'Lectronic Index

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Photos of the Day: Singlehanded TransPac

June 25 - Tiburon

Today's Photo of the Day is of Alchera at the start of the 2002 Singlehanded TransPac from San Francisco to Kauai. We publish it in honor of the 24 skippers who are signed up for the Singlehanded Sailing Society's 2004 Singlehanded TransPac. If they all show up for the 10 a.m. start off the Corinthian YC on Saturday, it will be the third largest fleet to participate in the bienniel event that started in 1978. Illustrating the mercurial popularity of the race, 2002 saw the smallest fleet in race history, with only 8 boats making the crossing to Hanalei Bay, Kauai.

Mark Deppe and Alchera will be back for their third Singlehanded TransPac when the fleet starts tomorrow.
Photo Latitude/JR

If the wind is right, the big boat in this year's race - Al Hughes' 60-ft Dog Bark - could threaten the monohull record. Dog Bark is an Australian-built Open 60 that, as Jarkan Yacht Builders, placed fifth in the 1990-91 BOC Singlehanded Round the World Race under skipper (and builder) Kanga Birtles. Other notable entries include a three-boat Moore 24 'fleet', and 10 returning Solo TransPac veterans, including Ken Roper, who's back aboard his Finn Flyer Harrier for - count 'em - his eighth Singlehanded TransPac.

For more information on the racers, and for daily updates on their progress, log onto www.sfbaysss.org.

The list of entries follows:

DIVISION I
Dog Bark, Custom 60, Al Hughes, Seattle

DIVISION II
Surfinn, J/90, Ryan Finn, New Orleans
Rusalka, SC 40, Erik Schwartz*, Bath, ME
Alchera, J/120, Mark Deppe*, Alamo
Tiger Beetle, N/M 45, Rob MacFarlane*, Alameda
Joe, Hunter 54, Chuck Beazell*, San Jose

DIVISION III
Koinonia, J/35, James Graul, San Francisco
Zapped, J/33, James Tallet*, Seattle
Prankster, Olson 30, Frank Ross, Anaheim
Wenlemir, Swan 47, Wen Lin, Tiburon
Kaien, Waterline 45, Steve Saul, Mill Valley
Audacious, Peterson One Ton, Carlton Eshelman, Fairfax
Wisdom, Santana 3030, Alan Hebert, Menlo Park
Starbuck, Blacksoo 30, Greg Nelsen*, Oakland

DIVISION IV (Moore 24)
Cookie Jar, Moore 24, George McKay, Foster City
Moore Havoc, Moore 24, Mark Moore, Sausalito
Color Blind, Moore 24, Greg Morris*, Foster City

DIVISION V
Alegria, Camper Nicholson 35, Jim Teipen, Alamo
Sail a Vie, Ericson 30, Phil MacFarlane*, San Mateo
Ergo, Ericson 35, Bill Merrick, Sausalito
Harrier Finn, Flyer 31, Ken Roper*, Loryon, VA
Miss Laney, Ericson 30+, Daniel Alvarez, Pleasanton
Islander, Bristol 34, Barbara Euser, San Rafael
Haulback, Spencer 35, Jim Kellam*, Delta, BC, Canada

* Singlehanded TransPac veteran

For complete coverage, see the upcoming July and August issues of Latitude 38.

Northern California Swan 57 Lost South of Pt. Sur

June 25 - Central Coast

Simon Snellgrove of Marin confirmed to Latitude that his Swan 57 Tintinara was lost on June 12 about 9 miles offshore some 50 miles south of Monterey. The boat was on her way back to the Bay after cruising in the Sea of Cortez. The crew consisted of Capt. Patrick Mcllwain and Snellgrove.

Starting on the 11th, the duo began noticing that the bilge pumps were coming on more often than usual. By noon on the 12th, water ingress had become a serious problem, and they'd been having to resort to manual pumps. For the next five hours, it became the story of how Snellgrove and Mcllwain, plus the crew of the commerical boat The Admiral, two Coast Guard choppers, a Coast Guard swimmer, and a Coast Guard Cutter battled to save the boat. Because of a variety of factors that made saving the boat seem unlikely, at 4:30 p.m. the Coast Guard District Commander reluctantly declared it a salvage operation, at which point everyone was ordered to abandon the boat, which was then directed offshore. Snellgrove hired a salvage boat to get to Tintinara as soon as possible, but the salvage vessel hit a big wave resulting in serious injuries to both the captain and crew, so the salvage had to be called off. The Swan presumably sank a short time later. While the weather had been typically rough of the Central Coast coming up from Conception, during the afternoon of the battle to save the boat, it had calmed down to 12-15 knots in four to six-foot seas.

