2
Various classes tune up for racing against a backdrop of cargo ships parked offshore in dock labor dispute

Sailors from Alamitos Bay and Mission Bay Yacht Clubs beat the rain and keen competition Sunday to complete their sweeps in ABYC’s portion of the Southern California Yachting Association’s 86th Midwinter Regatta.

ABYC’s winning skippers: Chuck Tripp in Laser Masters, Jay Golison in Viper 640s, Chris Raab in the Lido A class and Bill Moore in Lido B.

Mission Bay: Matt Struble and Stephen Strobel in the multihull classes, A-Class and F-18, respectively; Stu Robertson in Cal 20s and Gary Lee in 5-0-0 skiffs

Altogether, 71 boats in eight classes sailed against the gloom threat of wet weather drifting across the channel from Santa Catalina Island and the flotilla of cargo ships from around the world anchored in frustration on the outskirts of the race course pending relief of a dock labor dispute.

But regatta chairman Steve Smith’s race committee got the last round of three races going on time at noon and off the water by early mid-afternoon, beating the rainclouds by about two hours.

Raab, who had Scott McKeiver as crew, said his only disappointment was that Bruce Golison, who led the Lido A class after winning four of five races Saturday, didn’t race Sunday because of a bad cold.

“It would have been a battle,” Raab said. “I couldn’t keep up with him. I’ve never seen him sail better.”

Another rival, Mark Ryan, a class national champion from Leeway Sailing Club, was unable to race Saturday but showed up Sunday to win the two races that Raab didn’t and post a string of 1-1-2-4 finishes, one point better than Raab’s day.

As for San Diego’s contingent from Mission Bay YC, Struble and Stroebel each won all seven of his races, Struble as a singlehander and Stroebel with Matt Morris as crew.

Tripp again outsailed his competition to win by a net seven points over Bill Symes, a Grand Master from Willamette Sailing Club who was far enough past age 35 that he owed no handicap. Tripp, only 59, owed one point each race.

Jay Golison, with Steve Flam and ABYC Commodore Chuck Clay as crew, defended the SCYA title he won when the Vipers raced at Marina del Rey last year.

ABYC was among a couple of dozen clubs from Ventura to San Diego that hosted more than a hundred classes from dinghies to ocean racers, including multihulls.

Information from ABYC press release

ABYC & MBYC Divide MidWinter Pie
Tagged on: