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Photo of the Day: Team Molly

April 27 - Hyeres, France


©2007 Peter Alarie

Today's photo of the day comes from Molly O'Bryan and Tiburon's Molly Carapiet - Team Molly - who are in Europe for the spring campaigning their 470 in preparation for the Olympic trials back home this fall. It's been a challenging road trip for Team Molly so far, but they made huge strides this week in Hyeres at the Semaine Olympique Française regatta, where they turned in their best performance of the year - a seventh-place finish in race seven. Like its European cousin, Valencia, Hyeres was plagued by light breeze for much of the week, but as you can see from this shot, the wind finally filled in yesterday, providing an exhilarating finish for Team Molly's final race of the regatta. For complete regatta reports from Team Molly, go to www.teammolly.org.

- latitude / ss

 


Opening Day on the Bay

April 27 - San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay's 2007 boating season officially starts this Sunday - even though most of us have already taken advantage of the beautiful weather we've been enjoying this spring - and will be ushered in by PICYA's annual Opening Day on the Bay celebration. Start the day at 10:30 on Raccoon Strait with Corinthian YC's Blessing of the Fleet, then head over to the Cityfront at noon to watch the parade of decorated boats, which starts at Crissy Field and ends at Pier 39.

If you decide to join the fun by boat, be sure to keep a sharp eye out - this is one of the busiest boating days of the year. You don't want a game of bumper boats to spoil a fun day.

This reminds us, now that the season is 'officially' open, you're sure to want to plan some summer sailing excursions. Latitude 38's annual 'Perfect Daysail' article will give you helpful hints on planning your perfect daysail and can be found in the May issue, due out on Tuesday, May 1.

- latitude / ld



Adventurer or Crackpot?

April 27 - Hoboken, NJ

By now you've undoubtedly heard of Reid Stowe, the 55 year-old artist who left Hoboken, New Jersey, on April 21 aboard the 70-ft schooner Anne on a 1,000-day non-stop voyage to 'nowhere' - the plan is to follow the prevailing winds around the world as many times as possible during that time. Along for the ride is Stowe's girlfriend of four years, 23-year-old Soanya Ahmad, who admits to having no other sailing experience than daysails on the Hudson. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because Stowe has been trying to get this trip off the ground, so to speak, for several years.


Stowe and his family designed and built the 70-ft schooner Anne in the '70s.
©2007 www.1000days.net

In 2001, Stowe set off on a 'shakedown' cruise of 200 days in the Atlantic, following a course shaped like a sea turtle, with his 26-year-old then-wife. Apparently realizing that kind of trip wasn't for her, Stowe's then-wife soon became his ex-wife.

Then in 2002, there came press releases and news items galore that he was finally leaving on the 1,000-day odyssey, but it seems the trip either ended prematurely or was cancelled, as he was back in New York in 2003. Just in time to meet Ahmad.


Reid Stowe, 55, and Soanya Ahmad, 23, set out last week on a planned 1,000 day non-stop voyage.
©2007 www.1000days.net

None of this is to say that Stowe doesn't have the wherewithal to take on such a challenge. By all accounts, he's an accomplished seaman and is very earnest in his desire to complete the trip. But a number of people we spoke to had serious reservations, not the least of which is young Ahmad's total lack of experience.

So we leave it to our readers. What do you think about Reid Stowe?

A: He's a total visionary, man! One of the last great adventurers.
B: Can you say 'wingnut'? What's the point, besides publicity?
C: Three years on a boat with a woman half your age . . . that guy's my hero!

Send your answers and comments to LaDonna. To follow Stowe's "Mars Ocean Odyssey" (so name for the length of time it takes to reach the Red Planet), check out the project's Web site at www.1000days.net.

- latitude / ld



Singlehander Mark Penny Found Dead North of La Paz

April 27 - La Paz, BCS

As you read this, dozens of boats are en route to French Polynesia with the annual springtime Puddle Jump migration. One, however, came to a tragic end less than a day after setting sail. English singlehander Mark Penny was found dead aboard his Westsail 32 sloop, Sunday, which was discovered on a rocky shoreline some 35 miles north of La Paz - the opposite direction one would take toward the South Pacific islands.

We have little solid info on Penny, but a posting on the Westsail Owners' Association Web site indicated that he was 40, had been around boats much of his life, had once earned a Yachtmaster's License and had recently decided to sail around the world. We'll attempt to bring you further details of Penny's mysterious and tragic end in the coming days.

latitude / at



Joe Kenney Making Slow Recovery

April 27 - Atascadero

As reported earlier, sailor and professional jet-ski stun man Joe Kenney was the victum of a brutal attack January 15 in San Luis Obispo, which left him seriously wounded and in a coma. We're happy to report that Joe - who was the life of the party at the 2004 Baja Ha-Ha beach party in Cabo San Lucas - is making a slow but steady recovery.

As reported on his Web site, www.joekenney.com, he regained consciousness in early February and began rehab activities soon afterwards. In mid-February he finally moved out of ICU. By late in the month he was still blinded by the incident, but doctors, family and friends are hopeful he will recover his vision in time.

No updates have been posted to the site in recent weeks, but we're hopeful this big-hearted, fun-loving, and incredibly athletic guy will make a full recovery soon.

- latitude / at


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Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.