Photo of the DayApril 14 - Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala Today's Photo of the Day is of Kay Heath doing a watercolor of the market at Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatamela, which the ever-present local kids offering suggestions. Santa Maria is on the slopes of Volcan Agua, near Antigua, Guatemala. The photo was taken by Mike Heath, who along with Kay did the '04 Ha-Ha aboard their Ukiah-based Nautique Saintonge 44 Finisterre. Like a lot of folks, the couple, having spent a season cruising Mexico, are now headed south along the coast of Central America. We'd done some surfing at Punta Mita with Mike last year, who is happy to report that he's found great surfing at Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua, not far from Roberto Membrano's Puesta del Sol Marina. Cowabunga! Mike is one of many folks who have written in to ask how they can become part of the Punta Mita Yacht & Surf Club - we'll have news on that in a few weeks. During their travels, Mike and Kay ended up sharing an anchorage with Quantum Leap, an Ocean 71 ketch that is a sistership to Latitude's old Big O. The owners report that she's for sale. Although a little long in the tooth now, and requiring quite a bit of manpower, the Ocean 71s were great boats - and terrific-looking, too. |
Tremendous Excitement At Latitude 38April 14 - Mill Valley Before anybody freaks out, it's not as if I'm heading for the hills or swallowing the anchor. Indeed, I'll still be doing all the Letters and responses - which set the editorial tone for the magazine, plus all the Changes in Latitudes. Those alone are about 30% of the editorial content. And I can't imagine I'll be able to stop myself from the occasional Latitude interview and cruising articles. Nonetheless, my challenge is to, as much as possible, get the hell out of the way and let the new team blossom. In addition, I plan on heading up a limited number of Southern California charters with Profligate in the late summer and fall, some sailing/surfing charters with Profligate on Banderas Bay - one of the really great, convenient, and inexpensive charter destinations for West Coast sailors - as well as some winter charters in the Caribbean. I've been wanting to get back into that special kind of fun for a long time. Furthermore, there is no end to my extreme interest in being the volunteer Grand Poobah for all the Baja Ha-Has for as long as Ha-Ha Honcho Lauren Spindler will let me. Richard Spindler, aboard his Bounty II Flying Scud, at anchor at Paradise Park, after an afternoon of beating into 30-knot winds coming back from the Delta. The year was 1976, and he announced, "I'm going to start a sailing magazine." As for the rest of the editorial department,
long time senior editors John Riise and Andy Turpin, who have
done such tremendous work for so many years, are happily staying
on and hoping maybe they'll get more sleep than in previous years.
Also not going anywhere is LaDonna Bubak, 'the new guy'. |
Geronimo Picking up Speed on Her Attempt on the SF to Yokohama RecordApril 14 - San Francisco Early on rainy Wednesday morning, Kersauson, his crew, and Geronimo sailed beneath the Gate in not much more than zephyrs to start their record run. They weren't moving fast then, but they are rocketing along now. Already 600 miles offshore, they are hitting 22 to 28 knots - just loping along for them - in 25 to 30-knot northwesterlies. Unless the mast falls or the rudder snaps off, they will set a new record. Photos/Geri Conser |