17TH
MARINA DEL REY TO PUERTO VALLARTA INTERNATIONAL
YACHT RACE
Del
Rey Yacht Club
Feb. 20, 2003 For Immediate Release
HONORS
FOR LOCOMOTION; FOR PYEWACKET, A 'SLOW' BUT DELIGHTFUL
SAIL
 |
| No
mistaking this one as Broadway Babe finishes
in the Salsa Spinnaker class. Photo by Rich
Roberts |
PUERTO
VALLARTA, Mexico---For Roy Disney, despite the
string of world-class records his boat Pyewacket
has accumulated, the pleasure of sailing is more
than just going fast and finishing first.
"We
had a most delightful sail down here," he
said at the end of Del Rey Yacht Club's 17th biennial
International Yacht Race from Marina del Rey to
Puerto Vallarta. "The moon would rise as
the sun was setting. We saw dolphins and birds
and all kinds of wildlife. We were just going
slow."
"Slow"
for Pyewacket, a Reichel/Pugh 75 maxi sled, is
an average speed of 9 knots for the 1,125-nautical
mile course. The elapsed time was 5 days 4 hours
50 minutes 43 seconds, less than five hours slower
than the race record of 4:23:00:04 set by Joss,
a MacGregor 65, in the windy 1985 race. Pyewacket
crossed the line off the beach fronting the Westin
Regina Hotel inside Banderas Bay shortly after
dark Wednesday under spinnaker in 8-10 knots of
wind.
The
time assured Winslow Lincoln's Andrews 45, Locomotion,
skippered by Keith Kilpatrick, of overall honors
on corrected time, as well as first to finish
in class PHRF A over Jake Wood's Mull 82, Sorcery.
Locomotion, which started a day ahead of Pyewacket,
had finished in the morning with an elapsed time
about 13 hours slower of 5:17:39:18, averaging
8.17 knots.
Sorcery
was third on corrected time, followed by two Santa
Cruz 50s---Jack Taylor's Horizon and Richard Partrell's
chartered Bay Wolf---in PHRF B.
Although
the nine racing division boats started on three
successive days, five finished on the same day
and two others after midnight, along with all
of the Salsa Division entries. Charles Weghorn's
Farr 52C, Zamazaan, was the last boat at sea.
Phil Friedman's Farr 39ML, Black Knight, dropped
out the first day with a shredded main sail.
Pyewacket
navigator Stan Honey said, "It was really
light air but a wonderful trip. We saw more than
14 knots of wind for only a few minutes. Most
of the time it was 6 to 8. We were stopped at
Cabo [San Lucas] for about an hour and sailing
very slowly for five or six hours."
 |
| A
look inside race control during Wednesday's
frenzy of finishes shows (from left) Beverly
Wortheimer on the computer and Peggy Redler
and Gordon West on the radios. Photo by Rich
Roberts |
In
contrast, Locomotion merely paused at Cabo for
about 15 minutes when the wind died completely.
The crew dropped the main sail, and as if on cue
the wind returned.
"That
was the key to the race," watch captain Randy
Smith said, joking.
Pyewacket,
on the other hand, found much lighter conditions
a day behind. "We never saw another boat
the whole time," Disney said. "We were
sailing in a vacuum---literally! We had nothing
you could even call weather."
The
Horizon crew told a different tale, one of total
commitment by a tight-knit crew after losing several
miles to Bay Wolf the first day by sailing into
the lee of Santa Catalina Island.
"We
were never complacent," Barry Senescu said.
"We pushed the boat, and we never hesitated
to make a sail change we thought was necessary."
Val
Navarro said, "We did five or six changes
in an hour one time---kite to jib top to heavy
number one to light number one to kite."
For
most of the race they were chasing Bay Wolf's
daily position report. "We didn't see them
until we got around the Cape," Pat Shoemaker
said.
Sue
Senescu, the navigator, said, "Half the race
was dead downwind. [Watch captain] Bruce Cooper
found the right VMGs [velocity made good headings]
and we sailed the best jibing angles."
 |
| A
brilliant sunset shows ??? the way to the
finish line, as the table is set for a romantic
dining experience. Photo by Rich Roberts
|
Using
an asymmetric spinnaker that Bay Wolf couldn't
match, Horizon passed its rival about 100 miles
from the finish.
