AMERICA’S CUP IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

 

 

AMERICA’S CUP IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

 

 

Oracle Wins 6th Straight in America's Cup SAN FRANCISCO September 24, 2013 (AP) Skipper Jimmy Spithill and defending champion Oracle Team USA remained alive in the America's Cup by running their astonishing winning streak to seven after forcing Emirates Team New Zealand into two penalties during the wild start of Race 17 on Tuesday. If Oracle hadn't been docked two points for illegally modifying boats in warm up regattas, its sailors would be hoisting the oldest trophy in international sports. But the harshest penalty in the regatta's 162-year history means Spithill and crew must win two more races to keep the Auld Mug in San Francisco. Team New Zealand, marooned on match point since Wednesday, tied 8-8. Race 18 of the longest America's Cup ever was scheduled for later Tuesday. Spithill appeared in trouble just before the start but hooked behind rival Dean Barker into favored leeward position, as the boats jockeyed just inside the Golden Gate Bridge. The 72-foot catamarans touched, and Oracle tactician Ben Ainslie yelled at the Kiwis to tack away. They collided again, this time harder, with Ainslie gesturing angrily. Team New Zealand sat dead in the water to clear the penalties as Oracle pulled away. The American-backed boat — with only one American on the crew of 11 — stayed ahead the whole way around the five-leg course and won by 27 seconds before doing a flyby of fans at the end of Pier 27-29. Having come back from what appeared to be certain defeat a week ago, Oracle Team USA became the first team to win six straight races in an America's Cup match. There have been three five-race winning streaks when the Cup was best-of-9. This regatta started as best-of-17, but Oracle will need to win 11 races to keep the Cup. Oracle has twice trailed by seven points, most recently when Team New Zealand won Race 11 on Wednesday for an 8-1 lead. After Oracle won Race 12, Team New Zealand was denied the chance to seize the Cup when Race 13 was abandoned because of a 40-minute time limit with the Kiwis well ahead in light wind. When the race was resailed in better breeze, Oracle won to begin its winning streak. Oracle Team USA, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison, won for the eighth time in 10 races overall and for the eighth time in 12 races since Ainslie, a British Olympic star, replaced American John Kostecki as tactician. America's Cup boat that cost Oracle CEO Larry Ellison $8million crashes during training run beneath Golden Gate Bridge America's Cup champion Oracle Racing is assessing the damage to its 72-foot catamaran, which capsized on San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge. The boat was swept by a strong current more than four miles past the landmark bridge before rescue boats could control it. The catamaran was upside down when it was towed back to the team base on Pier 80, arriving at about 1am local time Wednesday. Crash: America's Cup champion Oracle Racing is assessing the damage to its 72-foot catamaran that crashed and flew for four miles past the Golden Gate Bridge How it happened: The boat was swept by a strong current more than four miles past the landmark bridge before rescue boats could control it. The boat was estimated to cost $8million and belonged to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the software magnate ranked as the third richest man in America. This is the dramatic moment a new catamaran flipped over in a spectacular crash during a test run. Crew members were sent hurling through the air after the Oracle Racing AC45 cartwheeled during an informal race in San Francisco Bay. One crew member was sent to hospital for x-rays after falling on to the 'wing' of the futuristic catamaran. A little close the win: One of the crew falls on to the 'wing' of the Oracle Racing AC45 during an exhibition race in San Francisco Bay Moments before a dunking: The crew cling on as the catamaran capsizes at high speed on its first appearance in the U.S. The 45ft vessel - which has hard sails shaped like aircraft wings - also suffered damage after capsizing at high speed. Russell Coutts, chief executive of Oracle Racing, said before the crash: 'We'll be duking it out and trying to beat the hell out of each other to get these guys ready to go and race the cup. 'Everyone's wearing helmets for a reason, there's a significant amount of risk. 'They're the fastest boats out there at the moment, and to get the most out of them you have to push.' Enlarge Splashdown: This sequence shows the moment the 45ft vessel flipped over and crashed into the sea Wipe out: The sail of the new catamaran crashed to the surf during the informal race Torn: The fabric of the 'wing' suffered damage during the crash and one crew members was taken to hospital for x-rays Oracle Racing, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, designed the boats as part of efforts to attract more viewers to the 34th America's Cup in 2013. Built in New Zealand, this was the first time the carbon-fibre catamaran had made an appearance in the U.S. Standardizing the boats used in sailing's most prestigious event is meant to put the focus on sailors' ability, rather than the technological advantages of the vessels' design. The Americas Cup has been reorganised to attract sponsors put off by bitter legal wrangling that clouded the 2010 cup won in Valencia by Oracle. Check-up: Shannon Falcone, one of the boat's crew, is inspected by fire department personnel after he was thrown from the vessel Salvage: Sailors attempt to right the catamaran after the race, which was staged to promote the 34th America's Cup Repairs: The carbon-fibre catamaran was built in New Zealand and was making its first appearance in the U.S. in front of the San Francisco skyline Competitors will use the new catamarans in 2011-2012 Americas Cup World Series starting in Cascais, Portugal, in August. Larger 72ft AC72 catamarans, which have yet to be built, will be raced in the competition the following year in San Francisco. Changes also include shorter races, independent race management and cost-cutting measures including limiting the number of boats, sails, equipment and support vessels. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup, held in San Francisco Bay and starting in July 2013, will race Oracle, the Golden Gate Yacht Club's defending team, in the America's Cup in September. BMW Oracle won last year's competition racing a giant trimaran featuring a 20-storey wing sail. But that was overshadowed by more than two years of legal battle between Mr Ellison and biotechnology tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli, owner of Swiss team Alinghi. Wrangling over the hosting rights and race rules resulted in a rare two-boat match without the usual challengers series that had helped to increase interest in the competition. While some of the 14 crew members who were on board at the time of the crash were thrown into the water Tuesday afternoon, there were no serious injuries. The 131-foot wing sail was destroyed and the bowsprit was torn off the multimillion-dollar craft. According to a company spokesman, the wing is 'damaged nearly beyond recognition'. Damage: The 131-foot wing sail was destroyed and the bowsprit was torn off the multimillion-dollar craft No injuries: While some of the 14 crew members who were on board at the time of the crash were thrown into the water Tuesday afternoon, there were no serious injuries Quite the scene: According to a company spokesman, the wing is 'damaged nearly beyond recognition' The crash took place during a training run, as the boat was expected to participate in the America's Cup scheduled to start in San Francisco in late September 2013. 'We didn’t know what was going to happen with the new boat. When the nose went down, the wing hit and a few guys went in the water. We were unsure if the wing would snap, so we all climbed off the boat,' tactician Tom Slingsby said in the statement. 'Luckily, everyone is accounted for and no one was hurt. The wing is pretty badly damaged, and we are working to get the boat back in position to return to Pier 80.' Test run: The boat was expected to participate in the America's Cup scheduled to start in San Francisco in late September 2013 Picking up the pieces: Crew and coast guard responders helped to collect the parts and some returned back on the boat to help facilitate the process but under strict safety requirements Jono MacBeth, who served as the grinder on the ship, says that when it became evident the boat was going to flip end-over-end, there was a quick warning from the skipper. MacBeth told the Associated Press that Jimmy Spithill yelled out, 'Make sure you have an eye on your mates.'

