Photos of the Day

November 5 - Pacific Ocean

The Baja Ha-Ha VIII fleet departed Turtle Bay yesterday morning after a memorable stay that will be long remembered by the 106 participating crews.

With moderate yet consistent winds during Leg One, many repeat entries made record runs to the dusty little fishing town of Turtle Bay. It's by no means a sophisticated port 'o call, but, as newcomers soon found out, the town is home to some of the friendliest folks you could ever meet.

Since having three or four boats in the anchorage on any given day would be considered a 'big day', when the Ha-Ha armada arrives it is literally like Christmas. Virtually every business in town gets a huge shot in the arm financially, kids get pocketsful of belated Halloween candy, and both the townspeople and the cruisers share heartfelt gestures of kindness.

Highlights this year were the traditional fiesta at the Vera Cruz Restaurant, which had built a new disco - apparently with last year's profits - and a beach party, where ladies of the town helped cruisers cook nearly 200 lobsters that had been 'donated' by the local fish cooperatives. The Ha-Ha'ers reciprocated by donating hundreds of dollars to the community fund. The town's new mayor, Benito, could not have been more accommodating, and is already cooking up plans for an extravagant 'Lobster Festival' next year.

Another New Race

November 5 - Long Beach

Looks like next's year's Baja Ha-Ha fleet will have some company heading down to Mexico. A new long distance ocean race - the inaugural Isla Navidad Race (nicknamed El Ultimo Mexico Race) - will sail 1,178 miles from Long Beach, California, to Manzanillo, Mexico, beginning on October 31 and November 2, 2002.

Newport Harbor YC and Long Beach YC have joined forces to put on this race for PHRF racing, turbo sleds, ULDB 70s, Transpac 52s, California 50s and other one design classes. In addition, the sponsoring clubs will be hosting a power auxiliary cruise so powerboaters can come along, and a post-race golf tournament in Manzanillo.

Look for the Notice of Race at www.nhyc.org. The Sailing Instructions will be available July 2002.

Photo Caption Contest

November 5 - Monroe, Michigan

We got about three dozen responses to Friday's photo caption contest, some of which included multiple suggestions. Some of our favorites ranged from the brief and simple: "Popsicle toes," Peter Whitney; to rocket science: "Team Blue's latest computer models left traditional thinkers in the dust when they revealed that losses from additional keel drag were more than offset by gains from reduction in wetted surface area. They went on to take triple bullets and win the mudsuckers series" (this from Dave Biggs of Space Systems/Loral).

Scott Keck of the Ranger 23 Chaos out of Emery Cove Marina sent in some classified ad copy, "For Sale: Depth Sounder, Like New. Needs slight calibration." "Virtual Cradle - Allows 360 Degree Access to your hull!" "As part of our Premium Dredging Package, we now coat the bottom of the Marina with 3M 5200!" More ad copy from RWCat: "MONROE MICHIGAN MARINA, This Month's Renter's Special: Free Haulouts!* * Subject to tidal conditions."

Jay Sorensen writes, "Hey Peter! Tell Tink we need a little more Pixie dust here!"

Inevitably, there were a couple of Viagra jokes, including this from Jon Rolien, "See what happens when you feed a center boarder VIAGRA!"

Maybe there's such a thing as too light displacement? From Stan Wieg, "Shoal Draft Cruiser or UULDB - Ultra Ultra Light Weight Displacement Boat." "Some of the real ultra light boats have this problem, if you drain the holding tank and without crew aboard they tend to come off their water lines a little," Frostse-Cat. "When the folks at Hobie said these boats were 'ultra light', they weren't
kidding!" Scott H. Valor. "Lead, dammit! I said lead in the keel, not cork," Mik Beatie. "Our innovative new keel bulb flotation system eliminates the need for winter haul-out and bottom paint. We'll be ready for the America's Cup once we figure out why it won't steer," Anne & Mark Thomas

On racing strategy from jswalling: "I think we took off too much stuff for the Saturdays race . . . do you think?" Peter Schoen: "What did you take out to lighten the boat?" Ken Haas: "Hey gang, the helm feels REAL light . . . I think we are going to be fast today!"

