November Issue of Latitude 38 Is Out Today
What do Randall Reeves, the Red Bra, Berkeley Marina, Mexico cruising, Webb Chiles, the Transpac Tahiti 2020, sailing books, Max Ebb and the Season Champs all have in common?
They’re all featured in the November issue of Latitude 38, of course.
Randall Reeves’ Triumphant Return
It’s one of the most exciting sailing stories out of San Francisco in recent — and even distant — memory. Bay Area native Randall Reeves completed his pioneering Figure 8 Voyage. “It began as a simple enough idea — to solo circumnavigate the Americas and Antarctica in one season,” Reeves wrote yesterday on his blog. “A boat, a sailor, a big sea, some ice and a double loop of the globe in roughly the shape of an eight.”
The recently completed Figure 8 was a monumental achievement by any measure, but Randall Reeves is far from congratulating himself. “What we have done, we have done,” he said in our feature article this month. “I’m surprised that it was possible. I’m surprised I could do it. I’m surprised it was that easy, because it’s a [expletive] long way; I really had that profound experience of taking it one day at a time. You just keep going and going, and suddenly you’re in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. Once you start, you just have to keep going. It’s not heroics.”
We Are the (Season) Champions
The end-of-year Season Champions features have been a long-standing tradition here at Latitude 38. How long? We’re not sure, but at least three decades. Racing editors have come and gone, each adding their own angle on, rather than taking away from, the celebration of the leaders who show the rest of us the way around our local race courses. In part one of this yearly series, we’ll feature the Nordic Folkboat Freja, the Melges 24 Looper, the J/105 Ne*Ne and the Olson 25 Synchronicity — just to name a few.
Berkeley, California — A Salty City
“As the representative for much of the Marina, I am concerned about the deteriorating infrastructure, which has been neglected over time,” said city councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, who represents District 1 in Berkeley, which includes nearly the entirety of the Marina. “I think the Marina is a diamond in the rough. But there’s so much more that we can do as a city.”
In part 2 of our series asking, “What’s Next for Berkeley Marina?” we explore the city’s unique international population, which adds spice to the salty mix of sailors. Despite the state of its infrastructure and disagreement over how to move forward, the people who sail out of Berkeley are a unique combination of stoked beginners, well-established liveaboards and cruisers, and championship racers.
“I’ve been here 20 years now,” said Cree Partridge, the owner of Berkeley Marine Center. “There is just not a nicer place on the Bay. How can you possibly think of a better place to work on your boat than in the middle of a park?”
Why You Should Linger in Mexico
“As I write this, Migration is making her way slowly northward along the east coast of the Baja peninsula,” wrote Bruce Balan and Alene D. Rice of their Cross 46 trimaran. “The standard summer protocol is to hang around Bahia de los Angeles where Puerto Don Juan offers excellent protection from the few hurricanes that curve northward. Each day we marvel at the awesomeness of the Sea and are enthralled by the unique beauty of this part of the world.”
The cruising couple make a compelling argument for tapping into magic that awaits south of the border. Between the landscapes, the food and the diving, Mexico is a paradise unlike any other. Sailors shouldn’t just ‘pass through,’ argue Balan and Rice. They should linger.
The Red Bra Regatta
“This is the only all-women’s regatta held on San Francisco Bay. It’s specifically designed to provide racing opportunities for women who may not have the opportunity to crew on a regular basis,” wrote Jocelyn Swanson of SBYC. “The origin of the Red Bra Regatta was a race in which a red bra was flown as a protest flag. The Red Bra Regatta grew from an initial four boats to 19 boats. Inspired by the visit from the crew of Maiden, this year SBYC and the Red Bra Regatta supported Girls United (Wasichana Pamoja), an educational program that empowers and supports female students and young women in rural Kenya to stay in school.”
Last but Certainly not Least (and Not Even in This Post) . . .
In this month’s Sightings, Webb Chiles answered an often-asked and deeply existential question: “Why I sail.” We won’t give you excerpts here — we trust that you’re going to grab the magazine soon. We’ll also post Chiles’ essay in its entirety on ‘Lectronic Latitude next week.
Happy autumn, Latitude Nation. The skies have cleared here in California, the power is back on, the days are shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and a new issue of Latitude 38 is hot off the presses and at a waterfront business near you.
Mark Zuckerberg Plans Open-Ended Cruise in Mexico
Word from a local boatyard operator is that, after 15 years of running the social media giant Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg — who it turns out is a local sailor — has decided to take up cruising just “to get away from it all.” Reportedly, the goal is to keep things simple. The boat, a 1982 Islander 36, recently renamed Quietude, is to be minimally equipped so Zuckerberg, along with his wife Priscilla Chan and two daughters, can experience some real downtime off the grid.
