August 1, 2003

Photos of the Day

August 1 – Santa Barbara

The Wanderer and Doña de Mallorca
are in Santa Barbara, getting ready to do Friday’s 86-mile Santa
Barbara to King Harbor (Redondo Beach) Race. De Mallorca reports
that on the way south along the normally windy California coast,
there was never more than eight knots of wind, and the seas were
flat — perfect northbound weather. As she and the two delivery
crew rounded Point Conception, they were chased down by the Coast
Guard in an orange inflatable, which had been hiding pirate-like
at the Cojo Anchorage just around Government Point. Since Profligate
had passed an inspection just a year ago, the woman officer in
charge conducted a quick spot check, noting a minor deficiency
in flares. (We shouldn’t have set off so many to celebrate the
start of Banderas Bay Regatta.) After the inspection was done
and upon learning that Profligate is Latitude‘s
boat, the officer noted that she was a “big fan”. That
makes us proud.

Heidi of the US Coast Guard

Santa Barbara YC officials report 120 sign-ups
for the King Harbor Race, and hope to get a few more late entries
to surpass last year’s total of 128 boats. The wild card is how
many of the boats that completed the TransPac in mid-July will
be able to make it back in time. Incidentally, last year’s overall
winner was Northern Californian Paul Martson with an Antrim 27.
Although we don’t know for sure, we wouldn’t be surprised if
he showed up to defend his title.

The Santa Barbara Muni Harbor has over 1,000 slips, but there
is so much demand for them that they’ve stopped keeping a waiting
list. Some people have been on the list for 25 years. Maybe it
has something to do with nice toilet facilities!

An active and working harbor, Santa Barbara is very popular with
fishermen, sailors, old geezers on the breakwater, young lovers,
joggers, tourists, surfers and just about everyone else. These
folks know nothing about racing, but enjoy the spectacle – except
when the gun goes off and shocks the daylights out of them!

The breakwater is spectator-friendly for watching the races.

Santa Barbara Yacht Club is right on the beach and the Wet Wednesday
fleet races right in front of the club.

Wet Wednesday Beer Can Races are a big
deal for the Santa Barbara YC, and attract a large and excellent
fleet. Check out the photos of the aggressive starts. Some of
the King Harbor boats use the Wednesday night race as a King
Harbor tune-up.

The middle-sized boats battle for room at the start.

It’s even more competitive with the J/24s and other small boats.

One of them was Greg Dorland of Lake Tahoe,
seen here with his lady friend Debbie, who for 23 years has run
the well-known Christie Hill Restaurant in Tahoe.

Dorland sailed his Melges 32, which has
tremendous sail area for her weight, to second in division. “We
might have won if you’d come along,” he joked. “We
got badly overpowered at the weather mark.”

Greg Dorland’s Melges 32 with her chute up.

Finish line fun!
Photos Latitude/Richard

Anyway, it’s both King Harbor and Fiesta
in Santa Barbara, so it’s party time everywhere. Wish you were here.

TransPac Faces

August 1 – Honolulu

TransPac faces in the crowd. For more pictures,
as well as the full story, check out our feature coverage in
the August issue that hits the docks today!

Tres Amigos. From left: John Bennett, Jon ‘Hippie’ Shampain and
Ian Vickers were the only gringos aboard the Acapulco-based J/125
Jeito.

Bill Lee,’The Wizard’, laughs about a shirt someone gave him,
from the SC 50 ‘Dolphin Dance’ in the ’96 PacCup. Calvin is saying:
“We got the idea from some guy in Santa Cruz.” Hobbes
adds, “He said he was sailing to Hawaii on a sled.”

Kimo Worthington, who now lives in North Carolina, sailed on
Pendragon 4 with three other Whitbread/Volvo vets. “This
was a tea party compared to the round-the-world stuff,”
he claimed.

John Wylie, skipper of Tabasco, and TPYC Commodore Brad
Avery. Showing incredible enthusiasm and stamina, Avery greeted
every boat as they docked on TransPac Row, regardless of the
hour.

AUGUST ISSUE HITS THE DOCKS

August 1 – Northern California

The August issue of Latitude 38
comes out today. Check it out for complete TransPac coverage,
circumnavigation, Alaska cruising, broaching, Boat of the Month
Ranger 33, Max, great photos, good stories and all the usual
juicy bits. Then get out there and enjoy your weekend!

YOTREPS

August 1 – 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

August 1 – 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.