ENSENADA, Mexico, April 25, 2021 – With an elapsed time of 11:21:00 and a corrected time of 14:23:27, Jerry Fiat’s Farrier 32 SRX was the big winner of the 73rd Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race taking home five trophies for best ORCA A along with the President of NOSA Best Corrected – Orca, Alice Pursell Best Elapsed – Orca, Tommy Bahama Best Corrected – Overall, Stein-Cross Best Corrected – Trimaran.
"It was pretty amazing to sail with Pete Melvin, Ferdinand Van West, and Tim McKegney.” said Fiat. “I’m so fortunate to have sailed with such an impressive team of accomplished sailors.” Melvin won a few of the same trophies in N2E 2014 for his 30-foot multihull Mama Tried. Van West is a naval architect at Morrelli and Melvin and top multihull sailor while McKegney was a helmsman on the ORMA60 Mighty Merloe, another N2E race-winning trimaran.
The win also garnered Alamitos Bay Yacht Club the trophy for the most wins for a club.
One of the dozen or so boats less than 34-feet that sailed the traditional 125 nm course, Taniwha is a New Zealand-built folding trimaran. It got off to a windier than expected start and for more than halfway down the coast appeared to be hot on the Volvo 70 Pyewacket’s stern.
But Fiat and navigator Pete Melvin veered offshore when the breeze dropped hoping to catch more wind for a close or beam reach from north of the island into the finish. They didn’t catch Pyewacket, but they make the most of the 12-knot breezes before it shut off about midnight, according to the rest of the fleet. Upon arrival in Ensenada Friday, Fiat and the team reported being pleased with the race and their time but just slightly disappointed they didn’t catch up to the Volvo 70.
But Roy Disney’s turbo-charged hot rod Pyewacket and team; a core crew who’ve sailed together for decades plus a couple of professionals for good measure, would not be caught. The technologically advanced boat came within 12 minutes and 13 seconds of breaking the monohull record on a course without record-breaking conditions.
With an elapsed time of 09:47:21 and corrected time of16:08:39, Pyewacket did however claim three top trophies; NOSA Best Elapsed – Overall, Lahaina Yacht Club Best Elapsed - All PHRF, and ORR Best Corrected – ORR for San Diego Yacht Club.
From aboard Friday night, tactician Peter Isler reported having sailed a beautiful race - smooth seas with lots of dolphins and nice 10-12 knot breezes from the west that allowed them to reach a lot longer than expected.
“More than half crew are long-timers, with great camaraderie,” said Isler. The Volvo 70, a box rule class boat from the Volvo Ocean Race was made for great ocean sailing and has a lot of features the crew is still learning.
“This boat is so different, unique, and powerful, every time we’re aboard we learn more about it; it’s fun,” said Isler. “It’s a completely different machine and there’s not many around. Figuring out how to sail it fast takes a while.” The hours learning the boat will be in preparation for this year’s Transpac; an important race for the Disney’s family.
BYC’s Andy Rose and the It’s OK team returned to the podium to collect the Governor of California trophy for best-corrected Ultra-Light aboard the Andrews 50.
“NOSA really blew it out of the park this year in the worst possible of conditions,” said Rose.” “And the Hotel Coral tops it off; the great people, and great rooms.”
Before getting on the boat for the first time in 14 months, Rose jokingly wondered if he still remembered how to sail. But being back with the crew made it easy. “It’s joyous to be back on the boat with this crew,” Rose said, describing the team as being one that laughs a lot. “I’ve sailed with some of the best in the world, and this crew is up there. I’d rather be here than anywhere else.”
Steve Sellinger’s Triumph, a Santa Cruz 52, was another big winner taking home the President Of USA Best Corrected and Jack Bailee Best Corrected - Newport Beach Club trophy. (Pictured above) A crew spokesperson credited the navigator for a great job of keeping them in the breeze. The Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s crew of 10 have been racing for five years. A few Zoom calls were part of the preparation this year.
Andy Horning of SLBYC has sailed N2E for 24 years in two different boats. He’s been a class winner 14 times. Make that 15. Day Tripper II, a 1990 Hunter 40, and his regular crew made the best time in PHRF C Class by a wide margin and took home the Converse Wurdemann Trophy. The secret to the boat’s success he said is preparation, teamwork, having a couple of guys who drive well. That and the boat’s ability to thrive in light air conditions. “It’s a great race, everyone shows up,” he said, adding that “N2E is a great opportunity to duke it out boats from other harbors.”
