No Ka Oi - Pacific Cup Updates 2008

Back on Land - 8/22

2008-08-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back on land, back on the main land and back to regular work life. The crew currently has plans for a little shin dig in the next week to share photos, find lost clothing and see what other news requires discussion. Perhaps we can get a little conversation going around spinnaker location for amusement.

Last night, we reread the blog...wow, busy, busy while the OBC was sailing at sea. It seems our efforts were successful and hopefully you all enjoyed our little bits.

Oh, and after what we deemed a successful journey, we decided you might enjoy some of the NKO LBC helpful hints for future races and the corresponding land time in HI:

Bring enough Crystal Light to mix with all sorts of hard alcohol;
Eat enough pineapple to get a sore tongue;
ALWAYS avoid the green poke;
Huli Huli Chicken should only be eaten on the side of the road (boy was it good!);
Ted's Bakery provides great relief from any evening including too much of number 1.
Bikini Trading is the highest form of reuse;
Don't always Judge...well, maybe sometimes;
Drinking Lychee Martinis in the aftenoon...sometimes good, sometimes make for a very LONG night;
One Night Stand = ONE NIGHT;
"X" marks the spot!

The day comes to a close it is time to say good bye...just like on the Lawrence Whelk Show, or Mickey Mouse, we get confused sometimes.

Oahu 7/30

2008-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

They arrived in Oahu and made short work of running the place. Four days into their time at the Kanehoe Yacht Club (please say with your teeth clenched together for effect) and clean laundry, beach towels, Top Chef challenges and using the bus take up the majority of their not-so-salty time. Tonight's activities include a party for which they will all be in costume. While telling you ahead of time, we feel that a picture is worth a thousand words and will post once we have them

So, we heard that some of you were worried...I believe that worry for the health and safety of the crew is sort of a non-issue, potentially a bigger issue with them running around the island rather than the deck of a boat, but we will leave that to your judgment.

For those of you checking the blog (since the BCC on email is now done), perhaps this will provide some additional entertainment. A mere two and a half days ago, the salty crew of No Ka Oi arrived with 6 crew, 10 finger and 10 toes per (the originals), a sealed emergency kit (for those of you that know the CMO, this was a HUGE relief) and a curiosity for the all things land based.

Perhaps we can send in the care package along with other favorites from the main land, including the sponsorship package from all of the products not available in the islands. What is wrong with SPAM, anyways? With so many cooking options, that could potentially provide another BLOG opportunity, although from a quick check, SPAM is pretty popular. How about a cooking site for cruisers...oh wait, that is also covered.

Well, the house smells like brownies and is making us a little light headed so off we go to the land of the fog where a good night sleep involved a lack of homelessness on the front stoop and the "ladies" of the evening calling it an early night.

All of the best from what is now ALL NKO LBC.

Gayle (and Jane) ... and all the others.

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - IN HAWAII!

2008-07-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

At 5:07 Pacific Time, No Ka Oi arrived in HI with a finish time of 12 days, 15 hours and 3 minutes (no we don’t have the seconds) for sailing 2,070 Pacific Ocean miles to beautiful Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, giving them what we believe to be a solid 6th place finish in the 2008 Pacific Cup. They sound elated to have completed their journey and at the time of posting were in the process of motoring into the marina in search of a dock, a lei, a mai tai, and a toss in the pool.

For nearly a year, we worked, they practiced, we played with food options, again, they practiced, we packaged meals in different ways during different races to see what would work, they practiced, the skipper upgraded the boat, and again they practiced, we did work deciding when to go to HI to meet them and, yes, you guessed it, the men taunted us with threats of turning their under garments inside out to avoid laundry, if they brought any at all!

We keep mentioning July 14th, ensuring you that this is a monumental day. That Monday represents the day that the crew embarked on the realization of a dream. Challenges the weekend prior to the race presented potential heartbreak and a chance to walk away and close the door on the dream. Special people did special things to make sure that this, the dream for so many of them, could continue in motion.

From the NKO LBC, this journey presented an opportunity to learn and help and appreciate some of the challenges that face people, everyday (not surrounding how to take off work for several weeks and sail across the ocean, but making sacrifices with time to achieve something big).

While many of you know that the food aboard, perhaps doesn’t represent any significant suffering (unless they ran out of cheese), we were provided with the chance to help and know in our hearts that we put food in their belly, good thoughts in their midst and their knowledge that so many people support all of the crew (and everyone involved in the race) with the dreams dreamt by young hearts.

