AS GOOD AS IT GETS
to El Niño, both sea and air temperatures were warmer than normal, leading to what may have been the driest first leg ever. Most years, decks are drippy with dew during the pre-dawn hours, but this year they stayed dry as a bone, so many sailors never even needed to unpack their fleeces and foulies. The breeze backed off around midnight, leading many boats to motor until a new breeze filled in after dawn. Because the Ha-Ha is a rally, not a race, firing up the 'iron genny' is always an option. But some diehards, such as Shawn and Kristin Betourne's Colorado-based Lagoon TPI 42 Swell, Jim Brainard and Deb Ehler's San Franciscobased J/35c Brainwaves and Patsy Verhoeven aboard the La Paz-based
With plenty of breeze to stretch burgees and fill spinnakers, this year's run to the Cape had exceptional conditions on each leg.
Nemo 39 Que Sera and asked, "What flag are you flying?" "Ahh, the Baja Ha-Ha flag?" said the female skipper. "Repeat. What flags are you flying?" "Ahh, actually a Baja Ha-Ha flag and a pink pirate flag." That drew a long pause and more questions, but they eventually wished her a safe passage. Most boats found enough breeze to sail comfortably throughout Day Two and into Day Three, with the prevailing northwesterly blowing them right down the rhumbline. Much to the delight of the Turtle Bay townspeople, the fleet began arriving earlier than usual on Day Three (Wednesday). Once anchored, many
FIN BEVEN
Getting into his role as the Kickoff Party's piratical emcee, Captain Ron strikes a pose with Heidy the gypsy — one of two female skippers.
Gulfstar 50 Talion, refused to succumb to the temptation. Although conditions had been relatively mellow, on the morning net a typical variety of gear failures was reported: The outhaul tore loose on the mainsail of Roger and Karen Lamb's Alamedabased Hunter 466 Kiki, the gooseneck fitting gave way on Tom Wurfl and Helen Downs' San Diego-based Lagoon 42 Catatude, but was quickly repaired, and Steven Dees and Marilyn Gibbs' Anacortes-based Jeanneau 43 DS Toccata ran through a kelp bed and ended up dragging it most of the way to the first rest stop at Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay). With warmer -than-normal sea temperatures — close to 70° — much farther north than usual, some of the fleet's fisherfolk had early success. Even aboard the Committee Boat, where the fishermen are definitely amateurs, we caught a lovely pair of dorados (mahimahi) on handlines — both fish were more than 42 inches long. Probably the funniest thing that happened on Leg One was that a US Naval warship hailed Heidy Gross' Horizon
Below: The breeze was light at the start of Leg One, but it soon filled in, facilitating glorious downwind sailing. Inset: Calling the start from 'Patricia Belle's bowsprit.