The America's Cup, affectionately known as the "Auld Mug", is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two sailing yachts.     One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. The America's Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy.[1] The trophy was originally awarded in 1851 by the Royal Yacht Squadron for a race around the Isle of Wight in England, which was won by the schooner America. The trophy was renamed the America's Cup after the yacht and was donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) under the terms of the Deed of Gift, which made the cup available for perpetual international competition. Any yacht club that meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift has the right to challenge the yacht club that holds the Cup. If the challenging club wins the match, it gains stewardship of the cup. The history and prestige associated with the America's Cup attracts not only the world's top sailors and yacht designers but also the involvement of wealthy entrepreneurs and sponsors. It is a test not only of sailing skill and boat and sail design, but also of fund-raising and management skills. The trophy was held by the NYYC from 1857 (when the syndicate that won the Cup donated the trophy to the club) until1983 when the Cup was won by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, represented by the yacht Australia II, ending the longest winning streak in the history of sport.[2] From the first defense of the Cup in 1870 through the twentieth defense in 1967, there was always only one challenger. In 1970, for the first time, there were multiple challengers, so the NYYC agreed that the challengers could run a selection series with the winner becoming the official challenger and competing against the defender in the America's Cup match. Since 1983, Louis Vuitton has sponsored the Louis Vuitton Cup as a prize for the winner of the challenger selection series. Early matches for the Cup were raced between yachts 65–90 ft (20–27 m) on the waterline owned by wealthy sportsmen. This culminated with the J-Class regattas of the 1930s. After World War II and almost twenty years without a challenge, the NYYC made changes to the Deed of Gift to allow smaller, less expensive 12-metre class yachts to compete; this class was used until it was replaced in 1990 by the International America’s Cup Class which was used until 2007. The 2010 America's Cup was raced in 90 ft (27 m) lwl multihull yachts in a best-of-three "deed-of-gift" match in Valencia, Spain in February 2010. Challenger BMW Oracle Racing beat defender Alinghi 2–0 and won the Cup for the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The 2013 America's Cup is being raced in AC72 wing-sail catamarans, and is being held in the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay just north of San Francisco, California. Ben Ainslie has taken an early leader in the America's Cup World Series fleet racing on San Francisco Bay. In only his second regatta on the tour Ainslie registered a win and a third place with his team JP Morgan BAR in the first two heats to open up a five-point lead over Australian Jimmy Spithill. Early lead: Skipper Ben Ainslie registered a win and a third place with his team JP Morgan BAR 'It comes down to practice and time in the boat, just like anything else,' said Ainslie, who won his fourth Olympic gold at London this summer. 'If you don't train and put the effort in you're not going to get the results. 'We hung on and are delighted to get our first win in this series.' There are five heats left in the San Francisco race with 11 teams competing A search for four sailors, missing since a powerful wave smashed into their boat that killed a fifth member of their crew, has been called off. The Coast Guard yesterday launched a rescue mission near San Francisco and three people's lives were saved after being washed from the 38-foot Low Speed Chase. They had been taking part in a yacht race from San Francisco Bay around the Farallon Islands when their craft ran aground. Seas were running high at 10-12 feet when the Low Speed Chase was hit by a larger wave and the four were washed overboard, Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read said. Rescue: Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters and water craft rescued three crew members who were clinging to rocks 'They turned the boat around to go rescue those people and they got hit by another wave,' sending the boat onto rocks, he said. It was the first known fatality in the 143-year history of the San Francisco Yacht Club, which managed the race for the Offshore Yacht Racing Association. It was also where the yacht involved in the accident, the 38-foot Low Speed Chase, was based, club director Ed Lynch said. He said: 'The race community is a very tight-knit group of people, and obviously this tragedy has reached far and wide around the world. 