Farr
40's Chase Samba Pa Ti At North Sails Race Week:
Kilroy, Cayard & Co. Continue Roll With 2-1-3
Finishes
LONG
BEACH, Calif.---The tempo has increased in the
20th annual North Sails Race Week, but the rest
of the Farr 40s are still dancing to the tune
of Samba Pa Ti. Owner/driver John Kilroy and his
crack crew don't win every race but, following
the form of their last three events, they are
never far behind.
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Photo © Sean Downey / YachtRacing.com
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Among
12 boats in one of the toughest one-design fleets
in the world, they logged finishes of second,
first and third Friday to lead a trio of rivals
tied at 11 points, with five races remaining over
the next two days.
True,
while Kilroy must drive by class rules, the crew
includes world-class pros Paul Cayard, Jeff Madrigali,
Eric Arndt and Jon Gunderson and a complement
of top amateurs, but rival boats aren't sailing
with slouches. Cayard's tactical counterparts
include Tony Rey on Sled, Chris Larson on Crocodile
Rock and George Szabo on Slingshot---the three
boats currently sharing second place.
Rey,
sailing with Japanese cosmetics maker Takashi
Okura, stole the first race from Samba Pa Ti,
wire to wire, and said, "We did everything
we could to stay ahead of Samba. They have the
complete package right now. They're very strong
upwind and strong kinetically downwind. You can
see they've been sailing their boat a lot."
But,
Rey added, "We're very happy," and so
were most of the 115 entries that found near-ideal
conditions in a southwesterly sea breeze building
from 8 to 16 knots through the afternoon.
The
main complaint was about the freighters and tankers
anchored in an arc around the windward end of
the course, waiting their turns to unload cargo
in the busy Long Beach Harbor.
"It
was critical to get off the line in good shape,"
said Dave Voss, who sailed Piranha to a pair of
wins in the Schock 35s' two races. "We had
a current problem in the first race and the first
part of the second, and between that and running
away from the wind shadows of the freighters the
boat that has the best crew work will win. I've
had the same 10 guys for three years or more and
they all did a great job."
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Photo
© Sean Downey / YachtRacing.com
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The
current fooled everyone, especially at the windward
mark where its drift from right to left caused
everyone to fall off the starboard layline, then
fight to round the yellow inflatable buoy. A few
drew protests.
Crocodile
Rock helmsman Scott Harris said, "We hit
the mark and had to do a 360 [penalty turn]. That
put us last and we scrambled back to seventh."
Otherwise,
Crocodile Rock scored a third and won the last
race handily.
Other classes sailed only one race Friday but
will fall into a full schedule the last two days.
The Santana 20s will start Saturday.
The
PHRF 1 big boats joined the Farr 40s on one of
the outside courses for the last race Friday as
the wind had peaked at 16 knots. Jay Steinbeck's
colorful, modified Margaritaville---a Farr 50
with a new Andrews 52 hull underneath the old
superstructure---ran away from everyone but couldn't
hide its new minus-60 rating.
Margaritaville
owed everyone big time, especially the pair of
1D48s rating minus-20. Steinbeck finished nearly
six minutes ahead but owed them nearly seven minutes.
"It's
OK," Steinbeck said, smiling.
Indeed
it was. It's OK, Lew Beery's 1D48, with Craig
Fletcher driving, wound up the winner.
"I
think the ratings are fine," Fletcher said.
"We don't really feel like we're racing them,
anyway. Our competition is [Oscar Krinsky's] Chayah."
Steinbeck
added, "I can't worry about [handicaps].
We just try to have a good time."
Erin
Johnson is one competitor who hoped to have a
better time the next two days. While working at
the mast she went overboard from Wes Selby's Tripp
47, T-N-T, moments before the start of the day's
last race as the boat jibed to drive for the line.
She was recovered by a chase boat
"The
jib went out and pulled her right off the boat,"
Selby said. "We iced down her ankle, and
she's fine now."
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Photo
© Sean Downey / YachtRacing.com
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Long
time supporter North Sails is the event's title
sponsor and Nautica Watches returns as official
timekeeper and day sponsor. Supporting sponsors
Samson Rope Technologies and Raymarine are the
official rope and marine electronics companies,
respectively. Official supplier, Rigworks, is
the official rigging company for race week.
The
Seaport Marina Hotel is the official site and
hotel (www.SeaportMarinaHotel.com). The Ayers
Hotel at Seal Beach is also an official hotel
(www.AyresHotels.com).
Complete
results: www.premiere-racing.com
CONTACT
Golison & Golison
(714) 379-4884
mailto:bruce@golison.com
Web
site for updates, results and Photos: www.Premiere-Racing.com
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