ALL IN! "2006 FLASHBACK with Nick Scandone"

On Thursday June 8 about 10:00 A.M. the phone rings “ Len it’s Nick, can you go to Connecticut with me on Monday for nine days? Jerry Thomson hurt his shoulder and I need someone to help me out. There is a boat you can use in the race” It took me about two seconds, “I’m in, just let me run it by my family”. About two hours later I called Nick to let him know I was all in and to go over the schedule and what I needed to bring. First thing Nick told me was gloves and a good spray guard top. At first I thought I could pull out a top five finish but I was soon informed at Beercans that night that I would be lapped by Nick and would have my tail handed to me. I thought it was good idea to practice on Nick’s back up boat that was still at Balboa Yacht Club that Saturday. Getting into the boat I kind of felt like one of those big headed sports cartoon commercials. After about three hours of practice I learned four things I needed. Gloves, Spray top, learn how to drive this thing straight and how to get my big head under the boom. At this point I still had dreams of placing in the top seven. Like any good one design boat, a lot of time is needed for boat preparation and leaving the dock in good order. If you’re setting on sheets, halyards and dock lines and extra parts it makes for a tough start, which I came to learn very fast. The 2.4mR is not all that easy to sail. At a leeward mark rounding you have to move the mast aft, tighten up your outhaul, put on your back stay, retract the whisker pole, main & jib in, and keep the boat going straight. Try it sometime and you will see what it entails.

June 12& 13. Nick and I land at JFK and make it hotel without getting lost and over to the Noroton Yacht Club the following day to rig Nicks boat and get it ready for the race. After washing, silicone waxing and Mclubing all the moving parts Nick was ready for the race. Just then Peter Wilson came up and said hello to Nick and introduced himself. This is when I first saw the boat I was going to use this weekend. Expecting an old dog barley able to get out of it own way I was presently surprised to see a very lightly use one year old boat. Just then Tom Sergo, the owner of the boat, came up and introduced himself. Everything looked like brand new from sails to extra parts and everything was made available to my use.

Its amazing the respect you get when your hanging out with the world champion and Rolex yachtsmen of the year. After Tom left I looked at Nick “ Great, I said, now I have to worry about what I am going to break” Nick laughed and we pushed the boats over to the crane and splashed the boats. Nick and I are out about a mile offshore catching the last race of practice that day. After the race Nick and I elect to stay out and do some straight line tuning. We had been sailing for about thirty minutes and Nick is circling back to line up next to me when BLAM! . Nick, “ What the hell was that?” I said “ What do you mean what the hell was that, what the hell is a rock doing way in the hell out here”. We return back to the yacht club and on hauling out I find out that I will need a fiberglass guy. Just as we haul the boat out Nick looks over and asked Gene Hinkel if he can help me with my blunder. By half way through the next day Gene had repaired my boat and it looked like new. Nothing better than hanging out with the Yachtsman of the year especially when you have to call the owner of the boat and tell him you just sailed his new boat into a rock. Fortunately, Tom was way cool about it and even let me continue to use his boat.

June 15
1st day racing with wind coming in from the north, over the land, and creating large shifts, with a strong current through out the day. 1st race is blowing 12 to 16 from the north with the swell beginning to build. Big starting line and starting in the middle of the line most of the day, heading to the left side of the course and tacking in the shifts to stay in the middle of the course so you don’t get killed from one side or the other or over stand because of current. I missed the first two big shifts just trying to drive the boat in 16 knots of breeze, trying not to hit anyone and sail. Nick was in third and second most of the race and on the first beat he over stood the weather mark, because of the current, and lost five boats and finished tenth in that race.
2nd race 1st day, wind now up to 17 with puffs to 21. Nick takes off with the top four boats and these guys are in their own league and take a big lead and hold it to the finsh with Nick taking a 4th this race. Way back in the fleet I round 11th after the first beat and while heading down the first run the wind stays around 12 to 15 no problem. Just I approach the leeward gate and pick the right mark of the gate and try to get in on the inside of Peter Wilson we get hit by a 21 knot puff that brings back memories of the old IOR days with the rolling from side to side now just 10 boat lengths from the mark I go in to this HUGE round down and no idea were I will end up. Looking for the weather side to hold on to I some how come out of the roll, flat and flying at the mark and leave Pete about three boat lengths behind and going to the left mark. Somehow I think Pete was just trying to keep out of my way, when I got to the mark I was in fourth place and started on the second beat and again blew it at the end of the beat and rounded 9th and proceeded to lose two boats on the run and had my best finish of 11th in the windiest race. So, I thought the first race was 17th this race was 11th, I should make it to 7th by the third race. I was OK with this.