'It's an event that will give everybody pause.' Low Speed Chase's owner and captain, 41-year-old James Bradford of Chicago, was among the three survivors whom the U.S. Coast Guard, assisted by National Guard helicopters, pulled from one of the islands about 300 feet from their damaged vessel, Mr Lynch said. Mr Bradford and another crew member were briefly treated at a hospital, while the third survivor was admitted overnight with a broken leg and contusions, he said. The seven men and one woman on board ranged in age from their 20s to their 40s, according to Lynch. Danger: Two rescued crew members were briefly treated at hospital, and a the third was admitted overnight with a broken leg and contusions He said the San Mateo County Coroner's Office has identified the crew member whose dead body was pulled from the water as Marc Kasanin, 46, of Belvedere, California The crew members who are still missing are: Alan Cahill, of Tiburon, California; Jordan Fromm, of San Rafael, California; Elmer Morrissey, who is from Ireland; and Alexis Busch, of Larkspur, California, who was the only woman aboard the Low Speed Chase, Mr Lynch said. A Mayday call reporting the accident went out at about 3 pm. Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters and water craft rescued the three crew members who were clinging to rocks, Petty Officer Read said. Saved: The rescued crew members had life vests on and cold weather gear - equipment that gave rescuers hope in the search for the missing They were wearing life vests and cold weather gear - equipment that gave rescuers hope in the search for the missing. ‘There is the possibility that the other four were also in the same kind of gear,’ Petty Officer Read said. The body of the other crew member was pulled from the water. A Coast Guard helicopter, a cutter and a smaller boat were searching the waters around the islands, 27 miles west of San Francisco, as well as shoreline areas early Sunday for the missing crew members. Dozens of boats were registered for the Full Crew Farallones Race, running from the St. Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay to the islands and back, about 60 miles round trip, Petty Officer Read said. Fatal: The body of one dead crew member was lifted from the water after the powerful wave hit The search continued through the night but the chance of finding survivors has now passed, the Coast Guard said. The Farallon Islands are a series of steep, rocky outcroppings visible from San Francisco on a clear day and uninhabited except for a manned research station. Part of a national wildlife refuge and closed to the public, the islands are home to vast quantities of sea birds and are surrounded by waters rich with seals and sea lions, and sharks that feed on them. Search crews have encountered plenty of wildlife in their search for the missing crew members, but have not reported seeing any sharks that would pose additional danger to anyone stuck in the water, Petty Officer Read said. The search for four people still missing was called off earlier today Low Speed Chase remains grounded on one of the islands while the search for survivors continues, he said. Search crews reported that the boat is intact, although Petty Officer Read said it is probably wrecked. R. David Britt, a University of California, Davis chemist who skippered his sailboat, Split Water, in the Full Crew Farallones Race for the third time on Saturday, described the sailing out by the islands that day as 'pretty intense.' Swells nearing 20-feet-high were breaking far enough from the craggy outcroppings that Mr Britt says he steered farther around them than he otherwise might to avoid getting swamped by a wave or dashed onto the rocks. 'The worst thing is to have a wave break on you,' he said. 'You can go up and down, up and down, but if a wave breaks on the cockpit on top of the crew, that's how somebody could get swept out of the boat.' Mr Britt thinks he was not far ahead of Low Speed Chase as they rounded the islands, and thought it strange when he looked back later and no longer saw his competitor. Tragedy: Women walk together to a vigil at the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, California for the missing sailors during a race During the day, people dropped roses and tulips by the entrance of the San Francisco Yacht Club, which hosted a members-only candlelight vigil and prayer service Sunday evening to honor the missing crew members and the one who died. Anne Kasanin, the mother of the sailor who died, attended the service and was touched by how many people knew her son, who started sailing at age 7 and lived his whole life on the cove where the yacht club is located. He was a well-known local artist whose landscapes in acrylic and oil reflected his love of the water, she said. 'He was a very dear son to me and a tremendous help, and I'm going to miss him very much,' she said. Mr Bradford and the other two survivors attended the vigil, but were too distraught to talk about their experience, Lynch said. Upset: The close-knit sailing community in San Francisco is devastated upon hearing the news of a dead sailor, four missing and three rescued Club member Brian Swift said that even though sailors are aware of the dangers of racing in open ocean, 'what everybody is feeling is utter shock.' The San Francisco Bay area is home to a vibrant sailing scene, with more than 35 yacht clubs ringing the bay's chilly, wind-whipped waters. Due to steady winds, easy access and a picturesque backdrop featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Coit Tower, the city of San Francisco was chosen to host the 2013 America's Cup, the sport's marquee event. There are dangers, however, such as strong tides and commercial shipping. Those dangers, including strong winds, increase when sailors are on the open ocean beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. Results from last year's Full Crew Farallones Race posted on the web site of the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay shows that Bradford entered Low Speed Chase in the event, but did not finish it.

