Transat Jacques Favre: Rescue at Sea

There is little more dramatic and rare than a rescue at sea. Sebastien Josse, the great French solo sailor, and his crew in the short-handed Transat Jacques Vabre (a peculiarly French obsession) had that rare and wonderful (looking back) experience. The Portuguese Air Force video is below. The Team BT Imoca 60 has been found and is now under tow.

The race began November 8. It is a long way to go for a cup of coffee: from LeHavre, France to Port Limon, Costa Rica. There are four classes. Today is day 9 and the fleet is west of the Canaries.

Groupama: hull damage forces abandonment of Jules Verne Trophy try

Jules Verne Trophy attempt abandoned.

After five days at sea, averaging 25 knots, with a 345 mile lead over the current Jules Verne record holder - Bruno Peyron's Orange 2 - Franck Cammas and his nine crew aboard the giant trimaran Groupama 3 have abandoned their quest to claim the Jules Verne Trophy after sustaining damage. The boat is now headed to Cape Town for repairs. They crew hopes to restart from France in January.

The trophy was offered to the first yacht to sail around the world in less than 80 days. Phileas Fogg went around the globe in 79 days 6 hours 15 minutes and 56 seconds. The current holder is Orange II skippered by Bruno Peyron in 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds.

The race rules are wonderfully simple:

Route

• The Jules Verne Trophy's starting point is defined by an imaginary line between the Créac'h lighthouse on Ouessant (Ushant) Island,France, and the Lizard Lighthouse, UK. Circumnavigate the world leaving the capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn to port. Cross the starting line in the opposite direction.
• The starting line is open as of the official ratification of the trophy's rules by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

Rules

• Propulsion of the boat must solely be by natural forces of the wind and of the crew.
• The Jules Verne trophy is open to any type of boat with no restrictions.
• Crew size is not restricted.
• The circumnavigation must be completed non-stop and with no physical outside assistance.
• Challengers must respect safety rules.

Keeping it simple: Subway signs

Personally I don't like Helvetica, or Courier (which the New Jersey Rules of Court demand). And I do hate the 8 point internet protocol helvetica default. Don't like Verdana (like this), either. I like Times New Roman, Georgia, and other justified types. But, though purists may lament the MTA's occasional errors, you have to admit that those plain Helvetica fonts work well for subway signage.

Images: New York Times

The A Train: Bound for Sea!

Ocean Dumping or Artificial Reef Building? That is the question.

Some like the Basel Action Network say it is junk science that sends junk subway cars to the ocean bottom.

Others, like the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Ocean City, Maryland bought the line and the old cars, and, well, dumping them at sea.

Personally I would pile them higher and deeper.

Harriman Legacy to Palisades Parks - 100th Anniversary

100 years ago the Harriman family gave $1 million and 10,000 acres of land to the State of New York, forming the backbone of Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks - part of the Palisades Interstate Park.

The state had planned to build a prison on terraced land along the river at Bear Mountain. Historic Forts Clinton and Montgomery, as well as the scenic lands surrounding Bear Mountain itself, became a real possibility. Orange County residents Edward Henry Harriman and his wife Mary Averell Harriman ardently resisted this plan. Edward died unexpectedly at 61 and the gift was presented by his 18 year old son, the future Governor W. Averill Harriman. For more on the history, importance, sights, and facilities of the great parks, go the the Palisades Parks Conservancy.

The Dutch depart

Just one of Tugster's beautiful shots of the Flinterborg bound for sea with its cargo of traditional Dutch vessels. (click to enlarge thumbnail)

Steel arches: Harlem River Autumn Afternoon

The Harlem River was the Harlem Creek until the ship canal cut through the monolith at Baker's Field, making a deep water channel to the Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the North (Hudson) River. The marshes of upper Manhattan and Marble Hill are gone. What remains is a nautical industrial corridor which exposes the infrastructure of the City.

The river was in fine form today, as seen aboard the Alice, in search of blues and stripers at Hell Gate where the Sound River meets the Harlem Creek.

For the complete slide show click HERE. (click on thumbnails to enlarge)

Washington Heights Sunset

Sunset shots in our neighborhood usually focus on the dying sun over the Hudson River Palisades. But Susan Sermoneta turned her camera the other way, looking southeast from a Castle Village roof. This is the insufficiently appreciated view from the bedroom side of our apartment. At night, in the baseball season you would see the intense glow of the Yankee Stadium lights just to the right of the Hudson View Gardens Tudor-style water tower.

Issuma: Full Force Gale

Richard Hudson reports a force 9 Severe Gale (on the Beaufort scale). That suggests mean wind of 44 knots, gusting 20% higher. He wisely headed beyond the continental shelf - to deeper water - where the waves are not as steep and are farther apart. 7 - 10 meters is what the scale predicts, according to Go Vision Quest - who do not recommend doing it single handed, like Richard did.

This shot was taken after the storm. He is safe in port now on the Rio Plata - near Montevideo, Uruguay.

Our Town: NY Times profiles Castle Village and Ft. Washington

The neighborhood is the Fort Washington section of Washington Heights (but some local boosters got the Times to call it Hudson Heights - to remove the stigma the Heights gained when it became Dominican).

It's a great neighborhood, my neighborhood since 1986. HERE is the slide show. And HERE is the article.