2014 18' Skiff International Regatta - Day 3
by Rich Roberts on 29 Aug 2014
Johnny Heineken (r.) leads Joey Pasquali down a brisk Bay in Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race Rich Roberts
2014 18' Skiff International Regatta - Early every day at Crissy Field hundreds of San Francisco's hardiest citizens and their dogs can be found running, biking or walking briskly along the wind-swept bay, where some may even be sailing later.
So the brave and upbeat sailors from around the world fit right in for the 13th annual 18' Skiff International Regatta hosted by the St. Francis YC. They race faster than the wind, not for money but the thrill of it all, with winning almost secondary.
Almost. Survival also comes into play.
'It was a crazy, survival type of day,' said Johnny Heineken, a local lad who at 26 is a world kiteboarding legend and proved it again by sailing his hydrofoil to another victory in the Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race, after six of the eight skiffs chose not to challenge the rugged combination of clashing wind and tide.
Howie Hamlin, the Long Beach, Calif. veteran who has won six of the 13 events, noted, 'Over the years we've missed maybe two races, but we've never blown off a Bridge to Bridge.'
That was the six boats' call. Earlier, the race committee abandoned any attempt to start the class's own fifth scheduled race, citing incoming winds of 25 to 30 knots with an overpowering outgoing ebb tide.
Heineken said, 'That might be the nastiest (Bridge to Bridge) I've ever sailed'---so nasty that he finished the traditional 5.3-nautical mile race from the Golden Gate to the San Francisco Bay Bridge around the corner of The City in 15 minutes---three minutes slower than the record he set last year.
The two 18s that started---David Liebenberg's Only 18 and John Gilmour's Flytac---didn't each reach the corner before breaking down.
'You gotta try,' Liebenberg said.
Concerning their own canceled race, ASCC skipper Brett Van Munster of Australia, who has won two of the skiffs' class races, said, 'We had to look at what's going to happen the rest of the regatta if we're busy fixing our boats.'
Graham Catley of New Zealand said, 'It's a safety issue. We had another drowning last year at Brisbane in similar conditions. A sailor was trapped underneath and couldn't get out.'
For the skiffs, the Bridge to Bridge Race will count as a DNF (did not finish) or a DNS (did not start) and their own abandoned race won't count at all. They hope to make it up by finishing the week with three races Friday and two Saturday.
The boats are launching off the beach bordering Crissy Field west of the host St. Francis Yacht Club. Admission is free. The schedule calls for a total of 10 races through Saturday, two per day starting at 1 p.m.
2014 18' Skiff International Regatta Standings:
|
Place
|
Boat
|
Skipper
|
Crew
|
Club
|
Race 1
|
Race 2
|
Race 3
|
Race 4
|
Total
|
|
1
|
CST
|
Howie Hamlin
|
Cameron McDonald/Matt McKinlay
|
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
|
3
|
5
|
4
|
2
|
14
|
|
2
|
ASCC
|
Brett Van Munster
|
Paul Montague/Harry Thurston
|
Australian 18 Footers
|
1
|
10/OCS
|
3
|
1
|
15
|
|
3
|
Events Clothing
|
Skip McCormack
|
Nick Catley/Josh McCormack
|
Auckland Sailing Club / SFYC
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
10/DNF
|
16
|
|
4
|
MaerskLine
|
Graham Catley
|
Tom Peet/Brad Collins
|
Auckland Sailing Club
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
10/DNF
|
16
|
|
5
|
Only 18
|
David Liebenberg
|
Dan Morris/John Grey
|
Richmond Yacht Club
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
22
|
|
6
|
WWW.FLYTAC.COM
|
John Gilmour
|
Cooper Dressler/Matt Van Rensselaer
|
Richmond Yacht Club
|
5
|
4
|
7
|
10/DNF
|
26
|
|
7
|
Yandoo
|
Press
|
Andrew Hay/James Beck
|
Double Bay 18'
|
10/DNC
|
10/DNC
|
6
|
3
|
29
|
|
8
|
Lightning
|
Chad Freitas
|
Dan Brandt/Corey Lynch
|
The Skiff Sailing Foundation
|
6
|
3
|
10/DNC
|
10/DNC
|
29
|
|
9
|
Sparkle Motion
|
Dan Roberts
|
James Clappier/Patrick Lewis
|
Richmond Yacht Club
|
10/DNF
|
7
|
8
|
10/DNF
|
35
|
Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Results:
|
PLACE
|
SAIL /
JERSEY #
|
FIRST
NAME
|
LAST
NAME
|
CLASS
|
START
TIME
|
FINISH TIME
|
ELAPSED TIME
|
|
1
|
69
|
Johnny
|
Heineken
