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READ THIS before sending messages to any of the racers
Messages are posted at the top of the page as they are received. When the 2003 race begins we will be posting messages from the fleet on this page. Check out the emails received during Transpac '01. Messages to the boats will be posted on a seperate page. Messages from the boats will be posted bellow. They will be posted as time allows. Remember, after the race starts there are many things to do to maintain this site. Messages sent need to be formatted and downloaded. This is not like the normal email systems that run on your computer. We apologize in advance for the delays we know we will experience in getting these messages up in a timely manner. Received: Sunday July 6, 2003, 1515 HST Subject: First hello from Horizon A quick hello from Horizon: We have been very busy. It continues to be wet and wild these first 2 days, as expected and then some. this is usually the part where we are trying drive SW and the winds go from on the nose to abeam. Abeam is really ugly because everyone usually get seasick (none here) and the boat rolls violently and throws people and debri around unless they are totally prepared for any pitch in movement. We've had about 30kts consistent more that the forecasted 15-20. We have been going 10-17kts boatspeed with a reefed main and number 4 up. Barry said the change to the number 4 was one of the most difficult sail changes he's ever done because of the conditions (worse than start of last PV?!). But he was tied on to the boat and scott was where with him and they did fine. We've been eating enough, not really hungry but tonight we are - we're having Eileens meatloaf. Crew of Horizon "out" Received: Sunday July 6, 2003, 1515 HST Subject: Spinnaker's up Sorry we haven't emailed much, we've been hard at work and taking on a lot of waves over the boat. Because of that a leak in the galley hatch doused our nav station a few times and we fried our PC to instrument connection and are working on cleaning that and our SSB connection to the PC for email. If you get this message it means that the cleaning process worked. Drs Taylor and Senescu will keep you posted. We,ve had trouble communicating the comm vessel because in the early part they were too far away for us to use the reqd freq. but we are catching up. As such we don't know how we are officially doing against our competitors but we think we look pretty well lined up on the chart. We know their positions, just havent heard the standing. Don't send us a copy we'll hear them tomorrow. Scott says thanks to the kids for the great tshirts. Thanks Besty for my present - haha (Sue) Big news - we now have the easterly trades and the spinnaker is up! going 11 kts in 17kts wind, to date covered 484 mi in 52 hours. Avg 9.2 kts, not bad! Saw a Blue whale today. Saw a 10ft by 2ft log in front of us yesterday, good thing it was daytime. That's all for now. HorizonReceived: Tuesday July 8, 2003, 0850 HST Subject: From John B John B at (Lat/Long) 28*N/132*W, sailing in light winds and overcast sky. All is well on the Cal 40 John B. The only tragedy being the extreme hardship due to the loss of our BBQ off the back 2 days from Catalina. This forced us to cook our hamburgers on the stove in the cabin!! Wine steward and captian Greg B. was forced to make an emergency switch in the wine selection that evening but we recoverd with an excelent Pinot Noir and Beef Bourgignone pairing the following evening. Credits go the the provisioner Reenie Boyer. Six days and still no showers for some of the crew. Keel hauling imminent for Crow, Cambell & Robertson unless showers taken soon! A close upwind finish maybe to our advantage. Best Wishes to friends and family John B Took 2 days for email program to work. Now sailing in sight of Willow Wind and Ranger for the past48 hrs. Looking forward to something more than 5- 10 k before reahing the rhumb line in a few days.
Bill Taylor , Received: Tuesday July 8, 2003, 1115 HST Subject: Back on line
Back on line in more ways than one. We have had trouble with our radio the entire trip, been
able to get our position reports in through the relay assistance of other closer yachts but
have been in the dark on positions and standings and weather of our competitors. As such maybe
we went a little high day before yesterday, did some correcting today, now we're on a better
track. And our radio is back on track to. In the absense of further info we followed our
professional weather forecaster's recommended route and the weather fax data. The thing that
caught all of us by surprise is that we're on port tack already, with wind far more easterly
than normal at this point in the race. But our track and speed are fine. Its going to take us
a few days to catch back up, but when we start surfing, watch out. The heavier boats will have
a hard time keeping the lead.
We found our radio antenna problem (at least the broadcast part of it) and if this email goes
out we'll know we fixed it.
Thinking of all of you back home,
Sue and the crew of Horizon
Received: Tuesday July 9, 2003, 1415 HST Subject: Light winds equal longer notes home
Wed July 9,2003 - Report from HORIZON - TransPac 2003
Hello from the Pacific-where the winds sometimes fill in and sometimes does not. This year's
version of the TP is one where our patience is tried and is certainly a virtue. Fortunately
we have a great group to sail with and the laughs are in full supply. The traditional NE
trades that make this race famous are refusing to materialize, and we are looking at light
easterlies to take us to the islands. No worries, as we are all safe and in high spirits,
well fed and in good shape to make our charge over the last half of the race course.
