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Photo of the Day Wish You Were Here November 7 - Bahia Santa Maria As they say, there's always next year. Why not make it your New Year's resolution to be part of the Baja Ha-Ha VIII fleet? Bookmark www.baja-haha.com now for use later! In the meantime, check out the Baja Ha-Ha coverage below to see just some of what you have to look forward to.

Millennium Falcon, a Brewer schooner out of Alameda, starting Leg 2 Photo Latitude 38

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Weather Updates

November 7 - Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Tropical Weather

Are any hurricanes going to affect the Ha-Ha? You can check on the Mexico hurricane region at http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/e_pacific/2000/index.html.

All is quiet in the Atlantic/Caribbean hurricane region.

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay and just outside the Gate 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 has further links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml. Also check out http://facs.scripps.edu/surf/buoylist.html (but note that the Java Applet is still not working with some browsers on Macs - including your Webmistress's Netscape Communicator!)

Pacific Ocean Weather

You can view the University of Hawaii Department of Meteorology satellite picture by clicking here.

Pacific Sea State

Check out the state of seas in the Pacific Ocean at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

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Cruising

Keep 'em Coming!

While the Baja Ha-Ha is underway, our cruising section will be on hiatus, but we'd still love to hear from you...so keep your pictures and stories coming!

Qualcomm / Globalstar Satellite Systems Baja Ha-Ha VII Update

November 7, 2000 - Bahia Santa Maria, Baja California, 600 miles south of San Diego

It's layday at stark Bahia Santa Maria after a beautiful and swift 240-mile Leg #2 from Turtle Bay. Veteran offshore sailors described the first 24 hours as having as ideal offshore conditions as can be found: 15 to 20 knots of wind, cloudless blue skies during the day, and brilliant stars and a cloudless sky at night. The faster boats really jammed down the course, and the slower and heavier cruising boats made good times. Much of the fleet sailed the entire day. True to his word, Kojak has established a restaurant on the beach again for this day only, featuring fish and lobster dinners for $10, beer for $2, and water and soda for a buck. Naturally, he brought his rock 'n roll band. There's not another food concession for 150 miles. The big surprise of the day is Francesco Juarez of 'Sud Californiano' newspaper and radio station XPVSG. Francesco walked 10 hours through the desert to get here and get the story, something they don't do at the Chronicle. He used the flash on his camera to scare away coyotes! He'll be leaving BSM this afternoon with bags of clothes and toys for the boys' orphanage at Cuidad Constitucion. Fortunately, he'll be getting a ride out with the fish and lobster, and therefore won't have to carry the clothes and toys on his back. Race Committee boat 'Profligate' is offering a 90-minute charity sail around BSM to anyone willing to pony up $20 for an orphanage in La Paz. We're expecting a full boat of 40 people. After that, it's beach party! While there have been minor problems so far - out of water, broken autopilots, destroyed spinnakers and halyards - all boats are still sailing with their masts and rudders. The presence of the Qualcomm sat phone and Globalstar sat system has been a godsend to the crew of 'Profligate', one of whom had a cousin who was the only survivor from the first class section of the Singapore Airlines plane that crashed, and another whose close friend died of a heart attack shortly after a daily jog. While the phone couldn't prevent these situations, it made them easier on loved ones.

Life Aboard the Mothership Photos Latitude 38 It's overcast today, although the sun often pops out. It's expected to be sunny tomorrow for the start of the final leg to Cabo. Wish you were here! - The Grand Poobah aboard 'Profligate'

This Baja Ha-Ha VII update has been brought to you via Qualcomm satellite phones and Globalstar satellite systems, the official communications system of the Ha-Ha. We've been using their products to make countless calls and send the photos you've seen here. It's worked great!

YOTREPS

November 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

Vendée Globe Start Rescheduled for Thursday November 7 - Bay of Biscay Officials still hope to be able to start the twice-delayed Vendée Globe singlehanded around-the-world race on Thursday. Looking at the photo at right, we can see the reason for the postponements. Bruce Schwab reports that "it is WAY nasty outside. Even the fishing boats who know the harbor well cannot go out. No psycho windsurfers today!"

The 20' breakwater wall at Les Sables d'Olonne is awash. Photo Bruce Schwab

Answers to Friday's Quiz November 7 - New England Chris Chesley of Tustin won a free T-shirt for correctly identifying these three New England harbors: 1. "Follow the pilgrims to their monument. Provincetown is the site of this incident." 2. "A seer I may not be, but to Mystic Port of the Sea." 3. "I haven't lost my marbles nor my head when in Marblehead." "I know, I know, no poetry here, but ya gotta admit that such an attempt can only make you shake your head and laugh." All photos Latitude/Rob