April 17, 2002

By Grzegorz | April 17, 2002

Photo of the Day

April 17 – Costa Mesa

The Prop Stops Here

We were down at Minney’s Marine Surplus
in Costa Mesa the other day, when we stumbled across the prop
room, and thought it would make a great Photo of The Day.

This is just one room, they actually have about four rooms full
of various size and type props. We didn’t, however, see an 18-inch,
three-bladed, folding Max Prop.

If you’ve got an extra, let us know.

Photo Latitude/Richard

Sailing To The Surf

April 17 – Bahia Santa Maria

The 55-ft aluminum sloop Charisma, built for the ’74 Admiral’s
Cup, leaves San Diego on Sunday for a two month surfing expedition
in French Polynesia. Among the crew are Richard Bernard and Angela
DeVargas, who are seen here in the lineup at Bahia Santa Maria
during the last Ha-Ha, which they did aboard Bernard’s Valiant
42 Surf Ride.

Also along will be Howard Benedict, an expert free diver, a fellow
named Charlie, and the owner, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Photo Latitude/Richard

Don’t Fear El Niño?

April 17 – Planet Earth

It looks like we’re headed for another El Niño winter,
so the news media is spreading the traditional gloom and doom.
But is it all bad? What is rarely reported is that El Niño
conditions almost always coincide with good things – such as
greatly reduced numbers of hurricanes in the Atlantic. The much
higher winter temperatures on the East Coast also mean hundreds
less deaths and a huge savings in energy.

In fact, when the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
tried to calculate the costs versus the savings in the United
States of the last big El Niño, which was in ’77-’78,
they concluded that the damages were $4 billion, while the savings
were $19 billion! So despite the extensive damage El Nino caused
in California, on the whole was it a good thing?

“Without Question, the Best Place
in the World to Sail”

April 17 – Hawaii

The other day Ken Morrison made the unpleasant announcment that
the Royal Hawaii Cup – previously known as the Pan Am Clipper
Cup and the Kenwood Cup – has been cancelled. To which Geoff
Stagg responded, “I was really saddened . . . having competed
in eight of the previous events, it is without question the best
place in the world to sail and one of the best-organized events.
Obviously the September 11 tragedy and the general state of the
world economy made it impossible to attract a sponsor and were
the principal causes for cancellation. However, I think also
that the lack of a truly international acceptable handicap system
to reflect the direction of the sport had a hand in this decision.”

In the early ’80s when the event was still the Pan Am Clipper
Cup, we spent four or five hours a day in a helicopter photographing
the event. It was a spectacular sight, and in our mind remains
unsurpassed.

Management of the Men and Gear Is the
Most Important Thing

April 17 – South Atlantic

With the maxi cat Orange headed up the South Atlantic
some 45 days into their assault on the Jules Verne record, crewman
Yann Eliès reports:

“We’re beginning to take it easier with the improving climate.
The boat and the clothes are drying out. We’re in excellent shape,
the meals are perfectly balanced, and we have no skin complaints
to complain about – which for sailors who sail for extended periods
in the damp on these boats is quite remarkable. I’m appreciating
and learning a lot alongside Bruno. Last year on Team Adventure
during The Race, everything was sacrificed for speed. On Orange,
management of the men and the gear is the most important thing,
with an eye on long term performance.”

Tracy’s Big Record Run

April 17 – Cadiz to San Salvador

Tracy Edwards, who purchased the maxi cat Club Med and
renamed her Maiden, is currently attacking the boat’s
Cadiz to San Salvador record. In the early going, they found
perfect conditions and were well ahead of Club Med‘s record,
but then fell into a hole. Now they are jamming again, just 240
miles behind the record pace. They are within striking distance
if the weather holds.

Tracy, sailing with an all woman crew, went after the catamaran
ENZA‘s then Jules Verne record a few years back. They
made it to the Southern Ocean and were ahead of the record pace
when they stuffed the bows and the mast came down. Skilled sailing
women and big cats – they go well together.

“Oops, I Shouldn’t Have Done That”

April 17 – Chesapeake Bay

While battling for the lead in the sixth leg of the Volvo Race
last night, Mark Rudiger, co-skipper of Assa Abloy, pushed
the wrong button in the dark, which caused tons of water to pour
inside the boat. Mark said it nearly sunk the boat, but we’re
sure he’s exaggerating.

In an event, that, along with getting weed stuck on the appendages
twice, didn’t help them in their battle with illbruck
for the lead. The fleet leaders in the Miami to Baltimore leg
are now in the Chesapeake Bay, and have 120 miles of easy sailing
to go.

The stress of falling off the front
pack tells on the face of Tim Powell

Photo TeamTyco

YOTREPS

April 17 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS –
‘yacht reports’ – at http://www.bitwrangler.com/yotreps/

Weather Updates

April 17 – Pacific Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay
and just outside the Gate right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/.
The National Weather Service site for San Francisco Bay is at
www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey/.

California Coast Weather

Looking for current as well as recent wind
and sea readings from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena
and the Mexican border? Here’s the place – which has further
links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml.

Pacific Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology
page posts a daily
map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.

Pacific Sea State

Check out the Pacific Ocean sea states
at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

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