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Archive for January 2013

Drinking While Singlehanding

January 11, 2013
The Catalina 36 was nicely fitted out with lifesaving gear, lazyjacks, a dodger, a rollerfurler and more. But when the helmsman falls asleep, none of that helps. © 2013 Rich Kane We can’t help feeling a little sorry for Stephen Fryer. More »

The Big Chill

If you’re a sailor in the northern hemisphere, you’re probably freezing your buns off. For example, today’s high in Seattle is 39 and the low will be 27. It’s a small consolation to those folks that by some calculations the previous 12 months have been the warmest year in history. More »

Maserati Sailing at Record-Setting Pace

January 9, 2013
Giovanni Soldini broke his first international sailing record at 23. But despite a lifetime of achievements he’s probably most famous for rescuing Isabelle Autissier in the Southern Ocean during the 1998-99 Around Alone race. More »

Stamm Retires from Vendée Globe

For three long days, Bernard Stamm has been running his IMOCA 60 Cheminées Poujoulat on emergency energy rations after a UFO disabled both of his hydrogenerators. He was able to contact his shore team only once a day to determine a plan of action, which ended up with his friend Unaï Basurko — a Basque sailor who happened to be in Ushuaia — delivering diesel to Stamm after his Cape Horn rounding hours ago. More »

Oracle’s New Wing Arrives in the Bay

Oracle Team USA’s new wing sail was delivered by truck yesterday after taking a tour of South Bay (the Bay Bridge has size and weight restrictions). © 2013 Guilain Grenier / Oracle Team USA After the devastating capsize October 17 that destroyed USA 17’s wing sail, Team Oracle have been busy repairing the boat and readying her for a new wing. More »

Socrates Rounding Cape Horn

January 7, 2013
Jeanne Socrates left Victoria in October on a nonstop solo circumnavigation. She’s finding the Southern Ocean to be much tamer than her last time around. © Ken Pfister Two years ago today we reported that Jeanne Socrates’ second attempt at sailing nonstop around the world came to an end when she suffered a brutal knockdown as she approached Cape Horn. More »

The Souvenir That Lasts a Lifetime

As you might imagine, Tucker Bradford of the San Francisco-based Convivia put a lot of thought into his shoulder tatt, which tells a story. latitude/Andy
©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC All along the West Coast of the Americas, soon-to-be westbound cruisers are upgrading their boats, stocking up on spare parts, and boning up on skills like offshore navigation, weather-reading, and heavy-weather sailing techniques. More »

Vendée Update

Wonder if Mike Golding on Gamesa, currently in sixth place, found a pot of gold at the end of this Southern Ocean rainbow. © Mike Golding / Gamesa Speaking of the Vendée Globe . More »
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BREAKING NEWS: Ship Sideswipes Bay Bridge

As we post today’s articles, the first reports are trickling in regarding a cargo vessel striking the Bay Bridge in foggy conditions sometime during the late morning. According to a CalTrans spokesman, it simply "sideswiped" a bridge tower, or its protective "fender," leaving no significant damage to the structure or the vessel — at least as far as they know thus far. More »

We Got a Head-ache & Need a Cure

January 4, 2013
We took 24 people out on Profligate on New Year’s Eve, including about 18 teens. As those who have had them know, teens have an incredible ability to instantly grasp such subjects as music, smart phones, and members of the opposite sex. More »