42nd TRANSPACIFIC YACHT RACE
Transpacific Yacht Club
www.transpacificyc.org

July 16, 2003 For Immediate Release

PERSEVERANCE AND PERSUASION PAY OFF IN TRANSPAC

HONOLULU---Boat speed and brains win sailboat races, but perseverance and persuasion were equally important for some of the class winners in the 42nd Transpacific Yacht Race.

Bengal II crew members dig in at their welcome luau with Transpac Commodore Brad Avery. The Japanese entry completed its second successive Transpac. Photo by Rich Roberts

Chris Busch, a sailmaker from San Diego, won Division 4 on his 1D35, Wild Thing, which some might consider a dubious boat of choice for a 2,225-nautical mile race.

"I knew what I was getting into," he said. "The hard part was talking four other guys into it."

David Kory, who runs Tradewinds Sailing in Point Richmond, Calif., led a crew that the sailing magazine Latitude 38 called "the jolly band of Transpac virgins." They sailed a Catalina 38 called Barking Spider.

"Everybody was a rookie," Kory, 40, said. "Our goal was just to cross the finish line."

They not only accomplished that but won the Aloha B class, and now his racer-cruiser sits on Transpac Row amid the higher-tech crowd of Pegasus 77, Pyewacket and Alta Vita---two-time Barn Door winner, record holder and 2003 overall handicap winner, respectively.

"Everybody in our club is very excited," Kory said. "I feel like a Ford station wagon parked in a Ferrari line."

Another Catalina, Paul Edwards' Catalina 42, Wind Dancer, from Wilmington, Del., won Division 5 by about 3 ½ hours corrected time over Robert Rice's There and Back Again, a Tripp 40 from Long Beach.

Then there is Reinrag2, a J/125 that swept Division 3---first to finish and first overall on corrected time. Tom Garnier of Portland, Ore. purchased it last winter as the second version of boats bearing the family name spelled backward. He sailed with his brother Al, the Transpac rear commodore; Al's adult son Kevin, their adult nephew Jared Lathrop, Tom's son Joji, 13, and an "adopted" crew member, Rob Waterman. Joji is believed to be the youngest sailor in Transpac 2003, four months younger than Philippe Kahn's son Samuel (a.k.a. "Shark"), who turned regular duty in his second Transpac on Pegasus 77.

Waikiki Beach is the backdrop as Mike Busch photographs family sailing history---his son Chris sailing his 1D35, Wild Thing from San Diego, into port after winning Division 4. Photo by Rich Roberts

But there were times when it seemed they wouldn't sail at all. The porous grid between the hull and the keel was full of water, although the Garniers didn't realize that until they brought it to San Francisco from the frozen East Coast and it started leaking as it thawed in an Alameda boat yard.

That took several weeks to sort, leaving little time for practice sailing, and in the tune-up Coastal Cup they blew out two spinnakers and damaged another, plus their main sail. A quick sail order got them to the starting line July 4, but on the first night offshore another crisis developed.

"I was in my bunk and heard water sloshing around," Tom said. "I stuck my hand down and it came up to my wrist."

The lower bearing on the rudder assembly had failed. "Every time we turned the wheel water shot out inside the boat," Al said.

For a couple of days, sailing heeled over on the wind, one crew member had to lie across the deck behind the helmsman operating the pump level with his foot.

"We were considering a turnaround," Tom said. "A lot of water was coming in and we were getting farther from land."

On a third try at repairs, they fixed the problem by using neoprene cut off one leg of a wetsuit. But that wasn't all.

"On the seventh day," Al related, sounding almost Biblical, "we broke the strut that supports the upper bearing."

That was fixed by ratcheting one-inch webbing into place, but they sailed the boat cautiously powered down with a No. 3 asymmetric spinnaker, temporarily losing the class lead to Peter Johnson's J/160, Maitri, before gaining enough confidence in the repairs to power back up with a No. 2 and regain the lead they held to the finish. The wheel still creaks and squeaks when turned.

With brother Al at the wheel, Reinrag2 owner/skipper Tom Garnier demonstrates the bilge-pumping technique the crew had to use until repairing a serious leak en route to Hawaii to win Division 3, as well as the Clothier Trophy as the fastest boat under 50 feet in the entire fleet. Photo by Rich Roberts

Besides Division 3 honors, Reinrag2 also will receive the Don Clothier Trophy for boats less than 50 feet long and a third award as the fastest of eight J/Boats that competed.