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A view of hanger cables on the Golden Gate Bridge, and the bridge deck seen from a car on a rainy day, on May 2, 2012. Images made with an iPhone 4s with Instagram's "LoFi" filter. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) #

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A surfer rides a wave churned by a winter storm underneath the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, on January 4, 2008, in the San Francisco Bay. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) #

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The Russian tall ship Pallada sails under the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco Bay, during the opening of the Sail San Francisco 2005 International Maritime Festival, on July 28, 2005. (AP Photo/John M. Harris) #

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The Golden Gate Bridge, seen from the third tee of the Lake Course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, on March 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) #

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The Queen Mary 2 sails beneath the Golden Gate Bridge as it enters the harbor in San Francisco, on February 4, 2007. The ship, currently on an 81-day voyage around the world, is the largest vessel to ever sail into the San Francisco Bay. (Reuters/Robert Galbraith) #

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Ironworker Kerry Davis, who has worked on the Golden Gate Bridge for the past 28 years, stands at the entrance to the South Tower, on May 25, 2012. (Reuters/Robert Galbraith) #

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San Francisco, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge, seen from orbit aboard the International Space Station, on November 6, 2010. (NASA) #

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The Golden Gate Bridge, lit at dusk, seen from at Fort Point in San Francisco, on February 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, file

 

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Myths of Bigfoot

 

 

