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Posts by Andy Turpin

Multiple Maydays from Atlantic Storm

May 13, 2015
A Portuguese rescue swimmer looks down on the disabled Swan 44 Kolibri, which reportedly suffered a capsize plus two additional knockdowns. Her four-man Norwegian crew were rescued successfully.   © 2015 Portuguese Air Force Having crossed the Atlantic himself aboard a 30-ft Beneteau, ex-San Francisco sailor Jean Vaury brought to our attention reports on an abnormally violent storm 500 miles south of the Azores late last Wednesday night, with conditions so severe — 50-knot winds and seas up to 45 feet high — that at least four private yachts called for rescue. More »

China-Bound Maserati May Dodge Cyclone

May 11, 2015
Giovanni Soldini’s VOR 70 Maserati slips out the Golden Gate Saturday evening en route to Shanghai, China — a trek of more than 7,000 miles.  © 2015 Maserati / Jen Edney Before setting out to break an ocean-crossing record, it helps to have an ideal weather window. More »

How Did You Spend Mother’s Day?

And now, for something completely different: a Mother’s Day cruise to the Farallones. Despite overcast along the coast, it was sunny out in the islands.  latitude/Andy
©2015Latitude 38 Media, LLC Quiet conversation over eggs Benedict and mimosas is always a fine way to celebrate Mother’s Day, but for a change of pace we, and roughly 30 other sailors, took a novel approach to honoring the moms in our lives: a full-day cruise out to the Farallon Islands and back aboard the Sausalito-based schooner Freda B. More »

Tahiti Transpac ’16 Seeks Entries

May 6, 2015
Tahiti calls. Having received several inquiries from interested boat owners, the Transpac YC hopes to run their long-established Tahiti Race again next June. As in years past, finishers will undoubtedly be greeted on the quay by dancers and musicians. More »

Spectacular Kaiwo Maru Visits the Bay

May 1, 2015
The final days of Kaiwo Maru’s nearly 6,000-mile crossing from Japan saw punishing gales. Having arrived yesterday, the merchant marine training vessel will remain in San Francisco Bay until Wednesday.  Sea Training Institute
©2015Latitude 38 Media, LLC When is a sailing vessel considered to be a tall ship? More »

Ha-Ha and Ta-Ta Signups Begin Friday

April 29, 2015
Picture yourself breezin’ downwind in the sunny latitudes of Baja California. Will this be your year to Ha-Ha? latitude/Andy
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC On your marks. Get set. Go! Every spring there’s a mad dash to be the first to sign up for the annual Baja Ha-Ha rally and SoCal Ta-Ta rally. More »
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Near-Hurricane Winds Ravage Yacht Race

April 27, 2015
If you think it was windy on San Francisco Bay, you should have been in Mobile Bay, Alabama. During the 57th running of the Dauphin Island Race, an unexpected storm packing near-hurricane-force winds came up so suddenly that some of the roughly 150 competing boats didn’t even have time to reef.  More »

Nirvana Now Crew Tells Their Story

Randy and Dawn Ortiz in happier times. Randy Ortiz
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC As reported earlier, Pacific Puddle Jumpers Randy and Dawn Ortiz were forced by circumstance to abandon their Canadian-flagged S&S 42 Nirvana Now on April 8, after rescuers Bob and Mona Jankowski of the North Carolina-based Caliber 40 Continuum arrived on the scene, roughly 1,200 miles from the first possible landfall. More »

SF Schooner Talofa T-Boned in Carib

April 24, 2015
The 87-year old schooner was in the middle of her most successful charter season yet in the British Virgin Islands when she was rammed and nearly sunk by a landing craft. The impact rolled her and did damage to her underbelly as well as to her rigging and spars. More »