Chillin’ in the Tuamotus
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Sometimes it’s nice to cast off your worldly woes (and clothes), sit down on a deserted beach and simply contemplate the universe.
That’s precisely what New Zealanders Paul and Gina Rae did after arriving at this serene anchorage at Apataki, in the Tuamotus, aboard their Hylas 44 Solace.
"This is where we have spent the last few days in peaceful tranquility," writes Gina. "There has been no wind to speak of and the water is calm. There are enough small reefs around to show us a parade of aquarium fish and sea life. For my birthday, we drank champagne and ate pineapple upside down cake! We’ll hang here and enjoy it while we have it, and will move on when the wind comes up."
Sounds like a fine way to spend a couple of days. Solace crossed from Mexico weeks ago with the annual migration of Pacific Puddle Jumpers. Others within that fleet are currently exploring the Marquesas and Society Islands. Hopefully, many of them will come together at the Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous planned for June 27 and 28, where they’ll share passage tales and future plans. Look for a complete report on this year’s migration in an upcoming edition of Latitude 38.
Master Mariners
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Gray skies, light winds, and even a little rain greeted 56 boats answering starting guns at the annual Master Mariners Regatta on Saturday, May 24. And that’s pretty much how it stayed through the rest of the day, with perhaps a few brief ‘gusts’ to 10-12 knots. Ironically, on Friday when many boats went out to practice, they enjoyed the usual conditions found during this Memorial Day weekend event: blue skies, bright sun and wind in the high 20s.
The conditions did little to dampen the spirits of the classic yacht crowd. (With a few exceptions, Master Mariner boats must be designed before World War II — or built to a pre-war design using pre-war methods). And the smile quotient seemed as big as ever, both aboard boats passing in front of our cameras and at the post-race party at Encinal YC.
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
“Sailboat racing doesn’t have to involve beating your brains out in 30 knots of wind to be enjoyable,” said Bill Belmont, a 30-year Master Mariners veteran with his Farallon Clipper Credit. “It was a nice change that this year’s race was more tactical. We had one big flood all day long and a lot depended on how you dealt with it to keep the boat moving.”
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With a reverse handicap start (using a handicapping system as old and mysterious at the pyramids), the first boat in any division to cross the finish line is the winner. Here are the winning boats in this year’s race:
Big Schooner — Lynx, Craig Chapman
Gaff 1 — Brigadoon, Terry Klaus
Gaff 2 — Blackwitch, Rick Hastie
Marconi 1 — Santana, Paul Kaplan
Marconi 2 — Sunda, Bob Rogers
Marconi 3 — Corsair II, Mike O’Callaghan
Ocean 1 — Kate II, John Emerick
Ocean 2 — Ouessant, Gene Buck
Bears — Magic, Tim Maloney
Birds — Robin, Pat Kirrane
For complete results, log onto www.mastermariners.org.
Community Outrigger Launched
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
After last Saturday’s terrible helicopter crash at Two Harbors, which claimed the lives of four of the six aboard, the quirky little community was in serious need of an emotional lift. Fortunately, Sunday, the day after the accident, had been slated as the launch day of the bright yellow Leilani, a Hawaiian outrigger racing canoe that had been lovingly restored by the hands of many of the locals.
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC
A crowd of several hundred, about half members of the local community, and about half others who were attracted by the the aroma of Frank the pig cooking on the BBQ, gathered for the occasion. Nice words were spoken about the restored outrigger, which is for community use, beer was consumed, music was played, pallets were burned . . . and perhaps most importantly, people were able to express their grief to others. It was just what many people needed to start getting over the tragedy and get the high season back on track.
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC
By the way, several readers have identified Deborah Hansen, American Airlnes flight attendant and member of the King Harbor Yacht Club, as the person who got to the helicopter crash scene first and was so heroic in her efforts to save lives.
Soldini Crushes Class 40s in Transat
Italian Giovanni Soldini sealed his win in the Class 40 division in The Artemis Transat when he crossed the finish line off Marblehead just after 7 a.m. For the 42-year-old Italian, it was nearly a wire-to-wire win for his year-old Guillaume Verdier design that also won last year’s doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre. Tactically, Soldini sailed a strong race, staying close to the rhumbline and consolidating at every opportunity. Although we don’t have access to the exact distance, a look at the race’s two-dimensional tracker shows that Soldini sailed what’s probably the shortest total distance of any Class 40 sailor. He continually boxed the rhumbline and minimized his north/south deviations. Meanwhile, some of his competitors were getting as far as 150 miles perpendicular to the rhumbline’s south. "I think I was good in the race," he said. "It was a good choice to stay in the north in the beginning and through the first high pressure."