Thank you all for your support of the NKO OBC by taking the time to read these. We look forward to the next opportunity to regale you with the adventures of the sea.

Until next time, we bid you ado,

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/26

2008-07-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Are they there yet? No, not until tomorrow morning!

Ahoy Race Fans,

The last full day on the ocean. Last night we received notice that the Jib Halyard broke and they are sailing in on the Main (big sail connected to the mast) and the Spinnaker (the colorful, billowy one in the front that everyone sees in races). Good because of wind, so all is well. Today, they all showered (those of you in HI waiting for them should appreciate that), listened to music, took some videos, evened out their tan and hung their feet off the “poop deck” in water around 77 degrees with air temp in the 80’s.

Tonight involved a light dinner of Salmon Patties, Mashed Potatoes, Garbanzo Beans and Pineapple. Perhaps you are thinking that this seems a little sparse? Well, they have eaten more snack that they will ever admit when off the boat and that meal served them in the best way possible – it was on the menu already! J

Star gazing tonight could potentially be some of the best with a little more wind and crystal blue skies. By the time we posted this at 10, they were into the second to the last watch of the trip. Perhaps a little bitter sweet.

Tomorrow the plan is to arrive in the morning, walk on some land, drink a mai tai, get a lei, and then rest. Many of the racers arrive Saturday, Sunday and Monday so folks, this means that one more missive from your LBC and then, you will have to check the blog for other No Ka Oi activities (including plans for the return trip in September).

If you are interested in 3 glorious weeks experiencing the adventure of the open water onboard the most wonderful sail boat of all time, let us know.

Sincerely,

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/25

2008-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

What would Friday night be without a trip to the Mission and a stiff drink to start the weekend right…well, we miss SPAF Master P however the break brings “SPAFFING” to other activities for the NKO LBC with visits from long lost friends, family and different activities to enlighten our weekend.

Today we received several messages about all of the shenanigans at sea…lest we begin with the visual of another boat at 10 pm, yes, night. The “other boat” happened to be on the same course as our dear NKO EXCEPT that the “other” boat was “researching” and after some radio communication, both boats passed starboard to starboard (right side to right side) in between what the radar showed as two squalls at (this bit of info received direct from our skipper).

After the passing fun, we insert more words from the evening watch (camera pans in on silhouette of Phil and Karla sitting in the cockpit):

As the clouds disappeared the milky way was as brilliant as ever I had seen it. Glowing white with dark patches creating a surreal glow. Jupiter looked like a street light.
The big dipper and little dipper both shined brightly on the evening deck.

(and scene fades to black)

AND THEN, cause when you have a little excitement, you should most certainly have a lot, they had another visual of yet another boat…who could this be, you ask, well, they asked too. Bullet, she is part of different racing division to HI, came within about 10 boat lengths. Edda knows the owner so they chatted on radio. (Are you thinking that the radio got a good workout in the last 24 hours?), Together, the boats did a couple of jibes in front of a squall, and our crew watched as Bullet sailed off into to the morning sunlight on a different course.

We are many days into the race (and nearly done for those counting), and are inclined to introduce you the cast and crew aboard No Ka Oi – we need sea names, you know those crazy, sea worthy names that people get. While creativity runs a little thick in our heads, we look to you for some additional inputs (yes, this it your chance to participate) and we need sea names for the sea people, hopefully prior to their arrival in HI on Sunday:

Phil – Skipper / Watch Captain (need we say more)

Paul – Navigator Extraordinaire (and has done the race so many times, it is hard to count), Gentleman of Electronics, and future critiquer of the contents of our blog.

Edda – Watch Captain, Lover of Cheese, and not willing to take any guff

Eric – Fore Deck / Spinnaker Dude, Amazing Builder and Chocolate Connoisseur

Karla – Crew, Amazing Helms Person, Puller of Lines, Keeper of Order, Cook, and CAO (Clothing Acquisition Officer)

Pete – Fore Deck / Spinnaker Dude, and CMO (Chief Medical Officer)

With this task to be completed by the end of the trip (you have until Sunday), we bid you all ado. From the shores of gitchy gume and a little mahalo in our heart, more from the NKO LBC tomorrow.