3rd race I get rolled at the start and tack away and then don’t see a starboard tacker and have to-do a last second tack, go back to the right and someone else tacks on me and I am in the back of the fleet that fast. I round the weather mark after missing a huge shift way way in DFL, dam embarrassing!! And complete the 1st run DFL. On the run I notice these huge 40-degree puffs coming in from the left side of the course. The whole fleet went to the right gate and since I was DFL I was going left. I was the only one out to the left by so far you had to call it something other than a flyer, maybe slingshot position. Yea that’s it sling shot position! During this time Nick has stayed in second place although at the 1st weather mark he had hit the mark and waited to do his circle until after the clearing mark. Nicks closest non-able sailor Bruce Miller was telling Nick he had to have cleared himself before the clearing mark? Nick went down the run holding onto 2nd place and took off to the right side of the course. Nick said, " I was in second when the left started to come in and I was going to wait until it shifted back and the wind just kept going left". Nick rounded 15th and the wind was now blowing around 18knots and we were all wet and cold which made it double for Nick. At this point Nick saw this race as his throw out and retired from the race. Mean while out on the left side of the course for the first time of my life the "Sling Shot” was working. I kept looking under my boom and I was now ahead of everyone in the back of the fleet and as the wind kept going left the next time I looked under the boom I was ahead of everyone other than the top three. I said " Ok time to SHUT UP AND DRIVE" and not going to look under the boom again until one of the top three boats crossed me everyone else was way back and could not even come close to me on starboard. Then it happens, I lose my steering with the foot peddles and go head to wind in 20 knots of wind in these little boats in a HUGE swell spitting salt water like a bilge pump. I was lucky and brought handheld VHF and called for assistants. Betsy came right up and gave me an idea on how to hand steer. Just when I was ready to throw in the towel I figured out how to control the boat and completed the race. Unfortunately I lost the whole fleet again practicing my 360 off to the left for five minutes and held on to my DFL. Came to find out that about five boats had dropped out because the conditions.
So off to West Marine for some 5200 and try to make the repair to the steering system. It looked good for the next day? That night I had a chance to meet everyone who was now at the event and try to wash all the salt water out my mouth. Good times meeting everyone from Canada, Puerto Rico, and around the U.S. Getting washed around in that little bath tub they call a 2.4 meter does work on you and the no-see-ums were coming out big so we elected to head back to the barn early that night.

June 16
Race day 2 three more races that day and Nick had his game face on. The forecast was for light winds out of the west. We had to wait a long bit for the wind to come in and it did from the north again. It filled to about 13 and lumpy. This time the leeward pin was favored and I hit it at full speed and might have crossed the fleet but I was still unsure of the boats and everything I had gone through already so I just stayed on starboard until everyone had tacked. Nick played it safer than me and started about five boats up and like always had great speed. He found a small shift and had been on port a short time and was coming across back on starboard heading back for the left. I was looking under my boom and it was to close for me to cross the starboard boats and I tacked back to the left and was doing just fine with the top of the fleet being just on my weather hip. Just then my steering goes out again and I go spinning out to the left again like a firework, into the hack bucket again. Nick goes on to win the race by a mile; Nick then takes the second race again by a mile. The third race Nick hangs and takes a forth in a dieing breeze and wins the day handily. Back at the dock everyone wants to know how Nick does it. I have seen Nick’s talent before when I was the sailing coach at OCC. The great battles I used to watch between John Pinckney, John Shadden and Nick was some of the best sailing I have ever witnessed. Nick always seeming to have the edge off the wind and proving that he was truly one of best. Watching this fleet of 2.4 with all the past champions, new champions and Americas Cup past winners Nick again is one of the boys and is truly the guy to beat. What world champion isn’t? Although this time Nick is racing for something more!

June 17
Race Day 3 the forecast is very light breeze and we stay ashore until 1:30. This time instead of 5200 I tried epoxy on my steering bloke problems and I lose my steering again on the tow out and am about ready to throw in the towel. About two hours later everyone is towed back to the docks without a race being run this day.

June 18
Race Day 4 The forecast is better this day with the wind being projected at 6-10 out of the west. Nick took a look at my steering system and came up with a fix for the boat. This is after almost the whole fleet came by and gave their opinion on how to fix it the afternoon before. After the first day Nick had placed himself in a big whole and we had missed the extra two races needed for a second throughout. The first race I was on the upper third of the line and was told the current would be keeping us from the starting line. At the start I thought I had hit it perfect and the boat was working. I look up and Nick is crossing the fleet again and I get a very late call I was over early, so I was back in the hack barrel again. The wind was light and after clearing myself I was able to get off to the right and work myself back up to 8 the place and lose 4 boats on the run to the finsh. I still can’t get myself in the top ten. Nick has another great race and again wins by a mile. 2nd race of the day. The wind is now around 12 knots out of the west and Nick and I want the pin. Peter Wilson is on my hip and I am not about to push Nick at the pin end and we all come off the line well. After a short time of straight lining Nick has pinched me off and I am starting to get rolled by Peter Wilson on my hip. Nick and Pete go on to round 1st and 2nd and finsh with Pete getting the win and Nick in 2nd. I again Hack up the last run and lose four boats at the finsh line and get 13th. 3rd race of the day. The wind is dying and is moving to the northwest. This time I have my hopes up because I have a great start at the committee boat and have most of the fleet is ahead but well to leeward of me. Nick takes advantage of a small left shift and crosses. We lose a couple of boats using the current and jibing at the weather mark. Nicks in forth and I am in 7 at this point. Nick goes on and gets 6th and I hack up my last run and drop back to 12.

