February 2011.indd - The Santa Cruz Yacht Club

Volume CMXCVII
February 2011
Octavia Turns 30
Jeremy Leonard of Surf City Racing spent the weekend hanging with the crew, owners and contributors
of Santa Cruz 50 “Octavia” at the SC Small Boat
Harbor as they celebrated her 30th, and files this
report:
How many people have a birthday party for
their sailboat? My guess, not that many. How about
a 30th birthday to celebrate a multi-decade winning
spree, which amongst the many highlights include
a PacCup win, a blistering Coastal Cup record time
that stood for almost 10 years, and a Delta Ditch Run
whose monohull record still stands to this day? The
owners and crew of the well known Santa Cruz 50
Octavia did just that last Saturday in the Santa Cruz
Harbor. Past and present crew, the owner, friends and
family, and the man who started it all, The Wizard
(Bill Lee) showed up for the dockside festivities.
The party, which included a catered buffet
right out on the dock, was punctuated by countless sea
stories, and a very nicely appointed hardcover book
dedicated to the 30 year race-winning history. A birthday banner hung on the boom, and a celebratory flag
made by my friend Mel at Santa Cruz Sails hung from
the forestay. Christmas lights dressed the rigs spattered
randomly around the harbor, and the warm evening air
set the perfect stage to reminisce about all of the great
times had while racing aboard this legendary Santa
Cruz 50.
February 2011
Octavia, as the name suggests, is hull number
eight and was ordered by the Kett family back in the
late 70’s and delivered in 1980. Shepard Kett, the current owner recalls what Bill Lee told his father Stewart
Kett upon delivery of Octavia 30 years ago, “When
Bill gave it to Stewart he said that he was just letting
him take care of it for a while. Bill felt like it was his
baby. We are the last of the original owners of the
SC50s.”
In true Santa Cruz fashion, the boat has been
sailed by many well known Santa Cruz sailors over the
years, and you can imagine the tales. Shepard recalls a
few of his favorites, which include many coastal, offshore, and Bay races, “The ’97 Coastal Cup we won
overall and set the record which stood for over almost
10 years before a 70 foot sled broke it. The 2000 Pac
Cup, which we won over all was probably the highlight.” Octavia has seen tens of thousands of ocean
miles and has raced in too many events to count.
Of course the ‘ULDB Revolution’ of this era
is best known for spawning some very fast downwind
sleds, and one of the best known downwind wins for
Octavia is the record that still stands to this day, the
Delta Ditch Run. Kett recalls, “The year that we won
the Ditch it was howling and with the flat water you
could feel the whole boat lift up out of the water. It
was dead flat…I mean dead flat, with huge breeze.
Occasionally we would feel it skip off of the mud.
There’s one section where you have to sail between a
narrow channel of buoys, and tripping the pole under
some of those bridges with concrete pillars on either
side, it had to be a perfect trip…25 feet away there’s a
levy with giant rocks, yeah, it was really fun!” Santa
Cruz sailors are known for their high-powered, ballsto-the-wall approach, and this is but one fine example.
In mellower times Kett describes Octavia as
a, “…big old Cadillac with power steering; it’s just so
comfortable and smooth. In big winds it becomes a
Ferrari and only the best drivers can handle it in a big
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Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
breeze, even so it’s just a really good all around boat.
Crossing to Hawaii, it’s just a really nice size to spend
a week on.”
Mike Evans, a long time Santa Cruz sailor,
who has been racing on Octavia since 1987, has over
10,000 ocean miles on her and currently works the
bow. With 3 PacCups, a Mexico race, and countless
others, Mike describes the Ditch Run where they beat
the record as, “…one of the most intense races ever.
Nobody ate or drank for the entire race. We got to
Stockton and there was a sense of relief. It was really
intense. We were so close to wiping out and putting
that thing on the hard so many times, it was brutal.
We had two bowmen for that race, and we had to keep
swapping them out.” That’s typical Santa Cruz Style
right there.
Well known sailor Jay Crum worked for
Bill Lee during the late ’70 and early ‘80s and actually helped build Octavia. Crum crewed on her in the
Del Ray to PV and the Trans-Pac in 1981, where he
describes this finish, “We finished overlapped with ‘Secret Love’ in the middle of the night and the committee in the hotel room didn’t see us finish because we
were behind the other boat. So we had to go through a
February 2011
protest the next day to get reinstated.” Good times.
I had a chance to catch up with Bill Lee (the
Wizard) recently, and we discussed the success of the
SC50s in the 2010 Pac Cup. Bill is truly amazing;
he can remember hull numbers, original owners and
a little anecdote about each. It really does seem as
though he was connected to each and every boat that
left The Coop. He recalls, “The first 50 was named
Chasch Mer and went to Honolulu in ’79… and that
was Randy Parker’s boat. I think we built twenty-eight
50s all together. We built most of them in 1982, when
we were building a boat a month.” This is an impressive boat-building schedule to say the least.
