November 30, 2001

By Grzegorz | November 30, 2001

Subasta

November 30 – La Paz, BCS

Tomorrow is Subasta – meaning ‘auction’ – one of the biggest
days of the year for the overwhelmingly gringo Club Cruceros
de La Paz (Cruising Club of La Paz). The club
Web site explains:

“It started in the mid-’80s as a collection
of saleable items, donated by the then existing fleet of visitors
in the La Paz harbor, to raise funds to purchase items that could
be distributed among the less fortunate families in the outlying
areas – colonias – of La Paz. Club Cruceros was formed
in 1988, and that year was our first concerted effort to create
not just an auction, but a combined fair and auction. Mac and
Mary Shroyer of Marina de La Paz offered their parking lot as
a stage, and allowed the club to set up a bazaar for the sale
of donated used clothing and other items too small for the auction,
a beer booth, a bake sale booth, and booths for outside vendors
of food and other items. The outside vendors donate one-third
of their proceeds to the cause. The event, which became known
as Subasta, has been held every year since, and proven
to be a good fund-raiser for the club. Folks can visit the Charities
page at www.clubcruceros.org
to find out where all the money goes. The funds are used both
at Christmas and the rest of the following year. In addition
to these efforts, we send out a solicitation by mail to the States,
which usually brings in enough to help us meet most of the needs
of the colonias we have dedicated ourselves to help.”

If anyone wishes to contribute cash to
Subasta, checks should be sent to Union Bank of California,
Castle Park Branch #40, 1343 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911.
The Club Cruceros Account number is 0400016445.

Ha-Ha Participants Contribute to Subasta

November 30 – San Diego

Thanks to the aerial photos of the Ha-Ha start taken by Tom Lyon
and purchased by the skippers in Cabo San Lucas, the total of
$925 in profits has been donated to Subasta. If we’re
not mistaken, this is the largest amount ever. Here are what
some of the shots looked like:

Photos Tom Lyon

For more shots like these, see ‘Lectronic
Latitude for November 7 and November 8.

ARC Fleet News

November 30 – Atlantic Ocean

The ARC yachts continue to have a superb sail across the Atlantic,
thanks in part to Hurricane Olga, which has generated excellent
winds. However ARC weather forecasters, WCS Marine Weather, report
that Olga has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, so its
affects on the Atlantic weather are predicted to lessen. A respite
from the strong trade winds will be well received by the fleet,
as a number of the yachts are busy sewing sails back together
or fixing broken gear.

The Heath-Robinson Award for inventiveness has so far gone to
the crew of Sydney 41 El Sid, which suffered a broken
boom 24 hours out from Las Palmas. Navigator Craig describes
the incident: “Well, a very interesting 24 hours. We had
been bombing along at 14-16 knots at times and then, like a piece
of plastecine, the boom folded itself in two in front of our
very eyes. We got the mainsail down and retrieved both bits without
incident, then sat down in the cockpit to discuss how we might
fix it.” After sleeping on the problem overnight, the crew
set to work the next morning.

“Next morning we were up and set the kite, which got us
off on the right track, and not too slowly. Today and yesterday
we had to stop to fix steering problems, then again today (Thursday)
we stopped for about 3.5 hours to sort it out for good. Terry
and Ian going into the ‘gimp-hole’ for ages and making some very
reassuring banging noises. We are back on course now, afraid
that the race is probably over for us. We are now surfing along
under the most bizarre jury rig you have ever seen: twin #3 headsails,
one poled out, and a trysail! However, our morale is at an all-time
high and we all now understand the expression ‘necessity is the
mother of invention’!”

Meanwhile, Kate Gower sailing on Valhalla,
a Swan 55, has been getting to grips with the daily radio net,
still a vital part of the ARC, even in the age of mobile satellite
telephones. Kate reports that life is good aboard Valhalla,
and as the only lady amongst six chaps, she is queen of the boat.
“It’s sunny and hot with 26 knots of wind, and I couldn’t
be happier,” said Kate. In the hot sunshine, the yacht’s
store of fruit is ripening quickly, so a fruit-eating contest
is underway. As compensation, the daily happy hour was extended
yesterday when the boat’s clock was moved back one hour; the
first of five time changes on route to St.Lucia.

For more Atlantic Rally for Cruisers news,
visit www.worldcruising.com/arc/1.htm.

Racing or Cruising?

November 30 – Southern Ocean

Madforsailing.com
recently ran an article by Peter Bentley accusing the Amer
Sports Two women’s entry in the Volvo Around the World Race
of not really trying hard. Among other things, Bentley cited
reports that the skipper, Lisa MacDonald, and the navigator had
become the de facto cooks, something that would never happen
on a men’s boat. The article raised a ruckus, but nearly 45%
of those in a madforsailing.com poll agreed that the women were
“cruising” rather than racing. For what it’s worth,
in a missive that was published in Latitude
38 last month, crewmember Melissa Purdy of Tiburon groused
that they were sailing their boat “like girls.” Nonetheless,
given the amount of experience and opportunities these women
have had, we think they are doing reasonably well, and don’t
deserve the dumping.

Crew work in the Southern Ocean . . .

. . . and in warmer latitudes
All Photos Courtesy www.nautorchallenge.com

Good news from Amer Sports One: If
Keith Kilpatrick’s recovery from intestinal blockage continues
as it has, he will be able to rejoin the crew for the remaining
legs.

Skipper Lisa McDonald
Photo Guido Cantini

Bridget Suckling on the bow

Photo Carlo Borlenghi

The Race to Be Held Again in 2004

November 30 – France

The December issue of Yachting World
reports that there will be another The Race, the around the world
event for maxi multihulls – in 2004. They also report that Steve
Fossett, fresh off the sensational transatlantic crossing at
an average of 25.42 knots, will be one of the competitors. Time
will only tell, of course.

While all the big cats sit idle this winter,
Olivier de Kersauson, who still holds the official Jules Verne
Around the World Record trophy, will be setting off to lower
the record in Geronimo, his new 110-ft by 69-ft trimaran.
Designed by Marc van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prevost, she
appears to be very fast.

Geronimo
Photo Benoit Stichelbaut/DPPI

Arctic Sailing on TV

November 30 – Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Join Gary Jobson this weekend for the ESPN
documentary 80° North Under Sail, a journey to the
Arctic. In a region of the world rarely visited by sailboat,
the crew aboard the Oyster 62 Oystercatcher XXIV explores
the Svalbard Archipelago and battles extreme weather conditions.
The show airs this Sunday, December 2, at 3:00 pm PST, on ESPN.

YOTREPS

November 30 – 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

November 30 – 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 Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology
page posts a daily
map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.

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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