At the awards everyone is in good sprits and everyone is helping each other place their boats on the trailers and a number of competitors are shipping their boats over to Finland for the up coming worlds the end of July. Going over the race Nick again is surrounded by the competitors and asking him what there should have done here or there on the racecourse that day. Nick places forth in the regatta overall and wonders if he should have pushed the third place person at the starting line harder. He and Peter Wilson were down to the last race and who ever won this race between them would be the US Nat champion.

Observations and lessons learned.

1. Nick is fast and well respected.
2. Its good to hang out with the king.
3. Peter Wilson has found a niche in single-handed one design racing and is the perfect salesman for the fleet.
4. Nothing better than an old fashioned SAILING CLUB!
5. Check the chart out before sailing in new waters
6. Ask the people around the club where to sail and not sail.
7. When sailing a single-handed boat you have to remember to SHUT UP AND DRIVE
8. Betsey Alison is an outstanding coach that works extremely hard and truly cares about what she is doing.
9. When chartering a boat or before any big event you have to go through your boat from stem to stern.
10. Nick Scandone is a class act. He is the perfect ambassador for yachting. You can only wish for a public servant with the same passion, respect, and the support to others. Newport Beach, California, United States of America, the World! Needs Nick Scandone as their representative. This is the perfect opportunity that only comes around once in thirty years, to promote and support the perfect ambassador to the sport of yachting. Don’t get caught in five years wishing you should have helped!

On the Harbor: Catching up with David Beek

By LEN BOSE

Sailing down the harbor the other day, I looked over to the Island Marine Fuel dock on Balboa Island and noticed my good friend David Beek hard at work on a rather hot summer day. The dock was too busy to sail by to say hello, so I picked up the phone the other day to ask for an interview. Before I called Beck, I noticed it had been 14 years since our last interview. Beek agreed to the interview and said he was up every morning at 3:30 a.m., so give him a call. Early for me is 7:30 a.m., so my first question was what are you doing at 3:30 in the morning? “I have a cup of coffee and take a five- to seven-mile walk, three days a week. I work out, then arrive back home around 6:30 a.m. and start my day,” he said.

Beek grew up in Newport Beach, and the fuel dock and ferry were always there as part of the family business. He spent time working on the ferry and helping his dad Seymour Beek on their yacht Vamos over the years. In 1999, he was helping his dad with the start of the Ensenada Race aboard Vamos, when Seymour asked him to start running the fuel dock.

Beek had been working in retail and jumped at the opportunity to bring his full-service ideas down onto the dock. “We want you to leave thinking there is no other choice for fuel in town,” Beek said. “There is no need for you to worry about your dock lines or fenders. We are here to help you in any way we can.” 

What I really wanted to talk about is what you might not know or what you have forgotten. I asked Beek what was the best way to approach the fuel dock, and his answer was simple: “Take your time, take a look at who is in line, and how the strength of the current and wind are going to affect your vessel. Just take your time on your approach.” He was also quick to remind everyone not to let anyone use their legs or hands as fenders. “You won’t believe how many times we see people hang their legs off the side of the boat to try to stop the boat from hitting the dock and end their weekend because of an injury,” Beek shared. Another popular mistake is to come in too fast and have someone jump from the boat, barefoot and land on a cleat. Guess what? The cleat wins!

People should also remember not to smoke on the fuel dock and it’s best to turn your electronics off before you approach the dock. You should remember to have your blower on in your engine room, or have the engine room hatch open, and also inspect your engine room before you leave the dock. People just want exceptional service, good prices, well-merchandised store and the rest takes care of itself. “We are selling basic marine supplies, life jackets, running lights, dock lines, fire extinguishers, boning, the top ten skews,” Beek said.

I asked what type of hazardous materials he can dispose of for the public. Island Marine Fuel is a certified used oil collection center, so, “we can take recreational boaters’ used oil up to a gallon and note you will not get to keep your container,” Beek said.

Next, I asked about sea level rise. “We have not noticed the sea level rise in the harbor since our last talk 14 years ago,” Beek shared. “We had the perfect storm in the early 2000s when a huge storm coming in from the south with 40-50-mile-an-hour winds arrived at the same time as a king tide. That’s the only time I have seen waves coming over the sea wall on the Island; if it was not for the storm that would not have been a problem,” he said.

We talked about harbor traffic. Fourteen years ago, Beek mentioned that there had been an increase in boating traffic. This time his answer was different. “There has been a significant decrease in the last three and a half years because of the rise in fuel costs. People are coming in and putting in 100 gallons; gone are the times when people would say “fill it up.” Now add on the cost to store your boat, insurance and financing…for the most part we have seen a huge decrease in middle-class boating in our harbor,” Beck said.

Then we discussed what he has observed in terms of boating practices. “We don’t see as many perilous boaters as we once have, and this might be because of the boater’s card,” he said. “Boaters are becoming much more aware of driving under the influence. We used to see quite a bit more of them about five or six years back, but you don’t see them anymore. People are just being more aware and safer on the water,” he shared.

To change it up a bit – the Christmas Boat Parade is Beek’s baby, so I asked what was on tap.

“The 118th Christmas Boat Parade is December 18-22, and with Christmas just three days later it normally increases participation because everyone is in town for Christmas and has shifted into the Christmas spirit. We are still working on the parade theme and Grand Marshal with everything shaping up to be a memorable holiday. We just keep our fingers crossed for good weather. God seems to like the Christmas Boat Parade,” Beek said.

