Use an agent; and 2) Clear out of Puerto Madero, which is at the very southeastern tip of mainland Mexico.
With all the miserable weather we’ve been getting this winter, this weekend’s sun and relatively light breeze were a welcome relief and we hope to see more of it, including for the upcoming Three Bridge Fiasco.
A 300-ft oil barge carrying more than 2.6 million gallons of heavy black oil struck the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge last night around 6 p.m.
Francis Joyon’s trip up the Atlantic Ocean so far has been anything but an easy home stretch for his non-stop solo round-the-world record attempt.
"I just returned from Ecuador after answering a Crew Wanted ad posted by a woman skipper," Dave Hohman wrote to us in an email.
Jerry Eaton of the Belvedere-based Hallberg rassy 43 Blue Heron, the only West Coast boat to participate in the last Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, reported in January’s Changes that he, along with crew Wyman Harris and Walter Sanford, had a great time in the ARC.
“Help! I’m trapped by my safety device!” latitude/Andy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC While idling in the cockpit of Tom Lilienthal’s Beneteau 411 Dreamseeker last fall en route to Cabo San Lucas, we got into a friendly debate about the use of inflatable lifejackets.
The West Coast-based Bug Trap was found bobbing off Kauai, Hawaii, on Sunday with no sign of her owner.
It’s the time of year when dozens of cruisers are currently preparing to embark on the so-called Pacific Puddle Jump from the Americas to French Polynesia.
You think it’s been cold lately sailing on San Francisco Bay? Try swimming in it — without a wetsuit!
Looking south towards Angel Island from the Corinthian YC race deck: At high tide the storm surge could barely be contained.
Just minutes after setting a new 24-hour solo record, an encounter with an unidentified floating object forced Thomas Coville’s 105-ft trimaran Sodeb’O to retire from its singlehanded round-the-world attempt.
When we receive reports of boats washing up on distant shores, we do our best to verify as many facts as possible but often must rely on eyewitness reports.
Thomas Coville, who had a rough start to his own assault on Ellen MacArthur’s solo circumnavigation record and who was thought by some to be out of the running, has made a tremendous comeback in the last few days aboard his 105-ft trimaran Sodebo.
It’s never good when your ‘high water’ alarm sounds. And especially not good when it sounds while you’re singlehanding 500 miles south of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.
"Frosty and Patti of Angel Fish organized a Christmas potluck for about 75 of us cruisers at the Barra Country Club Golf Course, and then Bill Lloy and Moira Taft of Fancy Free put together a New Year’s Brunch," reports Charles Lane of the San Francisco-based Tayana 37 Shamari.
The magic of St. Barth – one day you don’t know anybody, the next day you’re sailing to windward in 30 knots aboard a yacht like Altair, a spectacularly restored 130-ft gaff ketch designed and built by Fife in 1911.
With the recent court ruling establishing BMW Oracle as the Challenger of Record for the next America’s Cup, Oracle sent off 2007 with a promise of a Deed of Gift challenge for October, 2008.
With the last of the 79 entries having finished or dropped out of the 605-mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Roger Sturgeon’s new Farr STP65 Rosebud was declared the corrected time winner. 
Even though the weather has been warmer the last couple days, don’t forget we’re still in the grip of winter.
French sailing dynamo, Francis Joyon, just keeps cracking off the miles on his quest for the fastest singlehanded circumnavigation world record.
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.
. . . 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?