Disney shows the way on opening day of First Team Regatta

by Rich Roberts on 21 May 2005 The question after opening day of the inaugural First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta Friday was how Roy Disney can be planning to retire from sailboat racing if he is having so much fun.

‘It was good fun,’ Disney, 75, said of Pyewacket's strong performance against Randall Pittman's Genuine Risk.

Sixteen boats from 48 to 90 feet started together, but the two biggest ones---Disney's maxZ86 and Pittman's Dubois 90---ran off into their own match race, finishing about 17 minutes ahead of everyone except Doug Baker's Magnitude 80, the only other boat in Class 1.

The windward-leeward course was three miles long, twice around, with a downwind finish near spectators on Newport Pier. There will be two races Saturday and Sunday, probably on shorter courses, starting at 1 p.m., conditions permitting. The Balboa and Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs are managing the event.

Winds Friday were 7-8 knots and swinging heavily from south to west during the race, giving significant weight to the right side of the course and minimizing jibing tactics downwind, although the race committee tried to compensate by shifting the windward mark between laps.

The boats were divided into three classes according to Americap II handicap ratings calculated by US Sailing's offshore director, Dan Nowlan.

Although Genuine Risk owed Pyewacket 9 seconds per mile because of its slightly longer waterline, Pyewacket finished 53 seconds ahead.

In Class 2, Doug Ayers' Skylark, a Santa Cruz 70 that was Disney's second Pyewacket in the 90s, was second to finish and overall winner ahead of Ed McDowell's Grand Illusion---another SC 70 from the glory days of the ‘sleds’—with three Transpac 52s running second, third and eighth boat for boat.

Paul and Laura Sharp's Reichel/Pugh 68, Taxi Dancer---the bright yellow boat featured in event promotions---held its own among the smaller but more modern TP 52s.

The first Class 2 finisher was Scout Spirit, the Newport Sea Base's R/P 78---formerly Zephyrus---driven by David Team, the local businessman-sailor who bid $30,000 for the privilege. The downside was that the boat owed time to everybody else in the class and corrected out seventh.

But, Team exclaimed, ‘What a great time! And what a great boat that is. We were lucky to get to the right and got close to Magnitude 80 a couple of times.’

Oscar Krinsky's 1D48, Chayah, with Walter Johnson driving, won Class 3 by 11 handicap seconds over Craig Reynolds' Nelson/Marek 55, Bolt, and was only one second off Skylark's corrected time.

Johnson gritted his teeth and said, ‘One second? We started near the pin end of the line, tacked to the right as soon as we could and were ahead of most of the big boats at the weather mark. Magnitude 80 had to duck us three-quarters up the beat.’

This is the next-to-last event of Disney's racing career. He has said he'll leave the game after his 15th Transpac in July.

Pyewacket, with Robbie Haines at the helm, started in the same group near the pin with Genuine Risk behind and off its right (windward) hip, falling farther behind in the first couple of minutes until tacking away to the right. Pyewacket tacked to cover.

Disney, who drove the downwind legs, said, ‘We had a very good start, and they almost caught us on the second windward leg. We were side by side at one point, but we inched ahead to get on their wind and then led all the way [to the finish downwind].’

First Team Real Estate is the title sponsor, playing a key role in the event preparation and sponsorship support. Silver Sponsors include Bank of America, Daily Pilot, Hewitt, LNR Property Corporation, Mellon, Merrill Lynch, MKA Capital and PIMCO.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Event proceeds will benefit Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute.

About Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute

Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute, a designated Center of Excellence at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., is Orange County’s highest-volume, highest-rated cardiovascular program and one of the preeminent cardiovascular centers on the West Coast. Specialties of Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute include diagnostic cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, endovascular diagnosis and treatment, interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, electrophysiology, cardiac rehabilitation, disease management, prevention services, and research. In 2001, Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute received Southern California’s highest rating in the state’s first public report evaluating hospital performance of heart bypass surgery, the California Report on Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: 1997-1998 Hospital Data.

About First In Our Hearts Foundation
In 2004, First Team Real Estate established the First in Our Hearts Foundation as a company wide philanthropy created to maximize the charitable efforts that have been an integral part of the company since its founding almost 30 years ago. Because their work brings them so close to homes, families, and neighborhoods, the tradition of giving back to the community runs deep among the sales associates and employees at First Team. Now, through the focused efforts of the First in Our Hearts Foundation their impact is greater than ever. And, in its inaugural year the Foundation is proud to announce its two-year commitment in support of Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute.

Friday's results (positions on corrected handicap time; actual finishing positions in parentheses):


CLASS 1

1. (1) Pyewacket (Reichel/Pugh maxZ86), Roy E. Disney, Los Angeles.

2. (2) Genuine Risk (Dubois 90), Randall Pittman, San Diego.

3. (3) Magnitude 80 (Andrews 80), Doug Baker, Long Beach, Calif.


CLASS 2

1. (2) Skylark (Santa Cruz 70), Doug Ayres, Newport Beach.

2. (3) Grand Illusion (Santa Cruz 70), Ed McDowell, Lahaina, H.I.

3. (4) Flash (Transpac 52), Mark Jones, San Francisco.

4. (6) Taxi Dancer (Reichel/Pugh 68), Paul Sharp, Newport Beach.

5. (5) Rosebud (Transpac 52), Roger Sturgeon, Santa Cruz, Calif.

6. (9) Ragtime (Spencer 65), Peterson/Welsh/Richards/Zimmer, Newport Beach.

7. (1) Scout Spirit (Reichel/Pugh 78), David Team, Newport Beach.

8. (7) Trader (Transpac 52), Fred Detwiler, Detroit.

9. (8) America's Challenge (Volvo 60), Neil Barth, Newport Beach.

Did not sail---Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, Los Angeles, and Vicki (Andrews 68), Al and Vicki Schultz, Long Beach.


CLASS 3

1. (1) Chayah (1D48), Oscar Krinsky, Long Beach.

2. (4) Bolt (Nelson/Marek 55), Craig Reynolds, Newport Beach.

3. (2) It's OK (1D48), Lew Beery, Glendora, Calif.

4. (3) Stark Raving Mad (J/145), Jim Madden, Newport Beach.