Photos of the Day

The Pleasures of the Channel Islands

October 5 - Santa Cruz Island

With so many people heading down to Southern California to prepare for a cruise to Mexico, we'd like to remind everyone not to overlook the pleasures of California's Channel Islands. The top photo is of Deborah Bunting standing on a ridge overlooking the water at Santa Cruz Island. The other photo is of the Forney's Anchorage, also on Santa Cruz Island.

Deborah's husband Guy spent years building their M&M 46 catamaran 'Elan' in the backyard of a home in Vista, California. He did a spectacular job. After shaking the boat down in the Channel Islands, the couple cruised south to Mexico last November, and have spent the summer in the Sea of Cortez. For more great photos of their adventures in the Channel Islands and the Sea of Cortez - including some great ones of the seafood you can pull right out of the sea - visit: msnhomepages.talkcity.com/PassportPl/elan2001/.

Photos Guy Bunting


Weather Updates

October 5 - Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Tropical Weather

Tropical Storm Olivia continues to blow at 55 knots well off the coast of Mexico and heading even further out. At this point it appears she'll fizzle as opposed to build.

Former Hurricane Keith has now moved into the Gulf of Mexico, but with only 35-knot winds. Other than that, the Atlantic/Caribbean is clear for the first time in several weeks.

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 has further links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml.

Pacific Ocean Weather

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

Pacific Sea State

Seas are normal in the Eastern Pacific. Check out today's sea state at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.


Cruising

A Short Season in Fiji and Vanuatu

 October 5 - South Pacific

Steve and Aleta Hansen of the San Francisco-based MacGregor 65 'Final Frontier' report, "The year 2000 sailing season was a short one for us, as we only sailed 2,800 miles while continuing to move west from Fiji to the Vanuatu chain, New Caledonia and Australia. We had to cancel our visit to the Solomon Islands - where the diving is superb - because of civil unrest, as armed militants took over the government. One of the highlights of our season was getting caught in the center of Tropical Depression 23F, which is one level below a hurricane, while traveling between Fiji and Vanuatu. So much for our faith in weather forecasters and weather routers. We also enjoyed our dive on the luxury liner 'SS Coolidge', which was sunk during World War II by U.S. Navy mines at Santo Island, Vanuatu. And if you ever get to New Caledonia, we can recommend the gastronomic three course meals for $15 in the Latin Quarter - especially at La Chaumiere."

Here are a few 'teaser photos' to get you to visit 'Final Frontier's photo filled Web site at: http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4293768897&code=465962&mode=invite

Japanese crew Hideyuki poses with the first catch of the season, a barracuda.

Photos Courtesy 'Final Frontier'


Top Photos Malakula Island, Vanuatu


Aleta Hansen cleans produce bought at a Vanuatu market.

YOTREPS

October 5 - 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/

Racing

'Club Med' Back in the Water

October 5 - Southampton, UK

Although the Gilles Ollier designed and built maxi cat 'Club Med' established an all time 24-hour sailing record of 625 miles while crossing the Atlantic this summer, the feat took its toll on the boat, which was shipped back to the yard in France for modification and beefing up.

"After 6 weeks in the yard, the maxi-catamaran 'Club Med' has gone back to sea. Redesigned bows, reinforcement of the forward sections for better reliability in case of shocks, modification of the lower sections considered too directional, new interior arrangement with notably the elimination of a galley to make way for a 'laundry' space. Nothing has been left to chance because the objective of this check-up, planned way back, was to optimize the necessary configuring of the boat less than 100 days from the start of The Race."

In other big news, Grant Dalton of 'Club Med' announced the signing on of Franck Profitt as the co-skipper. At just 36 years of age, Profitt has had some great successes on multihulls: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre with Loïck Peyron on 'Fujicolor' in '99; winner of the Europe Race aboard 'Fujicolor' in '92, '94 and '99; helmsman of 'Mari-Cha III'; holder of the monohull transatlantic record since '98; winner of the Quebec-St. Malo on 'Fujicolor' in '96; winner of the Multihull Trophy aboard 'Fujicolor' in '90, '93, '94, '95 and '96; helmsman on the Finnish maxi 'Belmont' in the 1989/1990 Whitbread.

Just before the start of The Race from Barcelona, 'Club Med's schedule will be dedicated to training:


The big cat is dropped back into the water at Vannes, France
Photo Courtesy 'Club Med'

Sept. 29 - Relaunched in Vannes
Sept. 30 - Delivery to England
Oct. 3 - Press day in Southampton
Oct. 7 - Departure from London for Portugal
Oct. 10 - Arrival in Vilamoura (Algarve)
Oct. 22 to Nov. 20 - Training, based in Vilamoura: Azores,
Passages of Gibraltar Straits, North and South Atlantic.
Nov. 28 - Departure from Portugal for the Mediterranean
End November - Portofino, Italy
Beginning December - Arrival in Monaco
Dec. 16-17 - Monaco: participation in The Race prologue
Dec. 19 - Arrival in Barcelona
Dec. 29 - The Race : Parade
Dec. 31 - Start of The Race


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