Beek and I plan to have lunch together at Arc Butcher & Baker on Tuesday, Aug. 27, then walk down to the 29th Street Public Pier ribbon cutting and the Harbor Department vessel christening at 2 p.m.

I will also be speaking at the Yachtsman Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club with a review of the Newport Harbor Sailing Hall of Fame. Please stop by and say hello!

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: Welcome the Clean Earth Rover

By LEN BOSE

I can’t tell you how often someone will say, “I’m not going to swim in the harbor; that water is disgusting.” My response is “Oh No, No – the water has never been cleaner in my lifetime.” This leads to a long explanation of my observations and opinion of the water quality of the harbor. While on this topic, the city’s Harbor Department has some new equipment arriving to support my observations.

Keep in mind – I am a seat-of-the-pants sailor. When the smart people start talking about water quality and parts per million, my mind goes to the second race of last Thursday night’s race and how I gave up the lead on the second weather beat by not staying between the weather mark and my competition. What I do notice is that when I look down into the water I can see the bottom more often than in the past. When I push off from my slip, I notice much more eelgrass than I ever have.

 Now for all the people like me who like to keep it simple and understand who the smart people are in town who know how to interpret the information, and make quick decisions on how to solve unforeseen problems. My smart person is our Harbormaster Paul Blank, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn during a Yachtsman Luncheon that Blank had taken classes in college on water quality and has a strong understanding of the lingo. Blank also has some new tools to help him monitor our harbor’s water quality. There are two Data Pods that have been placed in the harbor – one in Marina Park and the other in the anchorage off the end of Lido Isle. Note that this pod is stationed right where the proposed CAD collection area will be. The builder of these pods is Clean Earth Rovers; you can look them up for more information. These pods provide real-time diagnostic data to Blank every 15 minutes, so when pollution is detected action can be taken quickly. There is an artificial intelligence program named Gillian that helps Blank analyze raw data when there is a spill and how to manage it. This is some really cool stuff!

Next, you will notice two new “Roombas for the Harbor” officially called Rovers. These Rovers can get into the difficult areas of the harbor that can’t be reached by people with pool nets. These Rovers can travel 5 miles an hour, have 20 hours of battery life at cruising speed, and collect 100 gallons of debris including physical and chemical contaminants, oil, trash, algae, and more. There are many areas of the harbor with stagnant water flow that these tools are designed for.

Our harbor will soon be christening two new VITA Seal patrol boats; they’re not just for chasing seals off boats and docks. Seal patrol boats are a model name for VITA electric boats.

“We will be the first public agency in the U.S. to have an all-electric workboat. It seems fitting that we should be the first given the heritage and history of electric boats here in Newport Harbor, said Blank. “Through a voucher grant, the California Air Resources Board is paying for about half of it. We expect there to be environmental benefits associated with the use of the vessel including zero emissions and reduced hazards associated with refueling.”

Along with the new patrol boats, there will be a new charging station at Marina Park. “While it would be ideal if the charging station were in place before the vessel gets here, we’ll still be okay if it doesn’t,” said Blank. “There is a power pedestal already on the dock where the boat will berth and we can use it to charge overnight. On standard 50A electrical service, the charge time is expected to be six hours for the 126 kWh batteries. With the AQUA Superpower charger, that should be reduced to 56 minutes,” he said.

At this time, the christening of the new patrol boats is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. in conjunction with the ribbon cutting for the new public dock at 29th Street.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: 88th Flight of Newport

Photo by Tom Walker

By LEN BOSE

This week was the 88th Flight of Newport Beach, which is a sailboat race around the harbor in the middle of a summer weekend. Not only are the skippers challenged with the competition but there are many obstacles on the course.The Flight of Newport Beach has a long history with a tradition of bringing out our harbor’s best along with everyone else who wants to be a part of our harbor’s history. The Harbor 20 fleet had 40 boats entered this year, which allows the sailor to catch up with all their friends that they haven’t crossed tacks with this year. I had a chance to see my friends and say hello to Mary Bacon, Brett Hemphill, Gator Cook, Charlie Boukather, Brad Wheeler, Matt Campbell, and Kari and Peter Bretschger, along with so many others. Going through the different fleets while waiting for the starting sequence left me with a peaceful feeling inside.

Then the starting sequence begins and everyone must put on their game faces while coming up with a game plan to get away from the starting line and out of the crowd. This race is won and lost at the start if you are fortunate enough to be in the top 10 to break away from the pack. If you get swallowed up by the crowd then you might as well open up that cold beverage, and if you don’t drink…it can become a very long race. Should you be fortunate to be within the top 10 off the starting line, a huge sigh of release overcomes you.

Now you have to travel through the harbor while looking forward to the hazards and behind you, not to be overtaken by the pack. While heading forward, look for people enjoying the summer day – this can be anything from a 100-ft. boat to a standup paddleboard. If you have been on the harbor long enough, you can recognize who is in a rental boat. Rental boats can be challenging because you never know when they might do a “Crazy Ivan” to port or starboard.

