Shark Collision Turns Back One of Five Boats Returning From Pacific Cup
Early birds don’t always get the worm. The final start of the 2024 Pacific Cup took off at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and quickly started heading west, and like Wednesday’s starters, enjoyed fresher breezes than the Monday fleet. Everyone is on the track, although PRO Michael Moradzadeh updated us with news of five boats having dropped out with a variety of problems, including a collision with a shark!
Michael sent us the following: “It’s a matter of history and statistics that a percentage of boats will turn back early on for one reason or another. For the 2024 race, we are experiencing a similar rate of canceled trips as prior years. Two boats have headed back to shore with steering issues and one with medical and comms challenges.
“Imagine, a Davidson 44 skippered by Wyatt Jones, has reported problems with their steering pedestal and is returning to shore, selecting Santa Cruz or Monterey as their destination. Their autopilot is able to manage the steering function.”
“Keaka, an Olson 34 skippered by Chris Maher, reports, ‘We are experiencing rudder issues and out of an abundance of caution will be retiring.’ They are heading for a Southern California port.”
“After enduring a rather sloppy light air night at sea, Rum Tum Tugger, a Beneteau First 10R, safely docked back in Richmond, returning on advice from our medical consultants at GW University. All are safe.
“Just when we thought we had satisfied our statistical norm, we got word from Pendragon, another Davidson 44, that their Starlink and steering were both not working, so they have retired also.”
“Finally, Rapid Transit, a sleek custom Antrim-designed racer skippered by Jim Partridge, texted our PRO and our commodore to inform us that they had hit a shark. A big shark. A shark big enough to tear the rudder mounting partly off the transom, requiring a return to base. The current issue of Latitude 38 features a story of brothers Jim and Cree Partridge racing against each other. Jim is now returning home aboard Rapid Transit and Cree continuing aboard his Antrim 40 Glass Slipper.”
“The shark encounter is interesting, as a competitor, Carodon, a much heavier boat, noted her encounter with a large shark who circled the boat and then charged at a high speed, breaking off at the last minute. One wonders if this was the same fellow.
“Using a variety of technologies, race organizers monitor the progress of the participants from start to finish and can reach out to coordinate assistance in case of need. We are hoping that the rest of the fleet has a less eventful crossing,” Michael concluded.
We asked how all this information was coming from the fleet. Fleet stats show 29 boats have Iridium GO! or Iridium GO! Exec, and 29 boats are with Starlink, though many with Iridium backup, and three have SSB and Pactor modems and about 20 boats are also carrying a Garmin inReach.
All that connectivity provides some reports direct from the boats, including Hultaj overcoming a lost halyard, Kahoots saying they got off to a bumpy start with crew members battling seasickness and rough seas, Chinook enjoying a steady wind while admiring Vera Cruz in the distance, Second Wind getting through bumpy conditions before setting the asymmetric spinnaker, resulting in smoother sailing at 8 knots, and Cascade was facing cold, misty rain and challenging helm conditions and was looking forward to warmer southern latitudes.
Monday starter Pell Mell, a Point Bonita 27, was making sail and watch changes, shifting from A3 then to A4 then to A2, and were finally off and running, hitting a top speed of 13.8 knots. They’ve also shifted from foul weather gear to shorts. Hula Girl also reported a shark experience off the Farallones when a large shark circled them before darting away.
In the screenshot of the tracker you’ll note that five of the “Class Crowns,” which are placed on the boats leading their class, are on the southern edge of the fleet. It also shows two of the returning boats back in the Bay, two in Monterey Bay and Keaka headed toward harbor in Southern California.
The early birds who started on Monday have escaped the light air that glued them in place for 24 hours while the Wednesday and Thursday starters were lucky to find breeze right outside the Gate. Most of the boats are starting to shift from reaching to running in warmer air as they now work the angles, the sails and watch schedules to stay alert for the quickest path to Kaneohe Bay.
