Boxing Day Race at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
by Rich Roberts on 28 Dec 2014

The Gibbs brothers passed everyone to win ABYC's Boxing Day Race going away Rich Roberts
In Alamitos Bay Yacht Club's annual Boxing Day race the hometown Gibbs brothers, Riley, 18, and Sawyer, 16, started last in their 49er skiff but passed all of the other boats of various types to finish first in brilliant sun but cool light air Sunday.
The pursuit race, in which the slowest-rated boats start first followed at several intervals working up through faster boats, was on the inner bay fronting the club, twice around for about two miles.
There were 59 boats and many different classes, six of which finished in the top 10 and nine of which didn't bother to finish at all. The Gibbs's only error was starting a minute early ahead of their assigned time.
'We did?' Riley said when informed of the mistake afterward. 'I didn't know we were early.'
No matter. Event chairperson and principal race officer Mark Townsend said, 'Nobody said anything and I didn't blow a horn.'
And it hardly affected the outcome. The Gibbs obviously had the fastest boat, even in the wispy southwesterly that built from five to eight knots as the chase proceeded. Their boat handling through many spinnaker sets and gibes was flawless.
Their last challenger was ABYC veteran Chris Raab, a two-time winner of this event and several national and international competitions in various classes. This time he sailed a Lido 14 and started 25 minutes ahead of the Gibbs and had passed everyone else on the second lap when they closed in at the windward mark in the channel off the bay.
'I'm winning!' Raab shouted hilariously as he approached the buoy, 'I'm winning!'---knowing it was only seconds before the Gibbs followed him around and breezed by, 20 minutes from their finish five minutes ahead.
Riley Gibbs had sailed other boats in several Boxing Day races but said, 'I've never been first. It seems we had the right boat this time.'
Sawyer said it was his first race on a 49er, although he had won events in Lido 14 and Cal 20 junior classes this year.
Riley has higher ambitions: an Olympic campaign as crew for Zack Downing that will carry them through a series of qualifying events leading to 2016 at Rio de Janeiro.
One thing he knows: it won't be as easy as Sunday.
Top finishers
1. Riley Gibbs/Sawyer Gibbs, ABYC (49er),
2. Chris Raab, ABYC (Lido 14).
3. David Klatt, Ventura YC (Wiley Wabbit).
4. Stu Robertson/Spanky McGee, Mission Bay YC (Lido 14).
5. Eric Conn/Stacy Conn, ABYC (Mercury).
6. Brad Bergeron, Seal Beach YC (Mercury 18).
7. Thomas Priest/David West, HLBC/TPYC (Mercury).
8. Keith Ives/Chuck Stevens, ABYC/LBYC (Cal 20).
9. Jennifer Kuritz/Steve Kuritz/John Ellis, ABYC (Cal 20)/
10. Axel Stordahl, ABYC (Naples Sabot).
Overall Results:
Rank |
Boat |
Class |
SailNo |
Club |
HelmName |
CrewName |
Nat |
R1 |
Total |
Nett |
1st |
|
49er |
49 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Riley Gibbs |
Sawyer Gibbs |
USA |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
2nd |
|
Lido 14 |
4732 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Chris Raab |
|
USA |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
3rd |
Johnson |
Wiley Wabbit |
45 |
Ventura YC |
David Klatt |
Cody Schlub |
USA |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
4th |
Just Plain Bad Behavior |
Lido 14 |
2511 |
Mission Bay Yacht Club |
Stu Roberston |
Spanky Mcgee |
USA |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
5th |
Ol' Skool |
Mercury |
542 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Eric Conn |
Stacy Conn |
USA |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
6th |
Mystery |
Mercury 18 |
467 |
Seal Beach YC |
Brad Bergeron |
|
USA |
6.0 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
7th |
Miss Behavin' |
Mercury |
468 |
HLBC / TPYC |
Thomas Priest |
David West |
USA |
7.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
8th |
|
Cal 20 |
56 |
ABYC/LBYC |
Keith Ives |
Chuck Stevens |
USA |
8.0 |
8.0 |
8.0 |
9th |
|
Cal 20 |
238 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Jennifer Kuritz |
Steve Kuritz / John Ellis |
|
9.0 |
9.0 |
9.0 |
10th |
Dynamite |
Naples Sabot |
10145 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Axel Storhahl |
|
USA |
10.0 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
11th |
|
Lido 14 |
872 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Nathan Dalleska |
Erin Dalleska |
USA |
11.0 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
12th |
Rebel |
Lido 14 |
1285 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
John Gresham |
Scott Gronewald |
USA |
12.0 |
12.0 |
12.0 |
13th |
|
Naples Sabot |
10252 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Brett Peoples |
|
USA |
13.0 |
13.0 |
13.0 |
14th |
"Click" |
Lido 14 |
4029 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Tracy Conn |
Bruce Conn |
USA |
14.0 |
14.0 |
14.0 |
15th |
|
Naples Sabot |
8965 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Brad Thompson |
|
USA |
15.0 |
15.0 |
15.0 |
16th |
Liberty |
Lido 14 |
3747 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Kathryn Reed |
Cynthia Heavrin |
USA |
16.0 |
16.0 |
16.0 |
17th |
|
Lido 14 |
5030 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Jeff Merrill |
Pam Merrill |
USA |
17.0 |
17.0 |
17.0 |
18th |
|
Laser |
