In this Issue:
Atlantic Alone-
Port Huron Mac
Posey Sailing Simulator
New Atlantic Monohull Record

Atlantic Alone
	Sunday saw the 5 boat fleet depart Falmouth England
and begin the race to Charleston SC.  
	The race began in a 12 to 15 knot breeze.  Uneventful 
is the best way to describe the start.  Race Director Mark 
Schrader stated: "We had a clean start without incident 
and a steady breeze.  You couldn't ask for anything more." 
	Soon after the start the fleet began to grapple with 
the races main tactical issue, the Azores High.  The Azores 
Islands, which lie smack in the middle of the course, have a 
high pressure system that lingers around them.  There is 
little breeze to be had from this system.  
	So the fleet has two options.  One is to go north of the 
system and the other is to go south and ride the trade winds.  
To go north means going on the wind, and the Finot 
designed Open class boats are not a fun ride to weather.  
They are lightning quick off the wind though.
	At this point all of the fleet has dived south to one 
degree or another.  Farthest south is Giovanni Soldini and 
Fila at 43 degrees north.  According to Soldini's website, " The
other deciding factor [in his southern routing] has been 
the desire to avoid a close confrontation with his direct rival,
 the English yachtsman Mike Golding with his Team Group4."  
Golding and Group 4 are several degrees north of him.  Soldini is 
sailing faster, but also is covering more distance.  It's way 
too far from the finish to say who is correct, but it should 
be interesting to watch.
	Class II saw a similar north and south split.  
Shuten-Dohji II and skipper Saito are the farthest north at 
46 degress north.  Next is Mike Garside (".I'm eating bacon 
sandwiches dripping with butter like there's notomorrow.") 
and Magellan Alpha at  44 degress north.  Farthest south 
of the Class IIers is Cray Valley  at 41 degress north.  
	Magellan Alpha is closest to the finish of the three Class II 
boats with 2990 miles to go while Cray Valley is at 3155 miles to 
finish.  Again it is too early to say who is right.  
	The northern boats are sailing at a greater rarte of VMG,
while the southern boats have a greater rate of pure boat speed.  
As the fleet nears the Azores high, it will become clear that one 
route will be better. Currently there is a stationary high at 40 
degrees north.  Up around 50 degrees north, the barometric 
pressure is greater, with some better breeze pressure.  
	It seems, from my amateur weather analysis, that sailing
around 45   north latitude could be a risky proposition. Cray Valley 
Skipper J.P. Mouligne sees it this way: " The strategies appear to become
clearer now: both FILA and I are going south of the Azores while
Team 4 will pass North." Obviously J.P. feels the south will pay.  With 
the stationary high sitting at 40 degress, the southern boats need to go
signigigantly south to clear it.  Meanwhile Golding and Group 4 will sail
a shorter distance to skirt the high to the north.  
	The high pressure strattles the 40th lattitude line.  North is shorter, 
while south is a faster angle.  It will be intersting to see which option pays.
	The sailor who figures out the fast route around this high 
could win the race with this one decision.  
For further updates visit: http://www.aroundalone.com

Bayview YC Port Huron to Mac Race
	This Saturday the 259 mile race to Mackinac Island 
starts in Port Huron MI.  This will be followed by the 
Chicago YC's race to Mac on July 18th.
	One of the unique aspects of this race is that two courses
are sailed. The shorter of the two is the Shore Course.  Rather 
than going to the east shore of Lake Huron and rounding the 
Cove Island Buoy this course follow the curvature of the west 
shore.  It is 204 miles.  The long course goes west
to the Cove Island buoy and then onto Mackinac Island.  
	As usual, one of the contested battles will be for the 
first boat to finish. There are 9 Santa Cruz 70's, a Nelson 
Marek 68 and the Holland designed maxi Sassy in Class A.  
Look for one of these boats to take long course line honors.  
More than likely it will be one of the 70's, unless there is significant
big air upwind work.  Then Sassy could surprise.
	There also is an Open class which has several big multi hulls.  
Record  breaking sailor Steve Fosset will be sailing Stars and Stripes, 
PHRF -272.  No doubt this will be a fast, and at times wild, ride.
	Finally no description of this race would be complete 
without mention of the pre race scene in Port Huron.  The boats 
line the Black River rafted many deep.  Thousands of people are 
around, in many cases partying hard.  TV stations cover the 
festivities live.  On race day, people line the banks of the 
river cheering as the boats head out to race.  Words don't
do the scene justice, suffice it to say that the pre race event 
is one of the most joyous sailing scenes you will ever see.
	Bayview Yacht Club has an excellent pre race site, and 
has ambitious plans for on line coverage.  
To it visit:  htttp://www.byc.com

Posey Sailing Simulator-  New Sailing Tactics 2000 Available !

	Posey Yacht Designs has added to their line of outstanding
sailing simulators.  The newest addition is Sailing Tactics Simulator
2000.
	This simulator allows you to improve your mental racing game in
fleets ranging from 2 to 30 boats. Your choice of boats varies from 
a 49er like skiff to a JY 15 to an offshore boat all the way up to an 
America's Cup class boat.  
	Using Sailing Tactics 2000 helps you learn the new racing rules.  
Many aspects of racing from tactics to windshifts to starting are 
covered in interactive tutorials.
	To learn more about Posey Yacht Designs Sailing Tactics 
Simulator 2000 visit the Torresen Sailing Site.  
The URL is: http://www.torresen.com/pyd/tac2000.asp

New Atlantic Record
	 Tuesday, Christophe Auguin, beat the Atlantic 
crossing record, with crew on "Geodis", in 9 days
 22 hours 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The former
record for the crossing between New York and Cape Lizard (South
England) was held by the Swede Ludde Ingvall, on "Nicorette", in
 11 days 13 hours 22 minutes and 58 seconds.