On the racecourse while sailing upwind in the Lido Channel, you can fall behind your closest competitor and sail into their disturbed air, forcing you to sail an extra distance or on the wrong tack. Another challenging area on the racecourse is close to the finish as you reach the end of the Balboa Peninsula, sailing towards channel marker number 6 where the wind gets very challenging. I have seen huge leads evaporate quickly here.

This year was a good year for me, as I was sparring with my good friend Justin Law on the first half of the course for fourth place. I lost fifth place to Argyle Campbell while sailing up the Lido Channel, but I was still fighting for inside room around channel marker 6 with Campbell. Sailing in the same ZIP Code as these two leaves a huge boost to your ego. The three of us finished about one minute behind the Bissell Family finishing in third, with John Bubb in second and Alex Curtiss placing his name on the perpetual trophy again.

I am very pleased with my finish, although there is another part of me that feels next year I should throw my competitive edge overboard and bring the family, including the dog and some rosé, and just breathe while enjoying the summer day like my friend Brad Wheeler did.

• • •

An observation from this past month: Did you know that people in the rental boats are not insured and the odds are pretty good that they have no idea that if they run into the side of your boat and do substantial damage they pay for the damage? The rental company’s insurance policy does not cover renters. Talking to Craig Chamberlain of NOVMAR Marine Insurance, I found out this is a problem across the country. In Florida, this has become a big problem, so the state now requires the rental companies to offer additional insurance to their renters, very similar to a car rental. Chamberlain also informed me that there is an underwriter that offers a new program, and it only takes a couple of minutes to enroll. I brought this observation forward to the powers that be, and I am hoping action will be taken fairly quickly.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: The Flight of Newport First Published in July 2020

By LEN BOSE

Sunday, July 17 was the start of the 85th Flight of Newport Beach. I am sure there are many readers who remember this race as the Flight of the Lasers, Kites or Snowbirds over the years.

Five years ago, I interviewed Seymour Beek, who referred to the race as “The Flight,” because over the years, the race has been sailed in the Snowbirds from 1948 to 1970, Kites 1972 to 1973 and now Lasers from 1975 to the present. The Laser also happens to be an Olympic-class boat. Over the last four years, the Harbor 20 fleet has joined the Lasers to compete in separate classes for the Flight of Newport Beach.

In 1954, Tom O’Keefe won The Flight and I had a chance to talk to him over the phone. “At that time, The Flight was the largest one-design race in the world. I recall once I got into the lead, there was a newsreel boat filming the race and it later played in the theaters. I also remember all the powerboats in the bay blowing their horns at the finish line when I won the race. It was a big deal at that time,” O’Keefe said.

Joysailing .com

He also recalled a story about a competitor whose boat did not measure into the rules and this person had won several different regattas that summer. There was someone who took offense to this competitor and swam from Balboa Island and tipped the boat over just before the start of the race. O’Keefe remembers the harbor department following the swimmer back to the beach he had come from. “I still have the silver-plated bowl I won as the take-home trophy that year. I will always remember all those boats,” O’Keefe said.

This year, I checked in with Alex Curtiss who had just won his third consecutive Flight. Over the last two years, Curtiss has won the H20 Flight, and the year preceding that, he won the Laser Flight – one of only two people who have won both classes. Curtiss has sailed with Robert Kinney in both of his H20 victories and shared his race with me. “After a slow start, we round the first mark in 8th place, then while sailing up the Lido Channel towards Z mark we made our gains and took the lead. The top three boats round the last mark very close together. It was Jungle Ball all the way to the finish,” Curtiss said. Brian Bissell had rounded the last mark in second followed closely by Jon Pinckney. The term Jungle Ball means throwing the lead around in any direction with the wind shifting to the left. Team Curtiss/Kinney took the checkered flag while Team Pinkney finished in second and team Bissell placed third.

Team Curtiss/Kinney

Five years ago I talked with Jon Pickney, who has won The Flight more than anyone else with seven wins. He is now up to eight Flight wins by winning the first Harbor 20 flight in 2017. Since he only finished in second this year, by a couple of boat lengths, I thought it would interesting to talk to his son, Morgan Pickney, who at the age of 15 had just won his first Flight of Newport, sailing a Laser. Morgan had a difficult start and felt he was in 15th place coming off the starting line. Keeping his composure and reviewing his observations, he continued on a port tack after mark “1” heading toward Bayshores. “I had noticed the marine layer had been burning off and expected the right shift to be coming in sometime soon. As predicted, the shift came at the opportune time for me and I took the lead going to the second mark of the race,” Morgan said.

I enjoyed talking to Morgan because the amount of information he described while sailing the course was intriguing. Another thing that I appreciated was he expressed an interest in all the names on the trophy and truly took in the history of The Flight of Newport. With my awareness decreasing with age, the task of finishing ahead of any of the Pickneys seems to be a difficult task.