Tempest-Tossed Trans-Tahoe and Santa Cruz 27 Nationals
Sam Corso, race chair of South Lake Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club, checked in with this to say about Saturday’s North Lake racing in Tahoe YC’s Trans-Tahoe Race:
“Saturday had ferocious winds of 50 mph. We had a long-distance race around the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and halfway through the race, a thunderstorm brought some substantial southern breeze. Lots of boats ended up stranded, taking shelter behind Dollar Point as we waited for the 50 mph winds and 6-ft waves to settle down.”
Sam pointed a camera at the Santa Cruz 27 fleet, concurrently racing in their National Championship.
Video by Nick Crumley
The Trans-Tahoe features buoy racing on Friday and a long-distance race on Saturday. The SC27 Nationals sailed buoy races on Friday and Sunday, but joined the Trans-Tahoe on Saturday.
Ron Boehm’s Santa Barbara YC-based California Zephyr won the SC27 Nationals, scoring three bullets in five races.
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Preparing for the Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party Splashdown
With this year’s Baja Ha-Ha now only around three and a half months away, we’re keeping an eye on who’s signing up to join the fleet, and planning our annual Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party (this premier event has so many names even we have trouble using the right one). The Ha-Ha sets off from San Diego on November 4, and the Crew List Party splashdown is on Wednesday, September 4, at Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito.
You may wonder how the two events are connected. Latitude’s crew list parties are the place to be if you are looking for boat crew for your boat, or a boat to crew aboard if you don’t have your own. The Fall Crew List Party serves this purpose, and additionally, aims to connect sailors who want to make the voyage down to Mexico. The party also features a Cruising Seminar for Baja Ha-Ha sailors and other sailors preparing to head south. This is always an informative event, as here cruisers get the most up-to-date information directly from those in the know.
The seminar will run from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. with half an hour of Q&A from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Doors will open for the cruising seminar at 3:30 p.m.
The next part of the Crew List Party will be for mingling, chatting, making crew connections, and generally rubbing shoulders with other sailors. If you take a look at our Crew List page, you’ll see there are sailors with varying degrees of experience looking to join a boat for the Ha-Ha and other sailing adventures. There aren’t quite as many boats listed as seeking crew, so skippers, if you’re in need of extra hands, add your listing here, and come to the party!
At the time of this writing, the Baja Ha-Ha had 85 boats registered to join the cruising rally to Mexico. Some of these boats will already have their crew lined up, but there are often Ha-Ha crew connections that take place at the Fall Crew List Party, so it’s a good place to be if you want to sail to Mexico in the fall.
Speaking of the Baja Ha-Ha, here are five commonly asked questions about the rally, answered by the Ha-Ha’s GP (Grand Poobah):
1) Can I make a lot of new friends in the Ha-Ha? — Yes, you should be able to make lots of new sailing friends at any one of the eight social events. Caution: Some participants have made such good friends that it resulted in marriages … if not children.
2) Is it a good idea to anchor more than 25 feet from shore? — Anchoring close to the beach may be convenient, but is not that wise. When a Lagoon 38 cat (pictured below) slowly worked her way onto the sand at Turtle Bay, not even the best efforts of 50 or more Ha-Ha folks could get her off. It took the tide to do that.
3) Is the water warm? — The water is cold at the San Diego start. It’s sometimes warm enough for pleasant swimming at Turtle Bay. It’s usually warm enough at Bahia Santa Maria. And when the fleet crosses the Tropic of Taurus, it’s downright fun to shower together with seawater.
4) Is there enough room for boats to anchor at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria? — The anchorages at both Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria provide excellent protection from the prevailing wind for 1,000 boats.
5) How do I sign up for the Ha-Ha? Sign up today by clicking here. The 750-mile event starts on November 4.
Oh, and one more question (asking for a friend) … When doing a group swim 40 miles from shore, is it a good idea to leave at least one person onboard?
