April 28, 2003

Photos of the Day: Pacific SAIL EXPO

April 28 – Oakland

One of the most interesting things we saw was this Ray Marine
flat screen display on which you could watch your chart plotter,
radar, GPS and TV – all at the same time if you wanted.

Diana Jessie was at the show to publicize her new book. Unfortunately,
all she had to do it with was a cover, as the complete books
were still in the bindery.

If you’ve cruised to Mexico, you’ve read Charlie Wood’s Charlie’s
Charts. Charlie passed away years ago, but Margo Wood keeps
the tradition – and the cruising guides – alive.

Despite at least a little bit of rain almost
everyday, and a less than raging economy in Northern California,
exhibitors seemed very pleased with the show. Nobody was saying
it was gangbusters like it was in the late ’90s, but lots of
boats and other gear were sold. This despite the fact that Sunday
had conflicts – such as Opening Day on the Bay, the Ensenada
Race, the NBA playoffs, and the Giants losing a no-hitter.

The Grand Poobah would also like to thank
everyone who attended the standing-room-only Baja Ha-Ha Seminar
on Friday afternoon. Don’t you people have jobs? In any event,
we hope you don’t have them this fall, as we’d like to have you
along on the Ha-Ha. Details will be announced in the May issue
of Latitude 38, to hit the streets starting this Friday,
May 2. You’ll also find more coverage of Pacific SAIL EXPO in
there.

Lightning Strikes in Ensenada for the
Second Year in a Row

April 28 – Ensenada, Baja California

Earlier this week Tom Leweck, founder and
editor of Scuttlebutt, told us he wasn’t going to do this year’s
Tommy Bahama Newport to Ensenada Race – “the largest international
yacht race in the world” – because last year’s record setting
conditions couldn’t possibly be bettered. Having sailed on Locomotion,
he told us he not only covered the 125-mile course, but also
had time to party and make it all the way back to his Marina
del Rey home in less than 24 hours. Leweck is probably kicking
himself today, because Friday’s 56th annual Ensenada Race – featuring
461 entries – turned out to be the fastest in history.

Afterburner in action
Photo Courtesy Bill Gibbs

Although it was only blowing five knots
at the start, two big monohulls set the pace – Roy Disney’s R/P
77 Pyewacket, which has set records all over the world,
and Dick Compton’s just-out-of-the-box-last-week-from-Dencho
Andrew 77 New Alchemy. By 4 p.m., however, Bill Gibbs’
52-ft catamaran Afterburner from Ventura passed Pyewacket,
then New Alchemy, hitting speeds of up to 23.5 knots in
just 17 knots of true wind. Having pulled a horizon job on even
the fastest monohulls, Gibbs was forced to sail the final miles
under main and jib, as dropping the new cuben fiber spinnaker
somehow caused the bowsprit to be pretzeled. Nonetheless, Afterburner
finished in 9 hours and 40 minutes – over a 12 knot average.

It wasn’t until near the end at Todos Santos
Island that Pyewacket managed to overhaul New Alchemy,
but they did, finishing in 10 hours and 44 minutes, a new monohull
record. Overall winner was Valkyrie, Don Albright’s 30-year-old
Cal 25. We don’t know who finished second, but Dennis Conner
sailed his new Cal 40 Persephone to third overall and
first in class. And what a class, as no less than 20 of the 40-year-old
Cal 40s competed.

For results and other details, visit www.nosa.org.

That Sinking Feeling

April 28 – San Francisco Bay

“Coming back from the OYRA race to
Half Moon Bay on Sunday,” writes Ken Pimentel of the Beneteau
42s7 Remedy, “we were approaching Sausalito when
we saw what we thought was a large kayak with some people hanging
on to it. As we approached, we realized it was a small sailboat
(20 to 25-ft?) with 5 or 6 people clinging and swimming around
it.

Photo Ken Pimentel

“A couple of people had lifejackets
on; the rest didn’t. They seemed to be young adults from 15 to
25 years old. We furled our jib and rushed over, but a sailboat
and a powerboat were circling before we got there and reported
them on the radio. We couldn’t see how we could reduce the confusion,
so we headed off as even more boats approached the scene. The
weather at the time was overcast and blowing 10 to 15 knots.
They were midway between Sausalito and Belvedere. As we sailed
off, my reporter’s instinct finally kicked in and I took a few
pictures from quite a distance. Maybe someone will give you the
story behind it.”

The incident in question appears to us
to be going down off Angel Island in the ‘Knox’ area. If anyone
knows the particulars, they can be emailed
to us.

Gentlemen, Start Your Livers

April 28 – Antigua

Close to 200 yachts started the 36th running
of Antigua Sailing Week yesterday. That means a lot of livers
are already in pain. Oh, how we wish we were there!

YOTREPS

April 28 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht
tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.

Weather Updates

April 28 – 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/Maps/Southwest.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 views of sea states anywhere in the world,
see http://www.oceanweather.com/data.