THE RACING
ERIK SIMONSON / H20SHOTS.COM
OYRA Lightship Opening up this year’s offshore racing season was the OYRA Lightship Race on March 17, and for the 37 crews that competed, it’s one they won’t soon forget. Leading up to the race was one of the most significant weeks of weather the Bay Area had seen all winter with pouring rain, breeze into the upper 30s and massive offshore swells. Before the start, the two contradicting forecasts were ominous: either 5-15 knots out of the north with a leftover 12-ft ground swell and 3-ft wind chop, or big breeze, thunderstorms, hail and the same big, confused seas. So excited were the crew of David Nabors’ Olson 34 Temerity to begin racing under the not-forecast sunny skies that they charged the start and cut it a bit close, becoming caught up in the orange ball that acted as the pin end of the start line. Their boat was used by the race committee as a temporary mark for subsequent starts. Daniel Thielman’s R/P44 Tai Kuai was the first boat out the Gate in the PHRO1 class, setting off a race-long battle with Buzz Blackett’s Class 40 California Con-
'Sea Stig' and 'Racer X' braved foul forecasts to enjoy a blazing Crewed Lightship Race.
dor and Andy Costello’s J/125 Double Trouble for line honors. Sailing under the Gate in light, variable southerly breeze, the big boats mostly were becalmed once outside, allowing the boats in the PHRO2 class to slowly reel them in. In a light-air spinnaker gybing duel, the fleets worked their way outside, as the later divisions were slowed by delayed starts. The breeze eventually filled to 15 knots and it was off to the races, with the big boats quickly disappearing, fetching the Page 122 •
Latitude 38
• April, 2012
mark, and coming back on a tight portpole spinnaker reach. By the time the bulk of the PHRO2 class was rounding the Bucket, the PHRO3 class had caught up, lining up a 13-mile dash back to the Gate. With a still-building northerly breeze and large westerly swells, the entire fleet was lit up, with several boats reporting fasterthan-ever top speeds. Double Trouble was the first boat to finish, with Tai Kuai barely edging out Condor. But Condor sailed well and corrected out yet again, just a week after finishing first in the Big Daddy pursuit race (see page 90 for that report). David Rasmussen’s Synergy 1000 Sapphire corrected out second, while Double Trouble rounded out the podium. In the 12-boat PHRO2 class, it was Can O’ Whoopass corr ecting out over everyone. “The Can” sailed a masterful race to claim the class win by nearly half an hour. Beating many bigger boats to the Lightbucket, Richard von Ehrenkrook and Paul Sutcheck claim to have hit a high speed of 16 knots in the diminutive Cal 20. Sutchek said, “For us on the Can, it could have been a twice-around. We went north early, caught the northwest breeze early, and rounded near the big boats. Green Buffalo, 101 and Hoot all had to pass us on the way in.” Dan Benjamin’s WylieCat 30 Whirlwind finished second while this writer’s Moore 24 US 101 broached its way back from the Lightbucket to claim third. Jim Quanci on the Cal 40 Green Buffalo claimed the PHRO3 victory by nearly 13 minutes, citing his early northward move as a key to success. “We got north early and were lifted toward the mark. We overstood the Lightbucket, so I thought that some of our fleet may have gotten by us, but we'd found the new breeze first, which made for a nice lead on the way to the mark. When we put the spinnaker up, we were seeing 14s on a regular basis with a high of 18 knots on one wave.” Between Green Buffalo’s win and US 101’s third place, it was a good day for green boats on Saint Patrick’s Day! In a race that far exceeded everyone’s expectations, it’s only fitting that this was the first offshore race of the year. There are races out the Gate nearly every weekend of the spring, and two races to
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We can all agree that the weather for most of March pretty much sucked, but there was usually enough wind to make for some scintillating, if cold, sailing. The Lightship was one such race, as was the second-to-last Jack Frost. We also have reports on MEXORC, Sadie Hawkins, and the Clipper and Volvo Races. Oh, and there's some great stuff in Race Notes.
The parties were as great as the sailing.
Hawaii, and it’s looking as if 2012 will be a very good year for San Francisco offshore sailing. The OYRA racing season continues on April 14 with the Full Crew Farallones Race. — ronnie simpson OYRA LIGHTSHIP RACE (3/17) PHRO1 — 1) California Condor; 2) Sapphire; 3) Double Trouble. (9 boats) PHRO2 — 1) Can O'Whoopass; 2) Whirlwind; 3) US 101. (10 boats) PHRO3 — 1) Green Buffalo; 2) Mimicat, Hinckley 38, Robert Long; 3) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell. (9 boats) SHORTHANDED — 1) Racer X, J/105, Rich Pipkin/Mary McGrath; 2) Galaxsea, Nauticat 43.5, Daniel Willey; 3) No Ka Oi, Gibsea 42, Phil Mummah. (5 boats) MULTIHULL — 1) no name, Cross 40, Steve Brodie; 2) Transit of Venus, Corsair 37, Rick Waltonsmith. (2 boats) Complete results at: www.yra.org
MEXORC One of the best-kept secrets in West Coast racing has to be the biennial MEXORC series in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This year’s 35th running of the race saw several Northern and Southern California boats racing against Mexican teams in four divisions, with a variety of designs from TP52s to old IOR boats. Most of the