Volvo Race: Luzon Strait to Hell

There are five Volvo 70's in Qingdao - soon to be six, one with a cracked hull in Taiwan and another given up the effort in the Philipines.

2,500 hundred miles - much of it hell.  At the Luzon Strait a 50 kt storm opposed tide, pushing up 14 meter seas, a steep, short chop.  Boats anchored, took refuge in harbors and suspended sailing but not racing.

Ken Read of North Sails, skipper of PUMA describes their comeback to take second, though he and boat suffered nasty injury - a finger crushed in a winch and a boom broken in two.  Here's his report from the Chinese city.

Video of boatbreaking conditions here. 

And Green Dragon (Irish/Chinese collaboration) video: Battling the Conditions

Today's report of the condition of the fleet is here.

Nextstop: Brazil.  40 days.  Around the Horn.  Makes one wonder if they aren't taking unjustified risks in their Volvos.

Faces in Inaugural Crowd - Susan Sermoneta

Our Castle Village neighbor Susan Sermoneta likes to get up close.  Her inauguration photostream on Flickr is great.  Go there and run her slide show.  It'll make you teary.