What changed in the Santa Cruz boat-building
scene to where now there’s hardly any new development? Bill speculates, “In those days the average
person could afford to live in Santa Cruz, and as the
housing prices skyrocketed, so did the cost of keeping
a roof over your head. It became a lot harder to hire the
people that you need…boat building is a labor-intensive deal and it’s just hard to do in an expensive area.”
The cost of living, and more strict environmental
regulations probably played the two most major roles
in ending the SC boat building party.
In such a radical and creative environment
such as Santa Cruz back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Lee had
to employ tactics to keep the employees from wandering off. He remembers with a chuckle, “We bought
lunch for the guys for several years, we found that if
they went away for lunch, sometimes they wouldn’t
come back. One day we were working on wage reviews and we couldn’t find somebody. Turns out they
were out on a surf break.” The mantra of keeping all
of the new boats’ bows pointing toward the front door
necessitated the use of certain creative tactics. If a boat
had to turn back into the shop in order to revisit a station or repair someone’s screw-up, the boat was said to
have bad juju.
This year during the 2010 Pac Cup, three Santa
Cruz 50s, Horizon, Deception, and J Worlds Hula Girl
placed 1st, 3rd and 6th overall respectively. This timeless, 30 plus year old design keeps putting the hurt on
all types of other sailboats. According to Tom Carter
who worked for Bill for years and built one of the first
SC 27s, early on the ULDB designs of that era were
looked down upon. Carter explains, “It was sort of
pooh-poohed by other yacht designers of the time, they
didn’t think that the public would accept an ultra-light
boat; a mono-hull at a catamaran weight.” And here we
are over 30 years down the line and the SC 50s keep
winning these offshore, downwind distance races.
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
Happy birthday to Octavia! May there be
many more years of radical offshore downwind racing!
I want to wrap up this article with a little story from
my friend Dave Wahle who worked at The Coop for
years and probably poured the keel for Octavia. This
story will give you a glimpse into the world of Bill Lee
Yachts back in the day when Octavia was built. It was
a point in time that I don’t think could ever happen
again; a time when the stars were aligned just right so
that a bunch of really smart, creative and motivated
friends could get together and produce some pretty
incredible boats that have obviously stood the test of
time.
To set the stage, apparently, the crew would
use extra boat bits lying around and build electric
go-carts to race up in The Coop. Wahle tells the story,
“Bill, genius Bill, put two 30 amp breakers on the west
wall of the Chicken Coop. Merlin was in there shoved
up to one side, so there was a ten-foot wide alley all
the way down the shop, I’m going to guess that it was,
maybe, 150 yards. It was a long way. So there were
the two breakers at one end, and he had a 30-foot or
so extension cord hard wired in each. You’d back up
your electric car to the starting line and plug it into
the back of your car, so you had 30 amps of juice for
20 feet or so. When you turned on, you had juice until
your cord pulled out, and you coasted on down to the
finish, which was ¾ the way down the shop. We had a
stack of hay bails to stop you. There were some pretty
incredible machines that showed up. I was the official
timer and I built a little bridge from the deck of Merlin
to take times.”
No one really remembers who won overall,
but according to legend, some pretty fast craft showed
up; maybe a bit too fast. More on that when I pin down
one of the young (at the time) racers, Morgan Larson
for an interview in the future.
Jeremy Leonard
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February 2011
(Jr. Staff Commodore, Steve Niemann,
introduces the 2011 Commodore, Michael Wood,
at the Installation Dinner & Dance)
Commodore’s Report
As I begin my journey at the helm, I want to
first recognize the efforts of past commodore, Steve
Niemann, and his lovely wife Ann. Also, I think I
speak for us all in thanking them both for their dedication, time, and energy over the past several years.
I also want to thank our past board for all your
support and encouragement, as I have learned a great
deal from you all. And of course, a special recognition to Barbara Booth; you truly do keep this club in
check, and running smoothly. Thank you Greg Haws
for all your years of service. You have a great wealth
of knowledge with
the clubs workings
and you are invaluable to the club.
Jennifer Whall, your
charm, and smile
behind the bar and in
the office has always
made a visit to the
club a joy, thank you
for all your years of
dedication as well.
I thank Dave,
and Janell Emberson, for all their time
and energy creating
an exciting social
calender, and hosting
the many events our
club puts on yearly.
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Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
Also for your vision of trying some things new such as:
Sunday Brunches and Dinner Theme nights. Although
the success may not be immediately recognized, I
believe it will become more popular through time. It’s
not an easy task, and you both did a fantastic job. I’m
confident Rob Schuyler and De will follow your lead
and continue our tradition of hosting many fun social
events in the year to come.
I thank Adam Borcherding for all his time
managing our busy Regatta schedule last year. Regatta
is a very time consuming responsibility, and it takes
many volunteers to make it happen. Thanks to all the
Race Committees and volunteers who helped with our
regattas last year. I’m looking forward to John Buchanan Jr. managing our regatta schedule and keeping
us on the map as one of the best places in the world to
race sailboats. A special thank you to Matthew Coale
for all his time spent keeping Onward ship shape as our
Race Committee boat.
