Photo of the Day The Big One on 'Big O' August 7 - Oakland In battles between a human and a fish, the fish usually loses. For example, check out the beautiful mahi mahi that Antonio dos Muertos caught off 'Big O' while sailing past Acapulco a couple of years ago. But on rare occasions, fish do win. According to 'Earth Week', a few weeks ago Jose Rojas Mayarita hooked a 10-foot swordfish off Acapulco. Apparently the fish wasn't too happy about it, because he jumped out of the water and into the boat - puncturing Rojas' stomach with his 'sword'. What's worse, the swordfish impaled his sword into the side of the wooden boat, so Rojas was 'pinned' to the boat for awhile on the high seas. He was found two days later and rushed to an Acapulco hospital where Dr. David Mendoze Millan reported that it was a miracle the fisherman could survive for so long with a sword penetrating his stomach. For another case in which a fish at least partially won, check out the September 'Latitude' for a feature story from the mid-Pacific in which a shark nearly took a cruiser's life.

The one that didn't get away. Photo Latitude/Richard

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Weather Updates

August 7 - Pacific Ocean San Francisco Bay Weather To see what the winds are like on the Bay right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/. California Coast Weather Looking for current as well as recent wind and sea readings from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena and the Mexican border? Here's the place - which also has links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S. www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml Pacific Ocean Weather Once again, the winds are light along the rhumb line from California to Hawaii, just as they were during the Pacific Cup. Winds are actually a little stronger - 15 knots - to the north, giving reasonably pleasant conditions to the delivery crews heading back to California.

University of Hawaii Meteorology Graphic Click here to see enlarged graphic.

Pacific Sea State

Seas are relatively normal in the North Pacific - except for two spots off the coast of Mexico, which will be explained in the next item.
Check out http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

Tropical Disturbances

Just as several 'hurricane experts' starting backing off from their predictions of an above average hurricane year in the Atlantic and Caribbean, hurricane Alberto starts putting out 80-knot winds in the mid-Atlantic. The good news for the Caribbean Islands is that Alberto is already relatively far north.
See http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2000/index.html

In the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Fabio, well off the coast of Mexico, is rapidly losing steam, but Tropical Storm Gilma, about 300 miles to the southwest of Cabo San Lucas, is blowing a sustained 60-knots and appears headed toward hurricane status.
See http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/e_pacific/2000/index.html for more.

Hurricane Alberto

Tropical Storm Fabio

Tropical Storm Gilma Unisys Weather Graphics

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Cruising

Baja Ha-Ha Update

August 7 - Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters

As of August 7, forty-eight boats have paid up for the Seventh Annual Baja Ha-ha cruising rally that will depart San Diego on October 31 for Cabo San Lucas. The current list is as follows:

