This year’s Hospice Cup off Annapolis on September 19 saw 94 racing boats competing on three different courses, a record turnout of participants, and record fundraising to support the four hospice partners: Capital Caring Health, Luminis Health Gilchrist Life Institute, Montgomery Hospice, and Talbot Hospice.

The 94 entries represented 13 classes, from Melges 15s and Snipes to J/105s, 40-footers and a Reichel-Pugh Aquila 45. The classes divided into three racing areas: an inner course for the smaller one-designs, a pursuit course around government marks for the handicapped classes and the Cal 25s, and a southern course for the J/105s and the Vipers.

The inner course was run by Drew Mutch, PRO for the Organizing Authority, Sailing Club of the Chesapeake. Mutch was able to get five competitive races off, leveraging the northwest breezes coming out of the Severn River. With 19 entries, the Harbor 20s were the largest class in the regatta…

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The Environment

A new landmark survey by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has concluded that invasive species – including marine invasives like the zebra mussel and the lionfish – cost humanity an estimated $423 billion per year. Marine invasive species account for an estimated 10 percent of the impact, but they are of particular concern because they are extremely difficult to eradicate once established along a new coastline. Freshwater species account for an additional 14 percent.

According to IPBES, invasive species (terrestrial and aquatic) have contributed to 60 percent of all known global species extinctions in the modern era. The overwhelming majority (85 percent) of their effects on people are negative – but people are the primary cause of their transport and establishment. Driven by trade and travel, the economic impact of invasive species has been quadrupling every decade. Read on.

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There may not be a better mid-size racer (cruiser) than the J/111. Fast in a lot of conditions, good looking, decent one design class, etc.  I wanted to buy one a while back but didn’t have a wide enough slip at SDYC.

I noticed the used boat prices were starting to climb a couple of years ago, but when I saw this listing for one, I almost couldn’t believe it. Asking $339,000 for a 13-year-old 111?

Granted, this boat looks to be really, really nice, and all you boat owners know how spendy it is to keep a boat in top form, but jesus h. christ that is a ton of money.

Or am I tripping? – ed.

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The Canadian ILCA National Championships were held this past weekend at the Buffalo Canoe Club.  There were 133 boats spread across the three classes. The winner in the 7’s was Norman Struthers from Royal Canadian YC.  The 6’s were won by Rory Walsh from Royal Vancouver YC, while Angus Beauregard from Hudson YC won the 4’s.   Full results here.

As an umpire, I wasn’t really in a position to watch the race, and no one really cared about who tacked on who and when.  Being an on-the-water umpire for the first time gave me an interesting perspective on some things that happened behind the scenes.  Generally, the regatta had a great vibe, and the talent level for the vast majority of this fleet is exceptionally high….

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As the remnants of the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years now evaporate over northern Nevada, people are trying to assess the damage done by the heavy rainfall and flooding from Hilary.

The New York Times said: “Los Angeles Survives Tropical Storm With ‘Minimal Impacts,’ Officials Say,” noting that there have been no reports of deaths or major storm damage in L.A. itself, but that “the impact in other cities is still being assessed.” The Los Angeles Times said, “Hilary Leaves Massive Flooding, Mudslides, Upheaval Across Southern California,” citing that parts of San Bernardino saw mud and debris slides that closed roads.

About 18,000 customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were without power Monday morning, according to the L.A. Times. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the damage from Hilary was “minor.” (By the way, yesterday there was a 5.1 earthquake centered near Ojai, inland from Ventura; no damage or injuries were reported, but surely an already tense situation was made worse.)

At the moment, Hilary appears to be more annoyance than the potentially “catastrophic” storm with the potential to bring heavy flooding to desert landscapes that are unable to absorb a deluge of water. As residents of Florida and the Gulf and East coasts well know, hurricanes often come with ominous warnings and a media frenzy, then underwhelm the hunkered-down populace.

“If that was the hurricane I have to deal with, I could deal with that every year — no problem,” said my cousin, Ed ‘Frondo’ van Os, who lives with his family in San Miguel, just north of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. “It was, like, 25 knots at its worst. We had zero damage at the house and zero damage at the shop, other than losing a couple of days to preparation, and a lot of stress.”

Mexican authorities are assessing the damage Hilary caused in Baja before crossing the border, according to the New York Times. “Nearly 3,000 Mexican Marines were mobilized to provide aid in parts of the Baja California peninsula, the military said Sunday night.” The Times said that the Mexican navy rescued the municipal president of Mulegé and other government and military officials, as well as 13 citizens, from floods.