Buddy Richley

I also had a chance to talk with Buddy Richley who finished second in this year’s Lasers fleet. “I had a good start that went as planned, maybe too good. I rounded the first mark with a good lead and decided to cover who was in second place and tacked onto starboard shortly after rounding the first mark. As I approached the NHYC moorings and tacked onto port, there was some kid hooked into this huge right shift and was gone. While working my way up towards Z mark there were a couple of left shifts, so I thought I had a chance to regain the lead, yet I still had to fight to keep my second place with the competitor behind me. Downwind the kid sailed away...it’s good to be young,” Richley said. I then told Richley that was a Pickney and he replied, “Pickney, that figures!” I could hear his sigh through the phone, “You mean Morgan Pickney?” Richley has placed 2nd twice in the Flight and 3rd and 5th over the years. He then asked me if I knew of any good H20s for sale.

With the Flight of Newport now completed, it appears we are on the final leg of summer sailing and I am extraordinarily appreciative of our harbor and how we all can still compete and abide by practicing proper social distancing.

Sea ya!

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: BCYC’s Junior Sailors

 (L-R) Front row: Emerson Shoemaker, Will Metzger and Tavin Beattie; Back row: Coach Mark Gaudio, Mesa Uliasz and Preston Decker

BY Len Bose

I had a chance last week to check in with several Junior Sailors from the BCYC sailing program. I’m not going to lie – each one of the sailors reminded me what I had forgotten and what I should be doing to improve my sailing performance.

Here are five quick interviews with some of the harbor’s newest yachtsmen.

Emerson Shoemaker – 13 years old

She has been with the BCYC program for six years, has owned two sabots, and is the first of her family to sail. She was introduced to sailing through family and friends. Shoemaker sails all year round and is also sailing in high school. She sails a Corsair sabot, whose name is Leeward Passage, with the same colors as Windward Passage. Before racing, she goes over her boat the night before removing any water and adding her weight to meet the boat class minimum weight rules.

“I am lucky enough to have some very nice Gresham (Marine) boards, and I like to keep them pristine and proper,” Shoemaker said. I asked her what she thinks about in the pre-start. “It’s pretty simple. I find it difficult to keep a long list in my head, so I check the angles off the starting line looking for the favored end, understand the time to sail the line, and try to get three or four pieces of information, so I am not going in completely clueless at the start.”

Mesa Uliasz – 13 years old

He has been in the program for eight years. “At 5 years old, my parents enrolled me into the Starfish program and I really liked it after a couple of seasons. My parents purchased a Phoenix sabot for me – sail number 9479.” I asked Uliasz how he comes up with a game plan. “I’m looking for pressure and looking for low-density areas on the racecourse. If I am sailing off of Lido, I’ll sail into a header a little longer to get into the Lido lift. With the dredging barge on the Lido corner, it gets a little light in there, so you don’t want to get too close. When sailing through the “bottleneck,” you do have to keep a heads up for the lefty coming through,” Uliasz said.

While sailing into the leeward gates my question to Uliasz was: “You are in second place, the first-place boat has a good lead on you with third place and fourth place within striking distance. It appears that the lead boat has chosen the favored mark, so what do you do?

“I’ll normally follow the leader because they are in phase, and I don’t want to gamble away my second place. Now if third and fourth place is well behind me I will consider the opposite gate the leader took, just in case a lucky shift comes through.”

Preston Decker – 13 years old

He has been in the BCYC program for four years and has a Corsair sabot, which he inherited from his older brother. “It’s one of the best sabots in the bay – it weighs 95 pounds,” Decker said. I asked how he got interested in sailing. “Mainly my brothers; I did not like sailing, to begin with, but I began to like it better just like my brothers did. Both of my brothers are world-class sailors.”

I then asked how he prepares for the start of the race and what goes through his head after the start. “Before the start, I look to decide which end of the starting line is favored, so I round the committee boat and then round the leeward end – whichever side I find has the best angle. I am always looking for a spot with a ton of space so I have room to accelerate. I like the port tack approach, looking for that space to start in. If my starting plan doesn’t work out, I tack looking for a lane to get back into phase with the wind. At the same time, I am working toward the favored side of the course.”

I next asked when he is rounding the weather mark and has the lead, what are his thoughts at this time. “When I am leading at the weather mark I can get rather stressed out and I have a tendency to over trim my sail which is a problem for me. I do my best to stay focused, not to mess up.” I asked the same question about rounding the leeward gates as I asked Uliasz. “I normally go to the opposite gate so that the leader can’t tack on me. I’m always looking for clean air.” My last question was what was he going to sail next. “I plan on sailing FJs and 420s like my brothers after I grow out of a sabot,” Decker said.

Will Metzger – 13 years old

He has been sailing in the program for three years. “My parents found the BCYC program during COVID because there was nothing else for us to do. I have a Corsair sabot, my third boat. I got it when I was a B sailor and the day I got it I moved up to As.” I asked Metzger how he preps for race days. “I like to sunscreen up, because I sunburn easily. I try to stay calm because once I am out there I don’t think, I don’t feel any pain I just kind of race. I try to remain calm because I do get nervous.” Then I asked if he ever feels like some days he has the mojo and when he doesn’t feel it what does he. “Most of the time I don’t feel it. I’m kind of in the middle. There are times when I feel I have it and there are times when I haven’t done that well in the previous regatta. But most of the time I feel like I am in the middle. I do tell myself that I am fast – I’m fast which builds my mojo up.”

