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Photos of the Day

September 20 - Marina del Rey

Today's Photos of the Day, courtesy of Peter Drasnin and Stephanie, are not from Hurricane Charley, Frances or Ivan, but rather the results of "steady winds of 25 to 30 knots," which "took their toll on a few unattended boats outside of Marina del Rey. Although we've been kicking around the Southland a lot, we haven't been to Marina del Rey in years, but apparently, a small number of boats have been anchored permanently outside of the marina. (If someone could give us a clearer idea of the situation, we'd appreciate it.)

Drasnin reports that "a polished Baywatch rescue team made tidy work of these wayward vessels with the help of a determined D9 Caterpillar. The boat owners were nowhere to found, but will most likely come back to this early winter haul-out - compliments of L.A. city taxpayers - with a lot of repair work to be done."


St. Francis Big Boat Series

September 20 - San Francisco

We hope you got to see the St. Francis Big Boat Series this year, particularly Friday afternoon, when it was blowing in the low 30s true and the sky was bluer than blue. It had to be one of the all-time great Big Boat Series days, with the TransPac 52s flying down the Cityfront at speeds in the low 20s, and Farr 40s submarining into waves. The most excitement of all was when the Beneteau 36 Ricochet, rounded up upon crossing the finish line, and while laid way over with their chute flogging, continued at about a one knot pace directly at the breakwater. As they got within about 50 feet of the rocky shore right in front of the club, people on the shore and in the yacht club were yelling and screaming, and some of the crew on the boat were looking bug-eyed. It was wild - until the skipper turned on the engine and applied full power in reverse. Several other boats turned in the same trick later on.


Short-tacking under the Marina breakwater made it a great spectating spot.

Here's the official St. Francis YC report. We'll have a full story in the October issue.

Winners in two IRC classes and seven one-design classes were named Sunday evening at the Big Boat Series presented by Rolex. St. Francis Yacht Club named the six Perpetual Trophy winners, who also received specially engraved Rolex timepieces. Local sailors Chris Perkins and Dave Wilson won the Commodore's Cup, created in 2004 to encourage competition in one design racing on San Francisco Bay. Perkins and Wilson's Good Timin' won the 31-boat J/105 fleet.


J/105 fleet in 'flying V' formation on the final run to the finish off StFYC

Following his win the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds Jim Richardson's Barking Mad won the nine-boat Farr 40 class and the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy. The trophy was established in 1972 in memory of Richard Rheem, whose famous yacht Morning Star was the elapsed time winner in the 1949 and 1955 Transpac races to Honolulu.

Stephen Madeira won the Keefe-Kilborn Memorial Trophy, which was established in 1976 to honor Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn. Madeira 's Mr. Magoo won the nine-boat J/120 class.


Even this spinout couldn't keep Mr. Magoo out of the J/120 winner's circle.

John Siegel won the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, which was established in 1978 and features the ship's bell of the yacht Atlantic, long-time transatlantic record holder (1905). The bell was donated by John C. 'Jack' Morris, and the trophy by Jack H. Feller Jr. Siegel's Wylie 42 Scorpio won the 16-boat IRC B class.

From the United Kingdom, Nick Lykiardopulo won the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, which was established to stimulate and encourage competition among large ocean racing yachts. His Aera, a Ker 55, won the seven-boat IRC A class. The trophy has been awarded annually since the inception of the Big Boat Series 40 years ago to yachts invited to a race or series of races that are measured and handicapped in accordance with the current measurement rule and rate 40 feet or more. This trophy was donated in 1964 by Commodore A. L. Sandy McCormick.


John McLaurin's Pendragon IV on her way to third in IRC Class A

Makoto Uematsu won the City of San Francisco Trophy, which is one of the two golden spades used to break ground for the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. His Esmeralda won the nine-boat TP52 class.

White Fang, the Beneteau 40.7 owned by Mark Howe won that six-boat class. The winner of the five-boat Santa Cruz 52 class was Thomas Sanborn, and Golden Moon, owned by Kame Richards and Bill Bridge, won the nine-boat Express 37 class.


Tom Sanborn's City Lights on the way to a win in the SC52 class


Grand Illusion leaps to weather
Photos Latitude/JR & Andy


Mirabella off the Rocks!

September 20 - French Riviera

On Saturday morning, the new Mirabella V - which at 247 feet is the longest sloop in the world - motored clear of the rocks where she had been aground for 2.5 days. A gantry had to be erected on deck over the keel box to support the 150-ton drop keel, which when all the way down draws 32 feet, and which had apparently gotten wedged between some rocks. An extreme high tide was a factor in her getting free. The mega yacht has been taken to a drydock at La Ciotat for a full check of her condition.


It's Not About Me Anymore

September 20 - Catalina Island


Photo Latitude/Richard

"I was floored," writes Glenn Twitchell of Newport Beach, "when I saw the accompanying photo in the August 16 'Lectronic Latitude titled, 'It's All About Me'. The powerboat is one of the boats from our yacht management company, and one of our sister companies let the boat out on a charter with a captain. The captain - who was driving at the time of the photo - will no longer be working for us, so now he has more time to spend with his little fella. As for me, the owner of the Lagoon 380 cat Beach Access, I'm a sailor trapped in a power boat company."



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