Trans Pac "Back in the Day"

Larry Somers 1981 Trans Pac aboard Jubilee

I am writing this story on Tuesday July 14 and will be starting the Trans Pac race from Point Fermin, San Pedro to Diamond Head on the Island of Oahu on Thursday the 16th. While writing my last story regarding the battle between Hana Ho and Shandu in the 1981 Trans Pac I kept running into the name of Larry Somers while completing my research. Somers was the communications chairman for the Trans Pac Yacht Club for many years and I thought interviewing him would make for a good story.

The Somers family dates back into the early 1900 where his grandfather was the commodore of the Los Angles Yacht Club in 1916 and the Cal Yacht Club in 1925. His grandfather also competed in the Olympics in 1928 in Holland sailing 8 Meters. His mother was also very active in sailing and the family purchased a beach house between I and J street on the Balboa Peninsula where he grew up. As a kid he participated in the Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs junior program.

In the 1957 his father Harvey Somers sailed with the Farwell family aboard their 85’ schooner Sea Drift. During this race the Somers family took the Matson lines SS Lurline to Hawaii. “During the race we were able to make our way into the radio room and obtain the race reports and keep updated on the race.” Somers said.

In 1965 Somers met Peter Davis and sailed with him in that years Trans Pac aboard the 65 foot cutter Orient. Davis later became commodore at the NHYC in 1971 where Somers worked with Davis in the sail fleet committee. During this time Walter Hoffman was the Communications Chairman and he was ready to pass his task over to the next and up coming volunteer. This is when Peter Davis brought Somers into the loop and he started his first Trans Pac as communications chair in 1981. Somers was activated as the Communications Chairman during the 1976 Tahiti Race for the TPYC, he also worked the 1978 Tahiti race.

Sumers, Baldwin & Steele

The communications chair responsibilities are always changing and it’s a very important part of the race. Grant Baldwin, for most of the years Somers was working, was the voice over the radio taking the daily position reports. The person behind the scene was Somers who would be inputting the positions into an Apple computer, yes there were personal computers in the 1970’s, and from there they would have Latitude, Longitude, Miles from San Pedro, Miles to Honolulu,  PET (Projected Elapsed Time), PCT (Projected Corrected Time) and Handicap Positions. What this all means is the competitors and the spectators, back home, would have daily reports on what place their boats are in.

I cannot tell you how hard it was to fall asleep when you just got off watch at 0700 when the navigator would turn on the Single Side Band Radio at 0730. The SSB sounded like going online during the early dial up internet service days and then trying to sleep through all the moans and groans of the navigator while they where plotting out the fleet during roll call. Roll call started at 0800 and by 1100 each day Baldwin and Somers would broadcast your standings. A very important part of your day while racing in the Trans Pac.

Somers did six crossing on different escort boats ranging from 1981 Dick Steele's 60’ motor sailor Jubilee that was later named Jamboree by a different owner in 1989. In 1985 he sailed aboard a 65 foot Hood Motor sailor and in 1983 and 87 sailed on Orange Coast College Alaska Eagle. Somers saved the biggest boat for last in 1991 aboard Hawkeye a 105 foot motor yacht. 

“ All the trips were business like and yet a lot of fun. Like most racers the first one is always the one you remember and the 1981 run aboard Jubilee with Dick Steal, Grant Baldwin, Gary Hill and Billy Buckingham was one of my favorites. We would work in the morning, sail in the afternoon and motor sail at night all the time monitoring the radio.” Somers said.

Both Somers and I agree that with SSB radios being fazed out to emails and satellite phones we are losing a favorite tradition to the race and that is group communications . Let’s just hope that todays organizers can find a way to keep that tradition alive maybe with FaceTime in the future. I have to give a big thank you to Larry Somers for taking almost an hour with me sharing his story.

Right now, on Horizon, the weather is not cooperating. We will be starting the race and if we cannot get into any wind by Sunday we will have to make a tough decision on whether or not to withdraw from the race or slug it out. Keep an eye on us on the Trans Pac website yellow brick tracking system at http://yb.tl/transpac2015.

Wish us good wind and following seas!

