September 8, 2000

Baja Ha-Ha Update

September 8 – Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters

More Free Beer for the Punctual

According to Lauren Spindler of the Baja Ha-Ha, “The mail man, Fed-Ex, Express Mail, and UPS all rang at least twice yesterday as people struggled to sign up for Baja Ha-Ha VII before the September 12 deadline. All entries after the 12th will be required to pay the entry fee twice so there will be more free beer for those who were punctual. If anyone still wants to sign up, they should immediately send a $15 check made out to the Baja Ha-Ha, and a self-addressed 9×12 envelope to Baja Ha-Ha, 21 Apollo Road, Tiburon CA 94920. There is no phone.”

The Grand Poobah Displays the Latest Deluge of Entries Photo Latitude/Chris

One Hundredth Entry Received “The paid up entry list has again surged over the 100 mark,” reports the Wanderer, once again the Grand Poobah of the October 31 to November 11 event that will take the fleet from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. “The 100th entry turned out to be Rick and Maureen Gio of the Sebastapol-based Freya 39 ‘Gypsy Warrior’. The boat is just back from the West Marine Pacific Cup. I’m chuffed Rick is #100, because back in the early ’80s he sailed with me aboard ‘Contrary to Ordinary’, my Freya 39, in my first race to Mexico. A couple of years later, we battled to the Cape again with our respective Freyas.”

Photo Courtesy the Gios

If You Really, Really Want to Go If you are one of those who can’t take your boat in the Ha-Ha this year, but really, really want to go, and really, really want to do it on a big cat, the Grand Poobah is accepting applications for those who would be interested in a shared expenses position on ‘Profligate’, the 63-foot cat that will be the mothership for the event for the fourth year in a row. The shared expense cost is $1,800 per person for 12 days and nights, and will include all food and beverages, shirts and hats, the opportunity to stand watch, help with the dishes, and generally be in the thick of the action for nearly two weeks.

Photo Courtesy ‘Profligate’ Applicants should be in excellent health, easy going, and willing to be a very active member of the crew. We had 11 aboard in the last Ha-Ha and will probably take the same number this year. Email [email protected] if you’re interested.

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Weather Updates

September 8 – Pacific Ocean

Tropical Weather

Having done an unusual counterclockwise circle yesterday, Tropical
Storm Lane is taking his 40 knots of sustained winds to the northwest
on a course that currently looks as though it will pass to the
west of Cabo San Lucas by several hundred miles.

Contrary to the predictions of all the experts, it remains very
quiet in the Atlantic/Caribbean.

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay right now, check
out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/.
From our office, it looks like it’s going to be a great weekend
for sailing.

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 Ocean Weather

Click here to see today’s weather
map from the University of Hawaii Meteorology Department.

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

This Week’s Quiz

September 8 – Greece (or is it Turkey?)

For many years, people viewed the Greek Islands as the perfect
place to go cruising. And it is. Then people starting sailing
to the Turkish Coast, and reported great things. Those who had
seen the movie ‘Midnight Express’ couldn’t believe the Turks are
friendly and that the coastal areas of the country are safe –
but they are, and the coast is packed with yachts and Europeans.

So we come to this week’s quiz: Were these photos taken in Greece
or Turkey, and exactly where? Lovely, though, isn’t it?

Photos Donna Andre

YOTREPS

September 8 – 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/

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Racing

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

September 8 – Sardinia, Italy

The 24 or so spectacular maxi and bigger yachts competing at
the World Maxi Cup at the Costa Smeralda YC at Porto Cervo, Sardinia,
have had a wild few days. Two days ago, Le Mistral was blowing
at up to 36 knots again, and Roy Disney’s R/P 74 ‘Pyewacket’ was
reported to be “the downwind star, clocking speeds in excess
of 25 knots and looking for all the world like an oversized planing
dinghy.” Unfortunately, she got hammered on the 14 mile upwind
leg in the big breeze and suffered lots of breakage, although
none of it was enough to knock her out of the race. Harry Macklowe
and his son Billy, who had just arrived from Amsterdam with their
new 112-foot Frers ‘Unfurled’, won the cruising division and reported
the heavy conditions were to the heavy boat’s liking.

Yesterday, conditions were so bad that many of the yachts – including
‘Pyewacket’ – had to be moved as waves created by 50-knot winds
poured right into the harbor and threatened to splinter the magnificent
yachts on the docks. It was tough work, but none of the yachts
were damaged. And afterwards everyone retired to the Aga Kahn’s
dinner.

We wish we had more to report, but the event’s Web site is atrocious.
We’ll be getting the whole story – and hopefully photos – from
Disney next week, so remember to tune in.