April 25, 2010

A race for the 'bold and fearless' - and Kitty James

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

Kitty James would have loved it.

Even as many of her old sailing favorites were sweeping into Mexican waters in the Newport Ocean Sailing Association's 63rd Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race Saturday, the longtime editor, writer and photographer for the former Santana magazine lost her battle with cancer.

James, 65, never missed trekking south to report the race for the bible of Southern California sailboat racing until the popular publication slipped from the scene a few years ago. At the start of Sunday's awards ceremony NOSA Commodore Doug Jones led the crowd in the sun swept courtyard of the Bahia Hotel in paying tribute to her before the distribution of exotic hardware started.

Then every other winner seemed to be from James's old home ports in Orange County: eight first places in all, including four for Dana Point Yacht Club.

One of the latter was collected by Cindy Wynne's team on Sol Mate, a Beneteau 35S, as the best of three all-woman crews among the 217 boats entered, 198 of which started and 192 finished.

The last racing division boat to finish was Steve Ginder's Exit Strategy, a Jeanneau 46.5 from Dana West YC that also posted the slowest corrected handicap time when it crossed the line at 5:58:27 Saturday afternoon---a double whammy that clinched the booby prize, the coveted Brass Spittoon.

A day earlier, Taxi Dancer, owned by Dick Compton, Jim Absley and Tom Parker of the Santa Barbara YC, showed it hasn't aged in about a quarter-century of competition. The sleek bright yellow Reichel/Pugh 68 finished only 11minutes 12 seconds behind Lorenzo Berho's Peligroso, rated 39 seconds per mile faster, to easily correct out on handicap time to win the Maxi class by 11 minutes 47 seconds over Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes.

And by outscoring all of the racing division monohulls on corrected time, Compton, Absley and Parker collected a $6,500 Lamborghini diamond watch. They'll have to share it three ways, but one had to wonder how all of those other venerable rival ultralight sleds felt about choosing to do another race on the same weekend.

Parker said, "I think a lot of people worry about Mexico, but it was fun."

They'll have to share the watch three ways, but one had to wonder how all of those other venerable rival ultralight sleds felt about choosing to do another race on the same weekend.

Parker said, "I think a lot of people worry about Mexico, but it was fun."

In other strong classes, Mike Warns's Fifty-One-Fifty, a Santa Cruz 50 from Ventura Sailing Club, won PHRF-A and Bill Gibbs's Afterburner catamaran from Pierpont Bay YC won the ORCA class for multihulls.

A pair of Dana Point YC entries agreed. Daniel Hodge and Tony Cozab sailed Wiwo Ole II, a 45-year-old Cheoy Lee Robb 35 that Hodge has owned since 1988. They not only won the doublehanded class but PHRF-G against fully crewed boats.

As for the boat's name: "It means 'bold and fearless' in Hawaiian," Hodge said.

Ditto Cindy Wynne. It was her 17th Newport to Ensenada race, but even with a crew of six ladies ages 40 to 63 there was more satisfaction than picking up a trophy with gender qualifications.

"It's nice to win the all-woman [award]," she said, "but the best part was finishing fifth in class among the boys. It's not like we were just racing two other boats."

And they didn't luck into it at all. They had a plan that worked.

"We sailed on VMG all the way, basically on starboard," she said---that is, they calculated their velocity-made-good angles instead of sailing straight lines that would have been slower.

"When the wind died we started making a lot of sail changes," Wynne said. "The best wind we had was at the end … about 15 knots from the west."

The lower PHRF classes capitalized on the switch from light easterlies suffered by the higher classes, closing the handicap gap after the faster boats finished before the wind switched.

That's how Tim Murison's Bolero, a 64-year-old ISLCLP44 racing in PHRF-F, logged the third fastest corrected time.

***

Lamborghini Travels has joined  has joined the list of event sponsors and supporters that also include North Sails, the world's largest sailmaker; City of Newport Beach, Go Baja, The Pirate's Lair, Mount Gay Rum, Firebrand Media, Marriott Newport Beach Hotel and Spa, Connection to Cruise/Carnival Cruise Lines, Vessel Assist, Ruby's, West Marine and Weather Routing Inc.

Logistical support is provided by the Bahia Corinthian, Balboa and Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs.

Newport Beach, an opulent seaside community located on the Orange County coastline between Los Angeles and San Diego, epitomizes the quintessential Southern California lifestyle.  Known for its picturesque views of the Pacific and one of the world’s largest small yacht harbors, the city is acclaimed for its beaches, yachting community, sophisticated atmosphere, international film festival, three annual epicurean festivals and the oldest holiday boat parade in the nation. Newport Beach was named “one of the top 10 resort towns in the U.S.” by AOL Travel in 2008.  For more information, call (800) 94-COAST or visit online

Class winners
(by PHRF corrected handicap time)

MAXI (7 boats) and PRESIDENT OF USA TROPHY (Fastest corrected time, racing div. monohulls)---Taxi Dancer (Reichel/Pugh 68), Dick Compton/Jim Absley/Tom Parker, Santa Barbara Yacht Club, elapsed time 14 hours 12 minutes 51 seconds, corrected time 17:08:33. 

