SIGHTINGS Got a boat less than 50 feet? The Pacific Cup wants to show the love by significantly knocking down the entry fee just for you. Organizers are going all out to get 70 entries for the event. The PCYC will be at the Strictly Sail Boat Show in Oakland in April, with hula girls, mai tais, and a 'Let's Go to Hawaii' seminar. And the Pacific Offshore Academy will be hosting seminars at the Richmond YC on June 23 and October 19, with receptions to follow. Shoot for the sailing stars by getting your Pacific Cup mojo going. Surf on over to www.PacificCup.org for details and entry information. — richard
vendée — cont'd repeatedly. First it was Le Cam making a brief southerly dig in the Pacific to pull away from his pursuers. Once around Cape Horn, Le Cam took the western route and Golding went east before the two met up in the southeast trades and resumed their drag race north. Just behind them, an international ménage à trois of Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud), Mirabaud), Frenchman Arnaud 'Cali' Boissieres Mirabaud ((Akena Vérandas) and Spaniard Javier 'Bubi' Sansó ((Acciona 100% Eco-Powered) are fighting for position, with Wavre and Cali following Eco-Powered Le Cam to the west and Bubi following Golding to the east. One of the biggest stories of this Vendée Globe has been the saga of Bernard Stamm. The Swiss skipper of the new Juan K-designed Cheminées Poujoulat had been plagued with hydrogenerator problems since the beginning of the race. Nearly out of diesel fuel when entering the Pacific, Stamm anchored in the lee of the Auckland Islands, south of New Zealand, to conduct repairs when a 40-knot northerly blow caused him to drag anchor. Tying up to a nearby continued on outside column of next sightings page
"There is no great winner without a great runner-up." Jean Le Cam's words rang true for 'Banque Populaire' skipper Armel le Cléac'h, who sailed into Les Sables d'Olonne just three hours behind Gabart. It was the closest finish in race history.
The 'Golden Boy', François Gabart, won the Vendée Globe Race on January 27. At 29, he's the youngest person to win the race, and he did it in just 78 days!
February, 2013 •
Latitude 38
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PHOTOS VINCENT CURUTCHET / DPPI
cranks up its mojo