Yachting Cup at San Diego Yacht Club

by SDYC on 2 May 2015 2015 Yachting Cup - The first race is in the books for San Diego Yacht Club’s premier spring regatta. The three-day regatta will continue through Sunday, May 3rd, and racing will take place on three different courses.

Winds were strong for the First National Bullion Bay Race, with average speeds of about 12 kts and puffs up to 16kts. For the typically smooth bay water, the chop was significant at about 1 to 1.5 feet. For Friday’s race, the course was set up as a random leg bay race. With only one racing venue, fleets followed various course lengths per the fleet’s assignment. Courses ranged between 7.5 and 9.5 nm.

For local SDYC sailor Lani Spund, the steady winds were a nice change of pace. “That was way more wind than what we’ve been used to here in San Diego, but it was also way more fun. “For Spund, who is sailing in his third Yachting Cup, this weekend is a great way to see what his boat Kokopelli 2 is capable of doing. “The boat loved getting her feet wet, so to speak,” said Spund.

Kokopelli 2 was a fleet leader for Race one, along with Dennis Pennell of Blue Blazes and Victor Wild’s Bud. For the bigger boats, the course really demanded precision. “The problem with the big boats is if the course is set with smaller fleets in mind, you barely get time to fly the spinnaker downwind before you’re at the next mark,” said Spund.

While Spund is hoping for long weather beats in Saturday’s racing, James Wert is just looking forward to some more great conditions. “The velocity was great for our boat,” said Wert. “It was just an all-around fun time.”

Wert and his crew aboard Thriller are based in Oceanside and very familiar with San Diego’s racing conditions. This is their sixth Yachting Cup, and it’s a regatta they plan to compete in for the foreseeable future. ”It’s still just one of the big events in Southern California,” said Wert.

Saturday’s racing will feature three separate venues, two in the ocean and one in South Bay. Tomorrow’s racing is scheduled for first warning at 11:30am. Eight races are scheduled for all classes, with a throw-out score activated at the completion of at least four races.

The First National Bullion Bay Race Day also featured a post-racing party for skippers, tacticians and their spouses.