Was a Bigfoot shot and killed in rural Pennsylvania? Conspiracy theorists go wild with speculation after local resident's 911 call John Winesickle set conspiracy theorists into overdrive when he called 911 asking for officers to come and inspect his 'proof' of bigfoot It is straight out of the X-Files, but conspiracy theorists are buzzing with speculation that the shooting and killing of the legendary Bigfoot in Altoona, Pennsylvania has been covered up by authorities. According to Bigfoot enthusiasts, on May 14th, police in Altoona, Pennsylvania took a 911 call from a John Winesickle claiming to have proof of Sasquatch a few miles from his property and wanted them to come and verify this. While the 911 call is not in doubt, what followed has become a matter of dispute and debate as various rumors have circulated - mainly focusing on an unidentified turkey hunter who had shot and killed the mythic beast and a menacing helicopter hovering over the alleged scene. On Tuesday 14th May, officers with the Somerset County police force traded messages about an individual who had contacted the Game Commission requesting a call back about proof he had of Bigfoot. The man in Paint Township wanted an officer to come and inspect his 'evidence' for Bigfoot. That was at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning - after which events began to spiral out of control. By 2.41 p.m. the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society received an email which claimed that they had overheard chatter on police scanners which seemed to confirm that a Bigfoot had sensationally been shot.'Today in Somerset county PA a turkey hunter shot and killed an animal he claimed is a Sasquatch,' read the unusually specific mail. 'The state police were called and responded to the scene, according to chatter on the local police frequencies the officers confirmed there was an unidentified animal shot and killed. Details are a bit fuzzy at this time.' Scroll down for audio Proof: This is one of the footprints that John Winesickle showed responding police officers claiming they were Bigfoot's - they in fact belonged to bears The wild and beautiful countryside around Somerset County in Pennsylvania - where John Winesickle claims a Bigfoot lives near to his house However, 40 minutes later the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society received an even more outrageous email that they claim has a name and contact number attached. Beginning, 'Hello, YES this is legit, a strange report came over the scanner here in Somerset, Pa. just a few miles from Flight 93memorial,' the email stated that the Bigfoot had been shot on either Russell or Rustic road in Somerset County. The email goes into detail as to how they heard the police scanner radio, mentioning the alleged turkey hunter. 'What he said he heard was that a hunter had called and stated that he had shot a Bigfoot. He soon heard some radio chatter from police who were reportedly joking about the report,' says the email. 'It was about 20 minutes later that he said he heard a police officer radio back and state, 'there was a body'. He said the next radio transmission to the officer was, 'call the center.' The email also mentions 'a large helicopter,' approaching where the Sasquatch was. 'The sound was so loud it shook his house, so he went outside to take a look. It was then that he observed a formation of four Army Apache helicopters approaching from the north and moving in the direction of Somerset.' Officers from Paint Township Police Department in Somerset County, Pennsylvania patiently responded and listened to Mr. Winesickle's 911 Bigfoot call However, despite the frenzy of speculation that the mythic Bigfoot had been found, it seemed the truth was as disappointing to conspiracy theorists as always. According to wearecentralpa.com, the origin of the call requesting an officer come and see his Bigfoot evidence was local man John Winesickle. He did indeed show an officer 'picture after picture' of alleged footprints - but no body and he wasn't even turkey shooting. Winesickle told police that he has believed in Sasquatch his entire life and that he knows one lives near his Paint Township home. He even refuted the polite denials of his picture by the police officer. Pennsylvania Big Foot sighting 911 call Bigfoot Country: Pennsylvania has long been known to be a hot bed of Sasquatch activity as this unverified picture from 2007 proves 'No, No,' said Winesickle in an interview with WTAJ. 'A bear can't go down a steep bank on all twos,' he said. 'This is Bigfoot.' He said he once came close to actually seeing what he claims was Bigfoot, but added whatever he saw quickly ran away. 'It's deathly afraid,' he added. 'It won't hurt you.' Although the police report concludes that Winesickle saw bear tracks, he's still thankful they investigated, and he still insists Bigfoot was in the area. 'The police have been very nice to me,' he said. 'It wasn't a bear, it was Bigfoot.'   