Photo of the Day

April 17 - Costa Mesa

The Prop Stops Here

We were down at Minney's Marine Surplus in Costa Mesa the other day, when we stumbled across the prop room, and thought it would make a great Photo of The Day.

This is just one room, they actually have about four rooms full of various size and type props. We didn't, however, see an 18-inch, three-bladed, folding Max Prop.

If you've got an extra, let us know.


Photo Latitude/Richard

Sailing To The Surf

April 17 - Bahia Santa Maria

The 55-ft aluminum sloop Charisma, built for the '74 Admiral's Cup, leaves San Diego on Sunday for a two month surfing expedition in French Polynesia. Among the crew are Richard Bernard and Angela DeVargas, who are seen here in the lineup at Bahia Santa Maria during the last Ha-Ha, which they did aboard Bernard's Valiant 42 Surf Ride.

Also along will be Howard Benedict, an expert free diver, a fellow named Charlie, and the owner, who prefers to remain anonymous.


Photo Latitude/Richard

Don't Fear El Niño?

April 17 - Planet Earth

It looks like we're headed for another El Niño winter, so the news media is spreading the traditional gloom and doom. But is it all bad? What is rarely reported is that El Niño conditions almost always coincide with good things - such as greatly reduced numbers of hurricanes in the Atlantic. The much higher winter temperatures on the East Coast also mean hundreds less deaths and a huge savings in energy.

In fact, when the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society tried to calculate the costs versus the savings in the United States of the last big El Niño, which was in '77-'78, they concluded that the damages were $4 billion, while the savings were $19 billion! So despite the extensive damage El Nino caused in California, on the whole was it a good thing?

"Without Question, the Best Place in the World to Sail"

April 17 - Hawaii

The other day Ken Morrison made the unpleasant announcment that the Royal Hawaii Cup - previously known as the Pan Am Clipper Cup and the Kenwood Cup - has been cancelled. To which Geoff Stagg responded, "I was really saddened . . . having competed in eight of the previous events, it is without question the best place in the world to sail and one of the best-organized events. Obviously the September 11 tragedy and the general state of the world economy made it impossible to attract a sponsor and were the principal causes for cancellation. However, I think also that the lack of a truly international acceptable handicap system to reflect the direction of the sport had a hand in this decision."

In the early '80s when the event was still the Pan Am Clipper Cup, we spent four or five hours a day in a helicopter photographing the event. It was a spectacular sight, and in our mind remains unsurpassed.

Management of the Men and Gear Is the Most Important Thing

April 17 - South Atlantic

With the maxi cat Orange headed up the South Atlantic some 45 days into their assault on the Jules Verne record, crewman Yann Eliès reports:

"We're beginning to take it easier with the improving climate. The boat and the clothes are drying out. We're in excellent shape, the meals are perfectly balanced, and we have no skin complaints to complain about - which for sailors who sail for extended periods in the damp on these boats is quite remarkable. I'm appreciating and learning a lot alongside Bruno. Last year on Team Adventure during The Race, everything was sacrificed for speed. On Orange, management of the men and the gear is the most important thing, with an eye on long term performance."

Tracy's Big Record Run

April 17 - Cadiz to San Salvador

Tracy Edwards, who purchased the maxi cat Club Med and renamed her Maiden, is currently attacking the boat's Cadiz to San Salvador record. In the early going, they found perfect conditions and were well ahead of Club Med's record, but then fell into a hole. Now they are jamming again, just 240 miles behind the record pace. They are within striking distance if the weather holds.

Tracy, sailing with an all woman crew, went after the catamaran ENZA's then Jules Verne record a few years back. They made it to the Southern Ocean and were ahead of the record pace when they stuffed the bows and the mast came down. Skilled sailing women and big cats - they go well together.

"Oops, I Shouldn't Have Done That"

April 17 - Chesapeake Bay

While battling for the lead in the sixth leg of the Volvo Race last night, Mark Rudiger, co-skipper of Assa Abloy, pushed the wrong button in the dark, which caused tons of water to pour inside the boat. Mark said it nearly sunk the boat, but we're sure he's exaggerating.

In an event, that, along with getting weed stuck on the appendages twice, didn't help them in their battle with illbruck for the lead. The fleet leaders in the Miami to Baltimore leg are now in the Chesapeake Bay, and have 120 miles of easy sailing to go.

 

The stress of falling off the front pack tells on the face of Tim Powell

Photo TeamTyco

YOTREPS

April 17 - 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/

Weather Updates

April 17 - Pacific Ocean

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/. The National Weather Service site for San Francisco Bay is at www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey/.

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 Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology page posts a daily map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.

Pacific Sea State

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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