'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition


Photos of the Day

April 22 - Newport Beach

Today's Photos of the Day are ugly ones, as two sea lions have taken up residence on the starboard transom steps of Profligate, which is currently moored at Newport Beach. Boy, do they stink! And they don't pay rent. We're going to have to do a lot of cleaning before we bring the boat north in 10 days.


Photos Devan Mullin


Check This Out! Domestic Clearing in Mexico over the Radio and Free!

April 22 - Mexico City

There will be a big meeting in Mexico City next week between the Department of Port Captains, the Department of Tourism, and the Mexican Marina Owners Association to work out the details in the great new changes for boat clearing requirements in Mexico. However, the folks at Marina San Carlos, at the direction of Tere Grossman, President of the Mexican Marina Owners Association, are not waiting. Check out this press release dated April 20:

"Dear Marina San Carlos Clients:

"As of today, private pleasure vessels will not be required to file Domestic Clearance papers (arrivos and despachos) with the Port Captain or with the Marina. You will from now on, only be required to check in with the Port Captain, Immigration and Customs, upon arrival at your first port of entry into Mexico, and should carry said check-in papers with you during your travels through Mexico. If you have been in Mexico for some time now, you may carry with you a copy of your most recent check-in papers, regardless of which port issued them.

"You will still be required to advise the Port Captain or your marina of your planned national departures and arrivals, either by radio or in person. In the case of Marina San Carlos, we will be taking your information by radio, in the office, or by filing a departure or arrival advisory form (available at the entrance of the office).

"You must still always have a valid import permit document for your boat issued by the Customs office (Aduana) and a valid immigration document for yourself, friends and crew. If you are planning to leave the Mexican waters, you must still file the appropriate exit documento (despacho) at the Port Captain office of the last port that you visit.

"The Marina Association of Mexico worked long and hard to get this law changed, and we hope that is makes your travels through Mexico more convenient and enjoyable.

Signed, "Heidi Grossman, Marina San Carlos"

It's probably wise to wait for the results of the meeting in Mexico before going completely nuts with enthusiasm, but it does sound very promising, doesn't it? Imagine, clearing out of one Mexican port for another by radio and for free!


Lupe and J.R. Go with the Typically Wild Paint Job

April 22 - A dock somewhere in Florida

Anybody who knows Lupe Dippe of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara knows she names her sailboats Moon & The Stars and loves interesting graphics. Well, this is the paint job she and husband J.R. have given to their new-to-them Catana 47 cat. They bought her in Florida and will soon be sailing her to Cancun.


The Sausalito Challenge Needs $2 Million - Fast!

April 22 - Sausalito

If the Sausalito Challenge is to keep their hopes alive for the '07 America's Cup in Valencia, they need to come up with $2 million by April 29. John Sweeney and Tina Kleinjan - who have reportedly already invested $10 million of their own money, and who have been working furiously to breathe life into this passion - haven't given up yet, but time is running short.


$300,000 for Coming in Last?

April 22 - Qatar

That's the story for Tony Bullimore's mini maxi-cat Team Daedalus, which just finished the Oryx Cup around-the-world race that started and finished at Qatar. Two of the other entries, the maxi-tri Geronimo and the maxi-cat Cheyenne, had to drop out. (What's with non-Indians naming their multi-million dollar multihulls after American Indians?)

The winner, Brian Thompson, sailing Doha, received a prize of $1,000,000. See our report on April 11.

While the race didn't play big in Europe and the Western World, it got big attention in the Arab World. But perhaps the biggest significance is that it's the first race in which there was a big cash payday for the finishers. Could this be the start of a paradigm shift in major yacht races?

What's less well known is that besides the prize money, some or all of the four entries received participation fees. No one will say this for attribution, but it's believed some boats got as much as $2,000,000 just for showing up.


The Newport to Ensenada Race Starts Today

April 22 - Newport Beach

See www.nosa.org/05_races-lx.html for details.


Top / Index of Stories /
Previous 'Lectronic Edition
Subscriptions / Classifieds / Home

©2005 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.