Sea ya

On the Harbor: Shannon Levin leaves a legacy

Shannon Levin

By LEN BOSE

In 2008, Shannon applied for the Harbor’s supervisor position. “I wanted the job and attended Harbor Commission meetings, researched the Harbor Codes and studied the harbor and bay elements of the general plan,” she said. After three interviews, she received the job and immediately went to work on beach maintenance programs for Balboa Island and China Cove. She was tasked with field surveys, permit applications, creating dredge profiles, hiring contractors, scheduling the work and on-site project management.

I then asked Shannon what has changed in the harbor over the last nine years? “The last six or seven years we’ve had many high-profile projects with multiple revisions of the harbor code, mooring codes and fees. We collected input from the Harbor Commission, City Council, along with political and capital interest,” she said.

Shannon went on to explain that one of the most difficult annual tasks in Harbor Resources is chasing the sea lions around the harbor and how relentless they can be. I changed topics and asked which of her projects is she most proud of? “My hallmark project was opening Marina Park – setting rents, staffing, creating rules/policies, training and procedures.” 

When asked what advice she would leave her replacement she said, “Managing public resources is a balance of making decisions based on what the community wants and how to best allocate the resources. It is a fine line and you just do the best that you can to give the general public the best use of them.”

We than talked about her new job as Dana Point Harbor’s manager. How it is similar but different with less hands-on operations and maintenance, more contract administration and leases. Shannon will be the go-to person for the harbor and county agencies. She will also be in touch with many of her contacts in the Coastal Commission, Boating and Waterways and Water Quality board.

She will be bringing with her the understanding of high profile complex projects. “If you work hard everything has a solution, be transparent and fair then everything seems to fit in the puzzle

Will we still see you around town? “I’ll still be around and I will be more relaxed, I will no longer have to keep an eye out for things that have to be fixed on Monday,” Shannon said.

Now that I reflect over the last year and a half, Shannon has found solutions to difficult problems. She is extraordinarily good with her presentations to government agencies and acknowledges work well done. At the same time, I clearly recall the days I made a few too many mistakes and took mind not to repeat those mistakes.

Shannon Levin is my friend and I will miss her and at the same time it always feels good to watch a friend move on to a better opportunity.

Sea ya

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.

Just Got Paid!

This is why I do it, feel like I just closed a million dollar deal.

Hi Len,

My name is Leslie Bubb and on June 29, 2013 you wrote the most wonderful article about our daughter, Madeline Bubb, who had just completed her freshman year at NHHS and was sailing in the Ida Lewis Regatta.

Four years have passed and not only has she persevered in sailing (as you might recall she pretty much came in last at that regatta, or close to it) she is now sailing in college.

Madeline was recruited last year by Stanford and is just now completing her freshman year. She is in Charleston, SC right now and will be sailing tomorrow for the All Girls Team at Nationals.

The article you wrote is in a frame on our piano so I thought it only fitting to let you know how far she has come in four years.

Thanks for being such a strong advocate for sailing.

Wishing you all the best,
Leslie Bubb

http://lenboseyachts.blogspot.com/…/the-harbor-report-hopin…

On the Harbor: Meet avid big boat racer Manouch Moshayedi

By LEN BOSE

Back in 2000, I received a phone call from a perspective client asking me if I would be interested in listing his IMS 50 “M-Project.” Knowing the boat and where she was berthed I was ringing the doorbell, within the half hour of hanging up the phone with Manouch Moshayedi. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to find a buyer for M-Project, although I was able to meet a person who had a newborn passion for big boat racing.

Moshayedi attended Cal State Fullerton from 1979 - 1981 and received a degree in structural engineering. He moved to New York and worked there in the field of engineering and construction project management until 1987; at the same time he attended Long Island University and received a MBA in corporate finance.

He married in 1983 and came back from NY with his wife and two daughters to Newport Beach in 1987. “I started sailing that year when my father in law who is an avid sailor came to visit in the summer,” Moshayedi said. “I then crewed on multiple boats, mostly in Beer Can races and small local races. I bought my first boat, Black Jack (a MacGregor 65’) in 1991.