"We just hung in there," Tom Garnier said. "It was the total experience."

Tracking charts for selected boats or the entire fleet may be viewed by clicking on the link at the right side of the www.transpacificyc.org home page. Daily position reports and photos also will be posted until the completion of the race.

Boats' handicap ratings may be checked at www.transpacificyc.org/03/tp03-ratings.html

POSITION REPORTS AT 8 A.M. JULY 16

(Listed in order of corrected handicap time; actual miles to go noted)

RACING DIVISION

Division 1 (started July 6)

1. Pegasus 77 (Reichel/Pugh 77), Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, elapsed time 7 days 16 hours 31 minutes 17 seconds/corrected time 7:16:31:17. 2. Pyewacket (R/P 75), Roy E. Disney, Los Angeles, ET 7:20:48:55/CT 7:20:48:55.

Division 2 (started July 6)

1. Alta Vita (Transpac 52), Bill Turpin, Santa Cruz, Calif., ET 8:17:01:25/CT 7:12:20:29.
2. Beau Geste (Transpac 52), Karl Kwok, Hong Kong, ET 8:16:13:49/CT 7:15:56:42.
3. Pendragon 4 (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, Marina del Rey, Calif., ET 9:08:26:10/CT 7:19:42:05.
4. Grand Illusion (Santa Cruz 70), James McDowell, Lahaina, H.I., 9:04:07:43/CT 7:23:02:48.
5. Icon (Perry 65), Richard Robbins/Jim Roser, Seattle, 9:03:58:43/CT 8:05:34:40.
6. Medicine Man (Andrews 61), Bob Lane, Long Beach, Calif., ET 8:15:42:47/CT 8:06:13:00.
7. Bengal II (Ohashi 52 ),Yoshihiko Murase, Nagoya, Japan, 52.
8. Vicki (Andrews 68), Al and Vicki Schultz, Long Beach, ET 9:08:56:37/CT 8:19:03:15.
9. Helsal II (Adams 60), W.E. Rawson, Melbourne, Australia, 143.
WD---Renegade (Andrews 70), Dan Sinclair, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Division 3 (started July 4)

1. Reinrag2 (J/125), Tom Garnier, Portland, Ore., ET 10:06:28:38/CT
7:20:48:34.
2. Maitri (J/160), Peter Johnson, San Diego, ET 10:11:37:08/CT 7:23:46:39.
3. Innocent Merriment (J/160), Myron Lyon, San Diego, ET 10:16:00:52/CT
8:05:01:05.
4. Jeito (J/145), Francisco Guzman, Acapulco, Mexico, ET 10:12:09:47/CT
8:06:15:34.
5. Pipe Dream IX (J/160), Scott Piper, Coral Gables, Fla., ET
11:05:32:35/CT 8:14:36:57.
6. Horizon (Santa Cruz 50), Jack Taylor, Dana Point, Calif., ET
11:02:21:48/CT 8:16:13:58.
7. On Point (Schock 40), Nick Martin, Wilmington, Calif., ET
11:12:49:43/CT 9:04:54:38.
WD---The Cone of Silence (Australian Super 30), James and Jenny Neill, Newport, NSW, Australia.
WD---Lucky Dog (J/125), Peter Putnam, Newport Beach (DH).

Division 4 (started July 4)

1. Wild Thing (1D35), Chris and Kara Busch, San Diego, ET 11:06:23:14/CT 7:21:31:35.
2. Tabasco (1D35), John Wylie, San Diego, ET 11:12:16:43/CT 8:03:24:33.
3. Tera's XL (ILC 40), Antony and Daniel Barran, Northridge, Calif., ET 11:06:16:01/CT 8:05:59:34.
4. Paddy Wagon (Ross 40), Richard Mainland, Marina del Rey, Calif., ET 11:10:31:00/CT 8:06:50:18.
5. Hot Tamale (J/120), Tom and Doug Jorgensen, Glendora, Calif., 23.
6. Two Guys On the Edge (1D35M), Dan Doyle, Honolulu, ET 11:18:25:10/CT 9:04:51:L37 (DH).
7. Swept Away (J/120), Louis Bianco, Seattle, 49.
8. Cool Man Cool2! (Sydney 38), Harrell Jones, Dana Point, Calif., 52.
9. Krakatoa (Young 32), Rod Skellet, Sydney, Australia, 100.
10. Bolt (Olson 40), Craig Reynolds, Balboa, Calif., 89.
11. Lawndart (Cape Bay Fast 40), Bill Allan, Nanaimo, B.C., 94.

