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July 21,
2007
Morning Light-Samba Pa
Ti: match race in the Pacific
HONOLULU---All
this year Roy E. Disney's young Morning Light sailors have been trained
not only how to race their
Transpac 52 in the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii but how to
prepare it and, if necessary, repair it as well. The only thing they
weren't trained for was what they've found themselves in the last couple
of days: a match race way out there in the Pacific
Ocean.
"I have heard people
talk about sailing side by side other boats in the middle of the
Transpac," messaged Piet van Os, who is co-navigator with Chris Branning,
"but I never imagined match racing Samba Pa Ti."
At times the two
boats have been as close as three boat lengths apart, otherwise alone in
the vastness of the largest ocean, an unlikely bout between Morning
Light's ocean-racing rookies and John Kilroy's partly professional team
on Samba Pa Ti, also a TP52.
Meanwhile, Disney, ashore in Honolulu, also was tracking the other
unfolding drama of Pyewacket chasing down the only six boats still in
front of his
94-foot super boat. All started three to six days earlier, and Pyewacket
is virtually assured of the Barn Door for the fastest elapsed time. But
finishing first, regardless of a head start, rates high in bragging
rights in the beachfront bars along Waikiki.
The latest ETAs said
that Pyewacket, with Disney's son Roy Pat Disney and Gregg Hedrick as
co-skippers, would finish sometime
after sunup Sunday, but it may not be alone. Shortly after Saturday
morning's roll call position reports, calculations placed it 36.9 hours
from the finish.
Chip Megeath's
Kokopelli 2, a Santa Cruz
52 from Tiburon, Calif., was nearer the finish than any of
the 69 boats still racing---four have dropped out---with 392 nautical
miles to go, 34.4 hours out. Tom Garnier's Reinrag2, a J/125, was 454
miles and 38.8 hours out.
Reinrag2, first in
Division 4, remains the leader for first place overall on corrected
handicap time. Only three boats, all in Division 1, surpassed its
24-hour run of 273 nautical miles in the latest report. Pyewacket did
344.
Pyewacket, reported
to be sailing at 19.2 knots later Saturday morning, was expected to pass
the other four boats well before the finish, but Kokopelli 2 and
Reinrag2 could be close.
Morning Light, with
a crew ages 18 to 23, had its own hands full.
Van Os, 23, of
La Jolla, Calif., and a
senior at the California
Maritime
Academy in Vallejo, said, "All the training in the past
six months is all coming together as we race neck and neck with one of
the best TP52 teams in the race. I have always wanted to race Transpac
since I was very young and heard the stories of my grandfather winning
in '61."
His grandfather,
A.B. Robbs Jr., sailed Nam Sang to first place overall on corrected
handicap time in 1961, but Grandpa never told any Transpac tales like
van Os has experienced.
"The first four days
of the race were nothing like anything Transpac vets told us
about---upwind in variable winds," van Os said. "We started the race
with the southern route in mind and sailed the first 20 hours racing
south. After looking at the weather some more we decided that there was
a chance for us to minimize miles while sailing in the same amount of
breeze as the southern route would have, [so] we headed north. The only
comfort we had was that the rest of the boats on the northern route had
the same or less breeze.
"Eventually the wind
built and with it came the morale. We were off on port tack heading to
the cold front we were expecting. We sailed into it enough to get the
40-degree right shift, a 10-knot breeze increase and heavy rain. After
sailing through it we were able to crack off and start heading towards Hawaii. On day four we were able to finally
set a kite and, in our minds, the Transpac race had started.
"Day five brought
the first sighting of a competitor since the start. Samba Pa
Ti was behind us and working toward us. We sailed in sight of Samba for
more than 24 hours, pushing the boat as hard as we could. At 4 a.m. on
the 20th we were just five boat lengths [apart] in an all-out drag race
in the middle of the Pacific. We knew that Samba would be one of the
hardest 52s to beat in the race, and to be right alongside of them after
over 1,000 miles of racing was an accomplishment in itself.
"Friday we split a
bit as we pushed a little harder south. At 6 p.m. I went on deck to talk
with the watch and saw our friend Samba Pa Ti taking our stern about a
mile and a half away."
Samba
Pa
Ti owes Morning Light about 1 1/2 hours in handicap time. The latter is
slightly heavier, not counting cinematographer Rick Deppe, who is
performing no crew tasks while filming the activity for the documentary
theater film to follow.
