Tight racing and good sportsmanship in Cal 20s

by Rick Roberts on 13 Aug 2007 Smiles, handshakes and high fives were how the competitors greeted each other Saturday at the Long Beach Yacht Club dock after the first day of racing in the Cal 20 North American Championships.

Racing was close throughout the day with boats often as close at the finish as they were at the start.

'Hey, it was great,' said Keith Ives, skipper of Rubber Dog and leader after the first four races. 'We were just barley holding on. We went left the first race and found out that wasn’t the thing to do, but we got good starts in the last two races and went right.'

Stalking close to his transom most of the day was Chuck Clay’s boat Veintiseis.

'Our boat is going really well,' Clay said, 'and our crew work is excellent. This is playing out the way we want it to. All is going according to plan.'

All didn’t go according to plan for everyone Saturday as Tom Pollack’s Basic Sailing crewman Clarence Yoshikane found out.

'We were just crossing the finish line when the boat suddenly hit a trough and pitched,' Pollack said. 'The boom shifted and Clarence went overboard.'

'It was no problem,' Yoshikane said, 'I’m okay. This just happens sometimes.'

John Shadden, skipper of TJ and winner of a bronze medal for sailing in the 1988 Olympic Games, has also had challenges in this event.

'We broke our mast yesterday [Friday],' Shadden said, 'but we replaced it this morning and it seems fine.'

Keeping things in perspective, Shadden said, 'We did get first in the first race today, and my son [Thomas] is sailing with me. That’s something you can’t beat.'

Racing continues Sunday at noon with good wind and sunny skies expected to continue to keep the competition close and the competitor’s spirits up.

The Cal 20, originally known as the California 20, was originally designed and built in 1961. The fleet grew quickly due to its solid construction and affordable price. Cal 20 fleets are largest on the West Coast, including large fleets in Vancouver, Canada and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Standings

1. Rubber Dog, Keith Ives, LBYC/ABYC 8-5-1-1, 15 points
2. Veintiseis, Chuck Clay, ABYC 15-1-4-2, 22
3. Lickety Split, Mike Wood, ABYC 2-14-3-6, 25
4. Magic Bus, Mike Gaudio, BCYC/ABYC 6-10-2-7, 25
5. Convicts on Tour, Michael Stenovich, ABYC/NHYC 10-2-7-10, 29
6. Basic Sailing, Tom Pollack, NHYC 11-7-9-5, 32
7. Clozer 2, Stan Gibbs, LBYC 19-6-5-4, 34
8. 4B’s, Scott Birnberg, LBYC 9-11-6-8, 34
9. Shoots, Don Zinn, ABYC 5-8-8-14, 35
10. TJ, John Shadden, LBYC 1-12-12-17, 42
11. Rigormortis, Doug McLean, ABYC 14-4-21-3, 42
12. Hot Pink, Jennifer Kuritz, ABYC 4-15-11-12, 42
13. Maniacal, Dave Crockett, ABYC 7-16-14-9, 46
14. Toad Stool, Robin Townsend ABYC 18-3-16-11, 48
15. Hustler, Brian Lindquist, KHYC 12-17-10-13, 52
16. Dino, Freddy Stevens, ABYC 3-18-18-18, 57
17. Loryee, Ken Hodges, ABYC 17-13-17-16, 63
18. Southern Belle, Steve Thomas, Kaneohe YC 22-20-13-15, 70
19. Breakfast Club, John Merchant, ABYC 16-21-15-19, 71
20. Retread, Larry Harvey, ABYC 20-19-25(DNF)-25(DNS), 79
21.Green Machine, Robertson/Shaw, LBYC/ABYC 13-23-19-25(DNS),80
22. Lilikui Pie, Bob Perpall, KHYC 23-22-20-20, 85
23. Quick Response, Ray Murillo, 21-19-25(DNF)-25(DNS), 90
24. Tres Amigas, Karl Czuro, OCC SA 24-24-22-21, 91

Complete results and more information is available at:

www.lbyc.org