The Grand Canyon

Older than they thought.  Definitely more than 6,000 years

Whizz Bang southbound Marion, MA to St. Martin IBoat tracker

iBoat Track - Cruising Boats:
WhizzBang departed Marion, Massachusetts November 25
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Vendee: 7th boat withdraws after collision

Vincent Riou aboard PRB collided with a harbor buoy in the dark some 500 miles from land.  He later withdrew. There was a one meter gash in the hull and a whisker pole outrigger was fatally compromised.  It's an easy repair in the yard - but outside assistance is disqualifying in the Vendee Globe.  Only 13 of the 20 starters are still racing after only 15 days out, with the fleet just nearing Brazil. - gwc

"At 0700hrs (French time) on Saturday morning, Vincent Riou (PRB) warned his shore team that he had collided with a floating object. The skipper was at his navigation station at the time was able to get on the deck immediately after the impact and see that the object that had struck PRB was a harbour buoy (a large metal buoy). Following the collision, Riou found that the hull of his boat was torn and delaminated for about one metre. The impact was on the starboard side of the boat and the torn area is three metres from the bow. Riou was not injured in the collision. He will wait until daybreak to assess the damage and the possibility of repair. Conditions in the area are good and the wind between 12 and 15 knots. At the moment of impact, Riou immediately called the race office in order to report the position of the buoy to other competitors."

Go Navy - Gangnam style

The U.S. Naval Academy take-off on Psy's viral `Gangnam Style' video.

Gutek Retires from the Race - Vendée Globe 2012-2013

Zbigniew Gutkowski (Energa) is the sixth skipper to retire from the Vendee Globe.  It is day 11.  14 boats are still racing.
Gutek Retires from the Race - Vendée Globe 2012-2013:

“Having no autopilot means I can’t race, and if I can’t race, I have to retire.
When I joined the Vendée Globe I was not interested in being the 15th^th skipper to finish. That’s a tough decision, one of toughest in my life. But that’s Vendee Globe, that’s the power of the ocean and you can’t fight it.
“I cannot go without an autopilot in the Southern Ocean, that is impossible. I need to keep the boat in one piece I don’t want to lose it and maybe my life in the Southern Ocean.”
”It’s like driving at night on a road you don’t know, a road with many turns, surrounded with trees. Suddenly your lights go off and you can’t slow down. How many chances do you have to survive?
That’s what is happening with my autopilot, if you replace the road and the trees with the ocean and the waves.”

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Vendee - Day 10 - 5 down. Alex Thomson's rudder repair

Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss

These boats are just not strong enough.  10 days into a round the world single-handed race 5 of the 20 Vendee Globe starters have withdrawn - broken keels, dismasting, etc. But the resourcefulnes of the skippers continues to amaze.  This is a French dominated event but a few Brits continue to take a whack at it.  Alex Thomson is in third, 28 miles behind the leader, and Mike Golding in 4th another 100 miles back.  With 21,000 miles to go it's anybody's race.

L'incroyable réparation d'Alex Thomson by VendeeGlobeTV

New York City CO2 Emissions as 1 Ton Globs

Samantha Davies `Saveol' dismasted

 16 November 2012

At 1945hrs (French time), on Thursday, November 15th, Samantha Davies contacted the race office of the Vendée Globe to report that her boat had dismasted. Davies is not injured. She is safe inside the boat with all the watertight doors closed. She is monitoring the situation and does not require assistance. She is wearing her survival suit and has safety equipment at hand.
The only woman in the race, Davies is now out of it.  There is no returning - anyone receiving outside assistance is disqualified.
Savéol dismasted - Vendée Globe 2012-2013:

Samantha Davies waits for the storm to abate before setting up a jury rig.

Vendee Globe - the fun part

Mike Golding on a screaming reach.

Caméra embarqué à bord de Gamesa - Take a tour... by VendeeGlobeTV

Vendee Globe - 3 days out - 2 boats down

Twenty started the Vendee Globe three days ago but already two boats are limping home.  The rules are very simple: if your boat meets the design specs and you have done the qualifying voyages you head out - single-handed - from Les Sables d'Olonne, France, round the great capes and return to port - without outside assistance.
Kito De Pavant and Marc Guillemot have both withdrawn.  Guillemot hit something and lost his canting keel. DePavant was napping when he collided with a trawler which had not activated its AIS (automatic identification system) which would have sounded an alarm giving DePavant warning to change course.

Day 3 highlights - Monday, November 12, 2012 by VendeeGlobeTV