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Photos of the Day

June 27 - San Francisco Bay

Hot enough for you? We went out early this morning looking for relief from the heat - and found a little on the Bay. The shots we took are our Photos of the Day.

Living on the hook off Sausalito isn't the easiest gig in the world, particularly when the afternoon winds howl. But when it's been as hot as it has been, it's paradise!

Congress Moves to Ban Importing Teak from Burma

June 27 - Washington DC

"A bill to prohibit the importation of all teak grown in Burma could have a devastating and unintended impact on U.S. boat manufacturers. H.R. 2330 has passed in the U.S. Senate and is moving quickly through the U.S. House of Representatives. NMMA needs you to contact your U.S. Representatives now to counteract this sweeping ban before it's too late." So reports the National Marine Manufacturing Association.

Rudiger Guiding Zaraffa to TransAtlantic Course Record

June 27 - Atlantic Ocean

Navigator Mark Rudiger of Marin has put Skip Sheldon's 66-ft Zaraffa in great position against 59 competitors in the 3,600-mile Newport to Cuxhaven, Germany, DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge. They are about two days from the finish. Rudiger explains how they come to be in such a good position:

"We were able to come off the backside of low, and we were unconventional in taking a more northerly route out from the start. We were anticipating northeasterlies, so we could almost fetch the Gulfstream easier than boats that went lower. We took our medicine early, so to speak. It was critical for big picture. We had a four-hour window to catch the train on this cold front, and we were on the leading edge for a week, surfing it. If we arrived four hours later at Point Alpha, we would have missed the train. We were fortunate to get on."

That's why a good navigator and good luck are so important. To date, Bob McNeil's R/P 86 from Mill Valley, arguably the fastest boat in the fleet, hasn't been so lucky. They started nearly a week later in the second division, and haven't been able to catch such a good cold front.

How About a Graphic of the Day?

June 27 - The Southern Ocean

Today's dazzling Graphic of the Day is of the new format for the proposed Antarctica Cup International Yacht Race scheduled for 2005 in one-design maxis. According to organizers, the race will pit national teams against each other in 76-footers, with the race course being a loop of Antactica. Here's the kicker - the prize money is 4.7 million Euros. This idea was hatched in Perth, Western Australia, but has now migrated to New Zealand, which, with the loss of the America's Cup, is seeing a dropoff in their marine business. According to Kiwis associated with the effort, the event will create substantial economic benefits for New Zealand and up to 1,000 jobs. Yachts - see accompanying rendering - would need about 45 days to complete the 15,000-mile hell-trip.

Catalina Cat Trip Aboard Profligate?

June 27 - SoCal

We had so much response to our single mention of a 'shared expenses' offer to race aboard Profligate in the Santa Barbara to King Harbor (Redondo Beach) Race in August that the space went almost immediately. It got us to wondering if there might be any interest in a 'Catalina Cruising Cat trip' over a three-day weekend. We're thinking that everyone would gather in Long Beach at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 8, and we'd sail over to Avalon and either take a mooring or anchor for the night.

Want to drive a 63-ft cat? This would be your chance. Folks could explore Avalon that night and the next morning. In the afternoon, we'd either sail around the back side up the island, or up the front side, depending on the wind, and in any event end up at Two Harbors for the night. It's a great place to hike and we'd have a beach BBQ for the evening meal followed by a bonfire. As always, there would be live music and dancing ashore.

After more hiking opportunities on Sunday morning, at noon we'll set sail on what's usually a spinnaker run to Newport Beach. We should arrive by 7 p.m., in time to catch the 9 p.m. Southwest flight back to Oakland. It would be an activity-packed three-day adventure, with lots of sailing, lots of time to run around shore - a great three-day getaway. It would be a particularly good trip for couples, especially couples who have toyed with the idea of buying or chartering a catamaran. If anyone has any interest, email Richard.

Crichton's Alfa Romeo Wins 'Fastnet of the Med'

June 27 - The Med

Kiwi Neville Crichton showed up in St. Tropez with his 90-ft Alfa Romeo - winner of last year's Sydney to Hobart Race - to take on a fleet of 169 other boats to compete in the 51st Girgalia Race to Genoa, Italy. Just over 22 hours later, he owned the new course record in what's considered 'the Fastnet Race of the Med'. The accompanying photograph shows Alfa Romeo pulling away from the pack just after the start.

Photo Courtesy Alfa Romeo

Cadillac Van Isle 360º

June 27 - Vancouver Island, Canada

The Cadillac Van Isle 360 is a 580 nm point-to-point race circumnavigating Vancouver Island, BC Canada. It started on June 14 and ends this weekend. Sailed in ten legs, the course provides inshore, offshore and overnight legs through some of the world's most challenging and beautiful waters.

John McCartney of Menlo Park, Latitude fan and race participant on Music, A Nordic 33 based in Bellingham, WA, reports that a trimaran, named Redshift and owned by Wayne Gorrie, one of the organizers of this race, flipped during Leg 9 on Wednesday night. The four sailors onboard were rescued and are reportedly safe and sound. The craft has since been towed and righted. See the official Website for more details: www.vanisle360.com.

YOTREPS

June 27 - The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.

Weather Updates

June 27 - Pacific Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

Check out this guide to San Francisco Bay Navigational Aids: http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/sfports.html.

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.