This story by Jack Innis of San Diego’s The Log caught my eye: Sinkhole swallows boat and vehicle.

A late-model trailerable boat sank in a Point Loma alley October 18 when a broken water main opened up an enormous sinkhole that swallowed the boat, a trailer and a tow vehicle.

Not really relevant to sailing, or even boating, I admit. But I thought the headline was kind of funny, in a “man bites dog” kind of way. (As long as it happened to someone else. If it was my boat, not so much on the funny part.)

In a few hours the Volvo Ocean Race will be starting in Galicia, Spain. (Well, technically, they’ll be sailing the first of the “In Port Races” that have been added to the event this time around. The first long-distance leg — from Vigo, Spain to Capetown, South Africa — starts a week from tomorrow.) In any event, in honor of the occasion, here’s a link to some humorous (well, to me) video footage of British wakeboarder Dan Nott wakeboarding behind one of the two boats being fielded by the Dutch ABN Amro team: Volvo 70 wakeboarding.

I can imagine taking a Volvo Open 70 out on the water. I think that would be really fun and exciting, if somewhat scary. I cannot even begin to imagine trying to race one through the Southern Ocean. Hat’s off to the people nutty enough to try it. Good luck, and I hope to see you all safe and sound at the finish about eight months from now.

(Footage from Scuttlebutt. Photo by Chris Ison.)