Young America's skipper Ed Baird told ESPN's sailing analyst Gary Jobson that the early races are a crucial time to experiment and learn. Hopefully, his boat has learned a lot since it had a nightmarish Round 2. The round began with the team's top boat cracking nearly in two and almost sinking during a race. Results with the second boat were spotty, and on the last day of make-up racing, idle Young America had a point deducted when the Louis Vuitton Cup's judges ruled the crew gave a misleading account of why it couldn't start a race

Source: ESPN

Oslo Norway(CNN) -- The passenger ferry that sank in rough waters off Norway on Friday, killing at least 19 people, was restricted to sailing in waves of 1 meter (3 feet) or less, Norwegian officials said Monday. When the accident occurred, waves were higher than 2 meters (6 feet).

Full Story Click Here

Bejing(CNN) -- Troops and villagers searched a storm-lashed stretch of coast in northeast China on Friday in faint hopes of finding more survivors from a ferry that caught fire and capsized Wednesday night in a gale. More than 300 people were aboard.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Boatzone) - Clinton administration officials asked Congress for $1.6 million to improve hydrographic survey ships so work to map the ocean and recover aircraft wreckage can go more quickly.

``It's an efficiency issue,'' said Capt. Ted I. Lillestolen, deputy assistant administrator for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service.

``These vessels are doing the job,'' said Lillestolen, who appeared Wednesday before the House Resources subcommittee on fisheries conservation, wildlife and oceans. He said they could accomplish the task ``a lot faster'' if the vessels had both side scan sonar and multibeam sonar.

Currently, NOAA's 163-foot hydrographic survey ship, the Whiting, has side scan sonar capable of getting a picture of what's in the ocean. It can tell the difference between a boulder and a piece of aircraft but can't pinpoint the depth of the object.

The Whiting was sent to the New England coast to assist in the search for wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 990, which crashed Oct. 31.

NOAA's smaller hydrographic vessel, the Rude, is equipped with multibeam sonar that can determine depth. But the 90-foot Rude was thought to be too small to perform well in the cold, choppy North Atlantic as winter approaches and wasn't sent to the Flight 990 search.

NOAA officials are unsure what they'll do if they need multibeam sonar during the search.

The ships are usually used to survey the ocean for nautical maps. Upgrading them both to include both types of sonar would cost about $1.6 million, the agency estimates.

In a plane crash at sea, work must proceed quickly in order to get information to grieving families and to potentially recover equipment that could yield crash clues before it degrades in salt water, Lillestolen said.

Source: AP/MELISSA B. ROBINSON

After one round of racing, it appeared two American syndicates were shoo-ins to finish among the top six and advance to the challenger series semifinals. Nearing the end of the second round robin, that still appears to be the case except the teams are America True and Stars and Stripes, not AmericaOne and Young America. America True (over Nippon) and Stars and Stripes (over Young America by default) each registered another victory Thursday (Wednesday in the United States) to enhance their strong Round 2 showings.

Source: ESPN

Less than 10 percent of all of the coral reefs in the United States have been adequately mapped and characterized to determine their current condition.

By Environmental News Network staff

Remote-sensing technologies that include satellite, aircraft, ship and underwater data collection platforms are being pooled together to produce the first comprehensive set of digital maps of coral reefs in the United States.

Less than 10 percent of all of the nation's coral reefs have been adequately mapped and characterized to determine their current condition, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"We need to know where these areas are so that we can protect them," said Mark Monaco, a researcher working on the coral reef mapping project.

The maps, which will be completed sometime between 2005 and 2007, will create an accurate baseline for long-term monitoring, illustrate trends in reef health over time, characterize habitats and enhance scientific understanding of large-scale oceanographic and ecological processes affecting reefs.

To make the maps, the researchers first use satellite remote-sensing technology to identify coral reef areas. Then airplanes equipped with cameras fly over the reefs to take detailed, close up images of the reefs, said Monaco.

Finally, the researchers go out into the field in ships to validate the imagery. Monaco is currently in the field in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The mapping team will head to Hawaii in March 2000.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use the maps as a springboard for launching efforts to build a national network of marine protected areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use the maps as a springboard for launching efforts to build a national network of marine protected areas.

Working with the Department of the Interior and other federal agencies, the maps will be entered into a database that includes descriptions of reef habitats, human activities, socio-economic conditions, management capabilities and level of protection in coral reef protected areas.

Using the database, NOAA will help link existing reef protected areas and conduct a "gap" analysis to identify priority areas to monitor as possible additions to the new network.

The mapping project, which will cost approximately $10 million, needs congressional funding to be completed, said James Baker, NOAA administrator.

Monaco pointed out that if satellite technology improves to the point that the imagery is detailed enough to characterize coral reefs from space, the mapping project could be completed in a shorter time and at less cost.

Source: Environmental News Network

MIAMI (CNN) -- Residents of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands hunkered down under hurricane warnings early Tuesday as Hurricane Lenny moved eastward and gained strength overnight.

At 7 a.m. EST, Lenny's eye was about 255 miles (410 km) south-southwest of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital. Top winds had increased to near 100 mph (160 km/h), and hurricane force winds extended as much as 50 miles (80 km) from the center of the storm, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

The late-season storm had picked up speed and was moving east at 17 mph (27 km/h). It is expected to turn toward the northeast later Tuesday, forecasters said.

