'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition

Photo of the Day

May 6 - Vancouver, BC

Photo Latitude/Richard

Today's Photo of the Day was taken on Thursday night from Stanley Park, and is of a lonely sailboat heading in from Burrard Inlet toward the Lion's Gate Bridge - Vancouver's mini version of the Golden Gate Bridge. Once through First Narrows, the boat will reach Vancouver Harbor for a spectacular vista of that booming Canadian city. Vancouver has a topography and cosmopolitan population that is similar to San Francisco's. The big differences are that Vancouver is much cleaner, high-rises are going up everywhere, and the people aren't as intense.

Creators of World's Largest Sloop to Speak at the Corinthian YC on May 11

May 6 - Tiburon

Mirabella V
Photo Courtesy www.ronhollanddesign.com/mirabella.htm

Readers of Latitude 38 and 'Lectronic Latitude know all about the 245-ft sloop Mirabella V, whose 295-foot mast is so tall that it wouldn't fit under the Golden Gate Bridge roadbed by 80 feet. Perhaps you've wanted to ask what owner Joseph Vittoria was thinking when he decided to build a yacht that charters for $300,000 a week. Or maybe you'd like to question designer Ron Holland about the engineering problems associated with such a giga sailing yacht. If you come to the Corinthian YC in Tiburon on May 11, you'll get to ask those questions, because somehow member Mark Leonard persuaded Vittoria, who is from back East, and Holland, who resides in Ireland, to come all the way to give a presentation.

This event is certain to sell out, so we recommend making reservations right away. Holland and Vittoria will begin their program at 7 p.m. and it will run until about 9 p.m. Admission is $10. However, the club will open at 6 p.m. for no-host cocktails and a $12.50 buffet.

To make reservations, call the club at (415) 435-4771 or make reservations online at www.cyc.org/speakers.

If you weren't sailing San Francisco Bay in the '70s, you may not be aware that Kiwi Ron Holland used to sail here extensively, often with Dave Allen of Belvedere. In fact, designing Allen's landmark 40-footer Imp is what put Holland on the worldwide design map. He now spends more time designing 140-ft yachts, but everyone has to start somewhere.

Canal Situation May Not Be So Bad

May 6 - Panama Canal

In the May 4 'Lectronic, Girogio Cagliero of the Hallberg-Rassy 46 Indeed reported that the Panama Canal was assessing all kinds of new and very expensive fees. Such as for making a two-day transit, for the use of a Lake Gatun mooring ball, and for having to shuttle advisors back and forth from shore - even if all these were necessitated by the Canal rather than the boatowner.

We've now heard from several other cruisers that this isn't the case - or at least isn't always the case. Who do we believe? We believe everyone, because we know that the Canal doesn't have a consistent policy. For example, when we transited last May, our entire crew had to get photographs and be fingerprinted! We haven't heard of any other boat crews that have had to do this.

We'll have further reports on the Canal situation in upcoming 'Lectronics.

Internet Access at Anchor at Punta Mita, Mexico?

May 6 - Punta Mita, Mexico

It could happen.

According to Jim Corenman, who co-founded SailMail with Stan Honey, and who circumnavigated with his wife Sue aboard their Schumacher 52 Heart of Gold, there are no technical obstacles to boats a mile - or two or three - from an
antenna being able to log on the Internet. In fact, we watched Steve and Dorothy Darden, formerly of Tiburon, surf the net at high speed while aboard their M&M 52 cat Adagio some five miles from the antenna.

Steve Darden, with Dorothy at his back, surfs the Internet at high speed aboard the couple's M&M 52 cat Adagio in the Pacific Northwest.
Photo Latitude/Richard

According to Corenman, all that would be needed in Punta Mita is some place willing to host the antenna, and somebody willing to pay for the antenna and other gear. So immediately we got in contact with the folks who will be operating the Punta Mita Yacht & Surf Club later this year.

They said, "Sure, we'll host the antenna!" Then we got in touch with the honchos at Latitude 38. They said, "Sure, we'll pay for the antenna and other gear as a
service to cruisers!"

Can you imagine waking up at Punta Mita and surfing the waves for a few hours, then surfing the net on your boat for a few hours, before setting the chute and sailing for a few hours? We can. Cowabunga!

It's also possible that if sponsors could be found, such access might be available to SailMail members for free. Caution: Nobody is promising this is going to happen, but it could. It really could. We could also visualize it happening at Zihua, Tenacatita Bay, La Cruz, and La Paz.

By the way, Corenman tells us that SailMail has nearly 3,000 subscribers that send a total of nearly 10,000 emails a day. What a tremendous service!

Attention ALL High School Sailors

May 6 - Pt. Richmond

Join Richmond Yacht Club's Summer Junior Sailing Program!

Expand your sailing skills while enjoying the Bay Area's best summer sailing location! Our program will consist of four two-week sessions run by US Sailing Certified instructors.

Please visit www.richmondyc.org/juniors/summer.asp for more information.