Photos of the Day

May 29 - Sucia Island, WA

The Photo of the Day comes from Gerry and Carolyn who took this shot from Shallow Bay, Sucia Island, which is one of the northernmost San Juan Islands. "These photos were taken with my digital cam from the aft deck of our Snowgoose cat. Note the monomorans anchored towards the mouth of the bay. Shallow Bay is appropriately named, as at negative low tides there is only seven feet of water in the middle of the bay. Close to shore, where we're anchored, there's only four to five feet at low tide. Many unaware skippers of monohulls have anchored near the shore of this bay during high tide, only to find their boat listing six hours later. We plan to meander down the coast late this summer in a search for warmer climes, with the Bay Area our first major cruising goal. From then on, we'll see 'which way the wind blows'."

When sending in photos, please include your full name, as well as your boat's name, type, and hailing port. It makes it more enjoyable for everyone.

Is Sailing Popular Now, or What?

May 29 - Canary Islands

The folks at the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) report they've filled up all 225 slots for this November's 2,700-mile rally from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia. It's the earliest that this has ever happened.

Is Sailing Popular Now, or What? Part Two

May 29 - Newport, RI

The Newport to Bermuda Race is on track for an entry record, with 195 boats signed up. Of these, 145 will race in IMS, and 50 in the Americap II Division.

Sausalito Cup

May 29 - Sausalito

As we're sure you're aware, there was an America's Cup Class Regatta last weekend for the first-ever Sausalito Cup. Here's what the action looked like. Pick up the June issue of Latitude 38 - available on Friday - for details.

Irv Loube

May 29 - Belvedere

Belvedere's Irving Loube, a near continuous figure in the higher levels of Pacific and international racing, has died of cancer at age 83. Loube started in the early '60s with a Bounty II, then moved on to a series of top flight offshore yachts named Bravura. Of his many victories, perhaps the greatest was in '83 when his 46-ft Frers-designed took overall honors in the TransPac. We'll have more on Loube's career in the July issue of Latitude 38.

Triumph and Tragedy at Block Island Race Week

May 29 - Block Island, RI

There was glory at the 57th Block Island Race over Memorial Day. Eighty-year-old George Coumantaros, and 21 other mostly geezers, got the aged Frers 80 Boomerang around the 185-mile course at a record 11.3 knot average, knocking three hours off the previous record held by Hasso Plattner's R/P maxi Morning Glory. Experience may have counted, as the crew had 265 Block Island races and 683 years of offshore racing to their credit. Boomerang was fast enough to correct out in class and fleet.

The 57th Block Island Race will however, be remembered most for the death of 31-year-old Jamie Boeckel, America's Cup veteran and skipper of the 66-ft Blue Yankee from which he was lost. According to crewmembers, the wind was blowing 25 knots shortly after dark when Boeckel went to the end of the pole to change to a smaller chute. Despite a crew of 16 experienced crew, something went wrong, the pole snapped, and an apparently unconscious Boeckel went overboard into 50 degree water. Another crewman immediately jumped in, and supported the unconscious sailor for as long as he could, but Boeckel eventually slipped beneath the surface.

Blue Yankee (ex-Exile) is owned by Bob Towse, a highly experienced sailor, and carried an excellent crew, including the likes of Gary Jobson and Peter Isler. By all accounts, the crew responded in textbook fashion, despite the fact the boat was sailing at 14 knots. Despite a crash stop, it nonetheless took them eight minutes to return to the scene, by which time it was too late. They were joined in the search by the Coast Guard and a host of other participating boats.

"Jamie was one of the best, a great individual and a thoroughly professional sailor who had sailed thousands of ocean miles. He was boat captain, in charge of the day-to-day operations of Blue Yankee for the last two years, but I had known him a lot longer than that and he was a wonderful shipmate," said Towse.

YOTREPS

May 29 - 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

May 29 - Pacific Ocean

First Mexican Tropical Storm of the Season

For the second year in a row, the Northeastern Pacific hurricane season opened early. Although the season doesn't officially start until June 1, Hurricane Alma has formed well offshore of southern Mexico. It's currently at the minimum strength of 75 knots.

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/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.