Sporty days and spicy nights
Sporty sailing conditions by day, spiced rum and dancing by night: Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week delivered 24/7, for the hundreds of sailors who turned up to race in the waters off Long Beach, California over the weekend.
26 June 2017
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“Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Long Beach Yacht Club team up to put together this event each year, merging our forces and using our years of experience and knowledge from this event, and others, to provide the best regatta possible for our participants,” said co-chair John Busch, of LBYC.
“This year we were blessed with strong winds, fair seas, excellent competition and great parties. And we couldn’t do it without sponsors like Ullman Sails and all the others who support this great event.”
Three stellar days of breeze and sunshine rounded out this annual funfest of racing and parties. Over 100 teams, hailing from Montana to Mexico, competed in one design and PHRF racing, on both windward-leeward and random leg courses along the Southern California coast.
“We were a little worried initially, when we didn’t see the number of entries we’d like early on,” Busch admitted, “but as usual, people wait to sign up.”
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Traditionally, numbers are lighter in Transpac years, as those racers are tied up with final preparations for the Los Angeles to Honolulu Race which starts next week.
“But we ended up with 122 boats, and some really strong fleets, like the J/70s, Viper640s, and Pac52s; plus the weekend warriors who come out to play and make it such a fun event,” said Busch.
There were thrills and spills, in the 15 to 20 knot breeze and chop. Despite the sporty conditions, the Pac52 BadPak made a comeback, nudging Invisible Hand out of the lead by one point. Temptress triumphed in the lively Farr 40 competition, while Caper won solidly in the J/120 fleet.
Chris Snow’s Cool Story Bro iced the 26-boat J/70 fleet, never finishing lower than fifth place; Pat Toole’s 3 Big Dogs topped the Corinthian entries. Code Blue blew away the Schock 35 division, with top three finishes in all seven races, to earn the Pacific Coast Championship title.
Rival won PHRF C; E Ticket aced PHRF B; and Kuai took the Sportboat division; while Boomslang prevailed in the Viper640 Class, and earned One-Design Boat of the Week honors.
Busch added, “Our Random Leg classes have continued to increase in size over the years; we are seeing more competitors who like to do distance races, in addition to windward-leeward. We see it as the best of both worlds.”
In those categories, Dream Catcher got three bullets in RL-C, while DistraXion also took three firsts, in RL-B. Peligroso took RL-A1, and Elyxir held off Stray Dog to triumph in RL-A2, winning PHRF Boat of the Week. Elyxir, sailed by Skip and Stacy Ely, along with daughter Amy Ely and crew, also won the Golison and Kent Family Trophy for the highest placing boat with a minimum of three family members aboard.
In the battle for the Catalina 37 National Championship title, Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Team Ayres/Satariano ousted four-time winner DH3, who took second; while Jane’s Addiction took third. But Dave Hood’s DH3, Bruce Cooper’s J/70 entry USA-32, and the Farr 40 Temptress teamed up to defend LBYC’s title in the annual Yacht Club Challenge.
“Ullman Sails is excited to sponsor this event once again, and to support great sailing, competition, and camaraderie at this fantastic venue. We appreciate the host clubs, all the volunteers, and of course the racers who continue to show up each year,” said Ken Cooper, of Ullman Sails.
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