Division 5 (started July 1)

1. Wind Dancer (Catalina 42), Paul Edwards, Wilmington, Del., ET 13:01:34:12/CT 8:08:45:49.
2. There and Back Again (Tripp 40), Robert Rice, Long Beach, ET 12:13:01:20/CT 8:12:06:22.
3. Masquerade (Choate 40), Timothy Coker, San Diego, ET 13:06:19:31/CT 8:17:34:42.
4. B'Quest (Tripp 40), Challenged America/Urban Miyares, San Diego, ET 13:05:12:19/CT 9:01:37:29.

CAL 40 (started July 1)

1. Illusion, Stan and Sally Honey, Palo Alto, ET 13:00:21:05/CT 7:16:02:04.
2. Ranger, William Partridge, Richmond, Calif., ET 13:13:51:21/CT 8:04:17:41.
3. Seafire, John T. Harrison, Honolulu, ET 13:13:39:49/CT 8:04:19:30.
4. Ralphie, Jill and Taylor Pillsbury, Laguna Beach/Eleanor and Davis Pillsbury, Snowmass, Colo., ET 13:15:01:10/CT 8:10:15:54.
5. Flying Cloud, Darrell and Scott Wilson, Long Beach, ET 13:16:09:57/CT 8:10:54:27.
6. California Girl, Don and Betty Lessley, Point Richmond, Calif., ET 13:16:28:36/CT 8:13:15:07.
7. Celebrity, Gerald Finnegan, Redondo Beach, Calif., ET 13:22:03:33/CT 8:13:27:59.
8. John B, Greg Boyer, Newport Beach, Calif., ET 13:21:11:34/CT 8:14:04:23.
9. Willow Wind, Wendy Siegal, Sunset Beach, Calif., ET 13:21:46:55/CT
8:16:05:28.
10. Redhead, Andrew Opple, Ketchum, Idaho, ET 14:10:09:56/CT 9:03:06:54.

ALOHA DIVISION (started July 1)

Aloha A

1. Between the Sheets (Sun Odyssey 52.2), Ross Pearlman, Calabasas, Calif., ET 12:08:07:10/CT 8:15:07:10.
2. Enchanted Lady (Roberts 55 ketch), Andy Sibert, Seal Beach, Calif., ET 13:02:24:59/CT 8:21:56:32.
3. Incredible (Swan 53), Rick Gorman, Los Alamitos, Calif., ET 12:14:29:40/CT 8:22:00:16.
4. Beautiful Day (Beneteau 47.7), William Boyd, San Diego, ET 12:15:00:28/CT 9:01:40:16.
5. Axapac (Wylie 39), Barry Ruff, Vancouver, B.C., ET 13:04:18:33/CT 9:02:56:51.
6. Marla R (Beneteau 50), Jon Richards, Mesa, Ariz., ET 12:19:41:25/CT 9:06:35:25.
7. Lady Bleu II (Dynamique 62), Roger and Brenda Kuske, San Diego, ET 12:01:54:15/ CT 9:12:13:40.
8. Beach Music (Tayana 52), Kirby Coryell, Lafayette, Calif., ET
13:21:10:47/CT 9:19:44:22. (DH).

Aloha B

1. Barking Spider (Catalina 38), David Kory, Point Richmond, Calif., ET 14:06:57:58/CT 8:19:24:02.
2. Sea Dancer (Ericson 35), Alvin Wheatman, Marina del Rey, 135.
3. Pipe Dream (Choate/Feo 37), John Davis, Long Beach, 154.

DH---Doublehanded.
WD---Withdrawn.

COMMODORE
Brad Avery
(949) 645-9412
brad@occsailing.com

ENTRIES CHAIRMAN
Bill Lee
(831) 464-4872
wizard@fastisfun.com

PRESS OFFICER
Rich Roberts
(310) 835-2526
richsail@earthlink.net