Archive for January 2013
First Vendée Finishers to Arrive Tomorrow
Barring any major breakages or accidents, the first two Vendée Globe racers are slated to cross the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, sometime tomorrow. The race’s ‘golden boy’, François Gabart (MACIF), is on track to not only cross the line first, but to also break the world record by solo circumnavigating — his first time, by the way — in just 78 days. More »
Know Your Snakes?
Talk about an unwelcome shipmate! This one was not only uninvited, but he bit the captain. Can you ID the species?
© 2013 Keith Albrecht
A little while back, Keith Albrecht of the Alamitos Bay-based Columbia 36 Ojo Rojo climbed down the companionway into the dark main salon to grab a cruising guide. More »
The Unsuspecting Surfer
The day before the internationally renowned Mavericks surf contest was slated to start, surfers at Ocean Beach, just south of the entrance to San Francisco Bay, enjoyed some killer waves. Filmmaker and kitesurfer Pete Koff caught some impressive surfing action last Saturday, including a high-performance cigarette boat that zipped into the surf zone. More »
Roger Swanson’s Final Journey
It may seem ironic that a mild-mannered Minnesotan would be considered one of the greatest ocean voyagers of our time, but Roger Swanson — who passed away late last month at the age of 81 — was precisely that. More »
Good Tip For Mexico
Starting in mid-January, government officials in La Paz started knocking on boat hulls in one marina asking to see copies of Temporary Import Permits. TIPs were created about 20 years ago to provide a means for boat owners to leave Mexico without their boats. More »
Time to Ban Whales from Banderas Bay?
Anti-social whale behavior on Banderas Bay. This wasn’t the whale that interfered with our race, but just one of many annoying yachties on the bay.
© 2013 Jay Ailworth
There we were, sailing downwind toward the finish line of Saturday’s Vallarta Cup race, trying to get the crew to keep paying attention to their jobs. More »
A-Cup Partnership Focused on Youth Sailing
Since 2008, a Bay Area nonprofit called SailSFBay has been quietly working to unite the Bay Area sailing community behind the goal of growing participation in sailing. During the group’s January 17 meeting, hosted in the Oracle Team USA compound at Pier 80, Tim Jeffrey of the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) and John Craig from America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM) made a very exciting announcement: The ACEA will partner with SailSFBay for community outreach, especially events and programs that get more young sailors out on the water. More »
Frank Savage at St. Francis YC
St. Francis YC’s Wednesday Yachting Luncheon Chair Kimball Livingston has a habit of drawing some very interesting and evocative speakers to the club’s weekly luncheon, and this week’s is no exception. More »
Seeing the Light, and for Little Money
A couple of things that make us grouchy is poor interior lighting on sailboats and pissing away battery power. We think we’ve found a great solution that might work for your boat, too. More »
Cross-Traffic In Lonely Latitudes
Having now traveled more than 6,000 miles in 18 days, Maserati is currently blasting toward Cape Horn. Roughly 7,100 (rhumbline) miles to go yet, before reaching the Golden Gate.
© 2013 Giovanni Soldini / Maserati
Imagine being in one of the most desolate places on Earth and suddenly encountering a friend from home. More »
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