Peace, Out,

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/24

2008-07-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Aloha Race Fans,

While we attempt to dazzle you with exciting words from the seas far away, we are challenged by the captivating challenge facing the crew. In the next couple of days, their skill will be tested and as will their will to succeed. We expect nothing less from them. From the words of the skipper and as an absolute contradiction to what Gayle (and Jane) considered to be their biggest challenge, the hardest part of the day was that the iPod died and they didn't get all the way through movie night (Master and Commander - a little twisted choice but there is no accounting for taste). Thank goodness we sent popcorn or there very well could have been mutiny.

Thursday, July 24, 2008 and 10 days into the journey of a lifetime for the crew aboard the No Ka Oi. Additionally, if you are thinking about a cruise, this is the way to go. The sun shining through white fluffy clouds set against deep blue water and a gentle sail. The sound of the ocean passing the sides of the boat...music to the ears.

Tonight's dinner consisted of Pesto Chicken with more of the insidious chocolate pudding. Who doesn't love a good chocolate pudding and with any luck, they worked out how to make it into a pie.

In a couple of days, the journey ends and the stories begin. We look forward to the close of one chapter and the opportunity it brings with the future. Once the Pacific Cup and the world really is your oyster...unless you are allergic to shell fish in which case, hopefully you can enjoy the pearls.

The crew requested tickets to the various events in HI and the larger boats are slated to arrive in the next day. Someone to warm up the docks for the Division A team!

We all remain anxious and hopeful.

Sincerely,

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/23

2008-07-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

The stars at night are big and bright…deep in the heart, oh, wait. That is a different song. Sorry. So, in today’s news from the foredeck, we learned that the stars at night, are big and bright, particularly when there are no clouds. When the clouds come, the stars, they are harder to see. Jupiter follows them with a safe light. In years past, the skies tended more towards clear than cloudy which made a huge difference. Could also impact some of the winds and the velocity.

Continuous discussion of fish and the lack thereof on No Ka Oi leads us to believe that perhaps they really are fishing, potentially catching things, and possibly, with stronger line, could have been eating something other than pasta with gravy and meatballs. This is completely off the planned menu, though and will only lead to anarchy at sea. But, they seem happy so we will go with the flow.

After looking at the stats, they remain in a very solid sixth place. According to the website, sailing along at over 1000 knots (yes, we believe there is a glitch, cause that is fast and the boom is strong, but potentially faster than the new boom can handle). The location looks good and they are lining up for the last serious run when the winds will get a little stronger and the technical skill really puts on a show.

Yesterday we learned that they switched the crew a bit and today they are running with a 2 on deck, 3^rd cooking, cleaning, resting schedule for the next couple days. This gives the crew a little time to catch up on their reading and get some extra rest.

For those of you interested in really cool maps, please take a look at:

Race Standings: http://pacificcup.org/08/pc08-positions.html

Satellite view of the boats: http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/pc2008/

Additionally, the NKO LBC is in the process of putting together a blog which we plan to use to load pictures of the crew and all of the activities. It should also house all of the novels that you receive from the race.

The crew thanks all of you for your support and interest in the race. Fingers seems to be helping in their current crossed state so keep up the good work.

As a side bar, take a look at some of the other classes of boats in the race. Some of them left on the 21^st and should arrive by the 27^th. At some point that is more of a cruise then a race.

Wishing you all the happiest of hump days. If you have any quick one-liner jokes that we can share with the crew, let us know.

Sincerely,

NKO LBC

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/22

2008-07-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

Today, Tuesday, July 22^nd after 8 days at sea, the NKO LBC learned our fantastic sailors should arrive in Hawaii by Sunday, sailing filled with wind as they breeze across the ocean in search of a good lei.

Today was a relatively quiet day at sea, following the raucous activities of the previous night. Each member of the crew was allotted 3 whole drinks, over the course of 20 hours which turned into a heck of a sedative. It also proves who has the liver of a 16 year girl. No Ka Oi also hooked 4 fish and 4 fish broke the line, lets see, 4 fish on, 4 fish off, for a net of zero fish in the boat. Next race requires stronger line and bigger hooks! Another boat hooked and kept 8 tuna but you must wonder about the fish stories…at least a little.

From our crew:

We had the greatest time opening your package, all the goodies, and the sweet notes and things from friends and family. Thanks so much. The bandanas, KitKat and rum were just perfect. We are now bartering for the leftover rum bottles :-) Everything is just amazing!