“After sailing the boat for four years, I took about four years off and then I bought an IMS 50’ called M-Project in 1998. I sailed M-Project for four years and retired from sailing for seven years as I had taken my electronics business (Simple Technology) public in the year 2000, and was quite busy at work. In 2012, I purchased my first TP52 (RIO), In 2013, I purchased my second TP52, a Botin-designed boat and participated in the Super Series in the Mediterranean. This was by far the most enjoyable racing I had done. Very close racing at a very high level.”

Today, Moshayedi spends his off time racing two of the most recognizable yachts on the West Coast of the U.S. – Rio 100 and Rio 52; Rio 100 is a 100-footer that was

refitted in 2014 by Cookson Yachts in New Zealand. This boat was redesigned with one thing in mind and that was to win the Transpac Barn Door trophy. This trophy is awarded to the first boat to finish with only manually powered systems – no stored power, no canting keel, no water ballast, no daggerboards, no electric winches, and no hydraulic rams. Rio 100 completed this task in its first Transpac in 2015. She will be on the starting line again this year with the intention of overtaking the Barn Door time record set by Hasso Plattner’s “Morning Glory” of six days 16:04:11 set in 2005.

To get a better feel on how one organizes a two-boat sailing program with more than 16 crew members alone on the race to Hawaii, I asked about his team’s organizational chart and who does what. Both Rio 100 and 52 have one captain and that is Keith Kilpatrick, who grew up in Newport Beach. Kilpatrick maintains both boats and keeps them prepared for the season’s scheduled events. He also arranges for the crews’ hotel rooms, ships provisioning, preparing meals and delivering the boat home. Kilpatrick is a friend and has, for as long as I can remember, been a key fixture in Newport Beach boats that have made it to the Grand Prix level of yacht racing.

My next question to Moshayedi was what is the most important part in doing well in the Transpac race? “The most important part of the race is preparation that Keith always does a great job of making sure everything is as it ought to be,” Moshayedi shared. “Preparation and getting to the start line with confidence that everything has been double checked and we can finish the race barring any unforeseen incidents is probably the biggest challenge of the Transpac race.”

Moshayedi went on to explain his next project the Pac 52 fleet. “In 2015, my friend who owned a 2005 TP52, decided to upgrade his boat and after talking to me, he decided to build a new turbo TP52, which is called FOX. Knowing how enjoyable riding these boats are and how frustrated some of the owners were with the current rating systems, I spoke to quite a few and convinced two of them to also build or buy turbo TP52s. Two owners decided to build new boats ‘Invisible Hand’ and Bad Pack’. At the same time, I also ordered my PAC 52, Rio. We all sat around with our boat captains, designers and tacticians and came up with a schedule of regattas and a set of rules for our fleet of PAC 52s.”

You will have a chance to see these Pac 52s when they compete here in Newport Beach in the debut of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s One Design Offshore Championships June 9 - 11. It is my understanding that the boats will be berthed at the Sea Scout Base and OCC Sailing Base where the public can view these new Grand Prix racing machines. Extra attention will be given toward social media outlets with daily video releases during the regatta. For all the information about this new one-design fleet, go to www.pac52class.com.

Sea ya

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.

On the Harbor: 2017 Newport to Ensenada preview

This Friday April 28,2017 will mark the 70th Newport to Ensenada yacht race run by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA). I stoped counting at thirty on how many of these race’s I have participated in.

So why do I continue to race year after year? Simple answer, because it is fun. Yes, there are the years that the forecast is dismal with the lack of wind and the thought of not finishing until Sunday afternoon leads to the question “Why do I do this to myself?” But then there are the years when I have finished on Friday night and have completed 135-mile course in less than 11 hours and I feel like an eight year old getting off Disneyland’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride for the first time.

In reflecting back over the years I have many exciting moments along with the “Tell me why we are still doing this race.” moments. The first memories that come to mind are the intoxicating ones for example when you are first leaving the harbor and you look down the jetty entrance and it is jammed with competitors like the 405 at 5:30 PM.