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:50:01
|
0:15:01
|
|
2
|
32
|
Joey
|
Pasquali
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:50:38
|
0:15:38
|
|
3
|
1
|
Chip
|
Wasson
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:50:44
|
0:15:44
|
|
4
|
64
|
Seth
|
Besse
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:51:15
|
0:16:15
|
|
5
|
66
|
Stefanus
|
Viljoen
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:51:38
|
0:16:38
|
|
6
|
49
|
Moraya
|
Iacono
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:54:23
|
0:19:23
|
|
7
|
451
|
Xavier
|
Ferlet
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
17:40:00
|
0:22:27
|
|
8
|
38
|
Nicolai
|
Sutter Sponholtz
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
17:57:42
|
0:22:42
|
|
9
|
Shadow
|
Peter
|
Stoneberg
|
Formula 40
|
17:35:00
|
17:40:00
|
0:22:54
|
|
10
|
54
|
Chris
|
Brown
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:00:10
|
0:25:10
|
|
11
|
6
|
Eugenia
|
Gueorguieva
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:00:36
|
0:25:36
|
|
12
|
42
|
Ariel
|
Poler
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:00:52
|
0:25:52
|
|
13
|
67
|
Haydn
|
Fischer
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:01:16
|
0:26:16
|
|
14
|
26
|
Johnny
|
Gomes
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:01:41
|
0:26:41
|
|
15
|
47
|
Amil
|
Kabil
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:03:46
|
0:28:46
|
|
16
|
30
|
Anthony
|
Locke
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:03:59
|
0:28:59
|
|
17
|
L9
|
Weyman
|
Lundquist
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
18:04:33
|
0:29:33
|
|
18
|
51
|
Eric
|
Geleynse
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:04:34
|
0:29:34
|
|
19
|
13
|
Stephan
|
Zimmermann
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:04:43
|
0:29:43
|
|
20
|
57
|
Marcelo
|
Segura
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:04:57
|
0:29:57
|
|
21
|
46
|
Nick
|
Levi
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:05:07
|
0:30:07
|
|
22
|
37
|
Sebastian
|
Sutter Sponholtz
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:05:54
|
0:30:54
|
|
23
|
7
|
Daniela
|
Moroz
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:06:00
|
0:31:00
|
|
24
|
8
|
Thomas
|
Gore
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:06:06
|
0:31:06
|
|
25
|
a
|
Soheil
|
Zahedi
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
18:06:10
|
0:31:10
|
|
26
|
|
Josh
|
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:06:46
|
0:31:46
|
|
27
|
33
|
Chris
|
Brent
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:07:20
|
0:32:20
|
|
28
|
Z
|
Jean
|
Rathle
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
18:07:23
|
0:32:23
|
|
29
|
111
|
Jesper
|
Vesterstroem
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
18:08:07
|
0:33:07
|
|
30
|
2
|
Erin
|
Loscocco
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:09:00
|
0:34:00
|
|
31
|
3068
|
Mike
|
Smith
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
18:22:00
|
0:47:00
|
|
32
|
34
|
Geoff
|
Headington
|
Hydrofoil Kite
|
17:35:00
|
18:25:31
|
0:50:31
|
|
|
17
|
Justin
|
Scott
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
56
|
Maxim
|
Sokolov
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
ASCC
|
Brett
|
Van Munster
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
CST
|
Howie
|
Hamlin
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
Events Clothing
|
Skip
|
McCormack
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
Lightning
|
Chad
|
Freitas
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
MaerskLine
|
Graham
|
Catley
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
Sparkle Motion
|
Dan
|
Roberts
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
FLYTAC.COM
|
John
|
Gilmour
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
Only 18
|
David
|
Liebenberg
|
18 Skiff
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
53
|
James
|
Shanahan
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
3
|
Steve
|
Gibson
|
Formula Kite
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
882
|
Al
|
Mirel
|
Formula Windsurf
|
17:35:00
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
SmartRecruiters
|
Jerome
|
Ternynck
|
Extreme 40
|
DNS
|
|
|
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