The Human Endeavor is to Inspire

 

 




Tuesday Market at Monterey

We spent two days in Monterey, which coincided with the local Tuesday Farmers’ Market.  Several blocks in the heart of downtown were closed off to vehicles so folks could purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from regional farms.  A few craft and food vendors were present, but the exceptional produce dominated the event with a wide variety of colorful choice fruits and vegetables. 



So Many Choices at the Farmers' Market

With a report of favorable weather, we departed Monterey on June 5^th.  Indeed, the seas were flat calm with only 1-4 foot swells, a nice change from the previous weeks of rough conditions at sea.  We arrived at Half Moon Bay near Pillar Point around 6pm and anchored for the night.  In the morning we left for San Francisco and once again the seas were flat calm, the storms were finally behind us. 


Approaching the Golden Gate

With much anticipation, we entered the Golden Gate around noon as fog lifted above the bridge spires, an impressive sight as always.  The usual activity of sailboats darting back and forth among the tour boats and tug boat traffic seemed dull compared to the AC72 Catamarans practicing for the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series to be followed by the 2013 America’s Cup in September.
 

Fog Lifting above the Golden Gate

Always an Impressive Sight

Only three teams – Emirates Team New Zealand, Sweden’s Artemis Team, and Italy’s Luna Rossa – are scheduled to race in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series for the right to take on the Oracle Team, defenders of the America’s Cup.  The AC72 is a 72 foot multi-hull vessel with a wing-sail of 2,798.6 square feet with a mast height of 131 feet and a soft-sail.  

Oracle Team AC72 Cat

Rescue Chase Boats Follow Behind Oracle Team During Practice

Each team’s designers and builders create their own hulls, wings, soft-sails, and underwater foils within the confines of the rules.  In addition to meeting performance criteria, these catamarans must also fit into a 40 foot container vessel for shipping and be easily assembled and re-assembled to accommodate an active racing schedule.  These new generation designs can reach speeds in excess of 40 knots.  As some sailors have said, it’s like strapping a V12 engine onto a small go-cart; it’s physically challenging for the crew of 11 to control such powerful forces while keeping in mind the potential of turning upside down.  It was exciting to watch the Oracle Team and Emirates Team streak past us and around us as we entered San Francisico Bay.    

Emirates New Zealand Team Practice Maneuvers

Sadly on May 9th, 2013, the Artemis Racing Team lost a crew member, British Olympic champion Andrew Simpson, when their massive cat called Big Red “nose-dived” and capsized, trapping Andrew under the wreckage of the broken mast, crossbeams, and tangled rigging.  In October of 2012, the Oracle catamaran pitch-poled (end over end nose-dive), causing severe damage to the vessel.  Crew members on these high-speed cats are aware of the risks and vow that the show must go on, redefining new technology and the human endeavor.  As these awe inspiring cats sped past us, we made our way along the beautiful San Francisco waterfront and under the Oakland Bay Bridge, arriving at Brisbane Marina, our home for the next several weeks.

Passing Iconic Buildings of San Francisco

Approaching the Oakland Bay Bridge

Brisbane Marina