From the Armchair Navigator
Our own Editor: Steve Steiner's analysis of the Pacific Cup
Steve was navigator aboard "Bull", the overall victor of the 2001 Transpac

Steve Steiner driving the YachtRacing.com crew's entry in the Catalina 37 Fleet of Long Beach Race Week, 2002.

Last year aboard Bull the Sydney 40T, we crossed the Rhumbline at 26d north at 144d west to head to 148 west before gybing to Honolulu. This year the wind has steadied more easterly than last year which means you can approach farther from the North. If Bull can get West today they will do very well. If they continue south, they will get stuck running and gybing the entire last 800 miles. You can see that Pegasus 77 has already started heading west to compress with Zephrus V.

This time the leverage should come from the North since the high has been fairly steady. I would guess the perfect Gybe point would be 28d North and 147.5d West. Watch for the Wylie 27 Wildflower to hold on to their overall lead if they can get far enough to the east. Two Guys on the Edge have once again posted 200 mile days aboard their little double handed Sonoma 30 and has a possibility of being First to Finish; However the big boats are making over 300 miles a day. J-Bird III is doing very well but may get too far north and hit lighter airs.

The 3 leaders in the Santa Cruz Class are going to have a fight to the wire with the rest of their fleet dropping back off the horizon. In the 50-53 foot Semi-Ultra Light Class, father and son Champlain aboard Cantata are sailing very well behind an incredibly well sailed SCZ 52 "Azul"

This is the July 16th report

Steve Steiner