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Photos of the Day

August 17 - Bahia Santa Maria, BCS

Today's Photo of the Day is of 'Banjo' Andy Turpin, Assistant Poobah of the Baja Ha-Ha, feeling like he's sitting (or standing) on top of the world. Why? Because it's early November, and he's luxuriating in the warmth of tropical Mexico, with the third and final leg of the Ha-Ha awaiting him the next day, which he'll sail in company with all the great folks on all the boats seen in the background.

Are you sick of cold and gray Novembers in California? Would you like to get Turpin's I'm-so-damn-happy-to-be-alive feeling? Could your life use a little injection of adventure? If so, you might think about getting your entry in for October 31's Baja Ha-Ha Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. The last day to sign up is September 11. You can get an entry pack by sending a check for $18, along with a self-addressed 9x12 envelope, to Baja Ha-Ha, Inc., 21 Apollo Road, Tiburon CA 94920.

Here's a couple of more photos that might whet your appetite:

If you think you might enjoy sailing on warm blue waters with dolphins playing under the bow, who knows, the Ha-Ha might be something you'd like.

Thanks to the stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, there will be plenty of opportunities to go ashore to meet hundreds of other cruisers - but also to hike and explore. You might even find a couple of dolphin skeletons.

While drinking plays a very minor role in the Ha-Ha, yes, there will be another Pusser's Rum tasting party for the skippers in Bahia Santa Maria, and yes, everyone will get souvenir Pusser's hats. But this year the party will probably be ashore rather than on Profligate again.

Dawn landfalls in the tropics are experiences you remember all your life.

Everyone on Profligate - the mother ship again this year - hopes to see you on this year's Ha-Ha! This shot was taken while rounding Cabo Falso just a couple of miles from Cabo San Lucas.
Photos Latitude Archives

As the Ha-Ha sign-up deadline approaches, Ha-Ha Honcho Lauren Spindler reports getting three or four requests for entry packets a day. The first 25 entries were listed on July 8. Here are entries #26-73:

26	Bingo	CF37	M. DeMeritt & Bryan Maher	Hermosa Beach, CA
27	Beltane	Halberg-Rassy 39	Steven Hannon	Newport, OR
28	Windarra	Roberts 44	Steve Bergo	San Diego, CA
29	Gone Again	J/42	Alex Schmid & Tina Hogan	Macatawa, MI
30	Linda	Bounty II	Stephen & Linda Maggart	Elephant Butte, NM
31	Yemonja	Island Packet 38	Mike Araneda	San Francisco, CA
32	Charissa	Liberty 458	Tom Jones	San Francisco, CA
33	Orion	Pacific Seacraft 37	Jay Hall	Punta Gorda, FL
34	Scarlet	Catalina 47	Rick & Marlene Bartlett	Phoenix, AZ
35	Night Flight	Hylas 46	Ann Michael McDougall	San Francisco, CA
36	Intuition	C&C 39 XL	Ron Holbrook	Tacoma, WA
37	Bronco	Morgan O/I 41	Nels Torberson	Alameda, CA
38	Wind Chaser	Beneteau 42	Harry & Judy McKean	San Diego, CA
39	Aquila	Hylas 49	Michael & Linda Dawkins	Ventura, CA
40	Natazak	SC 52	Steve Williams & Loretta Komarczyk	Santa Cruz, CA
41	Escapade	Swan 56	Pieter Heerema	Medemblik, Netherlands
42	Champagne	Beneteau 42	Clark Hamm & Marga Bakker	Los Angeles, CA
43	Windancer	Catalina 38	Ed & Linda Pedigo	Redwood City, CA
44	Dos Amantes	Island Packet 40	Joe & Lori Lacey	Reno, NV
45	360°	Passport 41	Joel & Mary Thornton	Seattle, WA
46	Shilling of Hamble	Oyster 435	Dennis & Janet Knight	Southammpton, UK
47	Allegro	Catalina 42	Jim & Mary Brye	Ventura, CA
48	Dawn Treader	Contest 48cs	Hal Craft	Dana Pt., CA
49	Island Mistress	Willington 47	Jeff & Judy Wahl	Yankton, SD
50	Koho	Cal 48	Hugh & Karlene Owens	Portland, OR
51	Daydreams	Pearson 385	Joe & Melinda Day	Nevada City, CA
52	Out of Africa	Wildcat 350 cat	Richard & Kathy Cavanagh	Isleton, CA
53	Jakyrah	Island Packet 35	Tom & Chris Wakes	San Diego, CA
54	Lonesome Dove	Elite 29	Britta Fjelstrom	San Francisco, CA
55	Dream Ketch'r	Endeavour 43	Don Watkins	San Diego, CA
56	Sonrisa	Valiant 40	John & Sylvia Parr	Corpus Christi, TX
57	Catch the Wind	Cal 39	Sam Crabtree & Suzie Wilson	Richmond, CA
58	Salacia	Catalina 42	Mark & Deanna Roozendaal	Victoria, BC
59	Chaitanya	Tayana 37	Ian & Heidi Jarman	Alameda, CA
60	Jenny	Jeanneau 43	Doug & Joan Leavitt	San Francisco, CA
61	Topaz	Caliber LRC	Mark & Karen Isaacson	Alameda, CA
62	The Boat	Island Packet 35	Ron & Tam Preston	Stockton, CA
63	La Vie	Beneteau 405	David Kane	Seattle, WA
64	Serenity	Catalina 42MKII	David Albert	Oceanside, CA
65	Murray Grey	Ericson 38	Jim Sicard	Portland, OR
66	De La Sol	Alberg 35	Jerry & Slater McArdle	Oceanside, CA
67	Allegra	C&C 37	Alan Paul	Oxnard, CA
68	Flyer	Tartan 3400	Klaus Kutz & Jennifer Rader	Alameda, CA
69	Captain George Thomas	C&C 30	Capt Bill Thomas	Vallejo, CA
70	Tiki iti	Downeast 38	Sean & Adrian Guches	N/A
71	Freestyle	40-ft cat	Jerry Wetzler	Dana Pt., CA
72	Sun Baby	Lagoon 410 cat	Daniel & Cynthia Kerns	Seattle, WA
73	Sumatra	Trintella 53	Jerome Morgan	San Francisco