So, in need of a little excitement after the whale spotting of a couple of days ago and the party last night, Skipper Phil decided to take a look at the mast which was making some peculiar noises. Imagine, if you will, 1-5 knot winds and hoisting a smallish person up the mast with all sails neatly stowed. Ok, now that you have that image, double the person, triple the wind and throw in two sails full of speed to keep the boat moving. How about that for a good time? Turns out that today, they discovered a squeaky car on the luff side of the sail (otherwise known as the side closest to the mast) which needed a little viewing. Nothing wrong, but good to have looked.

The watches switched up a little and Eric and Pete are now reversed – both are responsible for the foredeck. We are told this provides a little diversity in the regular watch group and should remain until the end of the trip.

In other news, three of the crew are concerned about weight gain and all have developed a real knack for determining when the cookies should come out of the oven. How they have changed.

Just a reminder, they should arrive in Hawaii by next Sunday, 7/27. If you haven’t already done so and need to book your airfare, now is as good a time as any. Also, I have included ticket information for the festivities on land.

http://pacificcup.org/08/kaneohe-events.html

Also, race standings (some of you aren’t crossing your fingers enough):

Race Standings: http://pacificcup.org/08/pc08-positions.html

Satellite view of the boats: http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/pc2008/

Hope you are all doing well.

Sincerely,

NKO LBC

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/21

2008-07-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

What do you get when you are 1200 miles out to sea on a 43’ boat with 5 of your best sea friends and no one else around? A bunch of people dressed up like pirates drinking Rum and saying aarrgh while listening to the smooth sounds of the HI tropic…yes, my friends, welcome to the half way party for our beloved crew of the No Ka Oi!

A mere 7 days ago, they left our cold waters in search of fresh tuna, blue waters, gorgeous ocean sunsets and perhaps a couple of sailing stories during the 5:30 kids hour on the single side-band radio. They got all of that and some great food and stories that will last a life time.

Tonight aboard NKO, the crew ate BBQ Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Corn Bread, Baked Beans, Chocolate and Fig Newtons. The animal crackers burned a hole in the bag and had to be saved (thanks, sistah). Crew sends emails, NKO LBC reads emails and then filters for the rest of the world. In some cases, we potentially embellish a little, but really, whose counting?

Ok, they are good, they are happy, they are looking forward to arriving in HI, and, they have realized that they forgot to buy tickets to all the wonderful events awaiting them when they arrive on the beautiful sandy beaches of a little place we like to call paradise.

Fear not, race fans, our friends of the ocean continue to cut through the water at a blistering speed and rumor has it that the race will only get more interesting from here on in. Let me tell you, they are in sixth place. Still. For all of you with your fingers uncrossed, chop, chop. If ever there was a time, that time is now and we can use all the crossing available to us. No more talk of fish, only talk of what we can do to cut time, increase speed and perhaps do a little deck dance to the powers that be. The fleet in Division A is a tough group and our sailors…we like to think them a little tougher!

Big smiles from the swelling seas.

More from the cockpit of NKO LBC tomorrow.

Until then, we bid you a fond ado.

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/20

2008-07-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

This comes swimming to you from the very rocky chair of the NKO LBC in an effort to catch you up on the activities over the weekend from our fantabulous crew! We received several emails and all remains well.

With a lack of sunshine and decent wind, the crew keeps sailing along. Sails trimmed and keeping the boat slicing through the water helps to mark the half way point (and hence a party) – and involves a little shin dig aboard the boat. While pole dancing and the like will be out of the question (joke for the NKO OBC), we would imagine that there could be a little cutting of the rug to celebrate! Tomorrow at 2pm Pacific Time, Skipper Phil kicks off the celebration as they are in the home stretch and should arrive in HI by Sunday, July 27^th.

Speed registered up to 10.5 knots today and according the crew, the fish are having a tough time keeping up with the lines in the water. One fish hooked and broke the lines, another took the bate and so third choice is to keep the bate attached better and double the line. Additionally, they saw two whales (potentially catching some sleep in the middle of the very safe ocean) and one of the other boats in the fleet caught some tuna. Based on the canned stuff our crew got, we imagine they would be pretty pleased to pull a real tuna up for a little sashimi snack. If only they will remember to break out the sushi provisions procured in none other than our very own San Francisco China Town. (We know, two different countries…but that is where we got the supplies!) Certainly the addition of some fresh fish would increase the half way party pleasure.