Is this Bigfoot ... or is it a bear with bad skin? Last updated at 10:02 30 October 2007 It is furry, lives in the woods and walks on all fours. Beyond that, there are no hard facts about the furtive creature spotted prowling around the foot of a tree in Pennsylvania. But its mysterious appearance has prompted a storm of speculation - and prompted many Bigfoot believers to grab their cameras and head for the woods. Scroll down for more ... Bigfoot or bear with bad skin?: The jury's out Others, however, believe it's just a bear with bad skin. The animal was photographed by Rick Jacobs, who captured the images after fastening a camera with an automatic trigger to a tree in the Allegheny National Forest on September 16. He had hoped to get pictures of deer - but instead ended up with something more sinister. "I couldn't figure out what it was," he said. "But I've been hunting for years and I've never seen anything like this." Mr Jacobs contacted the Bigfoot Research Organization, which pursues reports of the legendary two-legged creature, also known as the sasquatch, that some people believe lives in parts of the U.S. and Canada. "It appears to be a primate-like animal. In my opinion, it appears to be a juvenile Sasquatch," said Paul Majeta of the Bigfoot group. Captured: The images were taken by a camera set up in a tree Despite the furore, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has a more conventional opinion. Agency spokesman Jerry Feaser said conservation officers routinely trap bears to be tagged and often see animals that look like the photos. "There is no question it is a bear with a severe case of mange," Feaser said. According to most reports, Bigfoot is a large ape with dark brown or dark reddish hair. There have been recorded sightings of the creature since 1840 but most scientists dimiss the sasquatch as myth. Scroll down for more ... Hoax?: A still from the Paterson film showing another 'Bigfoot' Watch the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film here However, the Bigfoot legend refuses to die and there have been a number of elaborate hoaxes, as well as some possible genuine spots. The best known and most controversial was a film shot by two Americans Roger Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin which purported to show a genuine recording of Bigfoot. Photographer Roger Patterson compares his foot with cast in Los Angeles on Nov. 3, 1967 he says he made of California's Legendary "Bigfoot"monster after tracking it in forest country near Eureka, CA. Photograph from AP Rachel Hartigan Shea National Geographic Published September 9, 2013 Does Bigfoot exist? What about the Loch Ness monster? Or the Yeti? Or Mokele Mbembe, the Congo dinosaur? There's ample circumstantial evidence for all these creatures: eyewitness accounts, blurry photographs, mysterious footprints. For many cryptozoologists—the people who search for legendary animals—that evidence is enough to confirm a monster's existence. But it will take more than shadowy sightings to convince Daniel Loxton andDonald R. Prothero that Bigfoot or any of the other monsters are real. What Loxton and Prothero want is scientific evidence. In their new book, Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids, they analyze the history of mythic beasts and the clues to their existence. Loxton and Prothero come at cryptozoology from different directions. Loxton, a staff writer for Skeptic magazine, was an ardent believer in monsters as a kid, having spotted a Bigfoot print in the woods and a pterodactyl winging over his backyard. (Now, he suspects the print was a prank and the pterodactyl was agreat blue heron.) Prothero is a paleontologist, who is also trained in biology and geology. He has written over 250 scientific papers and 28 books, including five textbooks on geology. National Geographic's Rachel Hartigan Shea spoke with the two authors about bringing skepticism and science to the study of cryptids. First of all, what is a cryptid? DP: A cryptid is any animal that has never been described by science, usually something very unusual along the lines of a Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot, something that stretches the limits of what is scientifically plausible. DL: It's based on the word cryptozoology, which means hidden life or animals. It implies a creature that's been recorded through folklore, something that we have reason to suspect exists. What can science tell us about cryptids? DP: The first thing, of course, is that a cryptid can't be a single animal. If there's one of them, there's got to be many of them. You can talk about their population density, the size of range they should have based on their estimated body size. All of that tends to weigh against them being real because they should have had huge ranges, and they should have been spotted a long time ago if they really did exist. And then there's other aspects, like geology, something you never hear the cryptozoologists mention. All the lake monsters, not just Loch Ness but the ones here in North America, in Lake Champlain and Lake George, were all under a mile of ice 20,000 years ago. The cryptozoologists never asked the question, "Well, how did the monster get in the lake if the lake was completely under ice, the lakes are all landlocked, and there's no way for a marine creature to get there at all?" Those are all things that are not news to geologists, they're not news to biologists, but they're apparently news to cryptozoologists.