To the Washburn Boys, Dad says hello-be good and have fun, he will be home in time for your
favorite trip to Emerald II, where Captain Emerald is waiting!
Steve
Hello everyone! Day 6 starts in 22 minutes and to say the least I feel like I never left Dana
Point! Very slow going! We made a decision this morning to sail further South because the
current weather reports indicate more favorable winds the further South we go. Unfortunately
until today our SSB was not receiving very well and we did not receive a weather forecast
since the beginning of the race. Tomorrow starts the second half of the race,hopefully the
wind will fill! Especially since we have a new forecast!
Everyone is having a great time. Lots of jokes and laughs. This afternoon we are going to try
to catch our dinner. I figure we are going slow enough to catch the BIG ONE!
That's it for now. Will give you an update tomorrow. Hopefully more wind so we can get this
race horse going!!!
Jack
True story from Sue: Being the only girl on board, the guys have asked me to please remember
to leave the seat up when I'm done! Ha! They are a pretty funny bunch of guys, really, lots of
joking going on between duties on the boat.
Dad, Mike & Family, and Barbara: Barry & I are doing fine. We're having a great time. The boat
is relatively clean and tidy, back sailing flat again so not getting tossed about. Food is
excellent. We are very competitive here so we're having 3xday powwows on weather and strategy,
but we've been enjoying lots of other stuff too. Saw a sailfish, blue whale, and dolphin so
far, and a bird (a drone spy from a J160).
Love, Sue and Barry
Barb, et. al. Having a great ride so far. Hope to host the mid-way party tomorrow. I'll keep
it succinct for now.
Geno
Pat, Kaitlin and Connor, Well we are almost half way. Not as fast as we would like but at
least we have air. Crew work is great and we are getting along very well, everyone waits to
see what the next tee shirt says. I can't tell you how great it makes me feel that you guys
did this. Can't wait to see all of you at the finish line.
Love Dad.
As you can probably tell by the TransPac webpage and position reports there are some areas of
some wind and some of no wind. In the middle of this big ocean you would think there would be
more wind than what we currently have. This is going to be a long race for Horizon. The wind
has been 5-8 knots today and very slow sailing. The sun is hot and on deck it us difficult to
find spots to hide from the sun, except down below where the temperature is hotter, but the
direct sun is not cooking you to a crisp.
The meals have been wonderful (thank you wife's and helpers) and we have plenty of water to
keep us hydrated for the next week or so. Maribeth, please stay in Hawaii past our flight time
next week if this wind does not cooperate. Stay with Mamo and the kids at almost any cost. It
is real important to have you there when the boat comes in. I really miss all of you and hope
your time without me is going well. Make sure that when you get to Hawaii have a great time
and wear plenty of sunscreen. The swimming should be cool and the Mai Tai's even cooler. Enjoy
your time waiting for Horizon.
Love, Hugs and Kisses: BC/Daddy Received: Tuesday July 9, 2003, 1415 HST Subject: Horizon Approaching 72 hrs
Hi to everyone! We are approaching our 72 hr mark and to date we have logged close to 660 nm.
As of this mornings role call we were 3rd in class and 8th in fleet. Not too shabby, however,
we have over 2/3 of the race to go. Our strategy at this point is to take the high road on the
race course and although it's very early we feel that we have left our options open.
Our weather is definitely better. We are in shorts and T's with lots of sunscreen. The food
has been great and I can't say enough about the crew work. Life just simply can't get any
better. It's a great feeling to be able to concentrate on something you love to do without
having to worry about the everyday responsibilities. Thanks to everyone on shore that has made
this all possible. Especially you E.T.
Jack
Pat Kaitlin and Connor,
Love, Dad
Barb,Girls, and CDRP Doing great! The first few days were fairly wet, but now we are flying a
kite.
Love, Gene
To the Cooper Family,
This part is for Ken and the sailing folks. The sailing today(Monday) is in winds that are
changing from 345-032 degrees (mostly 355-005)and 8-15 knots(mostly 10-12). The conditions are
very challenging to say the least. We have the flatter, smaller Code 3A trying to stay up on
coarse which is about 255 degrees. We tried the Code 1A for about a half an hour, but the head
is much fuller and larger than the 3A, we could not keep the apparent wind angle "hot" and had
to redo a lot of steering to correct the balance the trim of the spinnaker from collapsing as
the wind suddenly drops or picks up as the clouds go overhead.
