SHORT TACKS: Come Sail Away With Me!

By Len Bose

I want to take some time each month and report on one of the local racing fleets. We will start by introducing the fleets and provide contacts for you.

While racing on the bay, I have noticed the following fleets are still active. Lehmans 12, The Lido 14’s, Harbor 20’s, Fins, Sabots, FJ’s and our local Performance Handicap Racing Fleet or PHRF for the keel boats.

The Lido 14 fleet (which I own) started from the design board of Barney Lehman and was produced by the W.D. Schock Corp. starting as far back as 1958. This fleet has provided an introduction to sailing for more than 50 years, and has produced some of the harbor’s top sailors such as Mark Gaudio, Nick Scandone, John Papadopoulos, Dave Ullman and Jack Franco.

I bought a Lido 14 when I was a student at OCC taking beginning sailing on Lido 14’s. I was on the school’s sailing team and we used the Lido 14 for our practices. I thought it ironic that Nick Scandone was introduced to the fleet the same way.

Flash ahead 25 years. The Lido 14 has rejuvenated my interest in sailing by allowing me to return to my collage days and at the same time letting me sail with my 10-year-old son Andrew. I can race in a class championship with more than 50 boats attending or I can sail from the club over to the Pavilion for ice cream with Andrew. I’m as lucky as Roy Woolsey who sailed in his last class championship with his son at the age of 90 in 2007.

For more information about the Lido 14 class, visit here.

For more details about the local fleet, go to my blog and catch up on the activity of Fleet 1 over the last two years.

Our next race is Dec. 5 at Balboa Yacht Club in the Sunkist Series which starts at 1 p.m. You’ll be able to watch most of the race from the main dock. If you’re interested in buying a boat, contact my good friend John Papadopoulos who owns Double Wave Marine Sales at http://www.doublewave.com/

The fleet even has a boat we will let you try a few times to make sure it suits you.

Here are some race results:

Last weekend’s American Legion Lido Classic. There were a number of us out there last weekend. Parents drove the start and to the first mark, then passed the helm over to our kids. This led to some exciting moments!

Lido 14

1^st place: The Bose Family

2^nd place: The Foster Family

Newport Harbor Winter Series, with two races then back to the club for some lunch followed by two more races. Very competitive racing with some of the best sailors. Visithttp://www.nhyc.org/files/Winter%20Series%201.htm

Fin Class

1^st place: Henry Sprague, 9 Points

2^nd place: Bill Bissell, 12 Points

3^rd place: Erik Bissell, 13 Points

Harbor 20 A Fleet

1^st place: Bill Menninger, 10 Points

2^nd place: Terry Gloege, 12 Points

3^rd place: Bob Yates, 16 Points

4^th place: Chris Allen, 17 Points

Harbor 20 B Fleet

1^st place: Peter Haynes, 14 Points

2^nd place: Andy Binkerd, 17 Points

3^rd place: Rolly Pulaski, 19 Points

Lehman 12

1^st place: Nick Madigan, 15 Points

2^nd place: Garth Reynolds, 16 Points

3^rd place: Brian Bissell, 16 Points

Len’s Lesson #5: “You’re never as good a sailor as the day you graduate from college.”

On the horizon, the yacht clubs’ annual award winners and this year’s Daily Voice Yachtsmen of The Year Award.

Sea ya’ next week.

Len Bose is the owner of Len Bose Yacht Sales