We're not free to publish further details at this time, but it's quite an interesting story of a prolonged battled to save a boat - one that Snellgrove promises he'll share at the appropriate time. The exact cause of the water coming aboard is unclear, but there are several theories. Snellgrove had nothing but praise for the skill and efforts of the Coast Guard.

Disrespectful Idiots Wander Around Mari-Cha IV Uninvited

June 25 - Pt. Richmond

In the June 7 'Lectronic Latitude, we announced that the 140-ft Mari-Cha IV, the fastest ocean racing yacht in the world, was at the KKMI yard in Richmond getting ready to do the West Marine Pacific Cup. We further wrote that, "Paul Kaplan of KKMI notes that part of their yard is a public shore, so everyone is welcome to come and have a gander at the great schooner."

As such, we'd love to know which small band of disrespectful morons in the 'Lectronic readership took 'having a gander' to mean they were welcome to board a new multi-million dollar yacht, without permission, and without any of the crew aboard. What in the world gave you numbskulls the impression you were welcome to stroll around the decks as if you owned her?

It galls us to have to inform this a small minority of the readership that a person's boat - no matter if she's just a Ranger 23 - is private property, not a public park. Boarding someone's boat without permission is no different than walking into their house or taking a snooze in the backseat of their car. Thanks to this unthinkable lack of common sense, we've been greatly embarassed, and the chances of our being able to alert readers to the presence of other great yachts in the future has been compromised.

So here are the rules: If you want to see Mari-Cha, view her from the public area above the docks. Do not go down on the docks! And for God's sake, the people on the boat are working crew, not tour guides, so don't bother them. This means you don't pester them with questions such as: "Is this Mari-Cha?" "Is she doing the Pacific Cup?" "Is she 140 feet long?" Did she set the transatlantic record?" "How fast will she go?" "Where do you stop at night on the ocean?" If you find yourself unable to keep from bothering the crew, we suggest you go to the KKMI office to ask for a strip of duct tape to put over your mouth.

Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show

June 25 - Tiburon

You've read about and seen them in the pages of Latitude 38 every summer for the last 25 years. This weekend, you have a chance to see many of the Bay's most beautiful classic yachts up close and personal, as the Master Mariners Benevolent Association and Corinthian YC host the Wooden Boat Show on Sunday, June 27. Upwards of 50 boats are slated to take part in the event at the CYC docks, and you'll be able to speak to many owners and even be invited aboard a few boats.

This is the 11th Show, and each one seems to get bigger and better. In additon to the yachts themselves, there will be food, drink and music, and even something for the kids - boatbuilders from the Arques School of Wooden Boat Building will be on hand to conduct a 'course' on model boatbuilding for the youngsters (and maybe not-so-youngsters).

All proceeds from the show go to MMBA's non-profit educational arm, MMBF (the 'F' is for 'Foundation'), which provides funding for a wide variety of education, sailing and wooden boat building programs.

Hours of the show are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults; kids under 12 get in free. Corinthian YC is on the Tiburon Peninsula about 4 miles east of Highway 101. For detailed directions on how to get there, log onto www.cyc.org/map.html.

Banner Day for BMW Oracle at UBS Cup in Rhode Island

June 25 - Newport, RI

Thursday couldn't have been a better day for Larry Ellison and Oracle BMW, as they took three races from America's Cup champs Alinghi in the UBS Cup to hold an 9-4 advantage in the Pro Driver Series. Not only that, in the Owner-Driver races, Ellison took two races from Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli, who is no slouch at the helm. Ellison even won one race after taking a penalty for hitting the Swiss boat. He's as aggressive on the water as in business.

As for the goal of the UBS Cup bringing America's Cup racing to the masses, it's reportedly a huge success, with large crowds enjoying being allowed to get up close and personal with the boats, the sailors, and the action.

Woodies Invitational

June 25 - San Francisco

Nordic Belle

St. Francis YC hosted their annual five-race Woodies Invitational on the Cityfront last weekend in perfect weather. White-hot skipper Chris Perkins, who earlier this month won the San Francisco Cup and the J/105 PCCs with his J/105 Good Timin', blew away the competitive 24-boat Knarr class with a 2,2,1,1,1 record with his Three Boys & A Girl. Other class winners were La Paloma (IOD, Jim Hennefer/Jerry Rumsey), Nordic Belle (Folkboat, Eric Kaiser) and Curlew (Bird, James Josephs). See www.stfyc.com for full results, and the upcoming July Racing Sheet for more details and photos.

Three Girls & a Boy

Curlew
Photos Latitude/Rob