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Archive for July 2014

Octogenarian Homecoming

July 23, 2014
Nothin’ to it. Eighty-six-year-old Karl Burton is now less than 150 miles from his home port, after a very fast lap around the globe. Cabrillo Beach YC
©2014Latitude 38 Media, LLC As the 14 finishers of this month’s Singlehanded TransPac can confirm, sailing alone from the West Coast to the Hawaiian Islands is a substantial personal accomplishment. More »

Capsized by Blue Whales

Want to swim with blue whales? Capt. Sayer can tell you what it’s like. latitude/Richard
©2014 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Capt. CiCi Sayer is no stranger to excitement and danger. She’s done a couple of deliveries to Mexico, did the stormy Caribbean 1500 nicknamed ‘Nightmare on Night Heron‘, and between 2003 and 2010 drove Two Harbors (Catalina) shoreboats — including during the bacchanalian, Buffalo Milk-powered Buccaneer Days. More »

35th America’s Cup In Full Tumult

July 21, 2014
Wine baron Bob Oatley of the Hamilton Island YC, Challenger of Record for the 35th America’s Cup, had some bad news for Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison. Hamilton Island YC
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC Last week wasn’t a tranquil one for the 35th America’s Cup — assuming there will be such a thing as scheduled in 2017. More »

Dingo Ate the Pacific Cup

The globetrotting crew of the Australia-based R-P 52 Scarlet Runner were all smiles after their victorious finish. © 2014 Pacific Cup YC Although many Pacific Cup boats are still out on the course this morning, an unexpected winner has already run off with Class, Division and Fleet honors in this biennial San Francisco to Kaneohe race. More »

Singlehanders Celebrate

At the Singlehanded TransPac Awards Ceremonies Saturday night, the 14 finishers received their coveted TransPac belt buckles, signifying successful completion of their 2,120-mile sprint from San Francisco. Held at Hanalei’s famous Tahiti Nui restaurant/bar, the event also recognized specific achievements of eight solo racers. More »

Summer Sailing in the Arctic

July 18, 2014
When most sailors think about the joys of summer sailing, they imagine sunny days with clear blue skies, and air temperatures in the shorts-and-T-shirt range. But not Mike Johnson. He and a couple of crewmen are about to set out from remote Cambridge Bay, Canada — which lies above 69°N — aboard the 44-ft fiberglass schooner Gitana, in an attempt to complete an east-to-west transit of the Northwest Passage. More »

One Boat Yet to Finish Singlehanded TransPac

Brian Cline’s diminutive Dana 24 Maris and Barry Bristol’s Catalina Capri 30 Fast Lane arrived at the Hanalei Bay, Kauai finish line of the Singlehanded TransPac this Wednesday and Thursday respectively.  Maris, one of the smallest boats in the fleet, logged 2,192 miles on her crossing from San Francisco — the fewest miles traveled by any competitor so far. More »

Invisible Hand First Pac Cup Finisher

Seen here charging toward the finish off Oahu, Invisible Hand sailed a great race, taking line honors this morning. © 2014 Leslie Richter Frank Slootman’s Encinal YC-based R/P 63 Invisible Hand, guided by navigator Patrick Whitmarsh, bounced off Molokai on Friday morning on her next-to-last jibe toward the Pacific Cup finish line at Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. More »

Kaufmans Sue Their Iridium Time Provider

July 16, 2014
Should a company be held responsible for the consequences if they deactivate an Iridium emergency phone, especially if they charged the customer for the time to use that phone? The Kaufman family  — parents Charlotte and Eric, and their daughters Lyra, 1, and Cora, 3 — were 1,000 miles into the Pacific aboard their San Diego-based Hans Christian 33 Rebel Heart in April when such a deactivation occurred. More »