January 9, 2002

Sausalito YC Midwinter Photo Gallery

January 9 – San Francisco Bay

Despite a brief delay before the start,
and a temporary parking lot after, 26 of 27 racers were able
to finish SYC’s third midwinter race of the season, held this
past Sunday. Typical midwinter racing conditions prevailed, including
a strong ebb; the fleet was grateful for a break from last week’s
rain and a chance to go sailing!

The Santana 35 Picaroon

(Left to right) Whisper, Jose Cuervo and Joker.

Joker finished first in their division.

Drifting around the turning mark, Channel Marker #2. Roeboat
went on to a first place finish.

Top Finishers – Spinnaker PHRF <144:
1. Gordon Smith, Joker, J/35; 2. Sam Hock, Jose Cuervo,
J/105; 3. Eden Kim, Whisper, J/105. Spinnaker PHRF >144:
1. Jonathan Hagerman, Soulatitude, J/24; 2. Frank Burkhart,
Island Girl, Islander 36; 3. Lowden Jessup, Polly,
Bird. Non-Spinnaker PHRF <174: 1. Glenn Isaacson, Q,
Schumacher 40; 2. Jan Borjeson, Basic Instinct, Elliott
10.5; 3. Pat Lopez, Aggressor, Capri 30. Non-Spinnaker
>174: 1. Rod Decker, Roeboat, Catalina 30; 2. Joel
Kudler, Nordlys, Knarr; 3. Paul Skabo, Spindrifter,
Tartan 30.

Bad News/Good News for Tyco

January 9 – Auckland, New Zealand

The International Jury has upheld News
Corp’s protest against Tyco in the Volvo Ocean Race
for infringing the safety regulations of the Sydney-Hobart Race
(part 1 of Leg 3), and imposed a £500 fine on Kevin Shoebridge
and his team. The Jury first considered the validity of the protest,
deciding that News Corp had provided a good reason for
filing the protest outside the normal time limit of 24 hours
after finishing the leg.

Once the Jury decided the protest was valid,
all parties to the protest accepted the findings of the Sydney
to Hobart Jury, which had ruled that Tyco had infringed
the Sailing Instructions. The only matter to consider was an
appropriate penalty.

News Corp
asked the International Jury to impose a one-point penalty. Team
Tyco replied that it had already suffered a penalty as imposed
by the Sydney to Hobart Race Committee – a DNF in that race.
Other teams present at the hearing made submissions to the International
Jury, with SEB wondering if a point penalty might be disproportionate
to the nature of the rule infringement. illbruck said
no penalty; they wanted to see the race settled on the water.
Assa Abloy said that they would support News Corp’s
request.

The International Jury, headed by Bryan
Willis, found that:

Team Tyco gained no advantage by not making the report
within the prescribed time limit and therefore a points penalty
would be inappropriate.

For Andy Rice’s full story on the protest
and ruling, see www.volvooceanrace.org/news/leg_3/n3_020109_tycofined.html

Half Moon Bay Still Half-Marked

January 9 – Half Moon Bay

Ken Ayer writes to inform us and all interested
mariners that a red buoy marking a reef in Half Moon Bay was
blown off its moorings onto a beach near Fisherman’s Creek around
Thanksgiving. “The HMB Harbor Patrol reported it to the
Coast Guard, but it’s still on the beach and the reef remains
unmarked. Lack of the marker is dangerous, especially when fog
obscures landmarks,” which seems to be more often than not
in Half Moon Bay.

YOTREPS

January 9 – 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

January 9 – 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 www.nws.mbay.net/home.html.

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.