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August 19, 2016

Anatomy of a Round-Down

Wild times on the Olympic Circle in SFYC’s Summer Keelboat Invitational.

© Erik Simonson

Sailing photographer Erik Simonson was on the spot to capture images of this round-down (followed by an accidental jibe turning the mishap into a round-up) complete with man overboard (who fortunately hung onto the boat).

The Express 27, Matt Krogstad’s Corinthian Yacht Club-based Tequila Mockingbird, was competing in San Francisco YC’s Summer Keelboat Invitational on August 13, held in the wind-blown Slot on the choppy waters of Berkeley’s Olympic Circle.

Ever Seen a Moonbow?

Some offshore sailors dread getting up at all hours of the night to stand watch. But night watches sometimes yield unexpected rewards: brilliant stars and constellations to steer by, meteor showers and, if you’re lucky, perhaps even a nighttime rainbow, or ‘moonbow’. 

Pacific Puddle Jumper Bill Schmid of the Everett, WA-based Corbin 39 Anakena reports seeing one during his recent crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia. "It was a full moon with high clouds all around and a squall in the distance. We were close to the equator."

It’s amazing the things you might see while in the middle of the ocean late at night. Look closely and you can just make out a secondary rainbow also.

© Bill Schmid

Although we don’t recall ever seeing a moonbow ourselves, Bill’s photo made us realize its a no-brainer that rainbows could occur at any hour of the day or night — but your only chance of seeing one after dark would be during a full or nearly full moon.

Encyclopedia Britannica explains the rainbow phenomenon: "The appearance of a rainbow depends on the angle at which the sun’s light rays are refracted (bent) and reflected by droplets of water suspended in the air. Red is refracted least and violet is refracted most. Thus, in the bright primary bow, red is on the outside and violet on the inside. When a dimmer secondary bow occurs, the colors are reversed.

You probably learned all this in the third grade, but if you’re like us, you could probably use a refresher on much of the simple science you learned as a youngster. 

© Courtesy Encyclopedia Britannica

While we’re on the subject, if you’re at sufficient altitude — say, up a tall mast or in a plane — it’s also possible to see a circular rainbow. Ah, the wonders of nature.

Aussie photographer Colin Leonhardt caught this perfect double rainbow — or should we say rain-circle — while flying above Western Australia.

© Colin Leonhardt / Cater News Agency

If you have a favorite at-sea rainbow shot to share — from any time of day or night — we’d love to see it.

New Site for Disposing of Flares

For many sailors finding a safe, legal way to dispose of expired flares is a minor dilemma. But we’ve got a temporary solution.

© 2016

Over the years, Latitude 38 readers have often complained that there wasn’t anywhere they could safely and legally dispose of outdated flares. We’ve got a new solution. Between now and October 1, you can drop your outdated flares — assuming there is no obvious degradation or damage to them — at the Latitude office at 15 Locust Avenue in Mill Valley during office hours only (M-F, 9-5).

We are collecting flares at the request of the Port Captain in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico, who needs them to help in classes for students seeking to become licensed captains.

We repeat, DO NOT bring us any flares that have any visible damage, and do not leave them outside. Gracias.

In recent years the Ha-Ha’s cruisers-vs-local kids baseball game has been great fun for all.

© 2016 Fin Beven

Similarly, if you have any kind of baseball equipment, you can also drop that off at the Latitude office in Mill Valley. We use the equipment in the Cruiser-versus-Turtle Bay Kids baseball game during the Baja Ha-Ha. At the end of the game, we pass the gear out to the kids — which they greatly appreciate.

It’s that season — you know, the one between midsummer and fall, ‘backtoschool’ — and the Delta Doo Dah’s summer vacation of sailing and playing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is coasting toward the finish.
Ivanka Trump, cruising the waters of Croatia.  Daily Mail
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC ‘Yachting with the Enemy’ is the headline that the Daily Mail gave to their recent article about global movers and shakers enjoying some R&R on yachts in Croatia.