We’re happy to bring you another report
from Ha-Ha 10, which was transmitted from the committee boat, Profligate, while at sea, via her onboard Globalstar phone.
The fleet’s arrival at Turtle Bay was met
with sunny skies and the smiling faces of the always-welcoming
people of the waterside town. As in years past, Ha-Ha participants
enjoyed hiking the stark hillsides and meeting the townspeople,
whose lives revolve around the local lobster and fishing industry.
On Friday night fleet members descended on the Vera Cruz Restaurant,
the largest eatery in the remote town, where they swapped tales
and boogied into the wee hours in the adjacent disco.
Photos Latitude/Richard &
Andy
Baja Ha-Ha Update
November 2 – Turtle Bay, Baja California
The traditional Turtle Bay beach party
was held on Saturday, and, as the accompanying photos reveal,
a good time was had by all. Kids played in the surf, the ladies
of the town sold tasty tacos for a dollar apiece, while some
local hombres matched that bargain with icy-cold one dollar
Coronas.
As you read this, the fleet is breezing
south under moderate winds en route to Bahia Santa Maria, the
Ha-Ha’s second stop. Stay tuned for another report tomorrow featuring
a selection of killer photos of the running south under spinnakers.
Photos Latitude/Richard &
Andy
Fleet Hits Heavy Weather in Transat Jacques
Vabre
November 3 – English Channel
The monohull fleet racing in the doublehanded
Transat Jacques Vabre is being subjected to harsh weather conditions
generated by a strong low pressure system moving eastwards, coupled
with heavy cross seas off Ushant, as they head out of the English
Channel into the Atlantic. Ecover and Sill are
so far cleaning up on the rest of the fleet, the skippers on
each boat however doing their own clean up on board after the
worst of the bad weather. The 17 Open 60 monohulls, five Open
50 monohulls and the two Class 2 multihulls pointed their bows
towards Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, 4,340 miles away, at precisely
1500 French time on Saturday.
The monohull fleet started on Saturday afternoon Photo Jacques Vapillon, Courtesy www.pixsail.com
By Sunday morning, the starters had already
suffered two casualties. Canadians Georges Leblanc and Marc Nadeau
were air-lifted off their Open 60 Ciments Saint-Laurent-Océan
by a helicopter. The boat lost its keel during the night offshore.
At 0500 French time, the Race Office were
alerted that the alarm on the ARGOS beacon on board the Canadian
Open 60 had been set off. Immediately, a helicopter was sent
out to fly over the zone, which was 16 miles north of Cherbourg,
and reported that Ciment Saint-Laurent-Océan was
upside down without its keel at 49°55.6N, 1°37.32W. The
pilots could confirm that both safety beacons which had been
set off were in the water, but that at that time of night they
could not see either of the two skippers.
Therefore the Rescue Services initiated
an immediate search over the whole zone. The winds were in excess
of 30 knots and the sea was very rough. Then just as the light
dawned one of the skippers appeared from the boat and was spotted
by the helicopter, which engaged immediately in their airlift
rescue procedure. Both skippers are safe and sound.
The other casualty of the first 24 hours
was the trimaran of Anne Caseneuve and Christophe Houdet. Atlantic
Nature informed the Race Office at 0700 French time yesterday
that they had dismasted in the middle of the English Channel
at 50°04.8N, 2°46W, north of Guernsey). Anne Caseneuve
added that, “The wind was up to 50 knots from the southwest
and the mast came down at 0500 hours, breaking at the second
spreader.” The trimaran did not request assistance and arrived
at Cherbourg at 2050 last night.
Due to the harsh weather, the Open 60 multihull
start was postponed from its original Sunday slot. The start
has been rescheduled for 1000 French time from Le Havre on Wednesday
morning. The weather forecast looks to be considerably better
with moderate winds of 15-20 knots from the south-southwest,
with wave heights around six feet.
Other competitors have put in at various
ports for repairs, but all of them have or intend to resail.
For complete reports, more photos and to follow the action, see www.jacques-vabre.com.
Offshore Champion Decided in Annapolis
November 3 – Annapolis, MD
The U.S. Offshore Championship was sailed
this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the U.S. Naval Academy
in Annapolis, MD, under sunny skies and mild breezes. Rolex Watch
USA sponsors this championship, as it does with all of US Sailing’s
National Adult Championships.
A light air spinnaker parade of matching Navy 44s Photo Courtesy US Sailing
Winning the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy, skipper
Hank Stuart of Rochester, NY, representing Area E, topped the
field of eleven teams with 14 points after five races. Area A’s
team, led by Warren Hudson of Chestnut Hill, MA, took second
with 23 points; and Area B’s Bruce Kuryla of Milford, CT, came
in third. Host U.S. Naval Academy’s team followed in fourth.
Our own NorCal Area G was absent; SoCal’s Area J, led by Thomas
Wheatley of Seal Beach, came in tenth.
The U.S. Offshore Championship is a fleet
racing competition in offshore keelboats on closed courses plus one long-distance race. Since
1994, racing for this championship has alternated between the U.S. Naval Academy
in Navy 44s and Long Beach Yacht Club in Catalina 37s.
YOTREPS
November 3 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace
Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht
tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.
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/Maps/Southwest.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.
