Skip to content
Archive for November 2009

What’s New in La Paz

November 23, 2009
Our correspondent and good buddy Patsy Verhoeven, who just sailed the entire Ha-Ha course for the third time in a row, and who spends most of the year aboard her Gulfstar 50 Talion in La Paz, checks in with the latest from The City of Peace: "Over 200 people showed at the Baja Ha-Ha welcome party put on by the La Paz Tourism Board and the local marinas. More »

Seaward Is Heading South

If you’ve sailed on the Bay in the last four years, you’ve likely seen the 82-ft steel schooner Seaward on a training cruise — and probably more than once. "Since she sailed under the Gate in September, 2005, weeds haven’t had time to grow on her bottom," says John Skoriak, a volunteer with Call of the Sea, the non-profit organization that owns and runs Seaward. More »

Watson Tags Equator

November 20, 2009
Jessica Watson shows her offering to King Neptune. Ella’s Pink Lady
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Yesterday, sixteen-year-old Aussie solo sailor Jessica Watson crossed the equator — the first milestone in her attempt to set the record for the youngest person to sail around the world alone, non-stop and unassisted. More »

Good News for Banderas Bay Blasters

The kind folks at the snazzy Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz have confirmed that they will provide free berthing on the night of Wednesday, December 2, for boats registered for the Banderas Bay Blast, the three-day ‘nothing serious’ regatta on Banderas Bay December 2-4. More »

Stand By for Blast Off!

November 18, 2009
The action-packed Banderas Bay Blast, three days of ‘nothing serious’ sailing fun as well as sailor socializing on land, is set for December 2-4. The sponsoring Punta Mita Yacht & Surf Club and Vallarta YC need to know who is coming, or else how are they supposed to know how many t-shirts to make? More »

What the Heck?

Can you guess what this mystery costume is supposed to be? No, not an egg yolk. Not a sperm cell. And not a chunk of plankton, but you’re getting close. latitude/Andy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Whenever we cover a major event we seem to have interesting leftover factoids and photos that don’t make it into our articles. More »

Here Spot!

November 16, 2009
In view of the loss of J/World as a result of a collision with a whale during the Baja Ha-Ha, we’re reviewing the pros and cons of the various electronic methods of calling for help. More »

Groupama 3 Abandons Record Attempt

Structural failure ended the ’round the world record attempt of Franck Cammas’ Groupama 3 this morning at about 4 a.m. PST. Sailing at 90° true in a north-northeasterly breeze of up to 35 knots, Thomas Coville and Bruno Jeanjean were on deck and averaging 25 knots of boatspeed when "a bulkhead attached to the aft beam simply gave up the ghost," according to a statement released by the team. More »

Hittin’ the Snooze Button

Kym and Armand Renga of Santa Barbara sent us this shot of their 14-year-old Brittany, Storm, doing what sailors have been excelling at for centuries: finding a cozy, out-of-the-way spot to catch a few winks. More »