(Commodore Wood and Family posing during all the
festivities at the Installaton Dinner & Dance held at the
Dream Inn in January)
February 2011
Upcoming SCYC
Events Calendar
Mini-Boat Regatta/Jr. Fundraiser
February 5
Super Bowl Party
February 6
Sailing Seminar
February 9 & 16
Valentine’s Day Dinner
February 13
Midwinters #4
February 19
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
We have a busy year ahead with the many club
and regatta activities planned, as well as the expansion,
and inclined elevator projects.
My theme over the years has been “If we build
it they will come.” We will continue to grow and maintain our place in the world of Yacht Clubs and increase
our already incredibly world recognized membership.
With our planned expansion project and Rob
and De’s Outreach vision this is ringing true. We have
added many new members and we’re creating an infectious energy around the club.
Vice Commodore Dave Emberson will act as
liaison between our expansion project leader, Brett
Gripenstraw, and our membership. It is Dave’s charter
to ensure that this project meets its time lines, budget
requirements, and that our membership knows exactly
what is happening. Please, if you have any question
regarding the expansion and or tram, please contact
Dave.
I’m looking forward to serving our membership, and representing you as your Commodore in
2011. Through communication, collaboration, and our
vision we will continue to grow, and be well represented around the world continually being recognized
as a top notch Yacht Club. It takes many people to run a
club, and I encourage you all to join in and get involved
in some form so you become part of our continued
growing success. You, as our members are the most
important aspect to the success of our club, and are the
driving force behind it all!
Nothings more important than a positive attitude and the light shines ahead.
Thank you for your support and I look forward
to seeing you around the club or on the water
Michael Wood
Commodore
Wine Tasting/Pinot Noir
February 23
Family Night/Games
February 24
Oscar Party
February 27
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February 2011
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
Vice Commodore’s Report
2011 promises to be an exciting year for SCYC
and for me as well! As Vice Commodore I have responsibility for the House Committee and serve on the
Finance Committee. Our new Commodore Michael
Wood (Congratulations, Michael!) has also given me
responsibility for the construction oversight committee.
Throughout the year I will be using this space to report
on our progress. This might be a dry subject for some,
so I will endeavor to keep it short. Feel free to call me
any time if you need more information.
Recently we discovered that our low-bidder for
the proposed SCYC tram has never done a commercial
installation in California and would likely be unable to
meet the requirements of the California elevator code.
We had asked the vendor to work with the state elevator
inspector to resolve the issues but so far he has failed
to do so. This has thrown our tram cost estimates into
doubt, so we are now working to get hard cost estimates
and turnkey bids from alternate vendors. Once we have
solid bids we will be able to determine whether or not
the tram will fit into our budget of $500,000 plus the
donations pledged by generous members. Most of us
would certainly prefer the tram to the elevator proposal,
but we must live within our means. If the tram fits
within the budget, then we will proceed with it. If it
does not, we have two choices. We can raise additional
funds or we can revert to the elevator proposal and leave
the tram project for another day. In either case, we will
be working hard to resolve this issue and make the final
decision this spring in preparation for breaking ground
in the fall.
Rick Linkemyer has accepted the position of
Chairman of the House Committee. Rick will be organizing the upcoming work days and projects around the
clubhouse. Ric Diola has agreed to chair the Finance
Committee. And Bret Gripenstraw will continue in his
role as construction project manager. I look forward to
working with these gentlemen as well as Commodore
Wood and the rest of the Board and committee members
to complete the construction project and ensure the continued financial health of SCYC.
There are many exciting things going on at the
club this year, so please get involved! Whether it is
House Committee, Social Committee, Regatta Committee, the Junior Program, the Corinthians, Disabled Sailing, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Lighted Boat Parade or
serving as Officer of the Day, we need your help!
Dave Emberson
Vice Commodore
Rear Commodore Report
Happy New Year! I am excited about being the
Rear Commodore this year. I attended more social events
last year and found myself enjoying them more as I made
more new friends. I’m hoping that the social functions are
well attended this year because I do believe it is good for
us and the club to be more involved in social intercourse.
The New Year’s Eve party was an elegant and
relaxing way to welcome in the 2011. Thanks to Dave
and Janelle Emberson and KISS Catering. The food was
(Past and Present Yachtswomen of the Year)
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February 2011
(Past and Present Yachtsman of the Year)
delicious, the place settings elegant and there was a
tremendous arch of balloons spanning over the proceedings that was an amazing feat of engineering.
The Installation Dinner was very well attended
this year. We were sold out. It was exciting to participate in the traditional evolution of new officers and
awards given to members of the club. Ernie Rideout
was reluctant to be the last to sit down again this year,
as he wants to share the honor of oldest member with
someone else. Paul and Mary Tara were given the
Dave Goodall award for their years of work with the Junior Program. Dennis Bassano Jr. won the Yachtsman
of the Year award for all of his sailing achievements including his contributions to land sailing. Melanie Ferri
won Yachtswoman for her participation in many racing
events. . Our new Commodore Michael Wood gave an
enthusiastic talk about the future of the club. Virginia
Lee Roberts won a bet at Peter Dalton’s table for how
many times Michael would use the word “fabulous”
which turned out to be exactly 12 times.