Winds of up to 85 miles an hour were reported in Cabo San Lucas, and at least one person died in Baja, according to CBS News.

Above: Footage from Mulegé, Baja California, Mexico, on the Sea of Cortez.

In a summer of record heat, smoke-filled days in the Midwest and Northeast, and the recent tragedy in Lahaina, Hurricane Hilary was another wild headline among a deluge of unbelievable weather-related headlines. Hilary was not the first over-hyped hurricane and it certainly won’t be the last. This is part of what can make hurricanes so deadly: People live through numerous non-events, over-prepare for storms that fizzle, and eventually become numb to warnings, making them complacent — and vulnerable — when a severe storm does actually deliver.

If you’re in Southern California or Mexico, please tell us about your experience with Hilary.

The post Hilary Brings Flash Floods to Baja and SoCal, but Its Bark Appears Worse Than Its Bite appeared first on Latitude38.

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A second-place finish, four hours and 40 minutes on corrected time in the 2022 Chicago Mac double-handed section, didn’t sit well with Ted Lockwood and Justin Ackler. Winter preparations put them on the right path.

“We took care of the critical components with electronics,” said Justin Ackler. “We ran different routes and paid attention to how the software works and predicting wind routing.” Lockwood, who completed his first Mac in 1970, recalled Ned Lockwood’s words: “My Dad would say, ‘Teddy, it’s not the first two or three things, it’s the 95 things you do prior to going out and preparing the boat that makes you win.”

Moving ahead of their four-boat section was the difference as their J88, McQueen, set the pace pulling into Mackinac Harbor at 2:39:44 Monday, July 25, 2023. Their elapsed time was 2:03:39:44 just ahead of Exile 2:03:45:36. The corrected time was 2:03:36:56. Exile, sailed by Andy Graff and Scott Eisenhardt, was 2:04:02:22. 10-16 miles an hour southeast winds, propelled McQueen towards the shoreline near the Wisconsin border. Around 5 p.m., winds and waves shifted from the northwest.

From midnight to 5 a.m., it blew 20 knots. “We put our kite up,” said Lockwood, a resident of Traverse City, MI. “You couldn’t see the waves in the dark, but we were surfing three-six-foot waves and burying the bow doing 11-13 knots…”

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The giant trimaran Banque Populaire leads the multihull fleet as the first start gets underway in miserable weather. Look for the breeze to really ramp up as the day goes on. Follow along here. Fyi, their site is very slow to load…

It is worth commenting on how stupid the rule is for this race for OCS boats – they can’t go back and restart – they are burdened with a two-hour penalty, period, end of story. What sort of bullshit is that? And especially with a huge flood tide.  So ridiculous.

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When he competed in the first Golden Globe Race in 1968-69, French sailor Bernard Moitessier achieved legend status not for winning, but rather for precisely the opposite—opting instead to keep on sailing, “because I am happy at sea, and perhaps to save my soul.”

It’s a sentiment that Kirsten Neuschäfer understands—“Moitessier just kept going and became more esoteric. I liked that aspect,” she said. Some may have wondered whether the adventurous South African would consider the same, but in the end, her history was made in another way, by becoming the first woman to win a solo round-the-world race when she crossed the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race (GGR) finish line in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, on April 28. After 30,290 nautical miles and 235 days—a course record—she and her 36-foot Cape George cutter, Minnehaha, won without needing the 35-hour time allowance she earned by rescuing fellow sailor Tapio Lehtinen when his boat sank south of Cape of Good Hope.

As she edged her way to the finish line in excruciatingly light air, Neuschäfer—who didn’t even know she’d won until she was within hours of the finish—laughed and talked with the sailing luminaries, journalists, race officials, and well-wishers who’d come out to greet her. “I want to walk on solid ground,” she said in her calm and commanding voice when I asked her what she wanted to do when she touched land for the first time in nearly eight months…

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How much demand can there really be for such a boat? They need breeze to really make it work, but we hope they both have success in this endeavor. And promoting one sailmaker as part of the deal is a big mistake. I’m sure the other sailmakers are just thrilled…

McConaghy is delighted to announce its appointment as the exclusive build partner for the next generation of Infiniti 52 racing yachts.