ORCA (5)---Afterburner (Tennant catamaran), Bill Gibbs, Pierpont Bay YC, ET 11:17:20/CT 16:26:54.

PHRF-A (13)---Fifty-One-Fifty (Santa Cruz 50), Mike Warns, Ventura Sailing Club, ET 18:21:24/CT 18:27:40.

PHRF-B (16)---Amante (Choate 48), Richley Family, Lido Isle YC, ET 21:20:16/CT 20:04:58.

PHRF-C (16)---Sleeper (Jeanneau 44), Ron Simonson, Cabrillo Beach YC, ET 22:46:14.CT 19:50:32.

PHRF-D (22 )---Wind Dancer (Catalina 42), P.K. Edwards, Ventura YC, ET 23:06:43/CT 19:33:22.

PHRF-E (17)---Rasa (Islander 36T), Ken Ziegler, Dana Point YC, ET 24:39:55/CT 19:51:16.

PHRF-F (9)---Bolero (ISLCLP44), Tim Murison, Richmond YC, ET 22:47:15/CT 17:39:47.

PHRF-G (11)---Wiwo Ole II (Cheoy Lee Robb 35), Daniel Hodge/Tony Cozab, Dana Point YC, ET 25:13:42/CT 18:32:06.

SPRIT-A (10)---Bad Pak (J/145), Tom Holthus, San Diego YC, ET 18:11:47/CT 19:14:32.

SPRIT- B (6)---Lucky Star (J/105 OD), Mark Wyland, American Legion YC, ET 23:05:33/CT 20:09:51.

BRASS SPITTOON (slowest corrected time, racing div.)---Exit Strategy (Jeanneau 46.5), Steve Ginder, Dana West YC, ET 29:38:27/CT 27:20:24 (finished 5:58:27 Saturday,  April 24).

DOUBLEHANDED (7)---Wiwo Ole II (Cheoy Lee Robb 35), Daniel Hodge/Tony Cozab, Dana Point YC, ET 25:13:42/CT 18:32:06.

ALL-WOMAN (3)---Sol Mate (Beneteau 35S5), Cindy Wynne, Dana Point YC, ET 25:02:23/CT 20:32:33.

CRUZ GA (17)---Enchanted Lady (Rob55K), Andy Sibert, Seal Beach YC, ET 22:49:46/CT 18:56:56.

CRUZ GB (13)---Getaway (Catalina 34), Ray Huff/John Ugoretz, South Bay Yacht Racing Club, ET 27:28:43/CT 21:24:46.

CRUZ NA (24)---Tugtub (IRW43-2), Daniel Kriz, Seal Beach YC, ET 27:03:16/CT 20:55:08.

CRUZ NB (7)---Fair Havens (Newport 28), Dave Griffin, Dana Point YC, ET 27:12:50/CT 19:41:02.

CRUZ SA (9)---Elixir (Jeanneau 49DS), Chad and Kerrie Downey, California YC, ET 22:15:12/CT 19:32:03.

CRUZ SB (14)---Kiwi Magic (Gulfstream 41), Bill Pickett, San Pedro YC, ET 25:19:31/CT 19:28:07.

FIRST 12 FINISHERS (with time-of-day finishes)---
1. LoeReal (Jeanneau trimaran), H.L. Enloe, El Paso, Tex., 9:52:33 p.m. Friday;
2. Afterburner (Tennant catamaran), Bill Gibbs, Pierpont Bay YC, 11:17:20 p.m. Friday;
3. Peligroso (Kernan 60), Lorenzo Berho, Mexico City, 2:01:39 a.m. Saturday;
4. Taxi Dancer (R/P 68), Dick Compton/Jim Yabsley/Tom Parker, Santa Barbara, 2:12:51 a.m;
5. Stars & Stripes (Farr 60), Dennis Conner, San Diego YC, 3:08:34 a.m.;
6. Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, California YC, 3:41:01 a.m.;
7. Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, California YC, 3:41:01 a.m;
8. It's OK (Andrews 50), Lew Beery/Andy Rose/Tom Purcell (a.k.a. Tres Gordos), Balboa YC, 4:43:43 a.m
9. Staghound (R/P 50), Alex Oberschmidt, Southwestern YC, 5:51:48 a.m.;
10. Blue Blazes (R/P 50), Dennis Pennell, SDYC, 6:11:50 a.m;
11. Bad Pak J/145), Tom Holthus, San Diego YC, 6:21:47 a.m.
12. Flaca (Santa Cruz 50), Paul Casanova, South Bay Yacht Racing Club, 7:02:22 a.m.

MEDIA CONTACT
Rich Roberts
Press officer
310.835.2526
cell 310.766.6547
richsail@earthlink.net

MARKETING CONTACT
Ralph Rodheim
714.557.5100 ext 13
ralph@rodheim-marketing.com

Bill Gibbs (l.) and crew members hold awards for ORCA victory

Doublehanded and PHRF-G winners Tony Cozab and Daniel Hodges

All-woman winner Cindy Wynne with her Sol Mate crew

Tim Murison's 64-year-old Bolero won PHRF-F class.
Photo: Mary Longpre

Checking the scoreboard

High Resolution Photo
Gallery - Click here.

NEWPORT OCEAN SAILING ASSOCIATION