Aug 02, 2004

Photo of the Day

August 2 - San Francisco Bay

Today's Photo of the Day comes from last Saturday, when the Coast Guard came to the rescue of this dismasted Catalina 22. When you're on the water and have had a nasty incident, there's nobody better to come to the rescue.

Photo Latitude/Richard

We were out sailing on Saturday, and it was one of those weird days on the Bay when the wind couldn't decide where it wanted to blow, and whether it wanted to blow seven knots or 30 knots. The inconsistency of the wind meant it wasn't the most pleasant day on the Bay.

YRA Second Half Opener

Saturday, July 31 - San Francisco Bay

Just over 100 boats sailed in the YRA Second Half Opener, hosted as always by Encinal Yacht Club. Conditions for the flood-tide race were gray and gloomy, with a lot of south in the breeze. First to finish was Pat Nolan's Farr 40 Javelin, but Rick Wesslund's J/120 El Ocaso won the big boat class by about a minute over Javelin when the PHRF ratings were applied. It was a fun and easy race, though we did hear something about a crew falling overboard near the Point Bonita turning mark. Results of all the classes should be posted at www.yra.org soon.

Elan chases Aleta

Shaddy Daddy

Dance Away

Razzberries and Il Falco

Harry

All Photos Latitude/Rob

Ha-Ha Poobah to Give Presentation
in Long Beach Tuesday Night

August 2 - Long Beach

If you live anywhere near Long Beach and are interested in doing the Ha-Ha, the Grand Poobah will be giving a presentation at the Long Beach Single Sailing Association meeting on Tuesday, August 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Sails Hotel, 6285 Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. The Poobah would love to see you there.

Hurricanes in Atlantic and Pacific

August 2 - The Weather World

Tropical Storm Alex, the first of the Atlantic/Caribbean season, is expected to hit South Carolina and sweep the East Coast with winds of 50 knots. It's been very quiet in the Atlantic/Caribbean, for which we're all thankful.

It had been pretty quiet off the coast of Mexico until two weeks ago, with just one tropical storm. But since July 20, there has been hurricane Celia, a weak one at 70 knots, and the much stronger Darby, with 105 knots. Fortunately, both were well offshore and have dissipated. Nonetheless, after last year's two disasterous hurricanes - Ignacio and Marty - in the Sea of Cortez, nobody is resting easy.

Graphic Courtesy http://weather.unisys.com

America's Cup as Messy as Ever

August 2 - The Sailing World

The America's Cup action is really heating up - in an unpleasant sort of way. Kiwi Russell Coutts, the most successful America's Cup skipper ever, who defected from his native New Zealand team to the victorious Swiss Alinghi Team last time around, has had an unpleasant parting of ways with Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli. In return, Bertarelli apparently called Larry Ellison, head of the Golden Gate YC's BMW Oracle Challenge, which is the Challenger of Record, to create some boilerplate in an attempt to make it illegal for Coutts to sail for another team. Coutts, naturally enough, says he'll be taking legal action.

Then the news broke that Bertarelli, in order to make sure New Zealand fields a competitive America's Cup team in Valencia, has loaned the Kiwi team many millions to make sure they'll show up.

Although the America's Cup is still years away, are you already as bored with it as we are?

Profligate Headed South on Sunday

August 2 - The Golden Gate

With the fog having been so thick and relentless the last couple of weeks in Sausalito, we couldn't have picked a better time to head south for the Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach Race this weekend, and a cruise to Catalina Island the following weekend. Doña de Mallorca and the delivery crew headed out under a gloomy Golden Gate Sunday morning about 10 a.m. This morning at 10 a.m., de Mallorca reports that they are off Pt. Arguello, and have had only light wind and relatively smooth seas during the night. They're hoping for at least a little wind in the Santa Barbara Channel so they can get in some sailing early this afternoon. But at least the sun has come out.