Windquest Gasped Its Last Only 3 Miles Shy

by Rich Roberts on 2 May 2006 In the final tally to the 59th Lexus Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race there were 461 entries, 454 starters, 340 finishers, 109 dropouts, 5 disqualifications and an unknown number of creative reasons for showing up late for work Monday morning.

A general lack of suitable breeze left the fastest boat, the maxZ86 Pyewacket, more than six hours slower than the record for the 125 nautical miles, but it wasn't as bad as 1996 when only 179 of 446 starters finished, including 63 cruising class boats that motored into Ensenada.

One of the non-finishers was Windquest, Doug DeVos' dark blue maxZ86 that came within three miles of the finish line inside Todos Santos Bay before firing up its engine, turning around and returning to San Diego. At the time---about 8 o'clock Saturday morning---the wind was almost imperceptible.

Crew member Tom Giesler said later, 'We just plain ran out of time and had to get some people to the airport. We had a great start, but as soon as those canting keel boats [Pyewacket and No. 2 finisher Magnitude 80] get their kites up we can't keep up with them.'

Among the several dozen awards presented Sunday was the Caroline Starr trophy for the best all-female crew in PHRF classes A to L. The winner was Solmate, a Beneteau 35S from Dana Point YC co-skippered by Cindy Wynne and Barbara Merriman that sailed in Class I. Other members of the crew were Denise Eldredge, Marie Claire, Anokaane Myrna Welsh, Teri Manok, Tamara Tatich and Lynn Acosta.

A list of trophy winners is posted at http://www.nosa.org/06_races-racestatus-a.html

An updated and corrected list of the first 10 monohull finishers is below. Locomotion and Zephrya were not including in previous lists.


First 10 monohull finishers:

1. Pyewacket (R/P 86), Brady Avery/Keith Kilpatrick, OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship, elapsed time 17 hours 8 minutes 20 seconds.
2. Magnitude 80 (Andrews 80), Doug Baker, Long Beach YC, 20:05:01.
3. Scout Spirit (R/P 75), David Janes, Newport Sea Base YC, 21:26:46.
4. Peligroso (Dencho 70), Mike Campbell/Dale Williams, LBYC, 22:26:33.
5. Locomotion (Andrews 45), Ed Feo, Alamitos Bay YC, 22:48:56.
6. Grand Illusion (SC 70), Ed McDowell, King Harbor YC, 23:12:39.
7. Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, California YC, 23:23:53.
8. Medicine Man (Andrews 61), Bob Lane, LBYC, 23:24:56.
9. Staghound (R/P 50), Alec Oberschmidt, Southwestern YC, 23:25:53.
10. Zephyra (DK 46), Robert Youngjohns, St. Francis YC, 24:09.40.


First ORCA (multihull) finishers):

1. Loe Real (Jeanneau 60), H.L. Enloe, Silver Gate YC, 21:06:24.
2. Afterburner (Tennant 42), Bill Gibbs, Pierpont Bay YC, 23:12:11.
3. Delta Vee (Corsair 31), Michael Lenehan, Fresno YC, 23:21:00.

Results, trophy list, photos and more at www.nosa.org/06_races-lx.html