Bigfoot lives out west and prefers Missouri to Kansas: All reported Sasquatch sightings since 1921 are plotted on just one map A new map that plots out every reported Bigfoot sighting in North America for the last 92 years reveals some very interesting patterns, whether you believe in the mysterious beast or not. PhD candidate Josh Stevens mapped out the 3,313 possible Sasquatch spots since 1921 and people do seem to glimpse the hairy creature much more in some regions than others. The map and data collated by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization show, for example, that Bigfoot has supposedly been spotted three times more often in Missouri than neighboring Kansas. Spotting a sasquatch? There are regions of U.S where sightings are very common, despite a low population. And most of them are in the West Stevens explains on his website: 'Right away you can see that sightings are not evenly distributed. At first glance, it looks a lot like a map of population distribution.' This makes sense - by a law of averages you would expect an area with more people to report more possible Sasquatch viewings. Even so, there are some very bright spots around the Ohio River Valley, Mississippi River Valley, the Sierra Nevada mountains, central Florida and the Pacific Northwest. Yet it gets intriguing when Stevens maps the relationship between reported sightings and population density (right). As he notes: 'There are distinct regions where sightings are incredibly common, despite a very sparse population. 'On the other hand, in some of the most densely populated areas sasquatch sightings are exceedingly rare.'  Most of these Bigfoot hot spots are in the Western United States. Stevens acknowledges that 'terrain and habitat likely play a major role in the distribution of reports.' Proof? There is still debate over the existence of the sasquatch and grainy photos such as this one are often dismissed as hoaxes He notes that the population data is based on Census figures that only take into account where people live, not where they vacation or travel. Stevens also says that the reporting mechanism is not hugely precise as the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) only allow spotters to enter the nearest city. If you're keen to see a sasquatch yourself, the BFRO offers four-day expeditions into the North American wilderness to try and find the mysterious ape. In 2013 there are still spots left on the trips in British Columbia, North Carolina, Georgia, and a major sasquatch hotspot - Missouri. Eerie footage shot in the Canadian wilderness has set off speculation that the mystery figure filmed in the distance could be the legendary Bigfoot. The startling video allegedly shot by a couple hiking in Mission, British Columbia, shows a large, gangling figure covered in hair, lumbering over a forest hilltop. As always with these kinds of sightings, the clip is very blurry, but from what the viewer can make out the figure emerges from a tree and is visible for around 20 seconds - before appearing to punch a few leaves out of the way before disappearing out of sight.   Close-Up: This zoomed in image shows the figure in the center that was filmed by a couple out for a hike in Mission, Canada Hikers capture video of mysterious 'Bigfoot' in Canada   The silent video has been viewed over 50,000 times since it was uploaded onto YouTube on Wednesday - however it is not clear when exactly the clip was filmed. According to Crypto-zoology website 'Legend Tracker', the couple were on a hiking holiday when they spotted the mythic creature in the distance and began to film. The tantalizing footage has left Bigfoot believers hoping that experts can examine it and therefore prove that the legendary ape-like Sasquatch does indeed live in the forests of North America. At the beginning of July, the claims of Texas veterinarian Melba Ketchum's that she had proved the existence of Sasquatch with DNA evidence were refuted. Walking: On the left of center of the image is the figure that is believed to be the mythical Bigfoot The 'sample' she said proved the existence of Bigfoot turned out to contain mostly opossum DNA, mixed in with markers from other animals, according to tests. Houston Chronicle science reporter Eric Berger says there is no evidence that any of the DNA in the sample belongs to a Sasquatch or any other hominid cousins of humans. When Ketchum released her 'scientific study' of Big Foot earlier this year, Berger hammered her for not submitting the paper to a credible peer-reviewed journal and not allowing mainstream researchers to verify her work. Instead, she launched a journal of her own, the DeNovo Scientific Journal, and published her findings online and charged $30 to read the work. Remote: Mission, British Columbia is pictured here - the thousands of miles of wilderness would be perfect for Bigfoot to hide Face-off: Science reporter Eric Berger had the reputed Bigfoot DNA tested by a top geneticist. He found Melba Ketchum's claim of finding the Sasquatch false Houston Chronicle science reporter Eric Berger says a reputed sample of Bigfoot sample contains mostly opossum DNA - along with traces from other animals Iconic: This photo shows what former rodeo rider Roger Patterson claimed is the American version of the Abominable Snowman. He said pictures of the creature, estimated at 7 1/2 feet tall, were taken northeast of Eureka, California 'If Ketchum really had the goods she would have co-authored the paper with reputable scientists and gotten the work published in a reputable scientific journal,' Berger wrote in February. 