De Schuyler has started an amazingly successful series of Wednesday Night Midwinter Presentations.
Jack Halterman gave the first presentation on “Local
Knowledge” and packed the house. Dave Emberson
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
gave his presentation on “Starting Racing” and packed
the house again. The next presentation is on February
9th and Jay Crum is talking about “Advanced Sailing
Tactics and Strategies.” Get there early and stay late
because there is a lot of good conversation before and
after the presentations. Due to popular demand the
side-bar is now open before and after the presentations.
There will be more presentations on the rules and
protest process on February 16 and March 9 by Mike
Gross and Beau Vroylk.
Take a look at the Event Schedule. There are
some great dinners and a lot of potlucks happening in
February.
If you haven’t been to a Mini-Boat Regatta
you don’t know how much fun they are for young and
old alike. Come and support your Junior Program.
A new event is the Family Potluck Game
Night. Holly Schipper is getting together with other
families and playing with their kids. Imagine that!
Playing with Holly is always fun.
Wine Tasting Zinfindel/Potluck with Jack
Gordon was thoroughly enjoyable. The next wine tasting will be on February 23rd tasting Pinot Noir. The
potluck hors d’oeuvres are always as good as the wine.
Chuck Hawley will be giving a presentation
on Friday, March 4th. He is speaking on cruising the
French canals. Come early for dinner and stay for our
first “Fireside chat.” Don’t miss it. De and I will be
there. Hope to see you there too.
Rob Schuyler
Rear Commodore
(Commodore, Michael Wood, introduces your 2011
Board of Directors at the Installation Dinner & Dance)
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February 2011
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
Mini-Boat Regatta: Notice to Race
Invitation to race for prizes and glory. Proceeds will
be donated to the Junior Sailing Program.
When:
Saturday, February 5, 2011
4:30 p.m. Registration/Start building boats
6:30 p.m. Start Racing
Eligibility:
All comers
common house fan mounted a few feet away from the
head of the pond. The wind will pass through a diffuser
between the fan and the pond, to minimize the vortex
created by the rotary action of the fan.
Design Rule: This event is first and foremost a yacht
race. Therefore, all boats must be wind-driven, they
must be entirely supported by water, and they must
function in a “right side up” condition. All “club-built”
boats must be built at the SCYC between the hours of
4:30 pm and the start of racing at 6:30 pm. They can
only be made with the materials provided. “Homebuilt” boats can be made at any other time, with no
restrictions on materials. There is no limitation on the
number of sails or hulls a single boat may have.
Legal boats must be able to pass through the “rule
can” without deforming any hull or sail features. The
rule can is a Town House brand (Safeway) 8-oz. can
of fancy Hawaiian pineapple chunks. A boat will be
measured first by passing it through the can as if it were
to sail straight through the can. This is a measurement
to control a combination of beam and mast height.
Greater mast height allows for more sail area, but at the
expense of craft stability, or beam.
Classes: Club-built: Boats built at the SCYC on the day of
the race; boat building limited to official materials provided. Junior fleet restricted to ages 15 and
under.
Home-built: Boats built at home; no material limits.
Entry Fees:
Club-built (Jr. Division)
Club-built (Sr. Division)
Home-built
Team (with 5 club boats)
$ 3
$10
$20
$50
Awards:
Trophies will be awarded in each class, the number
of trophies depending on the number of entries.
Sailing Instructions:
The racing will be held on an artificial pond, 14 feet
in length and 4 feet wide. The water will be approximately two inches deep. The wind source is a
8
The second measurement calls for passing the “floating
plane” squarely through the can. This measurement effectively limits LOA. In passing a boat through the can
for measurement, it is allowable for the boat to touch
the can, but not to the extent that there is any significant
deformation of the boat, her sails, or her rigging. Boat
(sail) features that deploy themselves through the action
of the wind are not allowed.
During a race, a boat shape must remain true to its
measured shape. The regatta chairman or persons designated by the regatta chairman are the only legal boat
measurers. The regatta chairman’s “rule can” is the
only legal measurement can.
February 2011
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
3rd Annual SCYC Oscar Party
February 27, 2011
Come and watch the glitz and glamour of
the Academy Awards on our very own big screen. Be
festive: dress glam or outrageous as your favorite stars
do. Enjoy some fun games and prizes, which will include $25 Regal Movies gift card and a cash prize
for guessing the most Oscar winners. Festivities will
start around 4ish. Bring something to share and $2 (to
participate in the cash prize). More participants, greater
the booty. Bottomless buttery popcorn and other movie
snacks will be provided.