This is when it first kinds of hits you that we had better put on our game face and make sure we do not run into another boat before the start of the race. There are always many distractions, saying hello to old friends on other boats, the religious folks preaching through a hand held megaphone’s in boats that should not leave the breakwater. The photographer in a boat that looks like an old woody wagon.

In all crowds you always find the characters. I recall one year a good friend showing up in a boat name “White Ford Bronco” and the crew were in OJ masks. You have the competitors that still have not gone to bed from previous night send off party. It only took me about the first seventeen years to figure out that maybe it was not such a great idea to party like the big dogs before heading out to sea the following morning. I can recall some doozies, not feeling at top performance, with a rolling sea state, no wind and the boat just slating back and forth for hours. It still sends a shiver down my body on what not to do before a race. Somehow, with time, it all works out and before you know it the race has started and the fleet thins out.

The forecast for this years race has us starting a “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” race with the wind projections toping out at thirty knots. I am writing this column 96 hours before the start of the race so no telling yet what we will really end up with. For fun let me try to describe what we will be doing aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon should the wind fill in as forecasted.

You never want to get wet so I would see myself fully suited up in my foul weather gear and life harness already on before leaving the harbor. Make sure you have the reef lead through your main, this allows the main sail to be reduced in size, before you start just incase the weather turns to the extremes. Things will be intensified ten times at the starting line with all the traffic around. We will have our number 3 jib up, small headsail, and it looks like we will be heading well outside the Coronado Islands in an effort to stay in the wind longer. Normally with this much wind at the start one would take the straight line to the finish, unfortunately the wind is forecasted to dissipate to nothing sometime between 20:00 and 00:00.

The crew will gather all the sails from down below and stack them neatly in two large bags. This maneuver is called stacking. Once this is completed we will all dig in and sit on the weather rail and take the occasional cold wave to the face.

The forecast appears that we will spend half the race close reaching out towards San Clemente Island before setting a spinnaker. Should we find the 20 knots + wind out side this is when it get sporty and we set our spinnaker and start surfing down the waves. All of our crew are very good drivers in these conditions and we take 30 minute tricks at the wheel. This alone is a competition between the crew members on who can get the boat going the fastest. Aboard Horizon we refer to it as the highest number on the fun meter.

As the sun starts setting I will head down below and throw in the large pasta bake, my wife Jennifer had made a couple nights before, and start heating it up for dinner. Warm fresh food always feels good going down while at sea. Four people will stay on deck sailing the boat, the other four crew members will eat then head back on deck to rotate the other crew.

I am hoping we will be just past Coronado Islands by 21:00 all eight of us will have our fingers crossed that we can make it to the finish line before the wind stops. The odds are good we will not achieve this goal and watch the sunrise still at sea. These mornings quite often feel like Christmas, you wake up hoping you get everything you wished for and you never know until you look through the binoculars hoping to see larger boats than you. Should you find the larger boats then the energy level jumps up by 110 percent. If it is smaller boats we received coal in our stocking and it is a tuff slug in to the finish.

No matter how you look at it you just spent the last 24 hours at sea, hopefully with good friends still around you. If you think fisherman tell whoppers you need to hear sailors stories talk around the pool at the Hotel Coral after a few cerveza’s .

Wish us luck!

Sea ya

2017 Baldwin Cup Recap "Lightning comes before Thunder"

My father always told me that Lightning comes before Thunder and they both come from the same source. This was proven true for the first time in three years with Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs 2017 Baldwin Cup teams, Lighting and Thunder.

NHYC continued it’s forth consecutive year as champions of the Baldwin Cup. In 2016 team Thunder and Lighting faced off in the finals with Thunder raising the trophy over their heads. This year it was all team Lighting, with Greg Helias, Bill Menninger, Mikee Anderson, Rob Rader, Mac Mace, Ward Mace, Alex Curtiss and Robert Kinney, with huge smiles on their faces and glasses held high.

For those of you, like me, that don’t understand what team racing is. I defer to the NHYC web site for its definition: “ Team racing, like most traditional team sports, involves strategy, advanced skill, and teamwork. However, unlike other fleet racing, team racing pits a team of four against another team of four boats. This added dimension forces players to have tremendous boat-handling ability and quick reactions.

