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Posts by Andy Turpin

Brit Singlehander Threatens Zac’s Record

July 31, 2009
Inside his Open 50’s ‘living pod’, Mike strikes a pose on his 17th birthday. © 2009 Mike Perham Although admirers of solo circumnavigator Zac Sunderland are still celebrating the 17-year-old sailor’s historic homecoming on July 16, most are well aware that a slightly younger British teen is already threatening to claim Zac’s status as ‘youngest around’.  More »

Escalera Nautica Now Ladder to Nowhere

To some, the stairway seemed perfectly logical. To others, ridiculous. © FONATUR File this one under ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’: We’ve received word via news reports from south of the border that the Mexican government has finally pulled the plug on its Escalera Nautica (Nautical Stairway) project. More »
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Race to Nowhere Begins Today

July 29, 2009
The Singlehanded Sailing Society’s LongPac Race, which began this morning, is arguably the most unusual contest on San Francisco Bay’s annual sailing calendar.  Not only do competitors in its single- and doublehanded divisions have to race 400 miles — a remarkable distance compared to other Bay Area races — but the course takes them 200 miles offshore to. More »
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Bismarck Dinius Trial Begins

The trial of Bismarck Dinius, who many believe to be a scapegoat in the 2006 death-by-speedboat of Lynn Thornton, opened yesterday in Lake County. By all accounts, the prosecutor ended up helping the defense’s case in a number of ways, supporting our conviction that Dinius in no way contributed to Thornton’s death. More »

Getting Away From It All

July 24, 2009
You don’t have to worry about noisy neighbors when cruising in the Kimberley region. © 2009 Dave Nelson Ever feel like you want to get away from it all? You know, f-a-a-a-a-r away, where there’s no sign of humanity for miles and miles? More »

Escorts Needed for Mexican Beauty

July 17, 2009
Thousands of visitors have toured Cuauhtemoc this week. If you think she looks good here, wait till you see her with all her rags flying. © 2009 Jeff Berman Murphy’s Law of tall ship arrivals dictates that whenever a truly spectacular square-rigger arrives at the Golden Gate there will be dense fog and no wind — especially if we’ve encouraged local sailors to sail out and witness the spectacle.  More »

Hundreds Welcome Solo Circumnavigator

After so many months alone on the ocean, it must have been surreal for Zac to find himself surrounded by an armada of well-wishers. © Rich Roberts In a scene reminiscent of Sir Francis Chichester’s homecoming to England in 1967, hundreds of well-wishers and media staff were on the scene yesterday morning when 17-year-old Zac Sunderland sailed in to his Marina del Rey homeport aboard Intrepid, thus offically becoming the youngest solo sailor ever to round the planet. More »