Lalaine Dowdell
831-359-3945
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lalainedowdell
From the Galley
Hey all you Yacht club members! Come in,
bring your friends and join us this year for some fantastic food and fun at your Galley Restaurant. Delicious
dinners served every Friday night from 5:30 to 8:00
PM, something for everyone. Also check out our Sunday Holiday Brunches and scrumptious
Sunday night full service dinning. If you’re up for
some excitement for your taste buds you’ll want to try
our Sunday Theme night Buffets where you can taste
different foods from around the world. For example,
Italian, Mexican, Asian, Western, Mediterranean and
German. Menus will be posted as they come up for the
month.
In February you can beat the Valentines Day
crowd by making reservations for you and your sweetheart on Sunday 2/13/11, at 6:30. A very special Valentines dinner menu is being prepared.
(continued next column)
Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu:
Choice of Entrée’s:
Balsamic Marinated Tri Tip stuffed with sautéed Onions, Peppers and Mushrooms grilled and
sliced with Cabernet Demi Glace Sauce served with
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and fresh Vegetables
Lobster Ravioli on a bed of sautéed lemon garlic
Spinach topped with Pan Roasted Petrole Sole
with Chimichuri Dill sauce, served with fresh
steamed asparagus spears
Chicken Breast Saltimbocca stuffed with cured
Turkey Ham and Dilled Havarti Cheese, served
with tomato mushroom béarnaise and toasted almond herb Rice Pilaf and fresh vegetables
Tax and Tip all inclusive $27.50 per person for
Beef or Seafood - $25.50 per person for Chicken
Coming In March…Yahoo!! 3/16/11
Wednesday Nights Sailboat races and BBQ. We’ll
look for you in the Galley for some great grub.
So not to miss out, Friday March 18th for
Post St. Patrick’s Day Dinner (Menu to be posted
non-partakers option also).
We’re very happy to be here serving you,
and so appreciate your support!
Thank You,
Sandy and Scott and the Kiss Catering Crew
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February 2011
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
MEXICO – Paul Allen Sailed the Cabo race on the
SC70 ‘Holua’ in early Nov. They sailed a very close
racing, just missing 1st by 4 minutes.
Cruising Committee
It’s Cruising season again! Sunday February
20 at 3:00PM we will be holding our annual Planning /
Scheduling meeting. This is an important meeting to
come to if you want to be involved in Cruising Committee events this coming sailing season. We will be discussing events of last year, what we would like to carry
forward and entertain any new ideas you may have. Also
this is a good opportunity to volunteer as a sponsor and
handle an event or to contribute in any other way. The
bar will be open, please come and make this an enjoyable meeting, we would love to have your input.
Forest Roberts
forest(dot)roberts@gmail
Racing Outside the Bay Area
Here are our latest updates for this winter…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – In Dubai, Morgan
Larson spent a week in November competing with the
Italian team, Mascalzone Latino in the final Louis Vuitton Series event. They match-raced the old America’s
Cup dinosaurs for the last time in a round robin tournament that found them 3rd overall. ARGENTINA - Max Fraser and David Liebenberg
participated in a wild and windy 29er Worlds in Mar del
Plata, Argentina this month. Max described being one
of several boats that broke their mast on day 2 in 20-25
knots (as Max says….”in Spinal Tap lingo, that’s 11”),
but luckily finding one they could charter for the last
day. Despite the breakage, they were still able to be the
first American boat in the Gold Fleet. They placed 14th
over all.
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FLORIDA – In Miami, the week after Christmas, Domenic Bove sailed a full rig laser at the Orange Bowl
Regatta one of the largest youth regattas in the U.S. On
the first day the sailors fought record low temperatures
in the 40’s and gusts up to 30 knots. The weather improved on the subsequent days but the winds subsided
and officials were only able to complete a total of five
races for the regatta. Domenic placed 16th of 30 boats.
Also in December, Andy Estcourt was in Miami racing aboard the RC44 Aqua, where they completed the 2010 match-racing circuit by taking first, which
meant they also took first overall for the series.
For Andy Estcourt and brother-in-law, Morgan
Larson, Key West Race week was quite a battle. With
them both on Melges 32’s, Morgan on ‘Warpath’ and
Andy on competitor Goombay Smash, the class came
down to the wire with Goombay Smash registering a
narrow two-point victory over Warpath. Three boats
– Goombay Smash, Warpath (Steve Howe, Portland,
Ore.) and Leenabarca (Alex Jackson, Riverside, Conn.)
– were tied atop the standings with two races to go.
Andy and his team on Goombay Smash were able to
pull off finishes that put them on top.
Brent Ruhne was also in Key West this month
racing aboard the R/P 69 Bella Mente in both the Ft
Lauderdale to Key West and Key West Race Week.
The Ft Lauderdale to Key West race is a 160 mile
downwind / reaching ocean race. Brent’s team won the
race and just missed the record by 40 minutes. Brent
described the race……”we did 48 jibes in the first 50 or
60 miles, then power reached the rest of the 160 miles
pulling in and shaking a reef and going between the
A3 spinnaker and the ‘Fro’ which is a fractional code 0
reaching sail on a furler out on the end of the sprit, and
finished with a short beat up the Key West channel with
the #4 jib.”
