SIGHTINGS in the wake of phileas fogg In Jules Verne's 1873 masterwork Around the World in 80 Days, protagonist Phileas Fogg is inspired by new technologies of the era — transcontinental railroads and intercontinental canals — to attempt a circumnavigation faster than any that had gone before. As every schoolyard scholar knows, he narrowly completes his audacious mission despite a wide variety of challenges along the way, and returns home a hero. With such a spellbinding plot as inspiration, it's no wonder that the yachting version of this test of man and machine — called the Trophée Jules Verne — has been pursued so fervently for more than two decades by many of the world's best sailors, on some of the fastest multihulls ever built. Consequently, it's one of the most fascinating contests to follow, as new challengers crash and bash their way around the planet — largely in the torturous conditions of the continued on outside column of next sightings page
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• January, 2016
don't miss the While you're penciling in dates on your new 2016 calendar, be sure to note that the annual Progressive Insurance San Francisco Boat Show will take place over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 15-18, at the City's Pier 48, with many boats and water toys on display in the water at McCovey Cove. Promising something for everyone, the show will have a wide range of exhibits; sail and powerboats displayed, both in and out of the water; and a variety of worthwhile seminars on topics ranging from marine electronics to boat financing — plus the Kids' Zone, where young-
