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December Issue Sneak Peek
Stacy the bow gal on the Express 37 'Bullet' wrangles the spinnaker at the very-light-air downwind start of Golden Gate Yacht Club's Seaweed Soup Midwinters. We'll cover that and much more in the December issue of Latitude 38, coming out on Monday, December 2.
The Happiest Day?
How does the saying go? “The best days of a boatowner’s life are the day you buy the boat, and the day you sell it.”
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Young Sailors Write
Are you a sailor and still in grade school or high school? Do you get back to the dock and all you can do is talk about what happened out there?
Racing Preview
Regular readers of 'Lectronic may notice that our racing preview for December is a bit shorter than other months, but we do have a few events to share.
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Lighted Yacht Parade, December 7, 2019, on the Oakland/Alameda Estuary, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Ocean Racing and Records
"It should take us 16 and a half days of sailing to get to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a great pleasure for me to set off on this adventure towards places our Western racing boats rarely go."
Do It Yourself
If you pride yourself on doing much of your own boat maintenance, you probably spend more hours than you’d like to with your head and shoulders squashed into narrow lockers and bilge compartments.
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Oceanic Yacht Sales has an opening for an experienced sail/powerboat salesman.
If you live in the Bay Area, it can feel as if people forget there’s a Bay in the middle of it.
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Lighted Yacht Parade, December 7, 2019, on the Oakland/Alameda Estuary, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Shaking Out The Sails
If you’ve been looking out across San Francisco Bay recently, you may have noticed a large tall ship gliding gracefully across the water.
2020 Pacific Cup
It's no surprise that Bob Hinden has again entered Surprise in the Pacific Cup. "I will be navigator, and it will be my sixth Hawaii race," says Bob's daughter Rebecca.
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ASA 101/103 Combination Course: Basic Keelboat Sailing and Basic Coastal Cruising at Modern Sailing School & Club.
Uninvited Guests
In modern times it’s extremely rare for human travelers to stow away aboard sailboats. But over the years we’ve reported on all shorts of freeloading creatures found aboard cruising boats.
Reader Brett Langolf sent us this message — and link — a few weeks ago.
“Woke up this morning to find that the Cabo airport was closed last night at about 6 p.m.,
Marine Businesses
Tomorrow, Alameda’s City Council will consider giving the developer of Alameda Marina an extension for the terms of its lease with several businesses.
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Let's give thanks for these wintertime savings.
Photos of the Day
Last week, reader Vikas Kapur sent us photos from a foggy day of sailing on San Francisco Bay. Vikas titled his emailed photo essay "painted ships on painted seas." He called it "thick fog but have seen worse."
The Auld Mug
Yesterday on Scuttlebutt, Craig Leweck expressed his reservations about reporting on the America’s Cup.Â
It’s amazing how fast the Baja Ha-Ha comes and goes every year. One of the largest cruisers’ rallies in the world is heading toward its inevitable and famously boisterous conclusion at the pointy end of Baja California.
Mariners in Distress
Yesterday, the Coast Guard towed a singlehander into port in Southern California after a five-month crossing from Japan in a homemade vessel.
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Brand new docks in Marina del Rey at Wayfarer Marina.
Bay Area Boats
Tucked into the bitter end of the San Rafael Canal is what we can only call an unexpected vessel — a pirate-y looking tall ship that’s  a tad out of place against the back alley of the busy Montecito Plaza.Â
Events This Weekend
Although it's looking like a fabulous weekend to go sailing at latitude 38° N, we've got a couple of indoors events you might like to attend.
Deadline Is Today
Last call for Classy Classifieds. To get your ad into the December issue, the deadline is today, the 15th, at 5 p.m.
Shootin' the Breeze
Hitching Another Ride Back Across the Atlantic
Worlds are colliding. In her search for low-carbon transportation, climate activist Greta Thunberg is hitching a ride on another sailboat — this time with well-known sailors.
The World Famous L38
Here’s your November Caption Contest(!) This photo was brought to us by Mark Bettis.
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Oceanic Yacht Sales has an opening for an experienced sail/powerboat salesman.
Sailing for a Good Cause
The Tom Perkins Challenge was sailed in the club's J/22 fleet on the Cityfront on the Saturday, October 19. StFYC hosts the Challenge each year.
Recognition for Excellence in Sailing
Nominations for US Sailing's 2019 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are open to the public. Fans can nominate the sailors they believe turned in the most outstanding performances this year.
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Cruiser's Rally
We just — and we mean just — got a call from the Grand Poobah in BahÃa Santa Maria giving us a little Baja Ha-Ha update.
A Question for the Nation
On Friday, Mitchell Andrus asked Latitude Nation what forecasting tools they used to plan a coastal cruise.
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Westwind Washing, Waxing, Varnishing. Serving the Bay Area for more than 25 years.
Atlantic Racing Update
For British skipper Alex Thomson, the Transat Jacques Vabre again lived up to its reputation as a boat-breaker, though one that will allow him and his Hugo Boss team to come back stronger for the Vendée Globe.
2020 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race
Are you Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race-curious? Or just interested in sailing your boat to Hawaii?
Successful Solo Adventure
Francis Joyon has just beaten his own record, set 10 years ago. This stretch of the Route to the Indies is called the Mauritius Route. Joyon covered the course in…
What do you use?
Where do you get your weather information for coastal cruising? My partner and I recently took a two-week cruise from Berkeley to the Channel Islands and back on our Kelly Peterson 46 Esprit.
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Your West Coast Island Getaway! ASA Catamaran Sailing School & Charters.
The Maiden Factor
Maiden bids farewell to California today, departing from San Diego. Maiden will sail directly to the Panama Canal and then on to Antigua.
A good answer to a bad question
In this month’s Sightings, Webb Chiles attempts to answer the answerable. Don’t forget that Chiles still regularly posts on his website, which can be found here.
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The Baja Ha-Ha fleet heads South
When is Monday the best day of the week? When you’re starting the Baja Ha-Ha.
It’s been difficult these past few weeks to remain upbeat. Between the unprecedented fires, unprecedented winds and unprecedented power outages, October in California seems more like a preview of the End of Days than the month of plenty.
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Rates, rental forms and details on what Brickyard Cove has to offer.
Short Days and Cold Water
Over the weekend, we said goodbye to post-workday sunlight when we set our clocks back one hour. Autumn is exactly half over.
Latitude 38’s Classy Classifieds
Latitude 38's Classy Classifieds are the place to shop for sailboats — as well as marine gear, trailers, liferafts, boat partnerships, trades and more.
Cruiser's Rally
Aaaaaannnnnnnnd they’re off. A herd of happy cruisers sailed out of San Diego Bay this morning to the sound of a mariachi band, the blasting of starter-shotguns, and the bursting of fire hoses.
Bay Area Classics
News of Pronto II’s imminent demise about a month ago sent ripples through the sailing community, and for a moment, it looked as if a miracle might materialize.Â
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The number one app for getting rid of number two.
Atlantic Racing Update
More than eight days into this 14th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the leaders are now over halfway from Le Havre, France, to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. At the head of the premier IMOCA division are…
Beta-testing a Small Boat Rally
They raid in France, Sweden and Great Britain, so why not here? A raid is an organized rally in small boats that can paddle, sail or row in shallow water with overnights in towns, beaches or campgrounds.
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