Dan Rossen might as well have his name permanently etched onto the Volvo Best Corrected - Double Handed trophy, winning for yet another year with Problem Child, a B32 with partner Richard Whitely. Despite having a few additional teams competing for the double-handed honors this year, the BCYC team has now won nine times in a row.
Double-handed sailing is the epitome of teamwork. Some double-handed teams stayed awake the entire race, making three-person sail changes with two people, problem-solving on the go, in boats not made to be operated by just two people.
Dan Rossen and Richard Whitely met in the late 90s and have sailed together double-handed frequently in addition to N2E. “Communication and not over-analyzing every move is the key,” Rossen said about their success. “Like in any sport, it’s all in the preparation, said Whitely. “Sometimes the race is won before you hit the start line.”
It was seven months ago when the Newport Ocean Sailing Association’s board decided to plan for the best and commit in trying times to host the historical full fleet sail to Ensenada and prepare alternative routes, parties, and celebrations to ensure that the race, the fun, the camaraderie N2E is famous for, would go on.
Trophies:
UNION BANK CRUZ NON-SPIN A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7472 MY TIME 3 CAT42II WSA GEORGE MARONICH
2 56919 DESPERADO BEN411 DPYC RICHARD SWENSSON
DONOVAN & SEAMANS CRUZ SPIN B
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7574 RUNAWAY CAL36 SCCYC THOMAS LEHTONEN
CORAL HOTEL & SPA BEST CORRECTED - CRUZ
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7574 RUNAWAY CAL36 SCCYC THOMAS LEHTONEN
ALMON LOCKABY CRUZ SPIN A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 56959 GALATEA Hunter Legend 40.5 SLBYC JOE NEGRON
2 56587 IZABLUE CAT42 DPYC MARK DOLIVA/LISA DOLIVA
3 57007 VESPER CAT42 BYC JEFFREY IVASK
SEC. OF FOREIGN RELATIONS-MEXICO BEST ELAPSED - CRUZ
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7342 BELETMOI BEN41OC WSA-OC PETER KIESECKER
BENETEAU - CRUZ BEST CORRECTED - BENETEAU CRUZ
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 56983 PACIFIC HIGHWAY Ben473 CCC ALLAN EMAS
GIL KNUDSON PHRF RACE D
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 46717 TROFINA 2 CAT320 DPYC ANNA SCHARER
FRANK BUTLER BEST CORRECTED - CATALINA
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 46717 TROFINA 2 CAT320 DPYC ANNA SCHARER
CONVERSE WURDEMANN PHRF RACE C
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7301 DAY TRIPPER II HUN40 SLBYC ANDY HORNING
2 87268 BLIND SQUIRREL SAN30GP CRA MIKE SCHRAGER
3 32217 RHUMB RUNNER J29 CRA CHUCK BOWES
DON CARLOS AVILA BEST CORRECTED - MEXICAN BOAT
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 84 MEX FATBACK HANSE415 CNB JUAN HUSSONG
SEC. OF NAVY MEXICO - 2ND NAVAL ZONE BEST ELAPSED - MEXICAN BOAT
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 84 MEX FATBACK HANSE415 CNB JUAN HUSSONG
SPITTOON HIGHEST CORRECTED
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 67316 SPELLBINDER SAN35 CRA JEFF JOHNSON/ROD KELSEY
CLIFF CHAPMAN PHRF RACE B
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 34 OHANA Swede SDYC JOE MARKEE
2 USA100 NO COMPROMISE J105M ANYC DAVID I GORNEY
3 56221 EXPRESSION SESSION EXP38TM PSSA MARK KELLER
BILL SCHOCK BEST CORRECTED - SCHOCK
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 87694 UNCLE BOB SCH35 SBYC LARRY LEVEILLE
NEWPORT HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHRF RACE A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7399 DAY DREAMS XP44M OCCSCA ROBERT DAY