1. Mykonos, Swan 44 MK II, Myron & Marina Eisenzimmer, Mill Valley, CA
2. Balquhidder, Mapleleaf 42 CC, Don Patterson, Tacoma, WA
3. Reunion, Catalina 42 MK, Dan Smith, San Diego
4. Nordic Maiden, Hudson Force 50, Ken Burns, Poulsbo, WA
5. Limerence, Beneteau 37, Douglas & Judy Decker, Milwaukee, WI
6. Tai Tam II, Island Packet 40, Thomas & Kathyrn Knueppel, San Francisco
7. Pipe Dream, Endeavour 40, Ferdy Sant, Yuma, AZ
8. LogOn, 41' Hunter 410, Douglas & Nancy Peltzer, San Francisco
9. Sipapu, Morgan Out-Island 41, Jake Holshuh, Long Beach
10. Indara, 45' Norseman 447, Eric & Christine Stephen, Gig Harbor, WA
11. Karibu, Cheoy Lee 35, Steve & Gabby McCrosky, Newport Beach
12. Nexus, Island Packet 40, B. Chipman & G. Harding, San Francisco
13. C'est Si Bon II, 39' F-P Fidji Cat, George & Sonia Kuperis, Vancouver, B.C.
14. Second Star, Explorer 45, Frank Piper, Oakland
15. Nereid, 43' Wauquiez Amphitrite, Michael & Joyce Creasy, Alameda
16. Arrakis, Hunter 30, Ethan Beneze, Tucson, AZ
17. Little Wing, 52' Custom Catamaran, M. Haste & M. Woodward, La Jolla
18. Lansa, Bristol 29.9, Eric Lind, San Francisco
19. Marishiten, N/M Able 94, William Hogarty, Alameda
20. Profligate, Surfin' 63, Joe Viagra & the Lucky Stiffs, Sausalito
21. Island Time, Tayana 48, Kirby & Pamela Coryell, Lafayette
22. Windriver, Catalina 42 MK II, Tony Williams & M. Morikawa, San Jose
23. Papillon, Catana 38, Steve & Sharon Merrill, Walnut Creek
21. Island Time, Tayana 48, Kirby & Pamela Coryell, Lafayette
22. Windriver, Catalina 42 MK II, Tony Williams & M. Morikawa, San Jose
23. Papillon, Catana 38, Steve & Sharon Merrill, Walnut Creek
24. Tiger Beetle, Newport 33, Arjan Bok, San Francisco
25. Niña Del Mar, Tayana 37, Lucien & Billie Jo Roux, San Diego
26. See Life, 44' Kennex 445 Cat, Monte & Shari Cottrell & Kids, La Jolla
27. Bronco, Morgan Out-Island 41, Nels Torberson, Hayward
28. Two M's, Wauquiez Amphitrite 43, M.B. & M.M. Curry, Poulsbo WA
29. C'est La Vie, 47' Catalina 470, Keith & Susan Levy, Pt. Richmond
30. Impulse, Santa Cruz 52, Bob & Bonnie Fraik, Tiburon
31. Sabrina, Rawson 30, Byron Corley, Fremont
32. Koodori, Yamaha 33, Alan & Carol Little, Napa
33. Felicity, Tashiba 31, K. Machtley & C. Siegismund, Seattle
34. Osprey, 48' Tayana, Lee & Nicki Dale, San Diego
35. Chewbacca, Crowther 33 Cat, Winship Family, Alameda
36. Seabreeze, Swift 40, Chris & Cathy Halberstadt, San Francisco
37. Raven, Sundeer 64, Jan & Signe Twardowski, Gig Harbor WA
38. Lilia, 38' Catalina 380, Paul & Lilia Ashley, Peoria AZ
39. Daffodil, Cal 39, Richard & Lorna Oppenheimer, San Francisco
40. Viva, Saga 43, Scott Harkey & Debra Cutting, Seattle
41. Favonius, LaCoste 42, Michael & Claudia Pordes, Vallejo
42. Ragdoll, Pacific Seacraft 37, Michael Traynor, Richmond
43. Enya, Panda 38, Glen & Evelyn Meskimen, Saratoga
44. Outta Bounds, Andrews 50, Chuck & Pam Cook, Breckenridge CO
45. Poca Loca, Irwin Citation 39, Lonne & Sara Sower, Corvallis OR
46. Anna Augusta, CT-34, Tom Stogsdill, Los Angeles
47. Kachina, Hans Christian 38T, Mike & Kathee Mealer, Farmington NM
48. Chère, 46' Beneteau Oceanis 461, Ed & Sharon Sweo, Bellevue WA

Check out the official Ha-Ha Website at www.baja-haha.com.

YOTREPS

August 7 - The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific and what kind of weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS - 'yacht reports' - at http://www.bitwrangler.com/yotreps/

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Racing

Kenwood Cup

August 7 - Hawaii

A classic port-starboard collision between two members of the USA White Team was the lowlight of yesterday's 12-mile Champagne Mumm windward/leeward race off Waikiki. 'Zamboni', Doug Taylor's Hawaii-based Farr 40 OD, was involved in a collision with fellow USA White Team entry 'Glama', when 'Glama' was hit by a strong gust and her crew wasn't able to ease off the main in time. 'Glama' came out of the collision in relatively good shape, but 'Zamboni' was badly damaged, and owner/driver Taylor was rushed to the hospital with lacerations to the head and legs but released a short time later.

Meanwhile, the Australia team pulled ahead of the Kiwi team with just the 150-mile Molokai Race left to go. If the Kiwis are to repeat as champs, all three of their boats will have to beat all three of the Aussie boats. For more, check out the story and great photos at www.kenwoodcup.com.

Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race

August 7 - Santa Barbara

The results aren't in yet for this Southern California classic, so why not check out some of the Santa Barbara YC Wet Wednesday photos at http://www.sbyc.org/Race_Results_Index.htm. Here's a sample:

Wet Wednesday J/24 Start Photos Courtesy Santa Barbara Yacht Club

Close Finish

Sailing Buddies