While helping one of the yard workers clean the accumulated muck out of the bilge of the new-to-them ‘fixer-upper’, Zuckerberg reportedly told her that he really was just looking for a less distracted, more genuine life. He wants to be able to work with his hands, find a quiet cove, do some fishing and snorkeling, and see the stars again — and to get away from screens and devices. He also said he worries about the impact of the internet on his children. He complained about the relentless intrusion of texts, tweets and emails and how he feels compelled to keep up with the lives of millions of his friends. He’s never sure if it’s his best friend’s kid who has a cold or his friend’s, friend’s, friend’s friend.
We heard that the work order at the yard specifies that all but the most essential electronics are to be removed. Apparently Zuckerberg wants to stick with the basics as he’ll be navigating with just a sextant and the sun and the stars. Besides, it will make the boat easier to sail and he won’t have to spend all his time trying to figure out how all this technology stuff works. The minimalist approach was meant to bring back the pleasures of his first year in college where, as he said, “it was just cool hanging out with a few friends, having a few beers together in our little dorm room and chatting about life, friendship and travel. Life was just, like . . . so simple then.”
Most of all, Zuckerberg and his wife are looking forward to having some genuine face time with each other and their children. They’re bringing along a full complement of children’s stories to read aloud including P.D. Eastman’s Go Dog Go, Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and his Purple Crayon.
Ultimately Zuckerberg, after getting a few cruising miles under his belt, would like to take his family on the ultimate voyage by building a light-sail spacecraft, tentatively named StarChip, which will take the family to Alpha Centauri star system about 4.37 light years away. But, for now, being off the grid and gunkholing, swimming and sailing the Sea of Cortez with his wife and daughters just sounds relaxing and a great way to connect with nature and each other.
This story was entirely fabricated. #fakenews #threesheetstothewind
Special Pricing at Wayfarer Marina
Pacific Puddle Jump Signups Begin
The dream of cruising the South Pacific is high on the ‘must-do-someday’ list of sailors all over the world. And for well over two decades the annual Pacific Puddle Jump rally has helped fulfill those dreams by ushering fleets of international sailors to the fabled isles of French Polynesia every spring.
The Puddle Jump is unique among international cruising rallies. Its participants leave from a variety of ports along the west coast of the Americas any time between late February and late May. Depending on where they begin, the trade-wind passage is roughly 3,000 to 4,000 miles with no possible pit stops along the way.
Want to learn more about it? If you’re in the San Diego area this weekend, check out the free informational seminar Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Point Loma West Marine store (1250 Rosecrans).
Registration for this season’s rally begins today, November 1, at www.pacificpuddlejump.com. The entry fee is $75 per boat (or $65 if the owner’s age or the length of his boat is 35 or less). Entrants’ info is included in a master safety database. They are invited to participate in daily check-ins and the fleet’s tracking sites (viewable by folks back home). They receive substantial discounts from a variety of sponsors and supporters, including the services of a Tahitian yacht agent that gets them a 40% discount on fuel throughout French Polynesia; plus an official PPJ burgee and other swag; and invitations to several special PPJ events and seminars.
If you’re itching for a major adventure, doing the Pacific Puddle Jump could definitely fill the bill.
Nautical Trivia Quiz Answers
Wait! Stop! Spoiler Alert! Before you read more of this post, did you have the chance to take Richmond Yacht Club’s Great Pumpkin Regatta Nautical Trivia Quiz, which we posted on Wednesday? If not, don’t read any further. Go back in time to Wednesday and note your answers to the quiz questions, then come back here to check your answers.
We’ve made the correct responses bold. (Typos, etc., are sic.)
The 10-Question Quiz
The “New Zealand National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research” scientist Petra Pierce is now studying old square rigged sailing ships “log books” to harvest information from the 1600’s, 1700’s and any sailing navigator observations from all over the world. These may be the oldest reliable weather data and observations of the worlds oceans recorded. New Zealand is studying old weather data because?
A. New Zealand has the America’s Cup
B. ‘Games of Thrones’ filming starts in New Zealand
C. Wine industry and Agriculture industry info
D. Climate Change Modeling
Many of Tracy Edwards’ Maiden’s all women’s crew from the 1989-90 campaign went on to various sailing adventures in history. Tracy’s team may not have been the most experienced beginning the race but where at the finish line. They won two of the legs. Three women went on to crew on attempts to set sailing course records around the world. Two went on to participate in many other big races and one woman went on to sail another Whitbread and two America’s Cup campaigns, winning one of them. Who was this amazing women sailor?
A. Melissa Purdy-Tiburon
B. Dawn Riley-Detroit
C. Amanda Swan-New Zealand
D. Nancy Hill-New York
This man sailed on HMS “Endeavour” with Captain Cook in 1768, as a botanist and naturalist. We was very wealthy man. Charles Darwin learned from him. He discovered and named the “Bougainvillea”, was president of the Royal Society and recommended to the British Admiralty to commission Captain Bligh to sail HMS “Bounty” to Tahiti in an effort to collect and transport breadfruit to the Caribbean Islands. His name is on a Caribbean Blended Rum. Who was this first naturalist?