The key to watching these races and understanding if your team is winning the race is counting the place of each of your team's boats and if that number is less than 18 your team is winning the race. This is why you will see leading boats turn around and try to slow down the opposing team's boats making an effort to have their teammate pass an opponent.”

I have written this before, the excitement level is increased tremendously while attending this event with your friends and informing the umpires of their bad calls. Yes, team racing has umpires on the water similar to an umpire on the baseball field. Quite often you will hear from the gallery, "Come on, ump! Make a call!” This years reported spectator attendance was over 200 sailing fanatics.

I  was fortune to have the opportunity to sit next too many of our local sailing greats which included Jeff Lenhart, Chris Raab, Craig Chamberlain and pit crew member Peter Haynes. All showing different enthusiasm and excitement with the 4v4 team racing format and this event. Many of the local competitors like Justin Law, Jon Pinckney, Greg Helis, Bill Menninger, Alex Steele, Greg Newman and Carson Reynolds. All stoped and had long conversations with me on how their day was going, how fantastic this event is, along with how increasingly competitive the event has become.

Of this group some of my most memorable quotes came from Chris Raab jumping up from his chair and saying “ Put me in coach.” Raab did not qualify this year in the NHYC sail offs, something tells me this event will be moved up on his priority list next season. Alex Steele, sailing for the Balboa Yacht Club, said it best “ This is a great regatta, that had to have been some of the best sailing I have ever sailed in.” Greg Helis sailing for NHYC team Lighting did not say a word he just stopped and looked with a big smile, exuding confidence that this regatta was his teams and already completed in his mind. Helis then nodded his head and proceeded to his boat and out to the race course where team Lighting defeated Team Thunder 2-1 in the semi-finals and then the St. Francis Yacht Club 2-1 in the finals.

As in previous years the list of volunteers for this event was endless and completed like a Dutch shipbuilder second to none. You had to have been on the docks to watch the pit crew jump to work on the final day when the boats needed the mains reefed and repairs made. “Well Done” is deserved to all that made this event possible.

With that being said, I have to make mention of an observation that has bothered me for the last five years during the Baldwin Cup.

During the event NHYC announcers continue to heckle novice boaters, that are passing by the front dock in their boats. Pointing out their lack of skill or boating etiquette is the go to punch line for a quick browbeating. A quote taken in yesterdays press release from event announcers Brooks Clark and Adam Deermount. “Fender counting continued to be a popular sport at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club with “Vegas odds predicting over 72 and 1/2 fenders to be spotted on various Duffy boats and other small craft that also become obstacles on the course.” Proper yachting etiquette calls for all the vessels fenders to be stowed away after departing the dock.

Other negative observations were broadcasted by Clark and Deermount at the expense of the passing by novice boaters over the three day event. These novice boaters can easily hear these comments with the amplified sound system broadcasted out over the water from NHYC main dock. Writing these words will definitely damage me but I have been biting my lip on this topic for over four years and explaining my disapproval to the event chairmen in the three previous years. 

In my opinion the Baldwin Cup is the best thing that has happened to yachting in my lifetime. This small bit of satire is more damaging than productive to our sport and I can only hope it will be discontinued in future events. 

NHYC Responce:

""Len, thank you for your kind words about the Baldwin Cup Team Race and for taking the time to join us during this year's regatta. This iconic event showcases the best in class of team racing and we are fortunate to have some of the most accomplished sailors in the U.S. competing and officiating, including former Olympians, decorated collegiate sailors, in addition to America’s Cup competitors. It brings out the most passionate competitive spirit in all of us, and, perhaps, sometimes we go a tad overboard in our commentary. We take your thoughts to heart and will be mindful of our narrative moving forward,” said Staff Commodore and Event Director, Bill Crispin.”

Sea ya

On the Harbor: Completing Cabo not that easy

The Crew of Horizon: Top Left Justin Law, Greg Helis, Owner John Shulze, Richard Parlette, Alex  Steele
Bottom: Len Bose, Buddy Richley

                                                                      By LEN BOSE

All of your well wishes seemed to have paid off for us aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon in the Newport Beach to Cabo race earlier this month. Out of the 22 boats that started we were one of six that finished the race. 

