On a perfect day for racing in San Diego, multiple champions were crowned at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series stop, with the ORC winner taking the big prize.
The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series San Diego finished just as it started—with brilliant sunshine and a building sea breeze, conditions that local sailors expect this time of year. The ideal racing conditions also allowed the race committees of San Diego and Coronado yacht clubs to complete a full set of races over the three-day regatta.
For Eduardo Saenz and his teammates on Nimbus, the three-race final day gave them an opportunity to put up a few more top finishes and win their regatta by a considerable 12-point margin over Jeff Janov’s Minor Threat. For Saenz and his teammates from Mexico City, Mexico, the key was working the wind shifts and, of course, staying out of trouble.
Second Wind may be just the perfect name possible for the La Dow family Etchells. Back in his heyday at San Diego YC, father Andy was a standout sailor, particularly in the local Etchells fleet, and always a top finisher in the big fleets of years past, including three class wins in the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in San Diego. While dad was excelling in the elegant and cranky keelboat, his two sons, Jake and Will, were doing the same in the Sabots, and then 420s and onward to college where they too had standout careers.
Distance ocean races come in all different shapes and sizes. There’s a point where it goes from an event you can grit your teeth and battle through, to a length of time on the boat where you need to establish a flow for the on/off watch periods and cycle of racing day and night. The average time on the course in this year’s Puerto Vallarta Race was 5 days, 2 hours, which needs that flow to succeed.
Stan Fleming, J/125 Nereid, shared why the race to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico needs a different mentality than shorter races.
“What you’re trying to do is get to an equilibrium…a balance between performance and self care. Once you get into that equilibrium, you can sail as long as you want. In this race, at San Cedros on about the third day, for the evening then night watches, I got to do exactly the same thing regardless, and I lost that conventional vision of time. That’s kind of a good feeling when offshore. The Cabo Race is barely enough time to get in that flow. But this race was really a long distance race… you have to get into that equilibrium. That’s where experience is key, being able to manage yourself.”
If Friday’s summary word-of-the race was “angles”, Saturday’s words are “VMC or Velocity Made on Course.” Watching the Thursday Class 6 boats beat their way out of San Diego Bay in a southerly wind was a tough way to start a distance race. At 0800 Roll Call Saturday, they were generally passing San Carlos/Turtle Bay. By contrast, the Friday Class 5, 4, and 3 boats got a nice westerly breeze that built through the evening and allowed them to fast reach directly toward the finish 1050nm away. Their 0800 boat positions are less than 100nm astern, about parallel to Guadalupe Island. Watching the YB Tracker, you can see the dramatic difference in course choices. By 0400 or 0500, the Friday boats started to gybe back toward the Baja coast and stay closer to the rhumbline, the most direct course to the finish.
San Diego Yacht Club’s race to Puerto Vallarta, Day 1 is in the books for Class 6 (Thursday start) and to sum up their race so far: angles. Twenty hours into their 2022 Puerto Vallarta Race at the 0800 morning, email check-in had the three Class 6 boats 120-135 miles down the course. White Cloud and Envolee were within a half mile of each other having morning coffee (or their equivalent). Such Fast stands only a few miles behind the other two in terms of distance to finish, but in a more offshore position. Clearly different pages from the Mexico Race play book.
Nathalie Criou, Envolee skipper:
“Awesome sailing last night - 17 to 20 knots of breeze which has turned into s**t about a hundred miles from Cedros. Battling it out with White Cloud but we’ve lost track of Such Fast. Team morale is good and we are all rested as the weather tests our patience."
The 2022 Puerto Vallarta Race hosted by San Diego Yacht Club is the 36th running of the biennial yacht race from San Diego to the Mexican mainland. The previous edition in March 2020 took place in the last waning days prior to the wide-scale Covid 19 shutdown in the US, which literally broke while the competitors were racing to Puerto Vallarta. Two years later, a strong fleet of 30 boats set sail on the 1000nm course, some as their first distance race of the last two years.
Teams drawing mostly from the US west coast, but as far as Australia, are looking forward to the competition of this race, but also the picturesque, springtime destination of Puerto Vallarta. Those from the colder climates in Northern California and Washington see this race as the perfect winter getaway with temperatures in the 80s awaiting in Puerto Vallarta.
The Etchells West Coast Spring Series kicked off this weekend with the Pacific Coast Championship, the first of four regattas in the Series. Tom Carruthers team set the standard for the Series, finishing 1st with 20 points, 4 points over 2nd place Chris Busch. In third, Jim Cunningham finished with 27 points.
1st Place: Tom Carruthers, Bill Hardesty, Jeff Reynolds
2nd Place: Chris Busch, Ben Mitchell, Patrick Powell
3rd Place: Jim Cunningham, Steve Hunt, Erik Shampain, Serena Village
1st Corinthian: Will La Dow, Andy La Dow, Parker Shinn, Jonah Wozniak
Typically sailed on the Pacific Ocean course, day one of the PCC’s was relocated to South San Diego Bay, due to an elevated sea state. In South San Diego Bay, sailors raced in 20+ knots, unique conditions for San Diego. On day two, the final day of the regatta, the fleet was towed out to their originally assigned course in the Pacific. Today’s ocean course saw more traditional San Diego weather with lighter winds and swells.
Built on tradition, camaraderie and competitive sailing, San Diego Yacht Club is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its signature regatta, the Yachting Cup, on April 29 - May 1, 2022. Compiled of competitive buoy racing and random leg racing for a variety of classes, the Yachting Cup encompasses an aspect of sailing that is cherished in the community: inclusion and a love for the water. Over 50 years, the Yachting Cup has evolved into a great weekend of high-profile racing for those with a passion for the sport of sailing.
The 2022 Islands Race, co-hosted by San Diego Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club, has been a known for a decade as the start to the offshore sailing season. The 142 nautical mile race around Catalina and San Clemente Islands featured 42 boats this year — the biggest turn out in its 13 year history. One boat in particular, Pyewacket 70, showed up ready to prove their preparation for the race is on point, and the set the pace for their offshore season.
The 2022 West Coast Offshore Racing Season kicks off with the 142nm race from Point Fermin, around Catalina and San Clemente Islands to the finish in San Diego February 25-26. Co-hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht Club, the 13th edition of this annual race sets a new record with 42 entries competing in 6 ORR classes, 1 ORR-ez class, and a single multihull entry.
After a Zoom competitors meeting reaching sailors both on shore and on their boats on the way to the start line, Newport Harbor Yacht Club unveils their new Race Committee boat led by PRO Scott Mason. Starts are scheduled every 10 minutes fom 12:30 to 13:20 for the 8 classes racing.
Follow the live race tracker at https://yb.tl/ir2022, with updates every 15 minutes.