"As for the movie
side of things," van Os said, "Rick has tried to capture the everyday
life onboard. I'm no cinematographer, but this morning when the sun was
rising astern of Samba Pa Ti just three boat lengths on our stern, it
had to be an amazing shot! [Escort vessel]
Cheyenne
was also there just ahead of us catching all the action. It had to be a
funny shot if anyone else could have seen it . . . Cheyenne, Morning Light, then Samba Pa Ti
all in a line at 6 a.m. with the sun rising in the background all in the
middle of the Pacific."
Transblogs from the boats
Locomotion (Sticko Seco?):
Water, water everywhere . . . and only a few drops to drink. Our water
rationing plan took a bit of a hit early this morning when it was
discovered that six of our remaining 30 gallons of fresh water onboard
had leaked out of the bottom of the plastic jerry can that was sail-tied
to the starboard pedestal. We now have to cut back to only 1.5 quarts of
water per man per day, to cover the possibility of an 11-day trip. That
possibility seems less likely as we have stepped into some nice
northeasterly breeze these past 24 hours, with good likelihood of much
the same all the way into the Kaiwi Channel. The above solemn news was
offset by the simultaneous good news of reaching the true northeast
trade winds. Other than the obvious defining wind direction and
strength, one can also count on these telltale signs that your craft has
reached the trades:
1. Flying fish become noticeably larger.
2. Albatross begin to hang around the boat.
3. The water color turns to what your correspondent refers to as
"Elizabeth Taylor eyes."
Pegasus 101 (Philippe Kahn):
Ouch! We just got a big net. It's wrapped all around our leeward rudder.
We lost half of our boat speed. We have a plan: we’re going to use a
mainsail batten as a tool. To get to the net, we will put full cant on
the keel, I will drive the boat dead downwind giving us windward heel
and allowing the rudder to get out of the water. Richard will climb over
the side and untangle the net. In the last 24 hours, despite being
"swallowed" by a net and getting stuck a couple of times behind
windless, squally clouds, we still managed to sail 249 nautical miles,
most of those in the direction of the Diamond Head lighthouse.
Reinrag2:
Wonderful
sail today. Some sun, some squalls, great wind and Reinrag^2 doing her
thing. A bit more wind than the models predicted for today . . . hope it
lasts. We're hoping to see the moon tonight as we crash along in some
nice big seas. The mood on board is high (as always) but there is a
creeping bit of tension as we get closer to the final goal and we're all
very into seeing it through. Good night all. Getting hard to write while
surfing at 17 knots.
Denali
(Bill McKinley):
We reached the half-way point in terms of time and mileage. We made this
estimation earlier in the day so we planned around it and had our
half-way dinner tonight at 8 p.m. A great grilled chicken and pasta
dinner from Gladstone's in
Long Beach.
The
Transpacific Yacht Club has joined with Casio Computer Co., Ltd., in a
sponsorship agreement to make the company's Oceanus watch the official
timekeeper of the 44th biennial race. The Oceanus is a solar-powered
chronograph watch with
a time signal-calibration function developed by making full use of
Casio's advanced electronic technologies.
News and product information:
http://world.casio.com/
Transpac supporters also include the Long Beach Sea Festival 2007, Gladstone's Restaurant, Ayres Hotels and L.
Gaylord Sportswear.
Archived press releases:
http://www.underthesunphotos.com/Press%20Releases/PR-index.htm
More
information:
www.transpacificyc.org
Transpac 2007 standings
(By
corrected handicap time. ORR rating allowances in parentheses in
days:hours:minutes:seconds based on handicap distance of 2,300 n.m.;
subtract time allowance from actual final elapsed time to determine
corrected handicap time)
(positions at 6 a.m. PDT Saturday)
Division 1 (Started July 15)
1. Magnitude 80
(Andrews 80), Doug Baker, Long
Beach, Calif. (00:4:32:33), 670 miles to go.
2. Pyewacket (Reichel/Pugh
90), Roy E. Disney, Burbank, Calif.
(minus-00:21:09:13), 531.
3. Peligroso (Kernan
70), Mike Campbell/Dale Williams,
Long Beach
(1:05:17:12), 923.
4. Medicine Man
(Andrews 63), Bob Lane,
Long Beach (1:07:02:37), 1,018.
5.
Rosebud (STP 65), Roger
Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale,
Fla.
(1:04:09:36), 1,015.
Division 2 (Started
July 15)
1. Holua (Santa
Cruz 70), Brack Duker,
Pasadena, Calif. (2:08:51:12), 1,036.
2. Morning Light (Transpac
52), Jeremy Wilmot, Honolulu
(2:05:27:19), 1,112.
