Breaking News (Literally)

July 23 - Long Beach

Apparently one of Team Dennis Conner's IACC boats sank this afternoon while practicing off Long Beach. Details are sketchy at this point - we don't know which boat sank or why, though it may have had something to do with the rudder bearings. We do know that everyone aboard was rescued, and figure that Team DC will post something soon at their Web site, www.stars-stripes.com.

To quote Long Beach yachting journalist Rich Roberts, who is busy chasing down this story: "Sailing seems like it's getting pretty dangerous lately. Maybe it's time to take up a safer sport, something like lawn bowling!"


Photos of the Day

July 23 - San Francisco Bay

Not surprisingly, the first boat to finish Island Yacht Club's 67 nm Silver Eagle tour of the Bay held on Saturday was the trimaran Defiance, sailed by Michael Ropers. The first monohull to finish was Morgana, Rob Magoon's Santa Cruz 52 (formerly named Rosebud under Roger Sturgeon's ownership). The first monohull on corrected time, and the first J/105, was Steve Stroub's Tiburon. In Division B (PHRF 90 and below) Always Friday, an Antrim 27 sailed by John Liebenberg, corrected out over some much larger boats. The Division C (PHRF 91-159) winner was Katzenjammer, Dan Mills' Wyliecat 30. For the first time this year, the event included a shorter course for PHRF 160+, which was won by Michael Mathiasen and Bill Pritchard on Dulcinea. Complete results are available on www.iyc.org. And see the August issue of Latitude 38 for results, a report and more photos.


The start, unusually early compared to most sailboat races on the Bay, nevertheless got off in fair breeze off the St. Francis Yacht Club beginning at 9:30 am.


Blackaller Buoy was the first mark


In the main Bay, the competitors had a nice 10-12 knot wind, but at the Bay Bridge they stopped dead - there was a very clear line of demarcation - and became a drifting parking lot as they headed for the South Bay.

Photos Latitude/JR


Defiance finished first and won the 3-boat multihull division.


A J/105 skirmish near the start.
Monohull winner Tiburon is on the left.


Arbitrage, one of 22 J/105s, rounds
Harding Rock, the second mark.

 
Dulcinea, a 24' Killer Whale (note the orca
on the spinnaker) won the Eaglet (41 nm).


All but One

July 23 - Kaneohe Bay, Oahu

All yachts but Gaea have finished the West Marine Pacific Cup and the parties, and war stories (see below for one of them), have begun. Gaea's position will be available in the position reports on www.pacificcup.org. Her ETA is sometime early Thursday. Remember this photo we ran of Gaea at the start? Any wonder she's coming in two days after everyone else, even Fast Reorg and Moonshine, who made it in last night despite missing the tops of their masts?


Photo Latitude/Rob


Pac Cup MOB Drill

July 23 - Pacific Ocean

What's up with all the sailors falling off grand prix yachts lately?

The list of prestigious racing boats that have had MOB drills in the last two months includes Blue Yankee, Bright Star, Boomerang, Morning Glory - and now the R/P 86 Zephyrus V. Those of you following the recent Pac Cup already knew that Zephyrus V had engaged their engine during the second day of racing. Many armchair sailors suspected that a man had fallen overboard, a fact which was confirmed when Z-5 reported the incident to the Race Committee after finishing.

The incident is still coming into focus, as the Z-5 paid professionals are understandably reluctant to discuss what happened. But word around the bar at the Kaneohe YC is that it was the owner, Bob McNeil, who went swimming during a night-time baldheaded spinnaker change. Conditions at the time were 18-20 knots of breeze, with 8-foot seas. The MOB package was deployed, and McNeil was able to swim to it.

The Coast Guard was notified of the situation, as was Mari-Cha III, which was behind Z-5 at the time. M-C III dropped their sails to join the search for the MOB, at which point their bowman - who sails for Team NZ - lost part of a finger in a block. McNeil was retrieved by Z-5 about half an hour later, apparently no worse for the wear. From the sound of it, the Z-5 crew reacted perfectly, thanks perhaps in part to some unplanned practice they already had during sea trails around the Bay (a pick-up foredeck crew was knocked overboard for about ten minutes when he found himself on the leeward side of the jib as it went up during a spinnaker takedown).


Plastic Classic

July 23 - San Francisco

The Bay View Boat Club's famous (should we say infamous?) Plastic Classic Regatta & Concours d' Elegance for vintage fiberglass sailboats was held on Saturday. Ariane Paul was kind enough to send us these photos from the Race Committee boat of this 18th annual running of the event, which is co-sponsored by the Islander Bahama fleet. The club hasn't yet posted results on their Web site, www.bvbc.org, but check the August issue of Latitude 38 for results and more.


The fun-loving Plastic Classic finish line committee

Photos Ariane Paul


It's Official - Courageous to Sail Again

July 23 - Portsmouth, RI

Courageous, the official Rhode Island State Yacht, will be re-christened by
the Courageous Foundation, headed by Craig Millard, and launched this Saturday, July 27, at 4 pm, at the Hinckley Yacht Yard in Portsmouth, where she has undergone a one-million-dollar restoration.


Photo Courtesy Media Pro

The 67-ft 12 Meter, skippered by Ted Hood, won the America's Cup in 1974, and then won it again in 1977, with Ted Turner and Dennis Conner at the helm. Courageous was recently acquired by the Courageous Foundation for the major renovation. Along with a new keel, mast, spars, rigging and sails, the yacht's deck and transom have been restored to their 1977 configuration.

The re-christening will feature the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne on the bow of the boat. She will then be lowered into the water and available for tours and photo ops. Expected to be on hand are members of the winning 1974 and 1977 America's Cup campaigns, including Dennis Conner and Ted Hood, along with Rhode Island State dignitaries.


Photo Funnies Caption Contest

July 23 - The Wild Waters of Sausalito

Come up with the 'best' (a subjective term, admittedly) photo caption for this shot by 10 am Wednesday and we'll send you a Latitude 38 Roving Reporter T-shirt dyed a bright orange guaranteed to run in the wash. Email your answers to the Webmistress.


Photo Latitude/Rob & Annie


YOTREPS

July 23 - 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 23 - 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/. The National Weather Service site for San Francisco Bay is at www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey/.

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/Maps/Southwest.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 views of sea states anywhere in the world, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/.


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