Taylor
has owned the boat only 15 months. The team finished
last in the San Diego-to-Puerto Vallarta race
last year.
"It's
amazing what a little breeze and some practice
can do for you," said Scott Taylor, the skipper's
brother.
More
information and photos: www.dryc.org.
RACING
DIVISION
Positions
at 9 a.m. Feb. 20
PHRF
AA (started Feb. 14)
1.
Pyewacket (R/P 75), Roy E. Disney, Los Angeles
YC, elapsed time 5 days 4 hours 50 minutes 43
seconds; corrected time 7:04:39:28.
PHRF
A (started Feb. 13)
1.
Locomotion (Andrews 45), Keith Kilpatrick, South
Shore YC, ET 5:17:39:18, CT 6:07:43:03.
2.
Sorcery (Mull 82), Jacob Wood, California YC,
ET 5:22:39:06, CT 6:13:39:06.
PHRF
B (started Feb. 12)
1.
Horizon (S/C 50M), Jack Taylor, Dana Point YC,
ET 7:01:27:06; CT 7:02:23:21.
2.
Bay Wolf (S/C 50), Richard Parlette, Cabrillo
Beach YC, ET 7:02:09:38, CT 7:03:05:53.
3.
Ghost II (Farr 395), Al Berg, Santa Monica Windjammers,
ET 7:14:32:50, CT 7:05:10:20.
4.
Atalanta (Tripp 74 ketch), Richard Hedreen, Corinthian
YC, Seattle, ET 7:15:37:14, CT 7:15:37:14.
5.
Zamazaan (Farr 52C), Charles Weghorn, St. Francis
YC, not finished.
6.
Black Knight (Farr 39ML), Phillip Friedman, Del
Rey YC, retired.
SALSA
DIVISION
Started
race Feb. 7; started Leg 2 Feb. 13
Final
results incomplete; Leg 1 order of finish on corrected
time (includes handicaps and engine time penalties):
SPINNAKER
1.
Between the Sheets (Jeanneau 52.2), Ross Pearlman,
Santa Monica Windjammers YC.
2.
Gold Digger (N/M 50), David Fell, Seal Beach YC.
3.
Misty (Cal 39-2), Harold Alexander, Seal Beach
YC.
4.
Broadway Babe (C&C 110), Jim Maslon, Del Rey
YC.
5.
Amazing Grace (Farr 55), Allen Puckett, California
YC.
6.
Cheyenne (Whiting 49), Alan Blunt/David Fox, California/Santa
Cruz YCs.
NON-SPINNAKER
A
1.
Quamichan (Davidson 44), Sandy Clark, South Coast
Corinthian YC.
2. Quest (Davidson 53), Scott/Jean Adam, Del Rey/California
YCs.
3. Sunseeker (Tayana 55), Alfred Benaroya, Seattle
YC.
NON-SPINNAKER
B
1.
Principessa (Newport 41S), Gregory Daley, Del
Rey YC (retired).
2.
Fly'n Bry'n (Catalina 42), Jerry Bryan, American
Legion YC.
3.
Firelight (Catalina 470T), Patrick Mickle, Dana
Point YC.
4.
Seaker II (Farr 33), Wes Stone, Cabrillo Beach
YC.
5.
Valerie K (Columbia 43), Ron Hoskin, Hawaii YC.
NOTE:
In Salsa Division, time allowance is computed
at end of each leg for distance sailed. Engine
use permitted with penalty applied. In Spinnaker
class, all boats race with PHRF off-wind course
(OWC) rating on all legs. In Non-Spinnaker class,
initial "cruising" ratings are adjusted
after each leg.
RACE
CHAIRMAN
Ron Jacobs
(310) 274-7200
rj2sail@pacbell.net
ENTRY CHAIRMAN
Mike Guccione
(818) 731-1030
innov8@pacbell.net
PRESS
OFFICER
Rich Roberts
(310) 835-2526
cell: (310) 766-6547
richsail@earthlink.net