With the lack of wind at the start, fog and the cold weather it was quite enticing to drop out being abeam of Ensenada 48 hours into the race.

The way I saw it, once Roy Disney’s boat, Pyewacket, dropped out of the race, the herd just followed them in. Talking to the other crews, many boats did not have enough water, food, fuel or patience to finish the race. 

Aboard Horizon we had all the above and decided to push on, 21 knots of breeze showed up our last day on the water. The whole crew was pleased to have completed the race and took it as valuable time on the water with our team in preparation for this years Trans Pac race to Hawaii.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) did an outstanding job in greeting us at the dock on our arrival at 3 a.m., with more than 10 NHYC volunteers providing warm welcomes and cold beverages. 

Mindy and Nik Froehlich rallied the troops and our crew, then took us straight into the Awards/Trophy Presentation in the Baja Cantina. 

The Santa Cruz 70’s Grand Illusion and Holua finished 1st and 2nd in class and overall. We finished third overall and 1st in our class. The Reichel/Pugh 77 Zephyrus finished 1st in class and fourth overall. 

A huge well done has to be given to the NHYC Commodore Dwight Belden, who was the PRO and the Froehlichs for keeping the energy level so high and competitors well taken care of.

NHYC Baldwin Cup

NHYC is not stopping after Cabo, they are moving straight into our harbor’s flagship regatta, the Baldwin Cup April 6th, 7th and 8th. This is the 10th year that NHYC has been using Harbor 20’s in a team race 4v4 format. 

The Royal Thames Yacht Club from London, UK, will be traveling the farthest to attend this year’s event, along with the New York Yacht Club, Larchmont Yacht Club and Seawanhaka Yacht club, all from New York. 

The raining three-year champions are from the NHYC Team Thunder. Most of the teams will be returning with Justin Law, Jeff Gordon, Caleb Silsby, Kayla McComb, Brian Bissell, Perry Bissell, Jon Pinckney and Gale Pinckney. 

Missing from last year’s team is Michael Menninger who now lives up in the Bay Area. It has been said that Menninger was strong-armed by the St. Francis Yacht Club to jump ship from NHYC Team Thunder for this year’s event. 

2016 NHYC Team Thunder

Justin “Lawman” Law, the team captain of NHYC Team Thunder, said, “Menninger’s leaving is understandable and with Caleb Silsby rejoining the team we got it covered. There is going to be some very tight racing this year! We are ready, I am ready to go sailing.”

Watching the Baldwin Cup marks the start of the sailing season and the migration of the local sailors to NHYC for the 25-cent beers and spectator seating in front of the club on the main dock. Not sure how NHYC is going to pull it off without a clubhouse this year, but from watching Commodore Belden’s team provide outstanding hospitality at the Cabo race, something tells me this year’s Baldwin Cup will be one for the history books.

The Harbor 20 fleet is always busy this time of year and over the last three weeks we started BCYC Weiss Series, then completed the NHYC Spring Gold Cup and Earl Corkett regattas. 

This Sunday Weiss series, number 2, will be sailed in the five-point area of the harbor. Cole Pomery sailing A Salt & Battery has a big lead in C fleet after the first race of the series. Deb and Peter Haynes will have to keep Jessica Newman behind them to hold on to their lead in B fleet. In A fleet, Walter Johnson aboard Fortunate-Lee has Bill Menninger two points behind him.

• • •

58' Duffield Motor Yacht

While walking around the harbor this week I stopped suddenly and almost raised both of my arms in the air like an NFL referee signaling a touchdown while walking into the Duffy shipyard.

I glanced up onto the water and first noticed the new, dark blue hull, 58’ Duffield semi-planning motor yacht designed by Zurn Yacht Design and built by Duffield Yachts. It was love at first sight and as I approached, my heart pounded harder. With quick glances at the stainless steel wing door hinges, the welds in the railing, along with the overall fit and finish of the yacht – it left me in awe. 

You will be able to see her at the Newport Boat Show the end of this month at Lido Village. She alone is worth the price of admission.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.