3. Samba Pa Ti (Transpac
52), John Kilroy Jr., Los
Angeles
(2:04:02:17), 1,111.
4. Skylark (Santa
Cruz 70), Doug Ayres,
Newport Beach, Calif.
(2:06:24:05), 1,145.
5. Hugo Boss (Volvo
60), Andy Tourell, Gosport, UK (1:23:10:32), 1,124.
6. DH-Pegasus 101
(Open 50), Philippe Kahn/Richard Clarke, Honolulu (2:00:47:54), 1,141.
7.
Westerly
(Santa Cruz 70), Thomas and Timothy
Hogan, Newport Beach
(2:06:06:45), 1,166.
8. Lucky (Transpac
52), Bryon Ehrhart, Chicago (2:05:26:28), 1,177.
9. Trader (Transpac
52), Fred Detwiler, Pompano
Beach, Fla. (2:09:31:32), 1,225.
Division 3 (Started
July 15)
1. Denali (Nelson/Marek
70), William McKinley, Grosse
Pointe,
Mich. (2:13:37:33), 1,103.
2. It's OK (Andrews
50), Tres Gordo Sailing,
Glendora, Calif. (2:14:25:31), 1,131.
3. Cheetah (ULDB 70),
Chris Slagerman, Los Angeles
(2:18:18:28), 1,180. 4.
Ragtime (Spencer 65), Chris Welsh,
Newport Beach (2:23:51:49), 1,208.
5. Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, Encino, Calif.
(2:19:54:52), 1,202.
6. Locomotion
(Andrews 45), Ed Feo,
Long Beach
(3:03:56:13), 1,257.
7.
Bengal 7 (Ohashi 46), Yoshihiko Murase, Nagoya, Japan (3:03:43:16), 1,291.
Yumehyotan (Nelson/Marek
68), Yasuo Sano, Osaka, Japan (2:22:57:25), NO REPORT
(radio problem).
Division 4
(Started July 12)
1. Reinrag2 (J/125),
Tom Garnier, Wilsonville,
Ore.
(3:22:20:02), 454.
2. Cipango (Andrews
56), Bob & Rob Barton, Santa
Rosa, Calif. (3:16:51:29), 449.
3. Verizon Wireless
(ex-Stealth Chicken; Perry 56), Timothy Beatty, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
(3:08:33:34), 515.
4. Ruahatú (Concordia
47), Ricardo Brockmann,
Acapulco, Mexico (3:23:58:37), 641.
5. Raincloud (J/48),
Lorenzo Berho Corona, Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico
(3:22:26:21), 845.
6. Bolt (Nelson/Marek
55), Craig Reynolds, Newport
Beach
(4:00:24:09), 911.
RETIRED ---Lucky Dog
(J/125), Colin Shanner, San
Diego
(3:21:37:33).
RETIRED---Delicate
Balance (Andrews 56), DBB Transpac LLC,
San Rafael,
Calif. (3:20:58:21).
Division 50/52
(Started July 12)
1. Kokopelli 2 (Santa
Cruz 52), S.A.
(Chip) Megeath, Tiburon, Calif. (3:03:55:25), 392.
2.
Fortaleza
(Santa Cruz 50), Jim Morgan, Long Beach (4:00:12:42), 548.
3. Horizon (Santa Cruz
50), Jack Taylor, Dana Point,
Calif.
(4:00:14:46), 548.
4. Tachyon III (Santa
Cruz 52), Kazumasa Nishioka, Tokyo (3:18:57:36), 533.
5. Hula Girl (Santa
Cruz 50T), Beau Gayner,
Newport Beach (3:17:23:38), 527.
5. Passion (Santa
Cruz 50), Steve Hastings,
Corpus Christi, Tex.
(3:20:35:39), 556.
7. Stags' Leap
Winery (ex-Chasch Mer; Santa Cruz 50),
Gib Black,
Honolulu
(4:05:22:35), 663.
8. Adrenalin (Santa
Cruz 50), David Clark,
Newport Beach (3:19:43:59), 839.
9. Relentless (Santa
Cruz 52), Will Durant/Rick Brizendine, Long Beach (3:16:42:19), NO REPORT.
Division 5 (Started
July 12)
1. Tower (Lidgard
45), Doug Grant, San Pedro,
Calif.
(4:10:51:22), 641.
2. Rancho Deluxe
(Swan 45), Mike Diepenbrock,
Sacramento, Calif. (4:10:34:37), 665.
3. Paddy Wagon (Ross
40), Richard Mainland, Los
Angeles
(4:15:58:16), 726.
