Photos of the Day

July 18 - San Francisco Bay

Doug Buescher forwarded these shots of the recent Laser North Americans on San Francisco Bay. The first shot is of some fleet action, the second is of a vessel that doesn't conform with the Laser one-design and brings a whole new meaning to the concept of 'barging'.

Photos Courtesy Doug Buescher

EDS Challenge - Woman Overboard!

July 18 - Atlantic Ocean

The EDS Atlantic Challenge, currently underway, is an ambitious and interesting event. It pits six crewed Open 60s - usually they are singlehanded - in a series of coastal and transoceanic races. The event started in St. Malo, France, continued to Cuxhaven, Germany, then Portsmouth, England, and the fleet is now on its way across the Atlantic to Baltimore. From there they'll race to Boston, and regroup for the sail across back across the Atlantic to St. Malo.
To date, it been a very tough event for AlphaGraphics, the women's entry. They've had equipment problems, and in any event have been well off the pace. But when skill and seamanship became a life or death matter, they turned in an incredible performance. The leg to Baltimore has seen the fleet get creamed by gale force winds and big seas. During the course of the rough weather, Polish crewmember Asia Pajovska, a vet of the Euro 1 New Man Star, was swept overboard by a large wave. Co-skipper and then helmsperson Carol Archer, an American, sounded the alarm.


AlphaGraphics skipper Helena Darvelid
With a staysail set and the engine on, they made six or seven passes, but weren't able to reach Pajovska. They finally decided that despite the big seas and the fact they had the engine on, they had to drift down on her. The women managed to get a line to her, but were dragging her along at 10 knots and unable to pull her aboard. Finally they headed into the wind and, 20 minutes after Asia had gone overboard, pulled her back on the boat. By that time she was so exhausted that she was unable to help herself.

After the traumatic experience, the women are continuing on, although 500 miles behind the rest of the pack. For details, visit www.edsatlanticchallenge.com.

Are You Missing Some Shoes?

July 18 - Oakland

Some folks checking out a Bavaria Yacht at this spring's Sail Expo left their shoes behind when they left the boat. We've been wearing them for the last couple of months, but are thinking about getting some new ones. So if they are yours, give us a call.

More Paid-up Ha-Ha Entries

July 18 - Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters

11) Marna Lynn / Wauquiez Centurion 47 / Joe Brandt and Jacque Martin / Alameda
12) Circe II / Hunter 450 / Donald Engle / Lafayette
13) Ocean Child / Pacific Seacraft Crealock 44 / Bob Schiffner / San Jose
14) Wavy / Hughes 40 Catamaran / Michael Wright / Winters
15) Ti Arangi / Peterson 27 / Kevin Stumpf & Cherie Wiest / Minden, Nevada
16) Compañia / Tayana Vancouver 42 / John & Susan Pazera / South San Francisco
17) Essence / Hunter Legend 37.5 / Walt Turner / Portland
18) Lady B / Norseman 447 / Helmut & Mary Draxl / Newport, Rhode Island
19) Grey Max / Lord Nelson 35 / Bill & Mary Makepeace / Boulder, Colorado
20) Exit Strategy /Hershine Motor Yacht / Ben Jones / San Francisco
The Ha-Ha is up to more than 30 paid entries, with lots more to come. For example, we were up in the Napa Valley for what seems like our monthly haul out - Profligate's three bladed Max Prop simply fell off the boat on the Fourth of July - when we bumped into Chris Lloyd of San Francisco. Chris was working on his 41-ft performance cat Spectras, and says he's hoping to do the Ha-Ha and even the Banderas Bay Regatta this year. His boat would be a screamer, too, as he's taken a bunch of weight out, bought some new sails, and imported a carbon fiber mast that will dramatically reduce weight aloft. We're also disappointed to have report that Kirby and Pamela Coryell, who did the Ha-Ha last year with their Tayana 48 Island Time, will have to miss this year's Ha-Ha because of health reasons. They hope to do the 2002 Ha-Ha with their new Hylas.


Photo Latitude/Richard

See www.baja-haha.com for more on late October's cruiser rally.

YOTREPS

July 18 - 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/

Weather Updates

July 18 - Pacific Ocean

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.

Pacific Sea State

Check out the Pacific Ocean sea states 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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