'Lectronic Index

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Photos of the Day

May 17 - Sausalito

Think you're living life to the fullest? If so, ask yourself if you had anywhere near as much excitement last night as the crews of the 25 or so boats that participated in the Sausalito YC Tuesday Night Beer Can Race. While it was calm and warm in Sausalito proper, there was a great breeze out on the Little Harding, Yellow Bluff, Knox course, with winds gusting to more than 20 knots. Folks were having a blast on just about every type and size boat, including a Cal 20, some Santana 22s, three J/105s, and a couple of big Catalinas. And if we're not mistaken, there were even a couple of wood Bear boats out there. Sailors most of the world over would kill for not only the great breeze, but also the beautiful scenery. It's great when you sail on San Francisco Bay.

If you're got a boat and you're not doing a beer can race, you're missing something really great. Entry fees are minimal, you don't have to belong to the club, and if you're short crew, the clubs will usually help you round some up. For a complete listing of the races, which are held all over the Bay (and beyond), see the Summer Beer Can Regatta section of the Calendar in each month's Latitude 38.

Photos Latitude/Andy

BMW Oracle Wins Louis Vuitton Act 10

May 17 - Valencia, Spain

Act 10 has actually been pretty interesting. An undefeated BMW Oracle was nipped by a once-beaten Alinghi, which was then nipped by 16 seconds by a twice-beaten Emirates New Zealand, which left Larry Ellison's team with an unassailable lead with just one race to go. Observers say that BMW Oracle's crew work has been superb. Speaking of Ellison, he's been driving the boat in some downwind legs.

Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

The top four boats in Act 10 are BMW Oracle at 9-1 and winner of the tie-breaker even if they lose today; Luna Rossa at 9-2; Emirates Team New Zealand at 9-2; and Alinghi at 9-2. There are no surprises here. The eight other teams have all lost at least five races, with the China boat having lost all 11.

Requests for Baja Ha-Ha Race Packets Doing Well

May 17 - Tiburon

When we asked Baja Ha-Ha Honcho Lauren Spindler how the requests for Ha-Ha entry packets were doing, she sent the accompanying photo and said, "Since the announcement of this year's Ha-Ha, requests have been coming in at an average of three a day, so it looks like it might be another good year."

The Ha-Ha, of course, is the 750-mile cruiser's rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. This year will be the 13th running, and it will start on October 30. If anyone is interested in getting an entry packet, they should send $15 to Baja Ha-Ha, Inc., 21 Apollo Road, Tiburon, CA 94920. The packets will be sent out in about a month.

"I'd like to remind everyone that we'll be hosting a Ha-Ha preview at Two Harbors, Catalina, on August 12. It will be a super casual event, with some sundowners, a presentation of images from previous Ha-Has, and a Q&A."

Marina and her brother from the Santa Barbara-based Beneteau 51 Ohana climb the hills at Bahia Santa Maria during the second stop of last year's Ha-Ha.

Temporary Import Permit Site Available in English, too - if You Can Read Spanish

May 17 - Mexico

In the May 3 'Lectronic, we reported that Temporary Import Permits for Mexico - something you really want to get if you're cruising there for more than a month or two - apparently can now be obtained online, with payment by credit card. Unfortunately, we couldn't confirm it because, 1) The instructions were in Spanish, and 2) We couldn't go through the process because our boat already has a 20-year import permit. Here's the latest:

"Perhaps some other Internet junkie has already passed this info along," writes Ranny Fry of Sausalito, "If not, here is some additional information on the Banjercito site, where it appears it might be possible to get a Temporary Import Permit. I visited the link you provided (www.banjercito.com.mx) to better understand the import permit process. I quickly found that the application process is available in English. On the link above, one may choose the box titled 'Tramites de Importacion Temporal de vehiculos y embarcaciones AQUI', which links to: www.banjercito.com.mx/site/imagenes/iitv/instruccionesIITV.html. The above page has a clear 'English' link leading to a complete application process in Gringo. I am not in the process of importing a boat at this time, so I wasn't able to take the next step of actually testing the process. Hopefully this will open up that test to mariners who are not fluent in Spanish."

Thanks for the info.