I am missing all you very much and can not wait until I see you in Hawaii. Only four more
wake-ups till you go! I hope all is going well with you Mb and the kids are doing awesome for
you. Tell them Dad loves them and is thinking of you and them all the time. The
headphones/music is nice to listen too, making the off-watch/sleeping very nice.
Email back soon.
Love, BC Received: Thursday July 10, 2003, 1415 HST Subject: Horizon 100 mi past the halfway point
Just a 1000 miles to go or so, not a problem. We are now in the tradewinds. Our miles made
good the last 2days looked short because we had to dig further south once we got the news that
that's where the wind was. Now the radio's working and we're clipping along more parallel to
the rhumb and hope to pick off a few boats as we progress through the second half of the race.
The wind direction so far has been very unusual(early for easterlies out of 080) and for those
that know and care, all forecasts show that Hawaii is going to be dead downwind from here
(250), will be a very shallow approach I think.Of course we have about 5 more days to go
anything can happen.
The sun is hot and we are slathering on the sunscreen. The water is warm and we have taken our
first baths of the week. We've seen lots of stray fishing nets, luckily haven't snagged one.
We have not yet set a lure, just keep talking about it. Last night we crossed the halfway mark
and are celebrating with a special dinner tonight. -- Sue
I (Jack) woke up from a nap and instead of Santa and his Reindeer I heard a funny noise coming
from our steering quadrant! To my surprise I found a little present! A big old hose clamp that
keeps steering together. Out of his sleep I woke McGiver Greg and he saved the day. Someone is
looking over our shoulder... Thanks Dad!
Having a great time! Talk with you all tomorrow and hopefully we'll be out of 6th place!
The crew of Horizon!
PS: We have to keep emails short from now on, and incoming messages will be limited. Some
saved for us later. Thanks for the msgs though.
Report from John B. for Transpac Website
A special greetings today for the Newport Beach Jr. Lifeguards. We feasted
on hotdogs last night (Thursday) which was planned to coincide with Jr.
Guards Hot Dog Night at the Balboa Pier. A few less participants on the
John B., but the dogs were just as good. We're all wearing our JG wide
brimmed hats to ward off the sun.
Surf report at 650 miles NE of Hawaii: North easterly swell at 3-5 feet
with 1 -2 foot wind chop. Occasional breaking waves. Captain Boyer riding
the nose on the big ones.
Just hooked a 2.5 foot Mahi Mahi, so we'll be eating well tonight!
Received: Friday July 11, 2003, 1415 HST Subject: Day 8: Horizon TP2003
Dear Friends and Families,
Bruce and crew
Received: Saturday July 12, 2003, 1415 HST Subject: Horizon update
We're making some pretty good mileage now that the swells are with us and building. We have
hit speeds of almost 18kts on swells up to 12ft high. Most of the swells are about 5 -6 ft,
not as big as they may be later. The moon is full, which makes the nights beautiful. We had a
nice halfway party with some special treats including ready made pina coladas from a can (1/2
can each),Barbara's Turkey noodles, and key lime pie for desert. The littlest things can be
special treats when you're way out here. . We are about 600 miles out, We're thinking we will
finish Tues night. There's a lot of racing to do between now and then, as the race starts anew
with part three, the approach to Hawaii. The winds shift more easterly usually. Decisions
about when to cross north of the rhumbline and how high to go before jibing back down to the
islands are critical. The positions in our class have been the same for several days. Come
Monday or Tues morning there could be a a lot of changes, possibly in our favor we hope. We'll
keep you posted
Sue and the Crew of Horizon
The excitement never stops! After the tragic loss of the propane fitting on
the BBQ, the the finger of fate pointed at us again. Yesterday we noticed
some difficulty steering, and discovered a frayed steering cable below
decks. The problem was irrepairable, so our surgical team sprang into
action, and performed a needed gender change operation. We cut the cables,
removed the wheel and pedistal, and installed the tiller, so now we have
joined the ranks of the tiller-steered boats!
Still having fun, though, and looking forward to finishing sometime
tomorrow.
John B.
We are moving in towards Molokai, 230 miles to go. The winds have been 19-25 kts the past two
days and we have made up good time against some of our competitors. Now the wind is 17kts,
hoping it will pick up as it is supposed to when we get closer. The winds pick up at night to
25 kts, makes a huge different in boat speed. I think we may finish Tues night or early Wed
AM. Boats are starting to finish at Diamond Head now. The two fastest boats that started on
the 6th are already in. We're looking forward to our dock party, and meeting up with friends
and family that are waiting for us. It's going to be weird walking on land again. That first
shower is a real trip. First, we have 2 more days of serious racing, monitoring the wind
shifts and predictions so that we can "cut the corner" on the competition.
Keep ya posted,
The official 2003 TransPac Yacht Race Website http://www.transpacificyc.org
7/14/03 |