The Infiniti 52 is designed and engineered to deliver next-level offshore racing performance. Built around a highly efficient transverse DSS foil, the Infiniti 52 provides proven performance without the risk and cost of more complex class-driven foil solutions.

The 52ft yacht has proven to be an ideal size, performing successfully both inshore racing and offshore, regularly achieving 30-knot speeds. It is large enough to sail comfortably for an overnight, but light enough to exhilarate and excite. The DSS foil provides the Infiniti 52 significant righting moment allowing the yacht to be sailed with a smaller crew, sometimes half the number of a comparable yacht, increasing competitive efficiencies. More here.

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Y’all remember the Etchells Creep Show at their Worlds a couple months back, right? Of course not a single offending creep has ever been named, outed, or in any other way been held to account. The Good ‘Ol Boy network, don’t ya know?

But now the Etchells class wants you to know that they have a new Cod of Conduct document out and we are certain that it will fix everything. Oops, we meant that it will fix nothing.

A whopping two-page manifesto that simply regurgitates the obvious, yet the class wants you to know that they have Really Done Something. Have they? We’d say no, and you can bet your ass that when something like this happens again, and it will, that no names will be named and no real consequences will be rendered.

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The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) has announced this year’s class of inductees, people who have contributed to the world of sailing through education, innovation, and advocacy over the past decades.

“We’re immensely proud of our inductees this year, as they represent everything we love most about the sport,” said Gary Jobson, NSHOF co-president. “Their contributions to the world of sailing have deeply impacted and touched all of our lives, and each of them has created a hefty legacy for the rest of us to live up to. We are delighted to honor their accomplishments and welcome them into the Hall of Fame.”

Nominees must be American citizens at least 55 years old who have made a “sustained and significant impact on the growth and development of the sport in the United States at a national or international level” as a sailor, technical innovator, or cultural contributor.

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Because a 3300 and a 3600 weren’t enough, Sun Fast is now offering the Sun Fast 30, with an emphasis on one design short-handed sailing. But not so fast, you clever marketing geniuses – this ain’t no 30′ it is actually 34′!

Why they don’t just call it what it is is anybody’s guess, but in truth, an actual 30′ boat is just too small and not fast enough compared to a boat just a couple of feet longer.  And they claim that this is the first production model sailboat built from a recyclable composite material. More here.

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The 10th edition of the S&S Rendez-Vous brought together 44 Swan sailboats, all designed by the architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens.

This international presence made it possible to race for 3 days off the island of Elba, to admire the boats from this renowned firm, and to pay a last tribute to Lars Ström, friend of yachtsmen and manager of the technical office of the construction site for more than 30 years.  More here.

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You can take the sailor out of racing, but you can’t take racing out of the sailor. So, when Nicolas Berenger, product and commercial director of Dufour Yachts, tells me that we might have to tuck in a reef as we head out for the afternoon on the new Dufour 41 on the Bahia de Palma in Mallorca, I’m not holding my breath.

Berenger’s résumé includes seven Figaros and multiple French national championship titles. And all morning, as we enjoyed a shifty breeze around 12-14 knots, I had watched how he kept asking hull No. 1 of Dufour’s new model to do little more. Making 7.6 knots of boat speed in 13 knots of wind with the full main and the 108% genoa, he looked at the true wind angle (TWA) of 64 degrees and politely took the helm to push her up to more like 50 TWA, where we maintained 6.3 knots with little effort in the sparkling, flat water. Another 5 degrees up and we were still making good 6 knots, and as the breeze puffed up another knot, we lifted up to 41 holding on to 6 knots.

He seemed satisfied, and even more so when we bore off, set the bright gold Elvstrøm asymmetrical chute, and rocketed at 9 knots in 12 knots of breeze back to La Lonja Marina for lunch.

But now it’s afternoon, a spirited sea breeze touching 20 has filled in, and I’m thinking about what Berenger had said earlier, that in 18 knots true, it might be time to reef—if he were cruising. He mentions it again after we extract ourselves from the dock where the breeze had us pinned (a bow thruster is optional, and I’d get one) and motor into the wind leaving the harbor—7.3 knots at 2,400 rpm on the 50-hp Volvo with a folding three-blade prop on a saildrive. But in the end—no surprise—it’s the full main that goes up on the deck-stepped, 56-foot Z Spars aluminum mast, and we charge off into what is now a short chop with some whitecaps…

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