The boat leveled out this weekend (not heeling as much as their previous tack) and the water maker pumps out enough that they are all showering and even baking – can you imagine fresh baked Peanut Butter Cookies in the middle of the ocean? We believe this was the draw for the fish, but don’t have that data confirmed yet.

For those of you who missed the web addresses to get live updates of our good friends of the sea, take a look below. Some new features include race update (left side of the page) and blogs from other racers (on the right). No Ka Oi is in Division A and departed on Monday, July 14^th at 1:05pm.

Race Standings: http://pacificcup.org/08/pc08-positions.html

Satellite view of the boats: http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/pc2008/

For those planning on being in Hawaii to welcome the crew and celebrate, the organizers of Pacific Cup suggest pre-ordering your tickets for the parties you plan to attend. More information can be found at:

http://pacificcup.org/08/kaneohe-events.html

We wish you all the best for a wonderful week and our sincere thanks for tuning in and sending good wishes to the crew. More updates coming to you tomorrow.

Best,

NKO LBC

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/18

2008-07-18T00:49:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Sailing Fans!

Day four and No Ka Oi continues to slice through the ocean like a hot knife through peanut butter on their way to Hawaii . This morning during check-in they ranked 6th, however looking at their location this afternoon, they are running 180-200 nm (nautical mile) days and the excitement outweighs some of the soreness they feel. The crew sleeps for the majority of their bunk time with wake time being used for watches…we imagine that this may transition to more awake time when they make the final shift to HI and the swell reduces a little. When this happens, they will also be sending fish stories during fishing at the flat. The flat is a ledge in the middle of the ocean with a shelf only 200 miles deep. If tuna was to be had, this would be the place!

According to the site, the vessel arrives in HI on July 28^th which is spot on for the timing we planned. With the continued current speed and all systems functioning, the hope is that they will arrive prior to that day and have some fresh pineapple to include with their breakfasts on board when they arrive!

The dots keep moving in the right direction and we believe that the half way party is nearing, soon. This is when our top chefs will be put to the real test with the menu for the day.

Additionally, the fleet has “The Children’s Hour” promptly at 5 pm every day. Quoting from our friends on Valis (in addition to being the communication boat, they are also racing):

This is also where we all trade fish-stories, gossip, and jokes. This evening we discussed the joys of head repair, how to shred two(!) spinnakers, what’s for dinner, and the like. Any “information” given during the Children’s Hour may not be completely true and accurate.

Below is a quote from the crew of the boat:

We are in a competitive position. We have been ranked 6, 4, 3, and 6 of 8, but the top six are all within a few hours.
180-200nm days are really hard. We steer, cook, eat, clean, and sleep .. that's about it. We've watched one episode on the iPod and written in the journal once. After this note we will go to sleep before the 2p-8p watch then sleep before the 12a-4a watch.

For those of you that are keeping tabs on the online charts, take a look at some of their speeds. We also learned that the ranking is based on corrected time (which was the reason for earlier confusion).

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. Knowing so many of us are watching together is comforting.

Tomorrow, your daily update crew (NKO LBC) will be sailing on the bay. That said, we will do our best to send an update but potential good wind and lack of internet may result in radio silence until Sunday.

All the best from NKO LBC,

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/17

2008-07-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Race Fans,

Really, did they leave just two and a half days ago? For some, the preparation seemed all encompassing with the anticipation of d-day. Now that the sails are trimmed, gear is stowed (with a little room for some extra provisions) and they move along at the speed of a dolphin (8.3 knots at last check), we can only wonder what is happening aboard the boat. Tomorrow, Day 3 of everyone being on the boat together, we like to imagine the stories but alas, we will likely hear them when the salty sailors return home from this amazing trek.

Day two comes to a close with our sailors ringing in a solid 5^th place. While we work through some of the challenges with the results sites (our very own No Ka Oi appears to be in 4^th place and moving forward at a good clip, the site does not agree. Their corrected time is also showing the stronger standing so we will need to wait to hear from the crew aboard to get more information.

They experienced some great winds today and sailed under the smaller spinnaker in the morning with plans to hoist the larger one after lunch…more on that in tomorrow’s news.

Accommodations are close, the crew sleeps in shifts in hot bunks (when one shift is on watch, the other shift occupies the berth to sleep). We imagine that the baby wipes will come in really handy in a couple of days after the boat is finished healing, and all can stand up straight.

