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Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show Opens in Oakland's Jack London Square Today at Noon!

April 19 - Oakland

The show is almost ready late Tuesday night - see you there.

This is 'the' big sailboat show on the West Coast, and runs through Sunday. There will be hundreds of boats from small to large, skiffs to displacement cruisers, in the water and on land. In addition, several big tents will be full of exhibitors from charter companies to engine distributors. Other great features of the show include almost non-stop seminars, free rides on boats, tours of legendary yachts such as the great 79-ft Kialoa III, and lot of excellent prizes.

Latitude 38 has a booth at the show, of course, with Doña de Mallorca manning the booth most of the time. Stop by and say hello - and maybe even ask her about her four-day 'long weekend' charters aboard Profligate on Banderas Bay this winter.

What about a Baja Ha-Ha reunion? If you're one of the more than 3,000 sailors who has done a Ha-Ha, we'll be gathering at the Latitude booth Friday at 6 p.m. to renew old friendships and maybe even spill a little beer. (If you're thinking of doing the Ha-Ha this fall come get the story from those who've been before.)

Speaking of the Ha-Ha, the Grand Poobah will give a preview of this fall's event at 6 p.m. on Saturday. In addition, he'll show images from previous Ha-Has and answer any questions you might have about it or cruising in Mexico.

All of us at Latitude are looking forward to seeing you there.

Rites of Spring

April 19 - Alameda

Flashman, a Moore 24 sailed by Ashley and Daniel Perrin

George Gurrola reports on the rescheduled Rites of Spring regatta for doublehanders, singlehanders and women's crews:

Racers in the Oakland Yacht Club Rites of Spring Race shorthanded race on April 15 finally got a break. The race was originally scheduled for March 25, but had to be rescheduled because of bad weather, big winds, big ebb, big waves, many many no-shows, and collision damage to the committee boat.

For the rescheduled April 15 race the weather gods decided to relent by delivering almost perfect weather, but not before testing everyone with morning downpours and a high wind squall just before the start. For the race, winds were mostly in the high teens and low 20s and the water flat. Kind of like a lake with better winds and scenery.

Ted Keech and Mike Jackson sailed the Sigma 41 Fayaway in the non-spinnaker division.

One traditional Rites of Spring course calls for a leg from Little Harding to Southampton Shoal. Sailors have to make the decision: go through Raccoon Straits or go around the south side of Angel. Usually, it pays to go around to get the wind. This year, it not only didn't hurt to go through Raccoon, but maybe paid off and certainly made for easier spinnaker work than on the outside.

Krissy, Allen Cooper's Ericson 35-3

Because one design fleets like more buoy rounding action, new twice-around courses in the west Olympic Circle area were added this year. Three one design classes - Catalina 34s, Alerion 28s and Santana 22s - participated heavily in this race with the Alerions counting it in their series standings. Unfortunately, the reschedule to the day before Easter cut down on participation.

Santana 22s A Tuna Matata and Tchoupitoulas
Photos George Gurrola

For results, see www.oaklandyachtclub.com.

New Pier at Two Harbors to Be Completed by the End of the Month

April 19 - Two Harbors

Photo Becky Mucha

Thanks to the kind photographic efforts of Becky Mucha, this is what it looked like early this morning. While the pier should be functional by the end of the month, you'll notice there won't be any office quite yet - getting permits takes time. In addition, there is currently no fuel dock, something they hope to resolve prior to Memorial Day. We'll keep you posted.

A Little Rough Out

April 19 - Newfoundland, Canada

We're not sure where reader Peter Hartmann found these photos, or who took them, but they show just how difficult it can be to work boats that supply oil rigs in Newfoundland. Nasty!

Herb McCormick to Be the New Editor at Latitude 38

April 19 - Mill Valley

Latitude is thrilled to announce that after many years at Cruising World - including the last bunch as editor, plus being the sailing writer for the New York Times for three years - Herb McCormick will become the editor of Latitude 38 starting on June 1. His duties will be to oversee the entire editorial content of the magazine, plus covering all local and regional racing.

Herb McCormick, foreground, atop Punta Hughes, Baja California, during last year's Ha-Ha with crewmates (l-r) Andy Turpin, Senior Editor at Latitude, Suzi Todd, and Robert Sutherland.

Herb was born and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, the center of sailing on the East Coast. In addition to regularly doing evening races with and against many world class champions, doing Bermuda Races and other major East Coast events, Herb also has West Coast experience. He did the last West Marine Pacific Cup aboard Icon and the last TransPac on a Cal 40, and we got to know him when he sailed with us on last year's Baja Ha-Ha. Nonetheless, San Francisco Bay will be mostly new to him, which we think is great. Herb has also covered many America's Cups, around the world races, and cruising from one end of the globe to the other. But he's looking forward to meeting and writing about you!

The owner of a J/30, Herb is being very warmly welcomed by our very experienced and somewhat sleep-deprived senior editors John Riise and Andy Turpin, who are happily staying on after all these years, as is 'new guy' LaDonna Bubak.

As for me, Richard Spindler, the only executive editor Latitude has ever had, I'll continue to be in charge of the Letters and Changes in Latitudes sections, and no doubt produce several other tidbits, which will constitute about one-third of the editorial content. But with Herb assuming responsibility for the entire editorial product, I plan to spend more time sailing, do some charters with Profligate in Mexico, some other charters in the Caribbean, and generally cause mischief on sailboats and waterfronts around the world. I love sailing more than ever, and look forward to meeting more sailors - which has always been the best part of the job. Two of my big sailing goals are the East Coast of Australia and Thailand.

John Arndt Named Associate Publisher of Latitude 38

April 19 - Mill Valley

In a continuing effort to ensure the long term continuity of Latitude by greatly reducing the company's dependency on the founder, I, still speaking as Richard Spindler, have appointed John Arndt, one of two Latitude account executives for the last 18 years, to the new position of Associate Publisher. Nobody deserves the position more. In addition to being well known to his clients, Arndt has been long respected in the industry for his many years of helping promote the sailing lifestyle. Fellow employees know him for his relentlessness and dedication.

The owner of a Ranger 33, Arndt's responsibility will be to, along with Herb McCormick, make sure that I don't have to think about anything but Letters, Changes, swimming a mile a day, and what kind of sailing fun to have next.

Photo Latitude/Annie

With the appointment of Herb McCormick as editor, John Arndt as Associate Publisher, and Shawn Grassman - mentioned in the last 'Lectronic - as a new account executive, plus the continuation of the rest of the Latitude team, I think we've got the best group ever assembled at Latitude, and am very excited about the future.