I then asked Metzger about sailing in the five-point area of the harbor, and what are some of his do’s and don’ts. “Stay out of the moorings. That is like the number one rule, if you are starting in the south/west side of the harbor you want to start in the middle of the line and lead to the right. That Lido lift is crazy; you can gain another five to 10 degrees and lay the mark – it’s pretty good.” I asked about the current in that part of the harbor. “We do take current into consideration. I will luff my boat into the wind and see which way I am drifting,” Metzger said.

Tavin Beattie – 11 years old

He has been in BCYC program for five years with one of his younger brothers in the Starfish program. My first question was how does he came up with his game plan for the day as he looked up the course. “It’s important to look at the land and how it is shaped because the wind curves it. This creates the wind headers and lifts, and you want to sail in the lifts.” I then asked if he had a checklist for the day’s racing. “Making sure my weights are in the boat, paddle and bailer are tied down and I have my lifejacket on. If the wind is blowing eight knots you want to pull in the outhaul and make sure you have the foot of the sail a hand length from the boom,” Beattie said.

I then asked what his procedure is after rounding the weather mark. “Most of the kids like lifting up their leeboards to reduce drag. I feel jumping up to the front of the boat and rocking the boat slows the boat down.”

I asked Beattie after rounding the weather mark what he is looking at to decide if he wants to jibe or not. “Usually it’s decided on what the other racers jibe on. I want to sail on the jibe that takes you to the leeward side of the course.

Every time I do these interviews it makes me want to go sailing with these thoughts fresh in my mind. I should have written this story on Friday night rather than Sunday afternoon because I got beat up this Saturday sailing one of my RC boats. I think I will re-read this story before Taco Tuesday at BCYC this week.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: An interview with a storyteller

                                                                            

                

                                                           By LEN BOSE

I keep my Harbor 20 right next to where Jim Warmington Sr.’s home is, which is very close to the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Over the last couple of years, I’ve said hello coming and going from my boat, with Warmington always giving me a very warm greeting and asking, “How was your sail today?” I always felt he really was interested in how the day’s racing went.

All of Warmington’s yachts are second to none; I’m always admiring them each time I travel by. While I was walking by one time it hit me – I needed to pick up the phone and ask Warmington for an interview. I wanted to learn about all his different boats, cruises, races and who he has sailed with over the years.

Warmington has named one of his yachts Shanakee III, which is defined as an Irish storyteller. And what an adventure he has to share!

Warmington was born in Los Angeles, and at the age of 13 his family moved to Newport Beach. The family would spend the summers at his grandfather’s beach house here. At the age of 8, Warmington crewed for Nancy Corkett on her Snowbird. When he was 10 years old, Santa left a Snowbird under the tree with Warmington sailing it for the next five years. He did quite well competitively, finishing a Flight of the Snowbirds in the top four one year, while always staying in the top 10. He won the “Gold S,” which means he won the class championships, which led him to win a couple of High Point trophies.

I asked him who were some of his top competitors, and he was quick to reply Burke Sawyer, Tom Frost and Craig Cadwalader. While participating on the USC sailing team, the team won the Pacific Coast Championships sailing Metcalf dinghies. The team also participated in the Kennedy Cup back in Annapolis at the Naval Academy, where the team made the podium. Warmington started sailing keelboats at the age of 17 aboard his father’s schooner, Nellie Bly.

“My father had entered the Ensenada Race and purchased a secondhand spinnaker,” said Warmington. “We won our class that year, and oh my gosh that was the happiest I had ever seen my dad.” That same year, he and his father Ed were invited aboard the 83-ft. schooner Sea Drifter, owned by Lyman Farwell with Tom Corkett aboard and 15 other crew members. “That was a big highlight for me at the time,” Warmington said.

“In 1960, my father had an L36 built in Costa Mesa that was our first new boat; we raced this boat a lot. Our family preferred going to Catalina most weekends; we always spent 10 days cruising around Catalina with two other families. We would stop in Avalon and the Isthmus to get ice. No showers. It was not the same as today with all the nice stuff we have on boats. But it was pretty great.”

He and his wife Vicki sailed snipes together for many years. “My first racing keelboat was a one-ton that was 35 ft. requiring a complete refit; from then on I did a lot of building, refurbishing and trading boats. I loved the racing and the cruising, but the projects were really important to me,” Warmington said.

Warmington started building custom boats, and one of his favorites was a motorsailer from Palmer Johnson that the family did some extensive cruising on. “I’ve always loved meeting with different naval architects designing boats, doing the tank testing, sitting down with the builders and going to the different boat yards. I’ve been to so many yards. I have only built a few of them (boats), but I have loved the process,” Warmington said.

Today, Warmington has a boat he had built by Nordlund Yachts –Shanakee III – which he refers to as a great big old playpen for family in Catalina and cruising in different areas. I call it a work of art; it has been my favorite power boat in the harbor for years.

Warmington also happens to own my favorite sailboat in the harbor named Teal, a 42-ft. daysailer built by Hinckley Yachts. “This is my favorite boat; everything is electric which allows me to run the boat from the cockpit, which makes it pretty easy to sail the boat short-handed,” Warmington said.

About 15 years ago, Warmington purchased an expedition boat with the idea that if he and the family were to go cruising he better get started. From day one, the boat has been enroute to the world’s best cruising grounds with stops in Alaska, Panama, Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Bermuda, Halifax, Maine, the East Coast, Galapagos and the South Pacific.