In Key West Race week, Brent and Bella Mente
rd
took 3 in Class. The boat will be heading back to
California next month for upcoming regattas.
In Early January, Evan Diola and Zhenya
Kirueshkin-Stepanoff flew off to St. Petersburg to
compete in the 2011 Flying Dutchman midwinters in
their FD ‘Anger Management’, hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
Evan had only one week’s notice, practiced
with Zhenya in the sister boat, “Blue Max” at Trea-
February 2011
sure Island. After the practice, they agreed they might
survive the trip - and each other. Of course, whether
or not they survived the 32-degree weather was another
story. Well, survive they did to have a grand time in a
beautiful setting. The guys and their boat have a busy
year ahead, planning to travel to places like Connecticut, Lake Garda, Italy, Kingston, Ontario, and back to
Santa Cruz.
CALIFORNIA - Long Beach - A class catamarans
sailed the “Turkey Day” regatta in Long Beach in mid
Nov. Paul Allen raced with his crew, Howie Hamlin
and Fritz Lanzinger, against the current North American champion and past World champions.
According to Paul, they’re refining sails and
mast development with sailmaker Jay Glaser, prepping
for the World championships in Sydney next year
If you have info on what club members are doing out there in the world, please feel free to pass along
details to [email protected].
Argentina with Max Fraser
Editor’s note: The following is being printed here
exactly as received.....unedited.
So here I sit atop team Shake and Bakes bunk
bed (only place in club we can get WIFI) the day after
one of if not the most challenging and demanding
races I have ever sailed looking over the 20 or so other
sleeping sailors from all over the world trying to regain
some feeling of normalcy in our beat cut and bruised
bodies and minds I will think back to some of the most
interesting and meaningful moments of the last 6 days.
Qualifiers started off with a roar 18-20 knots
of fresh sea breeze on a fresh well rested fleet with
consistent 5-8 foot waves and a harsh wind chop
covering the course. Nerves were up and we were still
pretty green trying to find our stride back in the 29er
we were quickly reminded how not only how fast the
top Argentinian teams were but how deep and strong
the fleet was as well as the importance of consistency
not only in starting and tactics but also in every foot
step through the boat every grip and position on the
tiller and every trim/pump. Mar Del Plata did this in
the best way it knows how hurling you into the water
with 2 capsizes the first day, a throbbing tail bone (that
is still throbbing from a fall to the deck after a particularly quick acceleration out of a slow jib) and a better
appreciation for the racing we managed another two
solid days of qualifying without too many issues trying
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
to improve for the gold fleet racing to come.
Our speed off the breeze has been significant
on everyone but the Aussie boys as they put it “you just
gotta send it swim or win” in so many words this has
been our moto for quite some time by David dropping
all the way down trimming the kite for full power and
me hiking all the way down wind on a rather hot angle
we were able to blow by most teams downwind who
were sailing a much more conservative approach of
skipper sitting up sailing low crew up with a bit of over
trim to help keep the bow out and impacts into waves
to a minimum (FASTER IS FUNER). Our troubles
were on the beats being used to either a longer wave
base or shorter waves that you can sail low and fast
through the particular conditions did not allow this as
every time we would get up to speed we would hit a
wave keeping our speed to a minimum and constantly
trying to accelerate (similar feeling as hull speed no
matter how much power u put in you just can’t go faster you just go lower and the same speed) so the Argys
keep the sails in very tight and pinch their way up wind
at “hull speed’ but much higher pumping and ooching
their way through the slop. After a few days we started
getting the hang of it really only using it effectively the
last 2 days and there is still a lot to learn and refine in
this technique.
The first day of Gold fleet racing was brutal really struggling with the upwind technique just
(Picture taken Tuesday 1/11/11 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Max Fraser and good friend Daniel Riente, who is a
member of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club, and a Argentinian. He loves to sail his Olsen 30 single handed on
Monterey Bay. We met him at the SCYC hoist hauling
his boat one day. He helped us enjoy Argentina in so
many ways. A wonderful friendship born under the hoist
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February 2011
mentioned and could not get an understanding of the
much further north north west wind direction while
really struggling to get off the start line ( there are no
soft spots of a Gold fleet line). All three races we were
rolled over the top by the same team no matter how far
down the line we started this caused us to be unable to
go the direction we wanted and compounded our issues.
It was a tough day for us but one of the things I believe
we do best is no matter how bad the races or situation
we are able to pat each other on the back take it as it is
prepare for the next race or situation and HAVE FUN
which is really why we are here! (I really believe that
this is not only a great way to enjoy your racing, keep
a great relationship with your skipper crew but also
allows you to get back in the game fast and effectively
and keep your scores up and consistent no one fights
their way back through their flight while fighting with
themselves).
