FEATURED REGATTAS: October 1, 2008
Guck Goes Fast in the Breeze By Lynn Fitzpatrick Santa Cruz, CA, October 1 – Lars Guck continued to pull away from the fleet at the A-Cat North Americans hosted by Santa Cruz Yacht Club. Guck posted a 1, 1 in today’s two races. Pete Melvin sailed a consistent 3, 3 and Phil Kinder and James Spithill slipped in between Guck and Melvin to cop a second in Race 4 and Race 5, respectively. It was another sunny fall day in Santa Cruz, but today’s breeze was a lot more thrilling for spectators and racers. The breeze piped up during the first 1.5-mile beat of the second race so that by the time the fleet popped out from the protected area below the bluff they were in 20-25 knot winds with gusts up to 28. Some overstood the weather mark and reached out of control into the mark. “It was like riding a bucking bronco in those conditions,” said Melvin. Bearing away for the offset or heading downwind in the 4-5-foot waves and swells proved to be the undoing of many. Some people got washed off their boats, others pitch-poled and still others broke shrouds and masts. With people separated from their boats and watching the boats sail off by themselves, with the trampoline as the sail, the race committee shortened course and finished the fleet at the bottom of the run. The day may have been short on the water, but there was a lot of work being done in the boatyard during the late afternoon. Unofficially, nine of the 28-boat fleet were scored DNF and the committee will hear requests for redress on Thursday morning. Newcomers to the A-Cats (but not multihulls) who seem to be getting the hang of things – Enrique Figueroa, of Puerto Rico who sailed a 9, 4 for the day and James Spithill with AUS on his sail and a Valencia address, who posted a 7, 2 amidst the carnage on the course. Provisional Results following 5 Races and no discards. 1. Lars Guck – 6 2. Pete Melvin – 11 3. Phil Kinder – 20 4. Ben Hall – 41 5. Paul Allen – 46 6. Woody Cope – 46 7. Enrique Figueroa – 48 8. Pease Glaser – 50 9. James Spithill – 52 10. Ken Marshack 55