SEASON CHAMPIONS, PART I — HDA-G Jeannette Custom Frers 40
HDA-J Mintaka 4 Farr 38 mod.
HDA-K Shameless Custom Schumacher 30
Henry King Berkeley YC
Gerry Brown Berkeley YC
Macartney/Ellison Berkeley YC
Henry King and his wife were in Southern California looking for a cruising boat when they found Jeannette in early 2005. "She had just been donated to the Orange Coast College School of Sailing and Seamanship," says the longtime HDA sailor and winner with his former boat, a Tartan Ten also named Jeannette — "and she was the most beautiful boat I'd ever seen." Suffice it to say, his wife (after which all his boats are named) will have to wait a few more years for the cruiser. The new Jeannette started life as Buckaroo, a Frers 40 built at Goertz's for Bill Koch in 1986. Like all lovely ladies, her good looks had a price. "These are very difficult boats to sail," says King. With his crew — Nic Mason, Betty-Jane Luzietti, Eugene Luzietti, Ian O’Leary, Richard Vermeij, Laura 'Dr. Laura' Watt, Vivienne Fagrell, Mark Van Selst and Ingrid Liebald — he embarked on a training regimen in 2005, racing the Berkeley Friday Nights and a few other races to learn the boat. The learning curve included losing a mast late in the season. It was replaced over the winter along with beefier blocks, deck gear and new sails for San Francisco's famous summer breeze. This year, all that attention paid off. Although King feels he still has a ways to go before he feels confident he's sailing the boat to potential, she's obviously one 'pretty face' than can also deliver the goods.
Here's a situation you don't see too often: In the 10-race, 2-throwout HDA season, both of Gerry Brown's throwouts were firsts. That's right, Mintaka IV won every single race this year! It's got to be a record of sorts, even for Brown, one of the most winning skippers in a variety of classes who has ever sailed the Bay. (In addition to this, his seventh HDA win, he's also won the Triton class six times and the Newport 30 class eight times.) "Sometimes I think my crew is an unfair advantage," says Brown, a retired computer programmer and third-year president of HDA. "We make very few mistakes and have very consistent boatspeed." They should, as most of them have been together so long they could probably sail the boat blindfolded: Tom Ranweiler (25 years), Bruno Carnovale (24 years), Joe 'Rocky' Rockmore (18 years), Henry Melin (23 years), Bob Gardner (3 years) and Dave DiFalco (5 years). At 46, DiFalco is the 'young kid' on the boat. This is Brown's 44th year of racing on the Bay. (In addition to the 35 years in YRA, he also spent three years in MORA and seven years in SYRA — the now defunct Small Yacht Racing Association.) The uncle-nephew team of Keith Buck and Andy Newell on another veteran race boat — and race winner — Petard were second in the separately scored fall series, while Chris Longaker's Two Scoops took second in the spring.
George Ellison used to crew with Bob Harford on the Newport 30 Fast Freight. Then he had a ride on Jim Coggin's Schumacher 40 Auspice and knew his next boat would have to be a Schumacher. He and partner Harry Macartney found her two years ago in the 30-footer then called Enigma. Ellison's wife gave the boat her current name for the way George dotes on the boat every time he gets around her. Ellison and Macartney, who both work in heavy construction, admit to stealing only one crew from Fast Freight. That would be Merry Kindred. Past that, they are 'equal opportunity employers' whose multinational team includes Axel Mehnert and son Marvin (Germany), Bernard Saggese (Argentina), and even a couple of Yanks, Celeste Mirasu and Ken Janke. Last year, Shameless raced in the SF 30 class, but with a number of owners going to bigger boats, the class fragmented and the survivors were folded in to the 'Special K' crowd. On one level, that was fine with Ellison. "The more the merrier." On another, he's pleased to see that there are enough boats showing interest (including several J/29s) that it looks as if the SF 30 class will be back again next year. In addition to winning K, Shameless won her class in the Corinthian and Berkeley midwinters, and was second in the Wheeler.
2) Tupelo Honey, Elan 40, Gerard Sheridan; 3) Bodacious, Farr 40, John Clauser/Bobbi Tosse. (9 boats)
2) Petard, Farr 36, Keith Buck/Andy Newell; 3) Mon Desir, Jeanneau 35, Jerry Nassoiy. (8 boats)
2) Encore, Wylie 'Gemini Twin' 30 , Andy Hall; 3) Abba-Zabba, Tartan 10, Charles Pick. (11 boats)
Page 136 •
Latitude 38
• November, 2006