News Beat

Week of October 31 - November 7, 2011

Emma Finishes the Transat

Believe it or not there are still Mini sailors out in the Atlantic trying to finish this year's Mini Transat. Richmond Yacht Club's Emma Creighton finished on Thursday, November 3, in 23rd place (and first girl) in the Protos. Five boats are still racing and hope to finish soon. And you thought that cross country trip in your VW bug was hard.

Emma hasn't had time yet to update her blog, but you can find it at http://emmacreighton.net. The event website is at www.charentemaritime-bahia.transat650.net/en.

Meanwhile, the Volvo Ocean Race started on Saturday, and two boats out of six are already down and out. The Transat Jacques Vabre is underway too, making the Atlantic a busy ocean. Half a world away, the Clipper Race departed Geraldton, Western Australia, yesterday bound for Tauranga, New Zealand. Despite the lack of a California entry, the Clipper Race will make a stop in San Francisco Bay in April.

The Trimmer Wears Prada

The Luna Rossa crew relaxes during a break. ©2011 Prada

Italy's Luna Rossa, sponsored by Prada and sailing for Palermo's Circolo della Vela de Sicilia, announced they will enter AC34 in collaboration with Team New Zealand. Is this the first time in America's Cup history that two challengers have teamed up to go after the defender? The two teams plan on sharing boat design and build and will race each other in two-boat testing as a way to reduce costs and improve performance. Luna Rossa previously sailed for Yacht Club Italiano of Genoa in 2000, 2003 and 2007.

See the America's Cup story here and the ESPN story here.

Jones Act Side-Stepped

In an act of bi-partisanship we haven't seen for quite a few years the U.S., Congress passed a bill to help the little people…of the America's Cup. Actually it's a good thing, as they suspended the Jones Act for the upcoming races which will help create jobs in several U.S. cities (well, three of them - San Francisco, San Diego and Newport, RI). The Jones Act was passed in 1920 to help keep shipping and longshoremen working and was credited for keeping foreign ships from underbidding U.S. jobs. The Act was suspended briefly after Hurricane Katrina to allow foreign ships to aid in getting goods moving again in New Orleans. For more, see the America's Cup news item and Wikipedia's entry on the Merchant Marine Act of 1920.

The BCDC and the AC

The Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC to you and me) has released the preliminary plan for shoreline viewing and operations for AC34. And the Cup people are asking for a big chunk of real estate around the Bay. Everywhere from Crissy Field and Horseshoe Cove to Alcatraz has been claimed for the big event. By the look of it you should probably leave the car at home and get a bike. The heavy reading (as in a big PDF file) can be found here:
www.bcdc.ca.gov/meetings/drb/2011/11-07ExAC34.pdf and the meeting agenda meeting here:
www.bcdc.ca.gov/meetings/drb/2011/11-07Agenda.shtml