August 30, 2001

Photo of the Day

August 30 – Brittany, France

Today’s photo is of Olivier de Kersauson’s new 110-ft trimaran,
currently operating under the code name of K2000. The 57-year-old
Kersauson has been sailing trimarans since 1967. He’s done many
transatlantic ocean races with them, and in ’89 singlehanded
his 75-ft tri Poulain around the world non-stop in 125
days. In ’97, he lengthened the boat to 90 feet, renamed her
Sport Elec, and set a new around the world record of 71
days and 14 hours. Later this year, he’ll be sailing around the
world to better the mark set by the cat Club Med earlier
this year. As such, the cat versus tri argument is really heating
up.

Photo Benoit Stichelbaut/DPPI

Treasure Island YC Back in Business

August 30 – San Francisco

The Commodore of the Treasure Island Yacht Club, at Treasure
Island’s Clipper Cove, called to report they’re back in business.
They currently have limited facilities, but can be reached at
(415) 434-4475. If you haven’t pulled in to Clipper Cove, you’ve
been missing something really good.

San Diego Harbor Police Extend Hand to
Southbound Cruisers

August 30 – San Diego

Tim and Linda Leathers of the Alameda-based Ericson 36 Rooster
Cogburn did the Ha-Ha a few years back, then stayed in Cabo
to work at the Cabo Isle Marina. They’re now back in the States
and are the new managers at the Cabrillo Isle Marina in San Diego,
which is home to the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party on October 28.

“We are sure that many southbound
cruisers had heard, that as usual, there aren’t many open slips
in San Diego. But Lt. Ken Franke of the Harbor Police has been
very cooperative in finding a solution for the Baja fleet. Today,
for example, he had decided that folks will be able to get their
anchoring permits by phone at (619) 686-6227 or by emailing their
request to [email protected].
Doing this in advance will take a lot of pressure off of everybody.

“I can’t tell you how supportive and
easy Lt. Franke has been to work with, so please let your entrants
know that this opportunity now exists and encourage them to do
something now. By the way, the Visitor’s Dock at the Harbor Police
Office is scheduled to go through a complete overhaul starting
October 1, 2001, and will not be in service when the fleet gets
into town. So he who acts now will avoid a real problem later.”

Nobody needs to get their knickers in a
twist over the shortage of slips in San Diego and Cabo, as it
happens every year. Actually, the problem probably won’t be as
bad as in previous years because of the faltering economy. Folks
having trouble getting space in San Diego are reminded that Newport
Beach is proud of the fact that they never turn anybody away,
Dana Point usually has lots of room in the fall, and Long Beach’s
Shoreline Marina always has many transients slips. So for many
people, it simply means not arriving in San Diego until a week
or so before the start of the Ha-Ha.

Newport Beach
Wants You to Stop by

August 30 – Newport Beach

When you pull into a new port do you often get the feeling they
wish you weren’t there? Capt. Marty Kasules, who heads the Harbor
Police in Newport and Dana Point, doesn’t want that to happen
in his areas of command. In fact, he’s encouraging all southbound
cruisers to stop at both his ports. Moorings in Newport are only
$5 a night.

Kasules wants to do more than just put
out a big welcome for transients, he wants to be able to offer
them loaners bikes in Newport – which is a great place to have
a bike. He’s got the go-ahead from County Counsel and has just
a couple of more hurdles to clear before this program gets underway.
We salute his attitude.

Sayonara Sold?

August 30 – San Francisco

Having heard on the dock that Larry Ellison
has sold his super successful Farr 84 Sayonara, we called
Oracle Racing for confirmation. The PR folks say nobody has told
them anything, but they’ve also read it in the papers. By the
way, Oracle Racing finally has its Web site up again – well,
most of it – at www.oracleracing.com.

America’s Cup Dates

August 30 – Auckland, New Zealand

One reason Ellison doesn’t need Sayonara
is that he’s busy trying to win the America’s Cup for the Golden
Gate Yacht Club. Achieving that goal will start with the Louis
Vuitton Cup, October 1 – November 4 of ’02, followed by Round
Robin II on November 15-28, the Round Robin Finals on December
9-22, the Semi Finals on January 3-12, and the Finals January
23-February 4. The winner will meet the Kiwis for the Cup starting
on February 15. So you can start making those berth and hotel
reservations now.

Volvo Ocean Race Around the World

August 30 – Southampton, UK

The Volvo, formerly the Whitbread, starts
on September 23. Local aces John Kostecki and Mark Rudiger will
be skippers or co-skippers, and Dee Smith is on the Nautor entry.
How much wind does it take before the Volvo 60-footers – which
are capable of 35 knots – are up to full power? A mere seven
knots. The official Web site for the event is www.volvooceanrace.org/homepage.html.

Colorful boats and colorful crews
prepare for the big event. . .
The illbruck Challenge team tests their new Volvo 60 off
Charleston
Photo Courtesy Volvo Ocean Race

Djuice Dragons battles Team SEB in the Round Gotland
race
Photo Courtesy Djuice Dragons

YOTREPS

August 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/

Weather Updates

August 30 – 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/.

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.