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Home Is the Sailor

July 14 - Kaneohe Bay, HI


Ghost

Today's Photo of the Day is of Lou Ickler's Morgan 38 Ghost crossing the West Marine Pacific Cup finish line at Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, after sailing 2,070 miles from San Francisco. Lou is no kid, but he not only got to finish in style, he and his crew managed to capture first in Division A by several hours. The spectacular palis in the background are one of the most beautiful sights in the world, so Ickler had to feel great when they finally came into view. Nice job!


Surprise
Photos Marston Myers

Just about everyone else has crossed the finish line, including the Lessley family's Cal 40 California Girl from Pt. Richmond, which took first in Division B; Tim Ballard's Beneteau 40.7 Inspired Environments from Sausalito, which won Division C; and Mario Yovkov's ID-35 Sensation from San Francisco, which won Division D. Winnetou, Martin Brauns' SC 52 from San Francisco, and Charles Burnett's TP-52 Braveheart from Seattle, which won Divisions E and F respectively, finished days ago. The only division undecided is the Doublehanded, but it looks almost for certain that Sylvia Seaberg and Synthia Petroka of the San Francisco-based Hawkfarm Eyrie will be the winners. They should finish today.


Boats Looking Good over the Weekend

July 14 - San Francisco Bay

After a foggy week, the sun came out last weekend, and so did the sailors. This allowed us to get shots of these four boats 'looking good'. The one of the skinny boat with all the crew is perhaps the most interesting. The boat is a Columbia Sabre, which is a 5.5 meter day racer that Columbia Yachts later put a small cabin on. About 15 years ago, a guy from San Diego bought one of these for about $1,500, and without an engine cruised her all the way to Panama and then up to Florida. He was on a budget, but he still had a good time. Get out sailing this weekend and have yourself a great time.


Photos Latitude/Richard


Scenes from the Midnight Moonlight Marathon

July 14 - North Bay

For the last four years we've done the San Francisco YC's Moonlight Marathon, which starts late in the afternoon in Raccoon Strait, then takes the fleet to Vallejo and back. Last Saturday's edition had the best weather yet, with consistent wind and reasonably warm temperatures. While driving, we managed to snap a few photos - check them out.


Eclipse

The Express 37 Eclipse managed to eke out a 3.5 minute victory over the Express 27 Shenanigans. Boats finished about 10:40 p.m., which is early for the Moonlight.


Jarlen


Max
Photos Latitude/Richard

This weekend's summer special event is the Island YC's Silver Eagle Long Distance In The Bay Race. We're doing that one, too. If you have a boat that loves reaching, you should to. The fleet sails from the St. Francis to Blackaller, down to the airport, most of the way to Vallejo, and back to the St. Francis. 86 miles.


It's Bastille Day!

July 14 - Brest, France


Orange II at today's festivities in Brest, France
Photo Guilain Grenier/Orange

So Bruno Peyron took the occasion to announce the upcoming plans for his maxi cat Orange II, which shortly after she was launched made two aborted attempts at a new Jules Verne Around the World Record. Peyron's first order of business is for Orange to be the first sailing boat to cover 700 miles in a day. The current record is a few miles short of that. Secondly, they'll sail to New York to attempt a west to east transatlantic record. After testing in the stormy Med in the fall, they'll again go after the around the world record, currently held by retired Steve Fossett's Cheyenne.


The Gloom Is Gone, so Southern California Cruising Is in Full Bloom

July 14 - SoCal

Last call! Looking to get experience on a big cruising cat? Want to get away from the chilly sailing conditions of Northern California? If so, you might be interested in a couple of 'shared expenses' sailing opportunities aboard Profligate in Southern California.

The first will be August 5, 6 & 7 for the Santa Barbara to King Harbor (Redondo Beach) Race. We think it's the most fun race in Southern California, as there are tons of boats, and you sail across the Santa Barbara Channel, down around Anacapa Island, come back to the coast at Malibu, and then across Santa Monica Bay to Redondo Beach. It's about 86 miles, and the last couple of years we've finished around midnight. But what really makes it fun is you get to spend a day before at Santa Barbara, a great town and at her best time of year. And after the race, you're in Redondo Beach for more fun at the club, and for miles in either direction along the beach. It's a totally killer event that makes for a great long weekend.

They say you should never start a voyage on a Friday, let alone Friday the 13th, but we're going to do it anyway for our second 'shared expenses' opportunity. If you want an action-packed weekend that really gets you away - without having to go far - this is it. We'll leave Long Beach at noon, put up the screecher for the sail to Avalon where we'll mess around on the beach, under the bright lights, and spend the night. The next morning we motor a couple of hundred feet off the coast up to Two Harbors, the rugged and rustic little oasis toward the west end of the island. After an afternoon's sail, we'll do a beach barbecue and hit the dance floor under the stars. There are also great opportunities for hiking and other outdoor activities. Catalina is cool! The next day we hoist the chute and set sail for 35-mile distant Newport Beach, arriving about 6 p.m. Hot cat sailing fun in the Southern California sun.

Here are some photos from past Profligate trips to Catalina:


The hub-bub at Avalon during the day. At night, after the daytrippers have gone home, it's a lot more mellow. And the nightlife can be fun.


Cat Harbor, near the western end of the island, has a completely different vibe than Avalon.


Profligate on the hook at one of the many anchorages between Avalon and Two Harbors.


Short hikes can lead to terrific overviews. Lauren Spindler checks out the boatyard near Avalon.


Avalon as seen from above.


Charlie Eckstrom doing 13 knots aboard Profligate on the way from Long Beach to Avalon.
Photos Latitude/Richard


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