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Sea of Cortez Sailing WeekFebruary 18, 2009 – La Paz, Caleta Partida, Isla San Francisco
We've been getting lots of requests for further information on the Sea of Cortez Sailing Week For Cruisers. Here's the poop: The event is for cruisers who really enjoy sailing, including some 'nothing serious' competition with friends in the spirit of the Baja Ha-Ha and the Banderas Bay Blast. If you don't understand the importance of bringing more to a potluck than you're going to eat and drink, think wearing a costume is silly, or don't like to laugh, this event is not for you.
There will be a skipper and crew meeting at Rancho Viejo Restaurant in La Paz at 6 p.m. on the March 31, at which time all the instructions will be made available.
Rather than being given a handicap, skippers will choose one of three divisions to sail in: 'Slow', 'Not So Slow', and 'Pretty Quick if I Do Say So Myself'. Everyone should take their own finish time, although we're not sure why, as all entries will receive a small plaque indicating they were 'First in Class'. There will be no protests or whining, but there will be volleyball games and eco-friendly water balloon fights on the beach, great hiking and snorkeling, a potluck or two, a costume party on Profligate, a sunset cruise on Profligate, and you never know what else. There is no entry fee, but any skipper hoping to get a 'First in Class' plaque is going to have to donate at least $25 to charity. Every cent of the donated money will go to a worthy organization selected by Mary Shroyer of Marina de La Paz. Souvenir T-shirts — last year's were pretty cool — will be $7.50, but only as long as they last.
We've been busy with other stuff, so we haven't been keeping a good list of folks who are planning to participate in Sea of Cortez Sailing Week, but we know the following boats are: 1) Talion, Gulfstar 50, Patsy Verhoeven, La Paz / Portland
We're sure there are other boats out there we've forgotten. If yours is one of them, or if you really want to participate, please email both Richard and Patsy immediately to indicate your interest. Since the number of participants is going to be limited by the number of people who can fit aboard Profligate for potlucks, costume parties and sunset cruises, and we're already close to capacity, we're reluctantly going to have to cut off entries soon. For those cruisers who aren't that interested in sailing, the fine folks at the Club Cruceros de La Paz will be holding their La Paz Bay Fest at about the same time. By the way, many of the same boats that are competing in the Sea of Cortez Sailing Week will also be sailing in the Banderas Bay Regatta for Cruisers based out of Paradise Marina, Banderas Bay, March 17-21. This is another 'nothing serious' event for cruisers. Visit www.banderasbayregatta.com for full details. We hope to see you there, too! - latitude / rs
More News from a Busy WeekendFebruary 18, 2009 – Oceans of the World Last weekend was a busy one in the sailing world. On Monday, we ran short summaries of the latest news news from the Vendée Globe and Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Today we have quick reviews of the Leg Five start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the Puerto Vallarta Race and the latest Melges 24 win for Dave Ullman.
Volvo Ocean Race — On Friday the 13th, five of the eight boats in the Volvo Ocean Race started Leg Five from Qingdao, China, to Rio. At 12,300 miles, this is the longest leg of any iteration of this race, going all the way back to its first running as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973. Puma led the fleet away from the starting line, but the real drama of this start took place way behind the lead boats. Telefónica Blue, winner of Legs Three and Four and second in overall points to leader Ericsson 4, went aground just minutes before the start. Skipper Bouwe Bekking suspended racing and returned to the dock. The boat was hauled out and inspection showed a chip out of the strut-keel joint. Choosing to be safe rather than sorry, Bekking elected to have the bulb removed for further inspection and repairs. Nineteen hours later, with a clean bill of health, they rejoined the race. While the repair was in progress, and five hours after the start, Magnus Olsson’s Ericsson 3 arrived to finish an eventful Leg Four. Several days after the Leg Three start in Singapore, they experienced flooding forward and discovered delamination in the forward part of the boat. They stopped racing and pulled into Taiwan where the boat underwent a hurried but thorough repair. Said Magnus, “I think I’ve done 40 legs in the Whitbread or Volvo and I’ve never abandoned a leg. But this definitely feels like the best finish I’ve ever made.” He and the crew said quick hellos, then loaded up the boat with new gear, food, three new crew — and took off again. Total in-port time: about two hours. Three boats did not start Leg Five. Delta Lloyd (ex-’05-06 winner ABN Amro One) and Telefonica Black both sustained damage that could not be repaired in time for the Leg Five start. They will be flown to Rio, repaired, and rejoin the race there. Team Russia got to Singapore and just ran out of money. They are bravely trying to scrape together enough to get the boat to Rio, but it’s unclear if this team will be able to continue the race.
2009 Puerto Vallarta Race presented by Corum Swiss Timepieces — Fourteen boats took part in this four-leg run down the Baja and Mexican coasts. Sponsored by Del Rey Yacht Club, the 20th edition of this biennial race was markedly different from days past — instead of being nonstop, the 1,034-mile race was divided up into four legs. Just like another event near and dear to our hearts, the fleet stopped in Turtle Bay, Mag Bay and Cabo, with the finish of course at PV. The start was off Marina del Rey on January 31, with the first boat to finish being Bob Kettenhoffen’s 60-ft Dare just before midnight last Thursday. First place trophies in the four divisions — given out at the Awards ceremony Saturday night — went to: Spinnaker A — Carmagnole, Beneteau 45, Dan Howard, DRYC; Spinnaker B — Barking Spider, Catalina 36, David Kory, SBYRC; Non-Spinnaker A — Defiance, Swan 56, Peter Noonan, StFYC; and Non-Spinnaker B — G-Rated, Catalina 42-2, Sid Lampert, DRYC. Another first for this race — perhaps for any race — was that the support boat . . . wasn’t a boat! When the planned escort powerboat had to cancel at the last minute, three guys jumped in Marty Fiegel’s ‘Winnebago 36’ and headed south on the ultimate road trip. They managed to meet and greet the fleet upon arrival at each of the four stops, including remote Bahia Santa Maria (where the fleet anchored north of Mag Bay)! Go here for more on the race, including complete results. 2009 St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta — A pair of Californians put up some really good scores in the 45-boat Melges 24 class at the St. Petersburg NOOD last weekend. Newport Beach sailmaker Dave Ullman posted a bullet and three deuces to go with a third and a fifth to take the regatta by 12 points. Marina del Rey's Alan Field finished the regatta with a 6-1-5 to lock up third. Pre-race favorite and 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson came into the regatta on a hot streak but could only muster a sixth after starting the regatta with a pair of 15s. Full results are here. - latitude / jr |
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