Melges 24s get a surprise welcome to Monterey Bay

by Rich Roberts on 6 May 2007
'We have never seen Santa Cruz blowing out of northeast offshore like this before,' said veteran Bruce Ayers of Newport Beach, Calif., who won the first race of the Pre-Worlds tune-up to the 2007 Fullpower Melges 24 World Championship Saturday, hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.

And 17-year-old Samuel (Shark) Kahn, the 2003 world champion who lives here, said after winning the second race, 'Today was weird.'

The breeze filled early with 15 knots from southwest, and after a 15-degree shift prompted the race committee to postpone the first start, followed by a massive general recall of the overanxious fleet, the third start was barely halfway up the 1.4-nautical mile beat in 20 knots and 10-foot swells when suddenly the boats on the left were headed away from the windward mark while boats on the right were laying it with spinnakers.

'At that point,' said principal race officer Hank Stuart of Rochester, N.Y., 'I said, ‘This is not a race.' '

So, on counsel from Matthew Coale, a local member of the race committee that this shift would stick, Stuart abandoned the race and reset the course 100 degrees to the right, slightly east of north directly at the beach---and Coale was correct. The new offshore breeze built from 12 to 20 knots through the two races.

Gabrio Zandona, driving Italy's Joe Fly, said, 'Today's racing was not boring at al . . . a little crazy with the wind from offshore. We have never seen 20 knots in opposite directions, but it was fun.'

Only 36 of the 58 entries sailed the first race and 28 the second, which may have left the latter less confused about what to expect in the championship racing Tuesday through Saturday.

Stuart said, 'Today was a really unusual situation The usual wind is [southwest].from 250 or 260 degrees at 18 to 25 knots.'

Kahn was the moat consistent Saturday with a fourth in the first race to go with his first in the second. He is sailing with veterans Richard Clarke, Bruce Mahoney and David Giles - three instead of four teammates these days.

'As Shark was growing in size we couldn’t keep the weight,' Clarke said. 'He's much taller and maybe 20 pounds heavier than he was [in 2003]. It means he has to do his own main [sail trimming] - as he should. He's a good sailor and he's going down the right path.'

Mahoney, who also manages the four-boat Pegasus team that also includes skippers Philippe Kahn, Dave Ullman and Mark Christensen, said, 'In 2003 there were a lot of people doubting if he really did much but steer, [saying] 'He's been fast with good guys.' But there were a lot of other boats with good guys. Now, downwind I don’t know of anybody faster.'

And loving it. Downwind, if the crews had placed their combined limit of 793.6 pounds of ballast any farther back in the boats they would have needed water skis. Upwind, most of the boats were luffing their main sails.

Those windy conditions are expected to continue because, after all, it's Monterey Bay.

The Santa Cruz YC hosts have a full schedule of activities planned ashore. The hospitality will include on-site concessions run by local businesses offering specialty coffee and pastries by Java Junction, pre-ordered race lunches by Erik's DeliCafe and bottled water by Crystal Springs, available by the case.

There also will be post-race social events, with complimentary beverage most evenings provided by sponsors like Sierra Nevada, Pusser's Rum and Seabright Brewery. Hors d'ouevres will be available each night, with dinners on two nights, featuring Polynesian specialties from Aloha Grill and BBQ'd tri-tip by club member/restaurateur Walter Oliveri of Aldo's.

There will be daily prizes for top-place finishers, sponsored by Harken, and giveaways from Pusser's Rum, West Marine, Starbrite and New England Ropes. There will also be some great raffle prizes, including a custom M/24 transport cover from Lohmann Sails and Covers. North Sails is providing skipper's bags, and all participants will receive discount tickets to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.