A hurricane warning covers both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, while hurricane watches were declared for the southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola.

The storm is likely to bring 5 to 10 inches of rain along its path, with that rain affecting portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Lenny has been blamed for two deaths already. Two toddlers died in mudslides before dawn Monday in Santo Domingo.

Meteorologist Ronnie Semexant of Haiti's weather bureau said people on the south coast were being asked to evacuate to higher ground.

"The land is already saturated from heavy rains, meaning that the slightest rain will cause flooding," he said. "If the warnings are not heeded, it means certain death for many."

In Puerto Rico, Gov. Pedro Rossello met with emergency officials Monday to discuss setting up shelters and coordinating efforts. Although homes in the U.S. territory tend to be better built, its low-lying coastal areas remain vulnerable to flooding.

Lenny is the eighth Atlantic hurricane this year. The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends November 30.

Prada has established itself as the boat to watch. And on Tuesday, Young America was watching Prada from behind as Italy's yacht increased its lead in the America's Cup challenger series by beating the yacht from New York -- due partly to a late mistake by Young America. Prada, competing for the first time for yachting's most prized trophy, is 17-1 in the first two round-robins of the challenger series, losing only to Stars and Stripes. Prada has accumulated 38 points, 12 more than second-place America True.

Source: ESPN

CAPE HATTERAS, North Carolina (CNN) -- After nearly a year of darkness, the twin-beam beacon atop the 129-year-old Cape Hatteras lighthouse will beam once again beginning Saturday.

The light was extinguished 11 months ago when the 208-foot lighthouse was carefully moved a short distance inland to protect it from the encroaching sea. CNN's Brian Cabell reports.

Here are the results so far from the Americas Cup Challengers Series. ESPN is offering complete coverage and a new feature, live 3d coverage of the races from the ESPN site.

DENNIS CONNER'S STARS AND STRIPES became the first team to defeat the Italians when a rain storm over Auckland's Hauraki Gulf brought big wind shifts and gave the Americans the advantage.

The same squall and gusting winds may have caused the damage to the Nippon boat, which had looked headed for a win over San Francisco's AmericaOne.

Racing resumed Thursday after gales with winds up to 40 knots tore across the two challenger race courses on Wednesday, forcing a 24-hour postponement.

On Tuesday, Young America, the New York Yacht Club's $40 million syndicate, lost a yacht when it cracked in two and almost sank after crashing into waves on the gulf.

Nippon was leading AmericaOne on the second downwind leg when the mast snapped almost in the middle, dropping the giant spinnaker into the water and causing a tangle of rigging, mast and sails.

As the boat was buffeted by rising winds, the crew worked urgently to cut the sails free and secure the broken mast and stop it from banging against the hull and causing further damage. No crewmen were reported injured.

Previously unbeaten, the Prada team began their race against Conner's seventh-place team confidently, building a lead to more than 30 seconds during the first upwind leg.

However, just after the boats unfurled their spinnakers after rounding the mark, a big wind shift pushed Stars and Stripes into the lead. The U.S. team rode the advantage, covering Prada for the rest of the race to win by 1 minute, 51 seconds.

Officials shifted the race markers twice during the race as the wind continued to shift direction.

Prada still leads the points table, with AmericaOne in second place.

In other races Thursday, America True defeated Le Defi Francais by 59 seconds; Young Australia tore a sail and pulled out of its race their race against Hawaii's Abracadabra; and Switzerland's Fast 2000 scored a win by sailing the course alone after Young America forfeited because of Tuesday's mishap.

Eleven teams are competing in the challenger series to decide who will take on defender Team New Zealand for the America's Cup in February 2000
source : REUTERS

Friday, November 12, 1999 08:12 AM

21st Century Technologies Announces
Testing of the ``Sea Patch'' Complete


FORT WORTH, Texas (The Boating Channel) - Doug Spring, president of TridentTechnologies Corp. (OTCBB:TEXN - news), a wholly owned subsidiary of 21st Century Technologies Inc., announced that the testing of the ``Sea Patch'' has been concluded.

Spring and his assistant, Buren Palmer, met with the officials of the American Bureau of Shipping in Houston, on Oct. 29, 1999. They were given all the criteria for the testing of the ``Sea Patch.'' The guidelines under which the testing was conducted were completely unique, as the ``Sea Patch'' is the only product of its kind on the market.

There were three parts to this test, and they were as follows: A pull test to test the strength of the center bolt. Results: It took around 1,800 pounds of pressure to pull the ``Sea Patch'' off using an overhead lift. A ``slide test'' is used, which slides the ``Sea Patch'' horizontally across the table using a come-a-long. Results: It took 900 pounds of force to slide the ``Sea Patch.'' The third test, the water pressure test, to test how many pounds of pressure the ``Sea Patch'' would hold under. Results: It took 140 pounds of pressure to blow off the ``Sea Patch.''

The ABS stated that it normally takes around four weeks to complete the certification papers. These results will be sent immediately to the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Private Ship Owners and their captains around the world.

Chairman of 21st Century Technologies Ken Wilson also stated today that the gross revenues for 21st Century's subsidiaries are 10% above the third-quarter results from last year.

Source:  BUSINESS WIRE