A. Joseph Banks
B. Captain Morgan
C. John Jamison
D. Norman Collins
We know where the “King”, “Devil” and “Garboard” planks are located on a wood built boat. We know why they call a particular plank the “Shutter Plank”. What is the “Whiskey Plank”?
A. The wood under the whisky bottle.
B. The bed under a drunken sailor.
C. The last plank secured to the boat.
E. Transoms top plank.
Tim Crockett, a Special Forces veteran, and three of his friends, while drinking in a bar in England, conceived of a fund raising way to support organizations to help returning veterans from the Middle-East wars with mental health issues and suicide. After his three friends backed-out he rowed solo in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Rowing Challenge. His boat was named “Tame the Kraken”. He finished the 3200 miles in 63 days and generated $200,000 for supporting USA and British organizations. Where does the name “Kraken” come from?
A. Name of the Bar in England
B. Name of the Black Spiced Rum they were drinking
C. ‘Norse Sea Monster’ that sinks ships
D. The Knarr that won the 2018-2019 Golden Gate Winter Series
This 1634 invention was used on almost all sailing ships and to this day is still in use as one of the tools used by any good mariner. But it was not until 1947, after the second world war that it was used by racing sailboat navigators to pick the best course to sail between Los Angeles and Hawaii during the Trans Pacific Yacht Race. What was this invention?
A. Slide rule
B. Barometer
C. Sextant
D. Stopwatch
During the naval battles of the “Eighty Years War” between Catholic Spain and Prodestant Netherlands this 1608 invention played a key role in the diplomatic truce of 1609 called the “Twelve Years Truce”. The Spanish navy commander did not want to continue fighting when word got out about Hans Lipperhey’s idea. The patent office turned down this idea and it quickly became a novelty item for sale on the streets of Paris. Galileo started using this in his work. What was this 1608 invention originally discovered by accident in a clothing store?
A. Barometer
B. Water screw-propeller
C. Telescope
D. Military cartridge
In 1822 this man stepped off the British Whaling Ship ‘Orion’ onto foreign soil to find supplies for the ships’ crew but he was immediately detained by the Commandante of the Presidio. He was noticed and adored by Maria Antonia, daughter of the Commandante. He converted to Catholicism became a Mexican citizen and after he married Maria he taught carpentry, ship building, navigation, skippered schooners carrying lumber from the North Bay to the new town of Yerba Buena and was the first harbor master for the port of San Francisco. In 1835 he received a 19,500 acre Mexican land grant. To this day part of San Francisco Bay is named for him. Who was he?
A. Ygnacio Martinez
B. Bill Richardson
C. Corte Madera
D. General San Pablo
In the 2019 R2AK race from Port Townsend Washington to Ketchikan Ak, First Federal Teams Sail Like a Girl competed in a Melges 32. From the moment they started on their all human powered adventure the second time around they were predicted to be one of the front runners.
A. They won it in 2018
B. They were the only boat to sail through Seymour narrows on one tide change.
C. They had both paddle and pedal power on board.
D. Both A and C
In the 2017 Trans Pacific Yacht Race the “First to Finish” Barn Door Trophy was presented to the second boat to finish, the 100′ RIO. In 2019 this trophy was presented to 100′ Comanche, the real first to finish boat finishing both races. Why was Rio and Comanche switched for this recognition?
A. Comanche’s new Australian owner was bribed to enter
B. Rio’s owner had the boat “For Sale”
C. Rio did not use a swinging mechanical keel in 2017
D. Comanche did not used mechanical winches in 2019
How’d you do?
Price Reduced on Tiburon Condo
Tiburon 2 Bed/1 Bath Condo for Sale: Price just reduced to $739,000
And interest rates have dropped again too!
Open House This Sunday, November 3, and next Sunday, November 10, 2-4 p.m.: 10 Andrew Drive #60
- Easy drive to 3 yacht clubs/marinas on the Tiburon Peninsula.
- New paint and carpet.
- Upgraded dual-pane windows, slider.
- Silestone kitchen counters; upgraded drawer fronts & cupboard doors.
- Lots of storage.
- Living room & master bedroom open to a large private deck.
- View of Mt. Tam from master bedroom.
- In-unit high-efficiency washer/dryer, plus coin-op laundry room.
- 1 reserved carport space w/additional open parking; spacious storage room.
- Large community pool and pleasant pool/picnic area.
- Excellent Reed District schools.
- Close to Cove Shopping Center, Blackie’s Pasture, bike path, Ring Mountain trails, Richardson Bay waterfront.
- Convenient location, quick access to 101, bus and shuttle to the Tiburon ferry.
- Must be owner-occupied for at least 2 years.
- Available now. $739,000. Tiburon Hill Estates. HOA dues $482.
View at www.cbone.me/node/1274125
Contact Michelle Steinhart, Coldwell Banker
[email protected], (415) 531-1384
Cal RE #00957034