Having spent more than a decade living outside of mainstream America, this writer can confirm that you sometimes get opportunities while in far-flung places that you might never have gotten back home — such as meeting famous people, getting unusual job offers, and finding crew positions on exotic voyages.  More »

View from Pier 27: Big Blue foils to the finish line. The Swedish-backed team lost the race, but undoubtedly garnered confidence. © Lynn Ringseis Artemis Racing may not have won yesterday’s race against Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Semi-Final, but they earned a salute of congratulations from many race fans. More »

Artemis’ Big Blue, caught here in a perfect moment, foiling while level to the surface. Needless to say, they are on a very steep learning curve, with no time left to practice. More »

Gracing Latitude’s cover this month is Sharon Green’s awesome aerial of the vintage S&S yawl Dorade steaming toward the TransPac finish. The much-acclaimed woodie corrected out to win. © 2013 Sharon Green Desperate for something worthwhile to do this weekend? More »

The site now called Galilee Harbor (named after a local ferryboat) has been involved in maritime trades since shortly after the Gold Rush. © 2013 Courtesy Galilee Harbor This Saturday’s Maritime Day celebration at Sausalito’s Galilee Harbor honors well over a century of boatbuilding and other ‘working waterfront’ activities on that site, at the foot of Napa Street. More »

If forecasters are correct, heavy rain, high surf and strong winds should be hitting the western edges of the Hawaiian Islands about the time of this posting (noon Monday).   This fascinating NOAA satellite image (taken this morning) shows water vapor concentrated south of the eye of the storm. More »

Besides the big bucks that AC competitors get paid, they also garner a wide range of perks, such as getting to meet celebs like ‘Top Gun’ Cruise. © 2013 Gilles Martin-Raget / ACEA Adding to the sailing superstars who’ve earned nine straight wins for Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Round Robin series, yesterday the team treated ‘Top Gun’ Tom Cruise and his son Conner to a high-speed cruise around the Bay aboard their AC72 Aotearoa — after another easy defeat of Luna Rossa Challenge. More »

While the New Zealand America’s Cup team is basking in the glory of an unbroken string of Louis Vuitton Cup wins, one of their countrymen has been making a very different sort of headline. More »