Is there anything more beautiful than a wood boat? We don’t
think so. But is there anything that requires more upkeep than
an older wood boat? Probably not. Just check out the boatowner
in the midst of his labors while hauled out at Power Boats Ltd.
– which hauls mostly sailboats – in Trinidad. Nearby is some
of the detritus of the job.
Photos Latitude/Richard
Yachtspeople Of The Year
February 9 – New York
During a ceremony this morning at the Model Room of the New
York YC in Manhattan, US Sailing named Mark Reynolds, 45, of
San Diego, and his Star Class crew Magnus Liljedahl, 46, of Miami,
their 2000 Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year. Among other things, the
two made a dramatic comeback to win the Olympic Gold in the Star
Class in Sydney. It just so happens that Reynolds, a great guy
and a class act, is the subject of this month’s ‘Latitude
38’ Interview. Check it out.
The 2000 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award went to another
Olympic duo, J.J. Isler, 37, of La Jolla, and Pease Glaser, 39,
of Long Beach. The two women overcame several hurdles to claim
a Silver in the 470 class in Sydney.
By the way, have you ever been to the model room of the New
York YC? Having once bought a boat from Sparkman & Stephens,
the Wanderer got to spend a few hours there one evening about
15 years ago. It was nice enough, but in all honesty, the Wanderer
would have much preferred to have been out sailing or even on
the hook. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a wonderful evening,
as the Wanderer’s date seemed to be positively intoxicated by
the proximity of symbols of wealth and power.
Photo Latitude/Annie
The Race Update
February 9 – Southern Ocean
Having averaged over 27 knots for more than 29 hours, Grant Dalton’s
‘Club Med’ kept breaking the 24-hour sailing mark. It currently
stands at 655.2 nautical miles. Oddly enough, it was relatively
easy to do. Grant Dalton explains: “Although the pace has
been ridiculously fast, because it is a reach, it has been relatively
easy on the boat. I’d have to say easy on the crew, too. The
standby watch is down below, always a sign that things are going
OK. In fact, the only work we have done on deck in the last 24
hours is to shake a reef out.” Which is not to say they’re
in ideal sailing conditions. “It is unbelievably wet here.
Not from large amounts of water over the deck, but because it
is drizzling and has been for the last two days. It is bitterly
cold and everything is damp, even my elbows and sleeves. With
this kind of apparent wind blowing, it just makes everything
feel worse.”
‘Club Med’ is currently about 1,000 miles from the turning
point towards warm water at Cape Horn, and has a 922-mile lead
over ‘Innovation Explorer’.
Ranking of Feb. 9, 2001, 19:00:00 GMT:
1. Club Med / dtf 7671.3 miles
2. Innovation Explorer / dtl 922.5 miles
3. Team Adventure / dtl 5,045.6 miles
4. Warta Polpharma / dtl 6,025.7 miles
5. Team Legato / dtl 6,882.2 miles
Graphic Courtesy Club Med
BlueClub Med GreenInnovation Explorer OrangeTeam Adventure YellowWarta Polpharma
(not shown) Team Legato
You Win Some, You Lose Some
February 9 – Southern Ocean
Frank Profitt, the great French sailor, has had some ups and downs
in the last few days. On February 6, he lost a partial claim to
the Transatlantic record, as he’d been a part of the team aboard
Bob Miller’s Briand 147 ‘Mari-Cha III’ that had previously held
the record. But the next day, he and the ‘Club Med’ crew covered
an all-time record of 655 miles in 24 hours, breaking ‘Innovation
Explorer’s previous mark, as they sprinted toward Cape Horn. We
live in interesting sailing times, folks, as in the next few years
we’re going to be seeing an unprecedented number of assaults on
round-the-world and transoceanic sailing records. We’ve got a
new generation of boats that can go so much faster, and we’ve
got a new generation of sailors who are indeed willing to push
things to extremes.
Vendée Globe Update
February 9 – Atlantic Ocean
Having been battling some of the worst weather on Earth as
well as more than 20 talented competitors since early in November,
you can imagine how desperately Ellen MacArthur of ‘Kingfisher’
wants to get back to land and the luxuries of shore. Well, maybe
you can’t, because she actually has mixed feelings about it.
“My life is here, home is on board ‘Kingfisher’, with water
surrounding us. I just adore being at sea and to suddenly stop
this will not be easy at all.”
Ellen, whose star is about to explode over England and much
of Europe, seems destined to finish second to Michel Desjoyeaux
of ‘PRB’, who has a comfortable lead with just 700 miles to go.
He’s sailing comfortably in 20-25 knots of wind and making about
15 knots. When Desjoyeaux finishes on Saturday off Les Sables
D’Olonne, France, he might as well be proclaimed the new King
of France. They’re that crazy about sailing.
Ellen MacArthur at home aboard ‘Kingfisher’ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget www.martin-raget.com
Want to do a cruising rally on the East Coast? Steve Black has
announced that the West Marine Bermuda Cruising Rally, from Hampton,
Virginia, to St. Georges, Bermuda, will be held on June 18. The
event is held every other year. The annual West Marine Caribbean
1500, from Hampton to the British Virgins, will start on November
4. When you finish the 1500, you end up in waters that look like
those in the accompanying photograph of Gorda Sound. If we have
one gripe with these two events, it’s that they don’t tell you
up front how much they cost. To get that information, you have
to send in for a detailed entry package. What’s that about? We’ll
find out for you soon. Meanwhile, you can visit www.carib1500.com.
On the West Coast, the big rally continues to be the Baja
Ha-Ha. This year’s version will start on October 30 from San
Diego. The Ha-Ha folks are in hibernation until May 1, so please
don’t request an entry pack until then. The Ha-Ha entry fee will
be about $200. It’s only about one-third the price of other similar
rallies, and each entry gets a ton of free stuff. For complete
details, wait until May 1. See www.baja-haha.com.
Who is out making passages in the Pacific and what kind of
weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS – ‘yacht reports’ –
at 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.