197032 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Ed Feo |
|
USA |
18.0 |
18.0 |
18.0 |
19th |
|
Naples Sabot |
8260 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Paul Anctil |
|
USA |
19.0 |
19.0 |
19.0 |
20th |
|
Geary 18 |
USA1509 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
mitch schroeder |
Bernice Galvez |
POL |
20.0 |
20.0 |
20.0 |
21st |
|
Lido 14 |
4339 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Chuck Clay |
Amanda Wayne |
USA |
21.0 |
21.0 |
21.0 |
22nd |
|
Lido 14 |
6277 |
ELYC |
Chris May |
Jacob Macielski |
USA |
22.0 |
22.0 |
22.0 |
23rd |
Tinkertoy |
Santana 20 |
911 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Robert Wright |
Jim Samuel |
USA |
23.0 |
23.0 |
23.0 |
24th |
Swifty |
Laser |
179463 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Steven Smith |
|
USA |
24.0 |
24.0 |
24.0 |
25th |
|
Laser |
147394 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Alan Peoples |
|
USA |
25.0 |
25.0 |
25.0 |
26th |
|
Lido 14 |
1755 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Daniel Gilboa |
Mike Shea |
USA |
26.0 |
26.0 |
26.0 |
27th |
|
Laser |
120878 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Dean Stanec |
|
USA |
27.0 |
27.0 |
27.0 |
28th |
Yates |
Naples Sabot |
9574 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Kathy Weishampel |
|
USA |
28.0 |
28.0 |
28.0 |
29th |
|
Naples Sabot |
9594 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Matthew McDermaid |
|
USA |
29.0 |
29.0 |
29.0 |
30th |
Bandit |
J24 |
2821 |
Seal Beach YC |
Angela Goodwin |
Bryan Dair |
USA |
30.0 |
30.0 |
30.0 |
31st |
|
Lido 14 |
5086 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Elle Merrill |
Doug Cornell |
USA |
31.0 |
31.0 |
31.0 |
32nd |
Pelikan |
Lido 14 |
5123 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Joel Stone |
Katherine |
USA |
32.0 |
32.0 |
32.0 |
33rd |
Tiger |
Mercury |
504 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Robert Burns |
Richie Burns |
USA |
33.0 |
33.0 |
33.0 |
34th |
|
Tempest |
335 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Henk Baars |
|
USA |
34.0 |
34.0 |
34.0 |
35th |
|
Optimist |
19861 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Thomas Dobson |
|
USA |
35.0 |
35.0 |
35.0 |
36th |
|
Laser |
177286 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Michael Kramer |
|
USA |
36.0 |
36.0 |
36.0 |
37th |
Luff 'n' Laff |
Lido 14 |
6125 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Steve Cole |
Melinda Howell |
USA |
37.0 |
37.0 |
37.0 |
38th |
|
Naples Sabot |
9320 |
Long Beach YC |
William Mueller |
|
USA |
38.0 |
38.0 |
38.0 |
39th |
|
Naples Sabot |
x |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Nicholas Mueller |
|
CAN |
39.0 |
39.0 |
39.0 |
40th |
|
Cal 20 |
652? |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Dave Kofahl |
Carol Kofahl |
USA |
40.0 |
40.0 |
40.0 |
41st |
|
Laser |
14403 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Jack Johnson |
|
USA |
41.0 |
41.0 |
41.0 |
42nd |
Queen Anne's Revenge |
Capri 14.2 |
5 |
CSULB Sailing |
Mike Fratantoro |
Michelle Moss |
USA |
42.0 |
42.0 |
42.0 |
43rd |
Seven |
Capri 14.2 |
7 |
CSULB Sailing |
Tatiana Misares |
Elizabeth Luna |
USA |
43.0 |
43.0 |
43.0 |
44th |
|
Laser |
83358 |
Long Beach YC |
Mike Corzine |
|
USA |
44.0 |
44.0 |
44.0 |
45th |
|
Laser Radial |
181776 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Susan Lanoue |
|
USA |
45.0 |
45.0 |
45.0 |
46th |
|
Naples Sabot |
8155 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Emilia Anctil |
|
USA |
46.0 |
46.0 |
46.0 |
47th |
Serenity |
Capri 14.2 |
4 |
CSULB Sailing |
Kyle Henneberque |
Brianna Maloney |
USA |
47.0 |
47.0 |
47.0 |
48th |
The Jenny |
Capri 14.2 |
6 |
CSULB Sailing |
Laurel Skinner |
Kenia Garcia |
USA |
48.0 |
48.0 |
48.0 |
49th |
|
Cal 20 |
299 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Dan Bates |
Latham Bell, Matthew Bates |
USA |
49.0 |
49.0 |
49.0 |
50th |
Bravura |
Cal 20 |
373 |
ABYC/TPYC |
Jeff Ives |
Phil |
USA |
50.0 |
50.0 |
50.0 |
51st |
|
Laser |
179628 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Haily Thompson |
Smantha Thompson |
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
|
Lido 14 |
251 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Richard Lewis |
Ulises Lewis |
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
|
Lido 14 |
2665 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Bruce Golison |
|
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
|
Lido 14 |
1 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Kayla Rabb |
Jake |
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
10+ KTS |
Lido 14 |
4952 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Ken Reiff |
Glenn Selvin |
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
Seahawk |
Naples Sabot |
4392 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Sam Shuart |
|
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
Cinnamon Girl |
Naples Sabot |
7845 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Jeff McDermaid |
|
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
Tomahawk Too |
Naples Sabot |
10311 |
Alamitos Bay YC |
mandi smith |
|
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
51st |
Miss Savannah |
USS Napy Code:TRMP multihulls |
None |
Alamitos Bay YC |
Kurt Pruitt |
Pruitt Family |
USA |
60.0 DNF |
60.0 |
60.0 |
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