Day two went and felt much better. We really
found our groove upwind for the first time solid tactics
knowing where we wanted to go with a more normal
north north east sea breeze and with a few old starting
tricks and adjustments able to get off the line in the direction we wanted and have some amazingly fun tough
battles with some great teams......... until race 3. breeze
had been building all day but before race 3 it went to 11
(for those none spinal tap fans it’s just one more AKA
25-28 knots) finally really in our element we got off the
line clean and with speed hit the favored side rounded
the weather in a pack of the top 5 had an incredible rip
down wind with boats going down all over rounded
the bottom mark well out with the top 3 boats started
our climb back up the right side of the course when
CRACK SPLASH white water everywhere when it
cleared David was in the water and so was our mast (in
two pieces) moving fast and calm we managed to secure
the rig from banging around too much. Got the sails
rolled and on a safety boat and started the long tow in.
This was one of the strangest experiences I have had as
we had been sailing upwind for almost 2 min with no
change. Windy but steady and relatively flat it snaps
without warning or reason it appears as though this
new mast section and all in the batch that came to Rio
Techna was a bad batch unknown problem but we were
not the only ones to have similar issues with a brand
new mast and Santiago informed us of this and waived
any possible liability from us. The real problem when
we got to the dock was so many masts had broken (few
of which were due to defective parts) that there were
no more extra parts. Fortunately after talking to a few
locals we managed to contact a team that stopped racing
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Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
for unknown reasons and we were able to charter their
mast for the last day of racing.
The last day was a welcome sight to sore
body’s light air. 3 races in 5-12 knots of breeze and a
fairly flat sea state (in comparison to days prier) very
interesting challenging shifty conditions working
through the short chop, nailing a side (hopefully the
right one) and in incredible amount of concentration
were the keys to this day and we knew it racing very
strong considering our favor to breeze a solid way to
end a very difficult regatta. But the excitement was
not over. One of the interesting features of this venue
is a large primarily undredged harbor entrance much
like Santa Cruz. Waves will break across the entrance
unlike Santa Cruz conditions for this are almost always
perfect causing 12-15 foot waves to break across all
but 100-150 feet of the quarter mile wide entrance almost all the time. So on our mellow sail in after a hard
day of light air sailing the wind lightened and lightened as we approached the entrance with a slight one
knot current pushing everyone south...... the breaking
side of the entrance. Now 29ers are fast but only when
there is wind there was no wind. We were leading the
race to the dock and got pushed furthest south first no
one really noticed the drift towards danger as we were
all chatting about the last 6 days we got the first and
only real warning a med to small set hit us while we
were still a 100 feet out from the break so it was not
much to handle. Mar Del Plata did not have to tell us
twice we made an immediate 90 deg turn and David
went to the bow paddling as hard as he could making
a b line away from the surf most of the others did not
see or understand this warning as some were smiling
laughing and waving at as they were passing us still
heading in we made a few aggressive warning screams
at those who were still heading into the break as a few
safety boats noticed what was happening grabbing all
but one Danish boat who were still unaware of their
danger despite our yells as we were still paddling as
hard as David could the first wave hit the Danish boat
maybe 100-150 feet away from us lifting it up turning
it sideways and hurling it down rolling it in the white
water the next three or four broke almost directly on
top of it hurling it around and around giving the sailors
just enough time to get a breath or two before the next
one power boats unable to enter the surf as this large
set of waves rolled through after maybe 5-6 waves a
short break came to allow a safety boat to rush in and
pick up the sailors as they powered away watching the
boat get pounded by another set. Incredibly the sailors
escaped unharmed the boat did not after a while a big
February 2011
enough break came that they were able to grab the
remains of the boat and tow it out. The mast broken in
many spots sails shredded the hull relatively ok only
a matter of a few bangs cuts and scratches from the
mast.
These are only a few moments of my experience over the last 6 days I have truly enjoyed every
moment of it will never forget it and cannot wait to return. I started writing this email in silence surrounded
by sleeping sailors they are now all up laughing joking
and telling their favorite story’s and moments of the
last days now I must finish packing and prepare to
head to Buenos Aires.
Max Fraser
Back in the Old Days…
This month I am reprinting an article that
Ernie Rideout wrote in his 1991 newsletter column
called, Looking Aft. It is fitting because Ernie writes
about the founding of our club and of the first commodore, Bruce Sharp. At this time I would like to recognize our new commodore Michael Wood and thank him
in advance for his service to come in the next year. I
first remember meeting Michael when he was on the
membership committee many years ago. I know he has
put forth many volunteer hours of dedicated service to
our club and he deserves to be at the helm this year.
Congratulations Commodore Wood.
(From Ernie’s column printed in November
1991) The San Francisco Yacht Club was the first
yacht club founded on the West Coast in 1869. Early
in its history a group of members elected to depart in
1886 and form the Corinthian Yacht Club, now occupying beautiful quarters on the Tiburon Peninsula.
In 1926 another group spun off to form the St.
Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco’s marina waterfront. The background for this split was that the San
Francisco Yacht Club anchorage in Sausalito had become overly crowded and the club was called upon to
go elsewhere. There were no berths so all of the yachts
swung on moorings. This was beautiful to see, but was
not a very economical use of space.
A bitter fight took place among the members as
to whether to move the club to Belvedere Cove or to a
location on the San Francisco waterfront. A majority of
the members, led by John Piver, favored the Belvedere
Cove site. However, a substantial minority led by Hart
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
Weaver and Hiram Johnson, Jr. withdrew from the club
and founded the St. Francis Yacht Club. The Santa
Cruz members of the San Francisco Yacht Club became
attached to the new organization. The old San Francisco Yacht Club building remains on the waterfront. It
is now the “Ondine” restaurant.
Three prominent Santa Cruz men were involved in this dispute. Having friends on both sides of
the argument, the three of them later decided to organize a yacht club in Santa Cruz.
One of these men, Sam Leask Jr., said, “It is
my feeling that the roots of the club and of yachting
on Monterey Bay extend back to about the year 1925
when Bruce Sharp and C.E (Charlie) Towne started
sailing around Santa Cruz in a 14 foot cat boat. Bruce
was the president of the Santa Cruz County Bank, a
natural organizer and leader with a host of friends in
Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Charlie Towne was a
member of a pioneer Santa Cruz family and vice president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank. Bruce Sharp
was the motivating force and to his memory belongs
the credit for the movement. A meeting was held in
a balcony room of the Saddle Rock restaurant on the
night of January 5, 1928. In addition to Bruce, Charlie
and me, eleven others were invited to attend. Before
the meeting ended all agreed to become members, thus
forming the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.”
Bruce Sharp was elected commodore, Jay
Harris Jr. vice commodore, Leo Cardiff secretary/
treasurer, Bob Cardiff and R.H. Hamilton directors.
The other charter members were; Judge Harry Bias,
Dr. Phil Bliss, Lloyd Bowman, Leo Cardwell, C.G.
Dake, Howard Emigh, Harry D. Hall, Sam Leask
Jr., Alvin K. Mathews, W.L. Payne, J.B. Rogers Jr.,
W.A. Saunders, Charlie Towne and Frank Wilson.
Jay Harris designed the club’s burgee and
within a few months the new yacht club was negotiating with the Pasquinucci Boat Yard of Sausalito for the
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February 2011
construction of two 18 foot, Cub Class sloops, the original Jack and Jill.
Worth Brown, 1939 commodore, states, “The
Seaside Company has always befriended the yacht club.
The first meeting rooms were in the Casino Building
and Bob Cardiff helped in many ways.”
The Casa Del Rey trophy was made in 1926. It
is the oldest trophy in the collection of the Santa Cruz
Yacht Club. It was won by Ben Brooks in his little
sloop Chance in 1927 and then donated to the yacht
club by the Seaside Company as a perpetual award for
the first-to-finish in the club’s initial sponsorship of a
sailing race from San Francisco on May 30, 1928. The
winner was Lester Stone’s sloop Migirl.
Our club has come along way since this early
beginning. The older members have a feeling of pride
when they see our burgee flying on the great racing
yachts of today. The SCYC burgee has been first-tofinish in the Transpac and Pacific Cup races, in many
class championships & regattas the world over, and in
dozens of Mexico Races. I’m sure that when Jay Harris
designed this burgee, he never imagined it would fly so
high.
Santa Cruz Yacht Club Spinnaker Sheet
(The fishing vessel Shady Lady coming up the
channel in 1979. Then new, Aldo’s Restaurant is
seen to the far left with the bait & tackle shop moved
to its new location at the end of Aldo’s Pier. This picture
is brought to you by Georges McCormick who handed
me a bag of photographic negatives a while back. I am
now well-equipped with a beautiful, new photo scanner
so please dig out your photos and negatives so we can
get them in the digital archive. Note the lack of development in the hills behind the harbor)
Niels Kisling
SCYC Historian
(In May of 1955, the Santa Cruz Sentinel featured this
picture inside our clubhouse on the Santa Cruz Wharf.
Right out of an old black-n-white TV episode of Father
Knows Best, the Sentinel caption reads, “Informality
prevails when yacht club members get together at their
new clubhouse on the wharf. Enjoying potluck supper
after a day of sailing, with Commodore Elton Green
as the chef, are (left to right) Staff Commodore Edwin
Anderson, Mrs. Bert B. Snyder Jr., Mr and Mrs. Howard
Sloan, Staff Commodore Bert B. Snyder Jr. and Mrs.
Anderson.” Ernie Rideout photo)
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(New members introduced at the January Board
meeting: Gene Sofen, Seth Cohen (Corinthian), Carl
Pichotta, John Curtis, Commodore Michael Wood,
Robert Barker and Larry Walerstein & Linda Carter.
Congratulations and welcome to one and all)
As of 1/20/11 the Membership totals are as follows:
Regular
Junior
Life
Total 666
418
101
11
Non-Resident
Corinthian
Honorary
69
40
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