On the Harbor: the race to Cabo

1985 Cabo Race aboard Amante 

This Saturday, March 11, is the start of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s race to Cabo San Lucas. I will be aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon, like always, the week before the start is much more intense than the race itself.

The owner of Horizon lives in Singapore and arrived in town on Wednesday. Picture the organizational chart, for Horizon, as a sports team with owner, general manager, coach and players.

Over the last three years I have been the general manager and have selected the captain or coach. The captain’s responsibilities are preparing the boat for the racing season, crew selection, provisioning and delivering the boat home after the race.

This year, I have also taken the role of captain and to say that I am a little bunched up right now is an understatement. I was very fortunate to have found Doug Cary, who has just moved into the area from the East Coast, and was crew member from a prominent sailing team. I am grooming Cary to become the skipper after a couple of seasons on our coast. Along with organizing and completing our boat’s maintenance schedule he is our bowman for this season.

Our navigator and delivery skipper is Richard “Chewy” Parlette, whom I have sailed with in five Trans Pacs and six long-distance Mexico races. The rest of our team is some of the best sailors Newport Beach has to offer: Buddy Richley, Justin Law, Greg Helias, Alex Steele and Carson Reynolds.

This is the youngest team I have put together thus far, with five members in their early 30s. What I am nervous about is how the team will come together, out on the ocean, and can we obtain the same results we did last year. We had a winning season last year with a 1st Overall in the Puerto Vallarta Race, California Ocean Racing Week and Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race.

This season started with the SDYC/NHYC Islands Race around Catalina and San Clemente Islands and finished in San Diego. We sailed well and the boat was up to speed with only a couple of bugs to work out with the boat’s electronics.

The Cabo Race is the second race of the season with the World Series being the Trans Pac race to Hawaii. With nine boats entered, that are Santa Cruz 50 and 52’s, the competition will be very strong this year.

I am headed out the door now to start provisioning the boat along with dealing with the immigration papers for Mexico. All eyes are on the weather and all the different weather models. Wish us luck!

But, who needs luck when you have Greg Helias on your team. Helias won this last weekend’s Harbor 20 A’s Spring regatta and he has also won the Mid-Winters a couple of weekends ago.

A fleet is extremely competitive with 13 boats entered this last weekend. Perry & Brian Bissell finished in second followed by Walter Johnson in third. I pulled out all the stops and brought in a ringer Justin Law and finished fifth. In B fleet, Alex Steele won five of the seven races and won the regatta. He still had his hands full with Alex Curtiss finishing in second place just eight points behind him. Ted Reed sailed very consistently and finished in third. In C fleet, Tad Springer sailed away from the fleet with five firsts and will be moving up to B in the next event. At this pace, the Springers will be in A fleet in no time.

Out on the PHRF course this weekend, BCYC ran the Doug Mills Series with Seth Hall aboard his beautiful blue J-124 Marisol and won PHRF A, while Caleb Everett sailing Tortuga won PHRF B. This is a three-race random leg series with the last race scheduled for April 8. BCYC will also be hosting the next Harbor 20 event – the Loren Weiss Series on March 12 and the PHRF Bogart Series Race to Avalon on March 25.

Boat name of the week: Bar Killer

Sea ya!

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.

2017 Islands Race Update:

Feb 24 & 25 2017 Islands Race. At the start of the race we had a little more breeze than forecasted sailing well to Catalina rounding in fourth place in class. Code O to San Clemente arriving at the west end in third at 10:00 PM, changed to our North 1.5 an sailed faster and lower than the fleet to move ahead. Was one of the first boats to gybe and round San Clemente with one of the straightest tracks of the fleet. Go to http://yb.tl/islandsrace2017 and review our race, we dropped out at 07:09:47 due to the lack of wind and time constraints. Looks like it would have been a very tight race between us and the Duck in the light breeze.
Looking forward to another racing season competing against the SC 52 "Luck Duck" must have changed the lead with them four or five times before both boats withdrew.
The J 125's stuck it out and finished at 2:30Pm, you have to give it to them for that. Looks to have been a very close finish!
Our boat feels fast and with the team we have this season our competition is going have to want it more than us.
"Baby it was cold outside"