Yacht Clubs of Long Beach Charity Regatta for The Children's Clinic

by Rich Roberts on 26 Sep 2011 Yacht Clubs of Long Beach Charity Regatta, which benefits The Children's Clinic, was hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club on Sunday, 25th September 2011.

Ray Godwin, Bruce Golison and the Flams, names that are a familiar part of the fabric of the sport of sailing in the city, were the big winners when the Yacht Clubs of Long Beach Charity Regatta for The Children's Clinic (TCC) celebrated its silver anniversary Sunday.

Godwin's Temptress from Long Beach YC edged another local Farr 40, Steve Murphy's JoAnn, from Seal Beach YC, to win the PHRF class while Golison, Alamitos Bay YC, with Dina Corsi as crew, swept the three Lido 14 dinghy races and father Barney and son Steve Flam on Rigor Mortis from ABYC outsailed nine other Cal 20s in the largest class to collect a perpetual prize.

Temptress also won the Family Trophy for the eighth year with four of Godwin's grandchildren and tactician Scott Munch's young son and daughter on board.

The skippers have dealt well for years with Long Beach's well-known sea breeze, but this time they were tested by a light and shifty southerly that tested their broader skills. The frustrating zephyr cramped by a heavy and misty overcast held fast until mid-afternoon---no whitecaps, no heavy hiking.

The Flams didn't win a race (2-4-2) but Barney's key advice to Steve drawn from 86 years on earth was offered on the final leg of the first race: 'Be sure we're going to the right finish line.'

Steve explained afterward, 'We got a bit of a lucky break when Chris Raab went to the wrong line, or he would have won the event.'

Both trailed runaway leader Mike Van Dyke's Maniacal in a fleet scattered across the inner harbor searching for the fastest route to the finish. Raab, a world-class veteran in small boats, especially Lasers, was headed for a strong finish but crossed the line on the wrong side of the committee boat. Van Dyke had already crossed the proper line set on the other side of the boat opposite the start line.

'He didn't see Mike finishing because Mike was so far ahead,' Steve Flam said.

Raab's subsequent ninth place---he beat one boat---cost him seven points and overall victory, so even a third and first in the last two races couldn't save him. Meantime, the Flams held off Stan Gibbs, with sons Riley and Sawyer as crew, by one point, eight to nine, with Raab third at 13.

'That's racing,' Steve Flam said with a shrug.

Meanwhile, inside on Alamitos Bay, Golison, a formidable Etchells class campaigner, was making it look easy in the Lido 14 fleet until he threw caution to what little wind there was and jumped the start in the third and last race. He immediately returned to restart and had taken the lead before the end of the first or two laps.

'A couple of guys pushed us over [the line],' Golison said. 'It was kind of fun working it out … trying hard and coming back.'

He spoke for the spirit of the event. Over a quarter-century the Long Beach Charity Regatta for The Children's Clinic has raised more than half a million dollars for the six non-profit 501c (3) licensed community health clinics serving low income, uninsured and underinsured children and their families in the greater Long Beach area.

The winners

Alamitos Bay YC

Lido 14-A (3 boats)---Bruce Golison/Dina Corsi, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-1-1, 3 points.

Lido 14-B (5)---Bruce Wasson, 1-1-1, 3.

Laser (4)---Ross Nemeroff, Seal Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.

Laser Radial (2)---Steve Kosloski, ABYC, 1-1-1, 3.

Sabot Senior (2)—Mary Riddick, ABYC, 1-1-1, 3; Sabot A (1)---R.J. Ivory, ABYC, 1-1-1, 3; Sabot B (2)---Lauren Thompson, ABYC, 1-1-1, 3; Sabot C2 (2)---Ryan Schack, ABYC, 1-1-1, 3; Sabot C3 (8)---Axel Stordahl, ABYC, 1-2-2, 4.

Optimist (4)—Cameron Feves, Cabrillo Beach YC, 2-1-1, 4.
Complete results

Long Beach YC

CAL 20 (10)---Rigor Mortis, Barney Flam/Steve Flam, 2-4-2, 8.
Complete results

Seal Beach YC

PHRF---Temptress (Farr 40), Ray Godwin, Long Beach YC, 2-1, 3 (won tiebreaker with JoAnn, Steve Murphy, Seal Beach YC, 1-2).
Complete results

All entry fees and proceeds from related events, such as a swap meet in July and a golf tournament in August, go to TCC. By actual count to date, 23,443 children and adults to age 95, marking more than 70,000 visits to TCC for high quality health care Services.

Participating clubs are Alamitos Bay YC, Cerritos Bahia YC, Little Ships Fleet, Long Beach YC, Navy Yacht Club, Seal Beach YC, Shoreline YC, Long Beach Singles YC and Blue Gavel District 10.

Supporting benefactors are Murphy Industrial Coatings, the Van Dyke Family and the International Order of the Blue Gavel Humanitarian Foundation. Sponsors are Alegra Print & Managing, CEBA Inc. Pensions Consultants, Screen Gems Silk Screening, a tribute to Howard Tait and Michael and Susan Christmas. All about The Childrens Clinic

Alamitos Bay Yacht Club website