Comments from the crew include speed, heading and wind. The weather remains a little cloudy so their swim suits and linen dress pants remain in the closet. Julie, Isaac and Captain Stubing will all need to wait another week to make their debut. Yesterday, they mentioned seeing some of the other boats. How about that? Take a look at the site for more of the standings.

As a reminder, you can track them via:

Pacific Cup 2008 Site: http://pacificcup.org/08/positions/pc08-prd1.html

FIS Tracking (shows the tracks of the fleet): http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/pc2008/

All locations are delayed 3 hours by the race committee and reported in PDT. If you look at the fleet details (all the boats in Division A), No Ka Oi is khaki on the selection. If you prefer to review one boat at a time, our No Ka Oi shows as red dots on the map.

Some of you have emailed with challenges on both sites trying to get images centered, locating the map and figuring out the standings. We (by playing with the sites) have worked out some of the challenges and while we are not yet close to experts, if you have any questions, please let us know. Otherwise, look forward to another exciting update tomorrow!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Best wishes from NKO LBC (No Ka Oi Land Based Crew),

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/16

2008-07-16T01:09:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Race Fans,

Today following radio silence from our sailors, we learned that they have spurred ahead of Gaviota and are currently in 3rd place following Shaman and California Girl at some pretty good speed. Last clocked at 7.02 knots at 2:30 this afternoon. Today's high speed was 7.56 and we can only imagine the tacking involved and which sails are currently pushing them along. Current longitude for all the boats appears to be the same as Los Angeles...fortunately, they will miss all the cruise ships and Catalina.

The latest in the boost in ranking and a decent speed, the last 1685 miles will fly by!

Perhaps tomorrow, we will get more words from the crew but remain content that they continue to be the khaki blip on the radar screen of the good people at Flagship Tracking Services.

Tomorrow we will resend the links for those that don't have them.

Wishing you all the best from NKO LBC,

Gayle (Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/15

2008-07-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Race Fans,

The Division A fleet that left on Monday at 1:05pm, blazed through the GG Bridge reaching speeds up to 10+ knots over the course of the night. Thirty-three hours into the fun and we heard from the crew - they are in fourth place along side some contenders from the Spring 08 Race Season and looking for bigger winds to carry them into HI in 12 days. So far, the crew is doing well and the skipper seems pleased with the overall standings.

Attached are the photos as promised yesterday. Missing from the team picture is Eric and while I tried to draw him in using photo shop, he will be thankful that I aborted that effort! Also included are some pictures of the fleet heading out of the gate. No Ka Oi is the boat on the far right side. All were sent in rather large format so you can enlarge, if you are so inclined.

We promised a sight where you could follow No Ka Oi on their journey to HI. This is the official race sight and all pictures / map points are delayed by 4 hours (sometimes a little more). Current race standings show that this morning they are indeed in 4th place (stats below).

The Pacific Cup race site is: http://pacificcup.org/08/positions/pc08-prd1.html.

All boats are required to check-in between 9-10am PDT and the results will be posted by noon of the same day.

For those of you that are a little more impatient and need information as real time as they will allow us to have it, follow them via satelight, at:http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/pc2008/

The website is a little challenging but you can see reports of everything they are doing including the other boats in the fleet. We played with the sight a little and have figured out how to chart everything on the paper chart.

Many of you have sent well wishes and the crew appreciates your thoughts. Think good wind and 12 or fewer days!

All the best from the No Ka Oi LBS (Land Based Crew),

Gayle (and Jane)

Where in the World is No Ka Oi - 7/14, 1:05 PM

2008-07-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Race Fans!

We am new to this bulk email thing so ask that you stick with us while we work out the kinks (no more than a couple of days). Already, we have received lots of email about the status of our dear sailors (not much status but please keep reading).

This afternoon, we were lucky enough to be at the starting line and watched as our dear crew (Edda, Eric, Karla, Paul, Pete, and Phil) of the No Ka Oi started on their exciting journey to Hawaii.

From our calculations, they were sixth across the line (of a total 8) and we have pictures which we will send out tomorrow including stats and the website so we can watch their progress via satellight. Both the Main and the Jib were full of wind and they were healed over doing what looked like decent speed with water flowing out of the gate.

More on the status later - we will send daily updates as to their progress! All emails will be sent with recipients as BCC. If you know someone that would like to be added, please send me the email address and I will update for the next days information.

Sincerely,

Gayle (and Jane)