We want to thank all the sponsors of the 2024 Baja Ha-Ha. Please support them as you prepare your boat to head south, or anywhere else!
A Quick Round Trip: Channel Islands–Marquesas–Tahiti and Back Again
In July’s Changes in Latitudes, Stuart and Marisa Jackson share the story of their “quick round trip,” which saw them sailing from Channel Islands Harbor to the Marquesas, Rangiroa, Tuamotus, Mo’orea, Tahiti, and back to the Channel Islands — an 8,000-mile voyage completed over 10 weeks.
Captain Stuart Jackson, a lifelong sailor, ARC veteran and pilot, had been planning this South Pacific odyssey for a year. We filed necessary paperwork through the Pacific Puddle Jump and set sail from Channel Islands Harbor on April 2 aboard JOIA, Jackson’s 2020 X-Yacht 49, a high-performance cruiser, elegantly sporty and configured for bluewater sailing: three lithium batteries, two AGMs, inboard diesel generator, Starlink, bow thruster, power winches, watermaker, AC (which we enjoyed in the sweltering heat), a bread maker, and even a cappuccino machine.
No matter how prepared one is, one can never predict Mother Nature’s moods nor how and when things break. Here’s our journey in three segments.
Leg 1: Channel Islands to Marquesas, 2,800nm.
We sailed through 30+ knot winds, heavy seas and gray rains for nearly a week before the sun came out. We changed our sails as many times as a Broadway musical changes costumes, relying heavily on our Code Zero. We spent our days splicing, repairing clutches, rewiring cables and filleting yellowtail. We swam across the equator and celebrated with a party en blanc.
After 16 1⁄2 days, we arrived in the Marquesas, greeted by a double rainbow, dolphins, and the bay full of yachts on the Oyster Rally. Nuku Hiva smells of frangipani and juicy mangoes. After exploring the island and provisioning, we swapped crew — Stuart’s wife, Marisa, and sister, Sue Dudley, joined the boat — and sailed to Baie de Taiohae, an enclosed anchorage surrounded by otherworldly mountainous cliffs, before setting sail for the Tuamotus.
“Compared to the ARC, we were able to push harder during this crossing — more reaching, changing sails and optimizing the trim with faster average speed.” — Madeleine
“I get it now: the sense of freedom, the stars overhead, being enveloped in nothing but sky and sea, and chasing the horizon. It’s intoxicating.” — Connor
Leg 2: Marquesas to Rangiroa, 600nm; Tuamotus to Mo’orea and Tahiti, 220nm.
Marisa and Sue had never sailed on an overnight passage and thought we were “island hopping.” Instead, there were several hundred miles of brutal sailing between those islands. Nothing is more frightening than when you hear the captain shouting, “All hands on deck!” in the middle of the night. We came topside to find the boom was wobbling and the whole rig shaking.
Find the full story in the July issue of Latitude 38. Continue here.
Sailing Against All Odds: An Inspirational Journey on an 8-Foot Boat
Join us at Spaulding Marine Center on Wednesday, July 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m for an inspiring evening with Greg Bertish of The Little Optimist Trust. Greg, a renowned sailor and ocean advocate, will share his remarkable stories of optimism against all odds, the transformative power of the ocean, and the spirit of sailing. Hear firsthand how he overcame life-threatening medical challenges and embarked on a solo journey, sailing an 8-foot dinghy around the treacherous western cape of South Africa. Following his captivating storytelling, we’ll screen his internationally acclaimed documentary, “Optimist,” which chronicles this incredible adventure. Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired and uplifted by Greg’s extraordinary journey. This event is family friendly! Friends, family, children, and neighbors are encouraged. Children under 12 are free. Bring a blanket or cushion; chairs will also be available. Enjoy soft drinks for purchase.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online and at the door. All proceeds will go towards funding educational opportunities for youth on the water at Spaulding Marine Center and The Little Optimist Trust.