Latitude 38 Latitude VOLUME 427 Janu 013 WE GO WHERE THE WIND BLOWS JANUARY 2013 JANUARY VOLUME 427 2012 — THE YEAR LATITUDE / RICHARD LATITUDE X Carnival in St. Barth is refreshing and delicious. COURTESY COURTESY COURTESY LESLIE RICHTER COURTESY David Addleman dove with the rays in Palau. The Clipper Round the World Former 'Latitude' Racing Editor Rob Moore Race fleet stopped in the Bay. passed away. CARL BUNN CARL onEDITION / ABNER KINGMAN onEDITION / Cruisers helped rescue several whales caught in fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez. WWW.ALEXTHOMSONRACING.COM The dapper Alex Thomson keel-walked his IMOCA 60 'Hugo Boss'. At 16, Laura Dekker became the youngest person to solo circumnavigate. TIM WRIGHT GUPPY San Francisco's Matt Brooks took his divi- sion in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta COURTESY COURTESY aboard 'Dorade'. In case you missed any of the triumph and tragedy of 2012, here's a recap of the year's top sailing stories and the issues in which they appeared. January: After four years, the Econea bottom paint study came to a close, and we're no nearer to being able to buy our favorite water-based test paint. We interviewed Mini sailor Emma Creighton. Small-boat cruisers shared their secret: Go small, go now. Readers sounded off on the forced rescue of legally blind sailor Dennis Howard. We met the final set of Season Champs. February: Loïck Peyron and crew won the Jules Verne Trophy aboard the 131-ft tri Banque Populaire. Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, at 16, became the youngest person to solo circumnavigate. After circumnavigating the Americas, Ocean Watch got a new home — San Francisco Bay — and a new name — Spirit of the Sea. Cruisers went to the rescue of four net-entangled whales in the Sea of Cortez. And we said goodbye to former longtime Latitude Racing Editor Rob Moore after a valiant battle with cancer. March: Alan Olson shared plans to build San Francisco Bay's official tallship in Sausalito while Heather Richard worked to create a community sailing center at Sausalito's defunct Cass' Marina. The SSS Three Bridge Fiasco lived up to its name. Young circumnavigator Kara Dober shared some insight into cruising with kids, while Glenys Henry shared her tips for cruising the world on a budget. The merits of navigating with iPads was a hot topic. April: We announced the inaugural SoCal Ta-Ta Rally. Dorade, under the stewardship of San Francisco's Matt Brooks, won Page 84 • Latitude 38 • January, 2013 IN REVIEW 'Low Speed Chase' was lost — and five of her eight crew killed — during the Full Crew Farallones Race. MARCO GLAVIANO Beautiful models, such as Alana Marie-Green- field, and talented photographers , such as Marco Glaviano — as well as crusty publishers — hang out in St. Barth. DENISE PATTERSON JENNY HALDIMAN JENNY Randy Ramirez enjoyed the culinary delights of the South Pacific. COURTESY KURT ROLL KURT COURTESY Kurt Roll reeled in a 25-lb Mexican 'bale fish' (aka, a big bag of pot). MICHAEL LAWLER MICHAEL 'Aegean' and her crew of four perished when she ran into North Coronado Island. her class at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Debris from the Tohoku tsunami started coming ashore on the West Coast. The Big Daddy Regatta was, as usual, big fun. With 185 participants, the Havasu Pocket Cruisers Convention is one of the fastest- growing — and largest — sailing events in the country. We interviewed Mark Denebeim, who spends time in the Bay and Carib- bean. Kurt Roll made a surprising catch of a bale of pot off the California coast. May: Five lives were lost when Low Speed Chase was swept ashore during the Full Crew Farallones Race, prompting a temporary USCG cancellation of ocean racing. Aegean and her four crew were lost two weeks later when that boat plowed into North Coronado Island during the Newport-Ensenada Race. The Clipper Round the World fleet sailed into the Bay after a harrowing 6,000-mile pas- sage from Qingdao, China. Dorade continued her winning ways at the Antigua Classic Regatta. Matt Rutherford finished a grueling nonstop solo circumnavigation of the Americas. The Wanderer delivered his Zen-sailing Olson 30 La Gamelle to the Caribbean. June: Talk on the docks centered on the dual sailing tragedies, from the government's role in our lives to the basics of cal- culating a wave's breaking point. Bird Boats celebrated 90 years of sailing on the Bay. The 199 entries in the Great Vallejo Race thought they were in for a beat but got to run instead. We introduced the 2012 Singlehanded TransPac fleet. The ocean racers made do with in-the-Bay races until the USCG closure was lifted. January, 2013 • Latitude 38 • Page 85 2012 — THE YEAR JIM