2 7730 TIMESHAVER IMX40 DPYC VIGGO TORBENSEN
BENETEAU - RACING BEST CORRECTED - BENETEAU PHRF
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 56894 PACIFICO Ben44.7F NYCSD FRED LUNDGREN
ORCA B ORCA B
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7275 VOYAGER Lagoon 42 KHYC JEFF WEEKLEY
ORCA A ORCA A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 100 TANIWHA F32 SRX ABYC JERRY FIAT
PRESIDENT OF NOSA BEST CORRECTED - ORCA
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 100 TANIWHA F32 SRX ABYC JERRY FIAT
ALICE PURSELL BEST ELAPSED - ORCA
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 100 TANIWHA F32 SRX ABYC JERRY FIAT
TOMMY BAHAMA BEST CORRECTED - OVERALL
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 100 TANIWHA F32 SRX ABYC JERRY FIAT
STEIN-CROSS BEST CORRECTED - TRIMARAN
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 100 TANIWHA F32 SRX ABYC JERRY FIAT
STERN-CHOY BEST CORRECTED - CATAMARAN
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 6202 CHIM CHIM Gunboat 62 MBYC JOHN GALLAGHER
SECRETARY OF NAVY - USA UL C
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 11105 OBSIDIAN J111 CYC JOHN STAFF
2 US35045 BLACK MARLIN 1D35 WSA HERWIG BAUMGARTNER
VOLVO BEST CORRECTED - DOUBLE HANDED
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 50665 PROBLEM CHILD B32 BCYC DAN ROSSEN/RICHARD WHITELY
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH UL B
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 51520 TRIUMPH SCZ52M NHYC STEVE SELLINGER
2 18081 FLYINGFICHE II SCZ50M LBYC CHRIS WACKER/ROBERT ZELLMER
3 USA87 YIPPEE KAI YAY CLASS40 DPYC BARRY SENESCU
PRESIDENT OF USA BEST CORRECTED - ALL PHRF
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 51520 TRIUMPH SCZ52M NHYC STEVE SELLINGER
JACK BAILEE BEST CORRECTED - NEWPORT BEACH CLUB
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 51520 TRIUMPH SCZ52M NHYC STEVE SELLINGER
GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA UL A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 7249 IT'S OK AND50 BYC ROSE/PURCELL/MGRS FOR OVSD LLC
2 97363 BOLT NM70 by Choate BYC CRAIG L REYNOLDS
JIFFY WOODS MEMORIAL BEST ELAPSED - UL A
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 97363 BOLT NM70 by Choate BYC CRAIG L REYNOLDS
AMIGO BEST CORRECTED - FIRST TIME SKIPPER
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 US 50030 BRETWALDA 3 Rogers46 WAKYC ROBERT PETHICK
PRESIDENT OF MEXICO UL MAXI
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 55555 PELIGROSO Choate LBYC DOUGLASS W BAKER
2 USA 70007 PYEWACKET 70 Volvo 70 Mod SDYC ROY P. DISNEY
NOSA BEST ELAPSED - OVERALL
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 USA 70007 PYEWACKET 70 Volvo 70 Mod SDYC ROY P. DISNEY
LAHAINA YACHT CLUB BEST ELAPSED - ALL PHRF
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 USA 70007 PYEWACKET 70 Volvo 70 Mod SDYC ROY P. DISNEY
ORR BEST CORRECTED - ORR
Place Sail Boat Type Club Skipper
1 USA 70007 PYEWACKET 70 Volvo 70 Mod SDYC ROY P. DISNEY
SOUTH BAY YACHT RACING CLUB Yacht Club with the Most Boats Entered
DPYCwith 7
SPIRIT OF ENSENADA Yacht Club with the Most Winners
DPYCwith 6
JEFF DEAVER Yacht Club with most primary 1STs & secondaries PERPETUAL Winners
ABYCwith 5
STORM TRYSAIL TEAM - The Classy San Diegan's
Sail Boat Start Class Club Skipper
32217 RHUMB RUNNER N2E-PHRF-RACE-C CRA CHUCK BOWES
77000 PENDRAGON IV N2E-PHRF-UL-A SDYC STEVE TORRES MD
87268 BLIND SQUIRREL N2E-PHRF-RACE-C CRA MIKE SCHRAGER
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