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15th Annual Ha-Ha Begins

The Ha-Ha festivities started with Holly Scott and her Desperate Housewives crew on the Cal 40 Mahalo dancing up a ’50s style storm.

latitude/Richard
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

It was foggy this morning in San Diego, but the sun made an appearance for the 11 a.m. start of the 15th Annual Cruiser’s Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas — with the usual stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. Commander’s Weather, the official forecaster, is calling for winds to be under 15 knots and smooth seas for the first three or four days. As the fleet crossed the start line, a 12-knot westerly was blowing.

Holy Minnows, Mary Ann and Jonas Grumby, aka ‘The Skipper’, made an appearance and will be sailing with the fleet.

latitude/Richard
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

There were 182 boats that signed up for the event, but thanks to the usual percentage of dropouts, 140 — and 564 people — showed up at the starting line. Engine problems kept several boats at the dock for the start, but they’ll join the fleet as soon as they can. That should bring the number of starters up to about the same as last year.

A number of Ha-Ha sponsors from Mexico came up for the Kick-Off Party, including Dick Markie of Paradise Marina, Geronimo Cevallas of El Cid Marina in Mazatlan, and the best looking of all, Aline Amieva of the Nayarit Riviera Marina.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

The event actually started yesterday with the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Halloween Costume Party at the West Marine Superstore in San Diego. About 600 people, most of them participants, showed up. Everyone was having a fine time in fine weather — except one neighbor who complained, "We’re old people in Pt. Loma, and we don’t want to hear any noise." Oh well, you can’t please everyone. A half hour later a cop drove by and gave us a friendly wave.

Angie, a lovely member of the West Marine Swag-a-licious dance and helper team, reached deep in the raffle jar to pull out the name of the winner of the Raymarine Life Tag ‘Personal Safety Monitoring Device.’

latitude/Richard
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

We wish you could all be here with us. Maybe next year!

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Only two days into an attempt on the west-east transatlantic record, the crew aboard Richard Branson’s 99-ft Virgin Money is diverting to Bermuda and calling it quits after enduring wind into the 50s.