I asked where his favorite places in the world were to cruise. “The Adriatic Sea. The trip from Dubrovnik to Venice has hundreds of islands. This area is super awesome for cruising. The people are great, they speak English, the food is great, it’s wonderful for cruising – it’s the best.” For the sunny areas, cruising to the San Blas Islands are to die for. There are a couple hundred islands. It’s just a wonderful place,” Warmington said.

My next question was what was his most memorable race. The two TransPac races aboard a Swan 57 named Tigers and the 76-ft. Pedrick Shanakee II, with the crew John Cotton, Gary Hill, LJ Edgecomb, Carson Jefferson, Brad Avery, Robbie Vaughn, Grant Edgewater, Tad Springer and Ron Merickel. It was so fun – it’s the guys that made the trip. Those two boats were super seaworthy and great to be on. The guys were the best,” he said.

I then asked him to describe the perfect day in Catalina. “Having a couple of the grandkids and their parents over there with us, swimming, snorkeling, a BBQ on the beach on Moonstone, and hanging out together with my wife and me. That is perfect,” Warmington said. “My dad said on his last trip to Catalina there is no reason to go up there (heaven), because this is heaven right here. I kind of feel the same way. I have been to a lot of wonderful places and feel Catalina is tops; it’s the best,” he said.

With all this sea time, I asked if he could recall a time at sea when he was most challenged by the conditions or a situation? “My first TransPac race was very rough, but I was on a big boat; it got my attention. I had one race on my one-ton on the back side of Catalina; it was very stormy on my new boat. We did fine, but we had to be very careful. I also made sure we always had good crew aboard,” Warmington said.

My last question was to share his words of advice on being a proper yachtsman. “Being knowledgeable about boats and respectful to the sea is super important; always be safety conscious – update your inflatable life rafts, have the proper life jackets and be super cognitive of how to properly run a yacht,” he said.

Now that’s a story I can listen to again and again. Jim – I’m just minutes away if you need any crew for a daysail aboard Teal.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: Checking out the shipyards

By LEN BOSE

On your marks, get set…it feels like we are in that long pause before Go – summer is here. Twilight sailing has started, and the yacht clubs’ opening days have passed, while everyone is still stuck at the starting gate. I took a quick walk through our shipyards this week just to get a pulse on the harbor.

I started at Newport Harbor Shipyard and as always the big boats grabbed my eye, when I noticed the large blue stern of a sailboat sticking out of the paint tent. I could still make out the previous name of the boat – Chessie Racing. She was designed by Bill Tripp to be daysailed with a small crew along with the performance for occasional distance races. She is 62 feet overall with a draft of 13’4,” and yes she has the ability to reduce her draft to 7’8” to enter our harbor.

Everything about this boat illustrates perfection with teak decks, carbon hull, huge sail plan with boom furling main, hydraulic and electrical systems that provide push-button power to every winch, and sail control. She is rumored to be owned by a member of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. What a sight when this boat lines up with Hasso Plattner’s Reichel/Pugh 68’ Claude during Long Point Race Week. After standing there looking at her, I finally awoke and continued my walk through the yard. Maybe because it was a Monday morning the activity looked a little light for this time of year.

 Looking across the harbor over at Balboa Shipyard and South Coast again looked slow, so I got back in my car and headed over to Basin Marine Shipyard. While driving down PCH, I glanced over at Larson Shipyard with no activity at all. They must be in transition into new management, or they are coming up with using that property differently. The Duffy boatyard is next and as expected, busy as always. If you need a quick haul out for a simple fix or inspection, keep the Duffy yard in mind, as their travel lift can lift up to most 55-ft. boats. Arriving at Basin Marine Shipyard there is a boat there I would guess is a Jarvis/Newman 42, some type of lobster boat that has been going through a complete restoration. She is leaning toward fishing, and she is sweet!

Looking out at the harbor, I noticed the new Grand Banks/Eastbay 44 leaving the boatyard. This new line has been out for more than five years, and I am now just noticing it. She is designed by Ray Hunt which is why I had a double-take. The recent Hunt designs are perfect for our use in Catalina. If I am ever so fortunate to own this boat I would have to name it Dream On.

Another all-time favorite yacht of mine is the 65’ Halmatic Silver Oak, which traded hands at the end of April. She is now berthed in a private slip near the turning basin. I’m very pleased to see that she is staying in our harbor.

My feel-good moment came after holding my own in the NHYC summer Twilights on Thursday night (May 23), sailing my Harbor 20. While pulling up to the bar in the Pirates Den at NHYC, David Team came up and offered to buy me a drink, and after a short while, his wife Kyle came up and I introduced myself. Kyle said, “Oh Len Bose from Stu News Newport – I look forward to your articles as I’m a big fan.” Nothing like a pretty lady giving you a compliment to end your day. Thank you again for the cocktails Dave; that was very kind of you and the next two rounds are on me.

Well, I am off to Foster City for the IOM (remote control boats) Nationals. I will be getting my nose rubbed into it, yet it always comes down to tiller time. Please wish me luck, as will need it.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.