November 14, 2000

Photo of the Day Back to Cold-as-Heck Winter November 14 – Cabo San Lucas What a difference a few weeks make. When ‘Profligate’ headed south from Sausalito at the end of October for the start of the Ha-Ha, the weather in California was delightful. The weather got even better – lots of blue skies and bright sunshine – along the Baja coast during the Ha-Ha itself. Conditions improved even more at Cabo – 80 degree air, 80 degree water – as evidenced by the 430 happy and tan folks at the Beach Party as seen in this photo.

Photo Latitude 38/Richard Flying back to San Francisco, however, was a shock. The seasons had suddenly changed from autumn to wet and cold-as-heck winter. Meanwhile, the crew taking the boat to Puerto Vallarta report it’s still warm and lovely down there – and will stay that way until July when it gets too hot again.

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Weather Updates

November 14 – Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Tropical Weather

The tropics are quiet. The Mexican hurricane season should
be over, and the Atlantic-Caribbean season is rapidly coming to
a close. It’s been a very good year, all things considered.

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.
Also check out http://facs.scripps.edu/surf/buoylist.html
(but note that the Java Applet is still not working with some
browsers on Macs – including your Webmistress’s Netscape Communicator!)

Pacific Ocean Weather

You can view the University of Hawaii Department of Meteorology
satellite picture by clicking
here.

Pacific Sea State

Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

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Cruising

A Plea for Help

November 14 – Auckland, New Zealand

“This is a plea to help Don and Sally Branch of the Westsail
43 ‘Dharma’, who are fellow cruisers and good friends,” write
Ted and Shari Alcorn of ‘Mystique’, a Stockton-based Alden Offshore
50 currently in La Paz. “We received an email from Sally
this morning saying that she and Don were in New Zealand because
Don had fallen seriously ill while in Tonga. Tests conducted in
New Zealand indicate that Don is suffering from advanced lung
cancer, with complications of the spleen and a brain tumor. He
lost most of his sight this last week and has been told he only
has a few months to live. Don and Sally have settled into a small
apartment while he begins treatment to help ease the pain and
suffering they will both go through in the coming months. Sally
told us that they plan to have ‘Dharma’ delivered to New Zealand
and sold to help with the expenses. Anybody that has had the pleasure
of knowing Don and Sal were always left with the feeling that
they had truly touched your hearts with their knowledge, friendship
and love. Now they need help. A gift of $20 – equal to $50 Kiwi
– can be sent to them at 40 Inverness Rd., Brown’s Bay, Auckland,
New Zealand. The donations will help offset the current cost of
treatment and let them stay where they can receive help. Thank
you for your help.”

Don and Sally were featured in a July
2000 Changes and had their photo run in the August
2000 issue.

The Baja Ha-Ha – Not Just for Grownups November 10 – Cabo San Lucas After the Ha-Ha, the kids like a Cabo Beach Party, too. Photo Latitude 38/ Richard

YOTREPS

November 14 – 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/

Racing ‘Team Adventure’ Cat Launched November 14 – Cherbourg, France Today’s big news out of Cherbourg, France is that American Cam Lewis has launched his 110-foot ‘Team Adventure’ catamaran for The Race. She’s a near sistership to ‘Club Med’ and ‘Code Blue’. Skeptics say there is no way Lewis and his crew can prepare and shake the boat down properly in time for the December 31 start off Barcelona. Lewis says they’ll be at the starting line and as ready as they can possibly be. Like the Bush-Gore presidential race, it’s still too close to call. Check it out at http://www.teamadventure.org. Photo Courtesy Team Adventure

Vendée Globe Singlehanded
Around the World Race

November 14 – Bay of Biscay

It’s another sailing bummer for the Brits as Mike Golding,
one of the pre-race favorites, lost the rig of ‘Team Four’ shortly
after the start. Despite the best efforts of his ground team and
even that of competitors, it’s going to be eight days before Golding’s
new mast is stepped and new sails set. What makes it worse is
that the rest of the fleet is rocketing across the Bay of Biscay
in perfect conditions for Open 60s. Thus Golding will be restarting
with almost no chance to win.

For photos and more, visit www.vendeeglobe.com.

Sold! Steve Fossett’s ‘Lakota’

November 14 – Sweden

Steve Fossett has now parted company with one of the greatest record-breaking yachts of recent history, the trimaran ‘Lakota’. Fossett has sold the sixty-footer to the Atlant Group in Sweden. Since purchasing ‘Lakota’ from Florence Arthaud in May 1993, Steve and his team have set 10 official world records and 6 race records. Singlehanded: Newport-Bermuda, 41h 51m; TransPac, 7d 22h 38m; Pacific Ocean (Yokohama-San Francisco), 20d 9h 52m. With crew: Pacific Ocean (Yokohama-San Francisco), 16d 17h 21m (world record); Round Britain and Ireland, 5d 21h 5m (world record); Round Ireland, 44h 42m (world record); Transpac, 6d 16h 7m (world record); Newport-Ensenada, 7h 35m (world record); Pacific Ocean East to West, 19d 15h 18m (world record); Hawaii-Japan, 13d 20h 9m (world record); Round Isle of Wight, 3h 35m (world record); Ft Lauderdale-Montego Bay, 2d 20h 8m (race record); San Diego-Puerto Vallarta, 62h 20m (race record); Long Beach-Cabo San Lucas, 3d 2h 59m (race record); San Francisco-Santa Cruz, 4h 41m (race record).

Lakota finishing the 1999 Pineapple Cup Photo Doran Cushing “All of our attention is now focused on the 125-ft ‘PlayStation’ catamaran and so it was time to sell ‘Lakota’,” Fossett explained, “but we think she deserves a place in yachting history.” The new owners will re-name the boat to race in the 2001 Scandinavian series. Fossett plans to skipper ‘Lakota’ on one last race for the new team: the Gotland Rund on July 2, 2001.