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Photos of the DayApril 12 - Banderas Bay, Mexico There were a number of cruisers/surfers who enjoyed long stretches of the winter at Punta de Mita because there are a number of fine breaks close by. The point is great in a northwest swell, although you'll got to watch out for the rocks and particularly urchins. Mike Miller of Uhuru ended up with a knee looking like a pin cushion after taking a fall. It took more than a month before his body was able to reject all of the very painful - and long - urchin spines. The inner break in front of the palapas at Punta de Mita is likened to the easy waves at Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz when it's small. But when it's big, it's known as the 'Mexican Malibu', big bottom turns, messing around on the nose, cut-backs and other longboard fun. Even the Wanderer was getting some very long and playful rides, all the way inside the breakwaters. Further inside the bay is La Lancha, which offers lefts as well as rights. The cool thing is that La Lancha and the Mexican Malibu are good on opposite tides, so you can surf one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Cowabunga! |
   Photos Latitude/Richard |
April 12 - San Francisco
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It would appear to be the venerable Knarr. Steve Taft, current commodore of the St. Francis, sails one. In fact, that's his hull #122 Gossip leading last weekend's San Francisco YC Resin Regatta. Since Taft is the commodore of the club, Gossip is the club's Flag Ship. He's being trailed in the photo by #102, Terry Anderlini's Benino. Anderlini is a Staff Commodore, which means he's a past commodore. Other St. Francis commodores who have campaigned Knarrs are Grant Settlemier and George Sayre. All the original Knarrs were built of wood, but now it's a mixed fleet of wood and fiberglass versions. That's why there were wood boats in the San Francisco YC's Resin Regatta, and why there will be fiberglass Knarrs in the St. Francis YC's upcoming Woodies Regatta. No, nothing is simple anymore. Knarrs are also popular in the St. Francis Wednesday Night Series. Each August there's an International Knarr Championship, but the location alternates between Denmark and San Francisco Bay. This year it will be on the Bay. We also enjoy a clever boat name, and Taft's Gossip is one of the best. "What's the significance of the name, Steve?" "Nothing," he told us, "gets around faster than Gossip." |
 Photo Latitude/JR |
April 12 - San Francisco Bay Area
The latest dock talk is that Oracle Racing, which was unable to
reach an agreement to compete for the 2003 America's Cup under
the burgee of the St. Francis YC, has been unsuccessful in similar
negotiations with other yacht clubs in California such as the
San Francisco and Richmond Yacht Clubs. Currently, they're said
to be talking with the Golden Gate YC. There's no giant rush,
as they have almost another year to align with a club.
Before anybody misreads between the lines and thinks this means that Larry Ellison and Oracle Racing are driving a hard bargain and trying to screw people over, that's not necessarily the case at all. As we understand it, it's Ellison's goal to make the America's Cup better than ever, and he feels - probably rightly so - that the only way to do that is to get the Cup out of the control of a never-ending succession of yacht clubs. Yacht clubs, on the other hand, have other interests besides the America's Cup. So the failure to reach an agreement so far doesn't mean anybody is necessarily a bad guy, just the Oracle Racing and yacht clubs have different and sometimes conflicting agendas.
By the way, June 4 is the release day of The Proving Ground, a book by Wall Street Journal correspondent G. Bruce Knecht, about the disasterous 1999 Sydney to Hobart Race. Much of the story is told around what happened aboard Ellison's Sayonara, as told to the author by Ellison. A number of Northern California sailors are frequently featured, including Mark Rudiger and Zan Dredjes. One of our favorite parts is when they are in the worst of the storm, Sayonara is deliminating in many places, and the question of survival is very real:
"When Ellison saw Zan Dredjes pumping more water from the hull and noticed how bloodshot his eyes were, Ellison said, 'What a bunch of dumb shits we are to call this fun.'
"'Just you wait,' Zan said, 'You'll look back on this race with pride, and you'll be out here again someday.'
"Ellison didn't have an audible comment, but to himself he was adamant: there's no fucking way I'm ever going to be out here again."
Sweet SailingApril 12 - Newport Harbor |
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 Photos Latitude/Richard |
West Marine J/FestApril 12 - San Francisco Bay Class winners were: J/105 - Sails Call, Ian Charles (33 boats); J/35 - Jarlen, Bob Bloom (8 boats); J/24 - Tundra Rose, Keith Whittemore (23 boats); PHRF - Tigger, J/33, The Fennells. See the May issue of Latitude 38 for complete results and more photos. Top: Colorful Cityfront parade Photos Latitude/JR |
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April 12 - 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/
April 12 - Pacific Ocean
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/.
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.
Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you
might 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.
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