'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition

Photos of the Day

October 26 - San Francisco

Today's Photo of the Day is by 'Charlie', and is of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog thick enough to scoop with a spoon. The great thing about San Francisco in the fall is that while the Gate can be covered in fog, the rest of the Bay can be perfect for fall sailing. Charlie's other photos are proof.

Photos Charlie

Maybe They Haven't Heard About SailMail

October 26 - SF Bay Area

We were lying back in the dentist chair yesterday morning, our mouth stuffed with all sorts of dental implements, when the dental assistant handed us a copy of the October 31 Business Week to keep our mind off our teeth. We opened it up to page 18, and who was staring back at us but Stan Honey, subject of a full-page feature called Virtual Virtuoso.

Photo Latitude/Richard

Most of us sailors know Stan as the guy who, together with Jim Corenman, blessed cruisers with SailMail, and as super successful racer with his Cal 40 Illusion, doublehanding a Santa Cruz 70 to Hawaii, navigating Roy Disney's MaxZ86 and Steve Fossett's PlayStation, and so forth. In the world of business, that stuff doesn't even register. They hail Honey for starting digital mapping with Etak in '83, illuminating the hockey puck for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp about 10 years later, and most recently starting the privately-held Sportvision. The latter does things like put the yellow first down line on television broadcasts of football games, the strike zones for baseball games, and will soon be doing other things for the PGA and NASCAR.

The 50-year-old Honey is now in Spain getting ready to navigate ABN-AMRO in the Volvo Around The World Race. And you know what, he's a nice guy, too!

Helicopter Crashes at Big Geiger Anchorage, Catalina

October 26 - Two Harbors

"From what I've heard," writes Brendan Huffman, "Alan Blount, who recently retired from SeaTek, was moored at Little Geiger Anchorage - just west of Two Harbors Catalina - a week ago Tuesday afternoon when he noticed two helicopters chasing each other up the front side of Catalina and flying pretty low. Then one of them hit the power lines above Big Geiger, which is the home of the Bluewater Cruising Club, and crashed. Debris and fuel were spread over the hillside, but fortunately didn't damage our 'clubhouse' and picnic tables.

Photo Mike Lonnes

"Unfortunately, the occupants were seriously injured and were taken to the USC facility at Big Fisherman's before being transferred to the mainland. Blount, of course, had rushed to the scene to help, as did the County Lifeguards.

"Photos were taken last weekend by our port captain Mike Lonnes, who visited the cove to evaluate the damage. I haven't heard about the condition of the passengers, but I hope they are all right."

Key West Hurricane Report

October 26 - Key West, FL

"I just got word that our Shannon 38 Points Beyond survived Hurricane Wilma in Key West," reports Devan Mullin of Newport Beach. "Sausalito's Ray Jason is there, and the sometime Latitude contributor reports that the storm surge at the marina he's at raised the dock to nearly the top of the pilings. The surge also nearly floated the fishing boats on the cradles. Our Points Beyond was hauled out at Robbie's Boatyard, where only five boats were knocked over by the wind. Some 23 boats were knocked over at neighboring Peninsular Marina, where we used to keep our boat. I think the orientation of the boats with regard to the direction of the wind had a lot to do with which boats stayed up and which went over. Jason added that there is widespread damage to Key West, with many homes and businesses flooded."

Some readers may know this was to be the opening weekend of the gigantic Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show for motoryachts. It's had to be postponed indefinitely, and that's really going to hurt that segment of the boating industry. Also postponed is this weekend's Fantasy Fest, the biggest tourist event of the year at Key West. That's going to really hurt all the guys who have been counting on ogling the topless women who like to have their breasts painted to resemble large strawberries.

Weather for the Ha-Ha Continues to Look Promising

October 26 - San Diego

It should be sunny and in the low 70s for the Kick-Off Party in San Diego on Sunday and for the start on Monday. Currently, it looks as if the first leg to Turtle Bay will be relatively light with smooth seas.