From the Boathouse: Boss is out, but Barcelona beckons
Ahoy!
How about being in a sailboat race and only 5,000 miles from the finish line? I say “only” because this race covers about 23,000 nautical miles of open water.
You might remember in January when I first mentioned the Barcelona World Race, which began and will finish in Barcelona, Spain.
As a recap, eight boats crossed the start line Dec. 31 at 1300 hours to sail round the world and hopefully finish later this month. As of my deadline, seven boats remain in the race, with the one nearest the finish only 4,859 nautical miles away. Compare that to the farthest, at 10,336 nautical miles from the finish. Unfortunately, the Hugo Boss team has abandoned the race because of equipment failure.
Sailors rounding Cape Horn have always had a difficult challenge, and yet three of the boats have successfully rounded the point on South America. The sailboat Chenimees Poujoulat, with crew members Bernard Stamm and Jean Le Cam, is at the top of the leader board. Off their stern by 981 nautical miles is the Neutrogena, with Guillermo Altadill and Jose Munoz, followed by GAES Centros Auditivos, which is 1,245 nautical miles aft of the leader.
The sailors are feeling the aches and pains of the rough ocean sailing, especially since they have been racing for more than two months. However, the crews that have rounded the frigid Horn will be appreciating the warmer temperatures while heading on a northerly course along South America’s coastline.
The finish date is anyone’s guess, since Mother Nature and King Neptune will dictate the seas, wind and weather for the remaining thousands of miles, and let’s not forget equipment failures that can happen at a moment’s notice.
Tip of the week is that the Fred Hall Show has returned this month to Southern California. The first show begins this week at the Long Beach Convention Center, after which the show heads south to the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
If you have not attended a Fred Hall Show, you are missing the most popular outdoor recreational events on the West Coast. It began in its humble days as a fishing and tackle show. It has expanded over the years to include a lot more than just fishing and tackle equipment.
The shows, which claim to feature the largest selection of the nation’s leading equipment manufacturers, now have trailerable boats, recreational vehicles, camping equipment, guns and almost any marine or hunting item imaginable.
Besides the equipment exhibits, exciting seminars and events run throughout the shows. Lowrance’s Learning Center offers an overview on the latest mapping technology. Visitors can also listen to the ultimate saltwater experience seminar or sit in on the Sporting Chef Cafe by Scott Leysath.
All the seminars and events are included with a ticket.
The shows for 2015 are scheduled through Sunday in Long Beach and then in Del Mar from March 25 to 29. Check out dates, times and show information at FredHall.com or by calling (805) 389-3339.
As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.
The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.
Safe voyages!
MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.