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Photo of the Day

July 7 - Sea of Cortez

While you're up here in the States busting your chops to earn a living, the summertime cruisers in the Sea of Cortez are enjoying the relaxed life at places such as San Juanico. It's not crowded, the water's warm, the fish are biting, and there are generally light winds out of the south.

Photo by Mabelle Lernoud

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

Weather Updates July 7 - Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean Weather Vic-Maui and Singlehanded TransPac boats close to the islands are getting 15 to 25 knots while those further out are getting less. California Coast Weather It's light on Monterey Bay this morning, but it's still blowing in the high teens - and has been all night - off Argie and Conception.

Pacific Sea State

Check it out at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

Tropical Disturbances

There are no tropical storms or hurricanes in the Pacific.

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Cruising

YOTREPS

July 7 - Cyberspace and the Pacific Ocean

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/

After the Ha-Ha

July 7 - Baja California

Participants in the Ha-Ha always like to get out of Mexifornicated Cabo pretty quickly after the Ha-Ha, but this year there'll be yet another reason: bikers! A new motorcycle race, the Baja 2000, will be finishing in Cabo on the 14th or 15th. This gives Ha-Ha'ers a couple of days - all they need - to complete their business and move on.

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Racing July 7 - Pacific Ocean Victoria to Maui Race With a sharp crew taking advantage on almost perfect conditions over the 2,308-mile course, James McDowell's SC 70 'Grand Illusion' set an excellent new course record of nine days and two hours. In so doing, the non-turbo'd boat from Redondo Beach and sailing for Lahaina YC, beat Roy Disney's previous record with 'Pyewacket' by nearly 18 hours. For details, visit: http://www.vicmaui.org.

Photo Courtesy Vic-Maui Race

Singlehanded TransPac

The big news of the day is that Ken 'The General' Roper, one of the mainstays of the last several Singlehanded TransPacs, lost the stick on 'Harrier', his Finn Flyer 31, several hundred miles from the finish. Fortunately, Mike Jefferson aboard the Yamaha 33 'Foxxfire' was only 26 miles away and is heading over to assist with another spinnaker pole for jury-rigging a mast.

Anna Stockel with the Santa Cruz 50 'Sundowner' and Chuck Beazell with the Hunter 54 'Joe' are in the barn, with no more boats expected until Saturday.

David Bennett, who abandoned his seemingly still seaworthy Hobie 33 'Space Cowboy', spoke to the race committee this morning from the U.S. Navy ship that rescued him and is taking him to Everett, Washington. Although the radio connection wasn't good, Bennett is said to have sounded all right.

For details on the Singlehanded TransPac, visit: www.sfbaysss.org.