4. On the Edge of
Destiny (1D35), Sean Doyle,
Kailua, H.I. (5:00:05:40), 773.
5. Recidivist
(Schumacher 39), Ken Olcott,
Los Altos, Calif. (5:09:17:24), 830.
6. DH-Tango (J/133),
Michael Abraham/Phillip Rowe,
Newport Beach
(4:19:58:16), 847.
7. DH-Narrow Escape
(Fast 40), Allen Lehman Sr. and Jr.,
Payson,
Ariz. (4:20:59:25), 912.
8. Tabasco (1D35), Gary Fanger, San Francisco
(5:02:01:10), 973.
9. Uncontrollable
Urge (Columbia 30), James/Chris Gilmore, Carlsbad, Calif.
(4:23:42:31), 1,117.
Division 6 (Started
July 9)
1. Far Far (Cal
40), Don Grind, Placerville,
Calif. (7:02:47:32), 674.
2. Psyche (Cal
40), Steve Calhoun, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (7:03:57:50), 682.
3. Peregrine (Hobie
33), Simon Garland, San Diego
(5:21:13:46), 576.
4. Inspired
Environments (Beneteau First 40.7), Timothy Ballard,
Sausalito,
Calif. (5:20:14:31), 673.
5.
California
Girl (Cal 40), Don and Betty Lessley,
Novato,
Calif. (7:01:16:11), 808.
6. DH-Brilliant
(J/100), Tim Fuller/Erik Shampain,
Murrieta,
Calif. (5:21:44:43), 717.
7. Brown Sugar
(Express 37), Steve Brown,
Santa Ana, Calif. (6:03:41:56), 769.
8. DH-X Dream
(X-119), Steen Moller/Bob MacDonald,
Point Richmond,
Calif. (5:12:37:00), 735.
9. Shanti (Olson
911S), Jon Eberly,
Greenbrae, Calif. (7:17:47:09), 949.
Aloha A
(Started July 9)
1.
Ariadne (Ladd 73), Frank Easterbrook, Newport Beach (4:08:39:09), 430.
2.
Between the Sheets (Jeanneau 52), Ross Pearlman, Marina del Rey
(5:12:56:15), 572.
3.
Windswept (Sean 57), Maxwell
Phelps, Jamul, Calif.
(5:06:21:29), 574.
4. French Kiss (Beneteau 50), Bryan Daniels,
Alamo,
Calif. (5:11:59:45), 618.
5. Enchilado (Jeanneau
54), Cesar de Saracho, Tucson, Ariz. (4:23:43:58), 854.
6. Ho'okolohe (Farr
58), Alyson and Cecil Rossi,
Novato, Calif.
(4:10:58:57), 998.
7. Alsumar (S&S 70),
Bill and Ted Davis, Las Vegas, Nev. (4:22:27:48), 1,107.
8. Anna Katarina
(First 47.7), John Otterson, La
Jolla, Calif. (5:08:31:43), 1,193.
Aloha B (Started July
9)
1. Cirrus (Standfast
40), William D. Myers, Honolulu
(7:02:14:16), 838.
2. Lady Liberty
(Catalina 36), John Wallner,
Calabasas, Calif. (8:12:05:44), 1,044.
3. Traveler (North
Wind 47), Michael Lawler,
Newport Beach
(6:14:37:49), 951.
4. Mysteré (Swan 42),
Jorge Morales, Dana Point,
Calif.
(6:12:14:02), 1,235.
RETIRED---Ginny
(Calkins 50), Chris Calkins/Norm Reynolds,
Encinitas,
Calif. (5:18:26:52).
RETIRED--Gaviota (Cal
2-46), Jim Partridge, Pasadena, Calif. (6:20:18:32).
.
DH-Doublehanded.
Multihull
LoeReal (Jeanneau 60
trimaran), H.L. Enloe, El Paso, Tex.
(Started July 15), 910.
The Minnow (Catana 52
catamaran), Bob and Mike Webster,
Pryor,
Okla.
(Started July 12), 950.
Complete position
reports:
www.transpacificyc.org
COMMODORE
Al Garnier
(310) 600-0158
reinrag@aol.com
ENTRIES CHAIRMAN
Bill Lee
(831) 476-9639
wizard@fastisfun.com
PRESS OFFICER
Rich Roberts
(310) 835-2526
Cell (310) 766-6547
richsail@earthlink.net
|
Morning
Light's Piet van Os
training
in Hawaii
earlier
The
other half of the match race between TP52s
Richard
Clarke clears a fishing net off a rudder of Philippe Kahn's Pegasus 101
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position reports
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