ZORN Crews in the Plastic Classic Regatta were greeted in the usual manner at the T-mark. JAN ANDERSON JAN SAM DAVIES / SAVEOL SAM DAVIES Seattle sailors did their Sam Davies was just one of seven skippers to drop out part to 'save the ta-tas' in of the Vendée Globe shortly after the start. the Pink Boat Regatta. ROLEX / DANIEL FORSTER ROLEX / DANIEL The J/105 fleet took it to the max in the Rolex Big Boat Series. ZIGGY MARLEY ZIGGY The Poobah and crew reggaed pon da ocean in the inaugural SoCal Ta-Ta. PURA VIDA PURA USGC / BRANDYN HILL COURTESY COURTESY Kurt Roll takes a stand...on the bottom 'Bounty', the replica of the original, sank during of 'Pura Vida'. Hurricane Sandy, taking the lives of two crewmem- bers with her. July: The Master Mariners strutted their stuff on the Bay. We featured three young sailors and the paths they took to live their passion. The Delta Ditch Run got back to normal with gorgeous downwind conditions. The Pacific Cup fleet was introduced. We recommended ways to take a great Baycation. Cruisers in La Paz helped some stranded pygmy sperm whales on El Mogote. August: More tsunami debris, including a school bus, was spotted off the coast, just in time for the Hawaii races. The Single- handed TransPac saw serious drama: Alex Mehran broke the overall monohull record; Derk Wolmuth had to be rescued due to a potentially deadly infection, leaving his boat Bela Bartok to sail to Hawaii on her own; and his competitors banded together to save her. Emirates Team New Zealand launched the first AC72. Puddle Jumpers enjoyed Polynesian hospitality at the Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous. The Great San Francisco Schooner Race offered lots of photo ops for sailors. September: The America's Cup World Series was a smash hit on San Francisco Bay, with readers writing in to effuse all over the event. Around the same time, the Oracle AC72 was launched. Alain Thébault and crew crashed the ACWS party by bringing their 60-ft foiling cat up from L.A. to break the Bay's speed record. China Camp, a favorite destination for Bay Area sailors, was saved from the state park chopping block after its operation was transferred to the Friends of China Camp. The Pac Cup fleet fought squalls the whole way across the Pacific. US Sailing determined the loss of Low Speed Chase was a "failure of seamanship." The Delta Doo Dah fleet got hot and bothered up-Delta. The Pacific Puddle Jump fleet recapped their journeys to the South Pacific. Page 86 • Latitude 38 • January, 2013 IN REVIEW MOONTIDE COURTESY COURTESY FINAL ESCAPE FINAL Synchronized swimming in the Ha-Ha. 'l'Hydroptère' stole the show when she graced the Bay with her lovely lines. COURTESY RONNIE SIMPSON Cruisers helped mother and baby pygmy sperm whales into deep water outside La Paz. 'Bela Bartok' sailed to Hawaii by herself after Singlehanded TransPac skipper Derk Wolmuth had to abandon her. DAREN HELDSTAB 'USA 17', Oracle's 72-ft cat, capsized and demol- ished her massive wing sail. MIGRATION COURTESY COURTESY The 'Migration' crew got hot and bothered at the crater of Mt. Yasur. GUILAIN GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA GUILAIN GRENIER / ORACLE Liz Clark broke her neck surfing in San Diego, of all places. COURTESY LIZ CLARK COURTESY October: The Seattle Pink Boat Regatta raised $36,000 for breast cancer research while having tons of pink fun. Chuck Hooper and Roger Ruud became the Kings of Latitude 38's Beer Can Challenge by sailing in a beer can race every day of the week. Jessica Lockfield shared tips on how to make a cruise more pleasant. Serge Testa celebrated the 25th anniversary of his circumnaviga- tion on the 12-ft Acrohc Australia. Hank Easom's 8 Meter Yucca celebrated her 75th birthday. The Rolex Big Boat Series welcomed multihulls for the first time. The first-ever SoCal Ta-Ta reggaed pon da ocean. November: The second AC World Series event on the Bay wowed crowds as the Blue Angels did their thing overhead during Fleet Week. Energy Team's AC45 was pulled off the rocks at T.I. and then a salvage claim was made by her rescuer. Testing of Oracle Racing's AC72 went horribly wrong when she pitchpoled on the Bay, obliterating her massive wing sail as she was swept under the Gate by a strong ebb. The Leukemia Cup Regatta raised more than $850,000. The Wanderer shared breakfast with Commodore Tompkins. Jeanne Socrates set off on her third attempt at a nonstop solo circumnavigation. December: The Vendée Globe started and seven skippers dropped out shortly thereafter. The Bounty sank off the East Coast in Hurricane Sandy, killing two crewmembers. The 19th Baja Ha-Ha saw little drama and lots of fun. We interviewed multi-solo- circumnavigator Webb Chiles.