'Instead she’s playing to an audience that doesn’t understand how science works, that wants to believe Bigfoot exists and is willing to send her some cash to further their delusions.' However, Ketchum approached Berger and offered him definitive proof of her findings - she would let his friend, a top Houston geneticist, take a sample of her Big Foot DNA and test it himself. Ketchum claims the sample came from a family of ten Sasquatches that lives in northern Michigan. She says the sample was taken from the crumbs left behind after the Bigfoots ate blueberry bagels. Berger admits he allowed himself to get momentarily excited by the prospect of testing Sasquatch DNA. 'If the evidence backed up Ketchum’s claims, I had a blockbuster story. My geneticist source would have a hand in making the scientific discovery of the decade, or perhaps the century. Ketchum would be vindicated,' he wrote. Instead, he says, rational science came crashing down. The sample contained nothing more than the remnants left behind by common forest animals.   Last November, some geneticists claimed to have sequenced the genome of Bigfoot.People were skeptical. So were all the peer-reviewed journals they tried to publish in. Just couldn't get the damn thing printed. So the researchers went and founded their own, brand-new journal in which to publish their findings (yes, really). From the website of first author Melba Ketchum (emphasis added): Published: Texas vet Dr Melba Ketchum has finally published the results of her study she claims to conclusively prove Bigfoot's existence A Texas-based vet who claimed to have found DNA evidence of Bigfoot has finally published her findings - in a journal she set up. Melba Ketchum hopes her 'proof' of the existence of the elusive hominids will be the first step towards recognising them as an undiscovered Native American group. Although she first announced her claims in November, the publication of her full results was delayed because no peer-reviewed scientific journal would accept her study. Instead, Dr Ketchum, from Nacogdoches, Texas, apparently finally self-published her findings on Saturday in the so-called DeNovo Scientific Journal. She is selling the study - entitled Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies - for $30 through the journal's website. Her rejection by mainstream journals and choice to self publish has, inevitably, raised eyebrows. Dr Ketchum, a veterinarian-researcher claims to have discovered genetic proof which shows Bigfoot is in fact a human hybrid, descended from human women who mated with men of 'an unknown hominin species.' She has said that mitochondrial DNA in her samples, apparently obtained from leftover blueberry bagels eaten by a family of 10 bigfoot's who live in Michigan, show clear evidence of genetic mixing. 'Genetically, the Sasquatch are a human hybrid with unambiguously modern human maternal ancestry,' she said in a statement published last November. 'Government at all levels must recognize them as an indigenous people and immediately protect their human and Constitutional rights against those who would see in their physical and cultural differences a "license" to hunt, trap, or kill them.' The findings are apparently the result of five years of work by Dr Ketchum's firm DNA Diagnostics. The study concludes that Bigfoot is a missing link that arose approximately 15,000 years ago. It is the first study which claims to have offered any kind of DNA analysis of the legendary mountain men, also known as Sasquatches. We are people 2: Dr Ketchum hopes her 'proof' of the existence of the elusive hominids will be the first step towards recognising them as an undiscovered Native American group But Dr Ketchum's decision to self-publish her findings, and charge for them, has raised suspicions in the eyes of many observers. Robert Gonzales wrote on science website i09: 'The site claims to be "open access", but charges 30 bucks to access the Bigfoot genome paper. 'It bears mentioning that the Bigfoot genome paper, at the time of this posting, is also the only paper in Vol. 1, Issue 1 of the new journal. 'Seeing as "open access" clearly does not mean what these researchers think it means, you’ll forgive us if we remain skeptical when they say their data "conclusively proves that the Sasquatch exist as an extant hominin".' A frame of the famous footage purporting to show Bigfoot filmed by former rodeo rider Roger Patterson According to Fox News, scientists have already issued 'universally scathing reviews' of the paper. The U.S. network said that it appears that Dr Ketchum 'apparently views herself as less of a Bigfoot researcher than a valiant protector of a peaceful, vulnerable, and undiscovered native people'. It points to another of Dr Ketchum's sites, The Sasquatch Genome Project, where it is claimed that '[t]he Sasquatch people are more like us than they are different.' The site goes on: 'The Sasquatch people have their own language, traditions, and rituals. They live in family units, they order their lives according to the laws of their people, and they bury their dead. 'Yet the Sasquatch people are captivating because of their physical, genetic, and cultural differences. 'Sadly, these special traits also make them uniquely vulnerable to those who would see in their unusual lifestyle or appearance a justification to harass, trap, or even kill them. 'Your compassion and understanding will be vital to protect the Sasquatch people.'