Suspects in Murder of Tom and Jackie Hawks Ordered to Stand Trial

August 17 - Orange County

After a two-day hearing in Orange Country, three defendants have been ordered to stand trial in the deaths of former cruisers Tom and Jackie Hawks of the Newport Beach-based 55-ft trawler Well-Deserved. Tom, 57, and Jackie, 47, had done a long cruise in Mexico and were well known in the cruising community.

The alleged ringleader was Skylar DeLeon, then 26, who recruited Alonso Machain, 21, whom he met while Machain was working in a county jail. DeLeon told Machain he needed help in killing "some bad people," for which Machain would supposedly be paid several million dollars. Prosecutors say that DeLeon and Machain originally intended to kill the Hawkses during a 'sea trial' on the boat on November 6, but didn't realize how big and strong Hawks - a former bodybuilder - would be. They decided they needed a third person.

So on November 15, DeLeon and Machain recruited John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 40, at a Long Beach liquor store. Kennedy, a member of the notorious African American street gang the Crips, is known on the streets as 'Crazy John'. Improbably, Kennedy was introduced to the Hawkses as DeLeon's accountant.

As the Hawkses and the three men went out for a 'sea trial' again on the 15th, DeLeon and Kennedy overpowered Tom, while Machain did the same to Jackie. Apparently stun guns were used to subdue the couple. According to Machain, after handcuffing the couple and duct-taping their eyes and mouths closed, the couple were made to sign off on several power of attorney papers. For about two hours after that, it's alleged that the boat was motored in the general direction of Catalina, while the couple were kept in the master stateroom. According to Machain, the couple were then brought up on deck and had a 66-pound anchor attached to their waists. No doubt sensing their lives were in danger, Tom Hawks was able to kick DeLeon so hard in the groin that he was knocked over. DeLeon is said to have just laughed, then tossed the heavy anchor overboard. The couple, struggling mightily, were reportedly then thrown over also, and left to drown.

According to some at yesterday's proceedings, DeLeon looked to be on the verge of breaking out laughing several times. His wife, Jennifer, 23, who is also charged in the murders and is the mother of the couple's two young children, wasn't as jovial.

Machain, the main prosecution witness, is being tried separately.

There has also been testimony that DeLeon had badgered a fellow scuba shop employee for tips on how to dispose of bodies at sea, and that a notary accepted $2,000 to back date a bill of sale for the boat.

Rhodes 19 'Invitational' at Pier 39

August 17 - San Francisco

With a PHRF rating of 268, a Rhodes 19 sounds like an ill-fated liferaft. Nonetheless, many San Francisco Rhodes 19 sailors find this boat to be an incredibly fun family racer. Recently, as many as five Rhodes 19s have been racing against each other at Corinthian YC's Friday night beer can races, so, at least to a certain extent, after two decades of decline on the Bay, the class is making a little bit of a comeback.

Photo Christian Buhl

On October 1 and 2, Pier 39 is hosting a Rhodes 19 Invitational - and has already received 10 entries. Anyone interested in participating should contact Charlotte at Pier 39 (415) 705-5558. And remember, Jeff Madrigali got his start in Rhodes 19s.

Ouch, My Wallet

August 17 - Two Harbors

If you've got a sailboat, the recent increases in the price of diesel have hurt - but not as much as if you own a powerboat. Pity the owners of the sportfishing boats and such in Southern California who are used to making weekend runs to Catalina. While at a bar in Two Harbors last weekend, we heard the owner of a 31-ft S/F tell another that it was costing him $300 in fuel alone per weekend jaunt.