Opening Day on the Bay was as good as it
gets. Clear, sunny skies and gentle breezes meant the sailing
was great and the shoreside festivities were fun. The spectacular
view from the Corinthian Yacht Club deck, plus family, friends,
kids, reggae, jazz and a great barbecue made for one of the best
possible starts for sailing season. It’s no wonder we keep coming
back to play on the Bay.
A fun day for the kids . . .
. . . a fleet of them being towed home in
their Optimists.
From the deck of the Corinthian
The Coast Guard (with the black inflatable)
and the Marin County Sheriff’s Department (with the PWC) kept
a close eye on the action at Sam’s.
Photos Latitude/John Arndt
Kostecki and Crew Smash 24-Hour Record
April 30 – Atlantic Ocean
John Kostecki of Fairfax, and his crew
aboard the Volvo entry illbruck, have smashed the 24-hour
record for monohulls, having covered 473 miles during a 24-hour
period in the Annapolis to La Rochelle leg of the Volvo Ocean
Race. That’s an average of 19.7 knots. The old record of 467
miles was posted by Bernard Stamm in an Open 60. With the winds
holding strong, it’s conceivable that illbruck could continue
to smash the record, perhaps posting a 20 knot average for 24
hours.
In even better news, Kostecki and crew
continue to lead the Transatlantic leg. Mark Rudiger with Assa
Abloy is in second about 20 miles back.
The fleet crosses under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Photo Guido Cantini/SEA&SEE
illbruck after passing under the bridge Photo Daniel Forster/illbruck Challenge
The May Latitude Is Out
April 30 –
San Francisco Bay Area
April showers bring May flowers – and the
May issue of Latitude
38.
Photo Latitude/Annie
Orange
on the Verge of a Jules Verne Record
April 30 – Atlantic Ocean
With just 2,000 miles to go, the wind direction
and strength to their liking, and the ball supporting the mast
only half-cracked, Bruno Peyron and crew aboard the maxi cat Orange are predicting a finish between Saturday and Monday,
which would bring them the Jules Verne record. It’s been a difficult
trip, but nearing the end, things seem to have finally started
going their way. But you never know until the end. And the sleep-deprivation
nightmares continue. One crewmember had a vivid dream that Peyron,
fearing the mast was going to break, ordered the crew to rig
the boom as a mast.
Kiwis Want OneWorld Kicked Out
April 30 – Auckland
Team New Zealand has finally come forward
and asked that Seattle’s OneWorld syndicate not be allowed to
participate in the upcoming America’s Cup. OneWorld has been
accused of having received privileged information from the Kiwi
camp.
Meanwhile, things aren’t looking so good
in the Kiwi camp. Dean Barker, their helmsman, hasn’t done well
in the world match racing competition, and there are rumors –
being denied – that he might be replaced with the second string
helmsman, Bertrand Pace. This would be the ultimate humiliation
for the Kiwis, as Pace is a Frenchman!
Disney and Pyewacket Leading at
Antigua
April 30 – Antigua
There are 215 entries in this year’s 35th
Annual Antigua Sailing Week, and Roy Disney of Los Angeles is
so far – as he did in the Heineken and BVI Regatta – walking
away with class and fleet honors with his R/P 75. An Antrim 27
continues to lead the sportboat division, and an Olson 30 continues
to kick in her class.
YOTREPS
April 30 – 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/
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.