Someone at the Morro Bay Police Dept. sent this one: "Taking after the Florida walking catfish." From Latitude contributor George Backhus, "Just another example of 'global shallowing'." Thomas Judge writes, "How NOT to fly a hull on a Hobie." Pat M: "Looks like a good time to drain the bilge . . . where is the plug?"

Jeff Coult of the Landfall 39 Northern Exposure out of Juneau, AK, sent in several, including: "I never imagined this would happen if the water bill was only a little late; Slip for sale, price greatly reduced; Has the dredging company cashed their check yet? The Army Corps finds yet another cost cutting method, think anyone will notice? I wondered why this slip was so cheap; and Poor man's dry dock for rent ."

Lance Berc suggested, "Hobie's monohull answer to their successful beach cat line, or the more erudite: Reduced wetted surface and a balanced helm are two techniques practiced by racers in the light winds common to the Great Lakes." He adds a PS: "Who pulled the plug on the lake? it's not like they have tides, and I've never seen a seiche of that magnitude."

Photo Courtesy Mark McCrindle

Mark McCrindle, who sent us the photo last week, writes, "I'm glad I own an Etchell that stays on the trailer." Our favorite caption and the winner of a Latitude 38 or Baja Ha-Ha T-shirt? Scott Keck's collection of ads, especially the one about the depthsounder that "needs slight calibration." Thank you to everyone who wrote in!

Napa Valley and the Bitter End

November 5 - Virgin Gorda, BVI

Bitter End YC's Pro-Am Regatta got underway Saturday the third and runs through Saturday the 10th. Pro sailers skippering boats this year include Peter and JJ Isler, Tom Leweck 'The Curmudgeon', Lowell North 'The Pope', Rod Johnstone, Charles 'Butch' Ulmer, and Keith Musto. Lots of 'Left Coasters' are crewing this year, including several from Pyewacket and Pendragon. Singlehanded Sailing Society of SF Bay Commodore Dwight Odom will be there, as will our own racing editor, Rob Moore, who will bring us back full coverage and lots of photos.

Oh, the Napa Valley connection? Dry Creek Vineyard of Healdsburg is the title sponsor.

New Skipper for Assa Abloy

November 5 - Cape Town, South Africa

Dutch skipper Roy Heiner will not continue in the Volvo Ocean Race with Assa Abloy. The syndicate management decided that the best thing for the team's performance is for Heiner to hand over the task of skipper.

Neal McDonald from the UK will take over as skipper for the second leg from
Cape Town to Sydney. McDonald is recognized as one of the world's best sailors with an impressive record in ocean racing and short course tactics. He is married to American Lisa McDonald, the skipper of Amer Sports Too.

YOTREPS

November 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/

Weather Updates

November 5 - Caribbean Sea

Hurricane Michelle has crossed Cuba but will most likely bypass Florida, as she has taken a turn to the northeast. She is now headed for the Bahamas, but is expected to weaken. However, a gale warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida from Cocoa Beach southward to Jupiter Inlet and a tropical storm warning remains in effect from Jupiter Inlet southward to Craig Key including Florida Bay. A hurricane warning is in effect for the northwestern and central Bahamas including Grand Bahama, the Abacos, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Exumas, San Salvador, Rum Cay and Long Island. A hurricane watch is in effect for Bermuda. At 1500 GMT, Michelle was located at 24.8N 77.2W, moving northeast at 16 knots. Maximum winds have been 75 knots with gusts to 90. To track Michelle, see http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/ atlantic/2001/index.html and http://hurricane.terrapin.com/ATL-15A/ Any cruisers with information on the situation in Michelle's wake can contact us by email.

Graphic Courtesy Unisys Weather

November 5 - 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.