Worried you would be stuck without fresh reading material for the long Labor Day Weekend? Fret not, sweet reader! The September Latitude 38 is on its way to marina and chandleries all over the Bay Area today. More »

We got a little grief from a few readers last week for suggesting even the remote possibility of the Italian-backed Luna Rossa Challenge staging a comeback in the just-completed Louis Vuitton Cup Finals. More »

The Kiwis may be crushing the Italians, there are still three races to go before they can claim victory. © 2013 Abner Kingman / ACEA Although Emirates Team New Zealand has been dominating the Italian-backed Luna Rossa Challenge during the Louis Vuitton Cup (now 4 to 1), they aren’t yet popping celebratory Champagne, as they still need three more wins to cinch the LVC and advance to the big show — the America’s Cup 34 Finals, beginning September 7. More »

AC45 fleet racing is expected be thrilling for both lifelong sailors and nonsailing sports fans with merely a curious interest. And in this contest the team members will actually be citizens of the countries they represent, rather than hired guns. More »

As predicted, imposing wind limits on America’s Cup racing has forced organizers to cancel several scheduled Louis Vuitton Cup Finals races. An augmented schedule was released today (below).  Meanwhile the breakdowns that have plagued the event so far are clearly frustrating not only the teams, their sponsors and fans, but also even eternally upbeat professional commentators such as Gary Jobson. More »

Can Luna Rossa beat the lighning-fast Kiwis? For that matter, can anybody beat them? © ACEA / Abner Kingman With the clock ticking down to tomorrow’s first race of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals, the big question is: How much has Luna Rossa Challenge improved since their last match-up with Emirates Team New Zealand during the Round Robin series. More »

  The construction of James ‘Hot Rod’ Lane’s 65-ft catamaran Flyin’ Hawaiian was one of the more bizarre efforts in the annals of Bay Area boatbuilding — right alongside Tin Can and Plastiki. More »

Luna Rossa with her afterburners on, apparently about to jibe. She may not have looked so hot against the Kiwis during the LVC Round Robin races, but her team is steadily improving, having clocked the fastest course time yet in Wednesday’s race. More »

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Will and Sarah Curry of the Vancouver, BC-based Beneteau First 405 Hydroquest recently had an up-close-and-personal look at a group of humpback whales during their visit to Tonga. More »

Once thought doomed to extinction, whale populations that travel up and down the West Coast are now abundant again (although still officially “endangered”). Sadly, though, both ships and pleasure craft occasionally collide with cetaceans in near-shore waters.  More »