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Photo of the Day

June 5 - Oxnard

Today's Photo of the Day is the Beneteau 36 Cake, which ended up on the sands just outside Channel Islands Harbor on April 7. Photographer Carlos Valencia reports that she was pulled off the beach by Tow Boat U.S., and looked to be in remarkably good condition once hauled out - except for a destroyed rudder and rudder shaft. Valencia also reports that the authorities helping with the salvage on the beach told him that alcohol seemed to have played a role in the accident - which is why we're bringing it up.

We don't know if you've heard any of the recent announcements on various radio stations, but they warn that last year 262 Northern Californians were busted for BUI - boating under the influence. Many mariners are surprised to learn that a BUI carries the same penalties as do DUIs - which means if you're caught operating a boat while intoxicated, you'll probably lose your vehicle driving privileges for six months or more, and be facing other bad news. Consider yourself having been warned.

 


The Answer Was 'No'

June 5 - San Francisco Bay

Last Friday we asked the question, could any of the 72 entries in the In-The-Bay singlehanded and doublehanded race beat Hank Easom and his crew aboard the 8-Metre Yucca? As it turned out, there were 17 singlehanded starters and 28 doublehanded starters, and none of them could beat Easom's entry, in a race that was largely determined by how well one played the calms at the Southampton leeward mark. The closest anyone came was singlehander Al Germain aboard the Moore 24 Hurricane, who corrected out seven minutes back. The third best corrected time was posted by Robert MacDonald and crew aboard the Olson 29 Nina, who displayed their aggression with an amusing wipeout on the reaching leg to Blossom.


Conditions were perfect for the start off the Corinthian YC.


The Olson 29 Nina goes down on the breezy reach to Blossom.


Singlehander Greg Nelson has some trouble with his spinnaker douse at Blossom aboard his Black Soo Starbuck.


The fleet beats up the Central Bay in a good breeze.
Photos Latitude/Richard


An Eye for an Eye

June 5 - San Francisco Bay

You don't have to be a professional rigger to tell that there is something wrong with the bit of rigging from Profligate that Doña de Mallorca is holding in her left hand. Indeed, the haywire mess is supposed to be formed into a perfect eye, such as the one in her right hand. It had been, too, right up until the third leg of the In-The-Bay Race, when the 63-ft cat she was crewing on beat up the Central Bay in about 18-20 knots of true wind. As the Wanderer was trying to get some more grind on the jib, there was a bang - presumably the swage on the seagull striker stay failing. Seconds later, the forward beam failed, as seen in the second photo.


After the stay broke, the beam was no longer on the level.

The failure of the beam eased the headstay tension by a foot or two, causing the 450-pound mast, which towers 90 feet off the water, to gyrate and limbo in a most alarming manner. Fortunately, spinnaker halyards were run to each bow and tightened before the mast could fall over and land on fellow competitors.

"I think the rig failure was all my fault," said the Wanderer. "Some time ago I'd noticed a broken strand at the swage, and temporarily covered it with tape so it wouldn't snag a chute. But once covered up, it was a case of out of sight, out of mind - and therefore never got tended to."

The lesson is clear. If you've got a broken strand or corrosion around a swage fitting, you have a stay or shroud that needs to be replaced immediately.


The Other Hussong's

June 5 - Ensenada, Baja California

"We found it somewhat ironic that Ensenada's new 'super yacht marina and
resort' has apparently been named after a notoriously rowdy bar - Hussong's
Cantina," writes Latitude Senior Editor Andy Turpin. "Having grown up in SoCal, we recall that spending a wild, drunken night or two at Hussong's used to be seen as a rite of passage for every thirsty, under-aged kid in the Southland. These days, however, we're told that Hussong's has mellowed a bit, now drawing a somewhat older crowd who rarely pass out on the floor. Nevertheless it's still probably the most famous watering hole in northern Baja, and it is verifiably the birthplace of the margarita.

"It turns out that the Hussong family has partnered with Meridian Development Group, LLC, to build the new Porto Hussong Resort complex. When completed, it will include a 'state-of-the-art' marina, which will be able to handle 250 yachts up to 200 feet in length, as well as a five-star boutique hotel, shops, restaurants, condos, vacation rentals and luxurious gated homes. The anticipated date of completion of the 16-acre beachfront complex has yet to be announced, but we're certain that the marina will draw plenty of tenants, as more and more megayachts are being purchased by Californians with no berths to put them in."


Porto Hussong's developers promise top-notch facilities.

For more info, see www.portohussong.com.


Are You Young? Like Sailing? Interested in Being in a Feature Film?

June 6 - Long Beach

As previously mentioned, Roy Disney is spearheading a feature film project based on the recruiting, training, and the performance of what is believed will be the youngest TransPac crew ever. After proper training, they will be racing Philippe Kahn's old TransPac 52, rechristened Morning Light, in next year's 44th TransPac from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

The deadline for applications is June 19. About 30 applicants will be chosen for selection trials to be held in Long Beach in early August. Don't worry if you're an impoverished student, as all expenses will be paid if you're one of the 30 selected. The team will be announced on August 26, and those selected will be given four days to make the commitment. The team will train in Hawaii from January 1 through April 30, so forget school and jobs. There will be more training in California from May 1 through the July 15 start of the TransPac.

If you're 18 or just a little bit older, and this sounds like fun to you, visit www.pacifichighproductions.com for details.


Geronimo Racing Back to San Francisco

June 6 - Pacific Ocean

"After more than four days of racing in their attempt to smash the Pacific record from west to east, Olivier de Kersauson and his eight men aboard the 120-ft maxi trimaran Geronimo have covered more than 1,600 miles since starting out from Japan," reports Superyachting.com.

"In spite of the good average speeds they have achieved over the past two days, the atmosphere onboard was chilled a little this morning when they discovered an empty liferaft." Geronimo stopped to inspect the liferaft, which was empty, half-capsized, and had some Chinese or Japanese lettering. If all goes well, the big trimaran should be sailing beneath the Gate sometime next week.


Geronimo will be back in San Francisco before you know it.
Photo Latitude/JR

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