Cal YC team wins Women’s One Design Regatta
by Event Media on 22 Oct 2007
Cal Yacht Club team hoists the hardware SW
Co-skippers Marylyn Hoenemeyer and Sue Taylor and their team from the California Yacht Club were declared the winners Sunday when the 16th annual Linda Elias Memorial Women’s One Design Challenge was shortened by one day because of heavy winds.
At Sunday’s scheduled noon starting time, principal race officer John Busch declared that racing was abandoned with easterly Santa Ana winds of 22-24 knots and gusts to 35 blowing across the race course.
Hoenemeyer and Taylor were tied on points after Saturday’s racing with the Nauti Chicas from Dana Point Yacht Club, co-skippered by Sue Senescu and Denise Eldredge. However, the tiebreaker was that Hoenemeyer/Taylor had two first-place finishes to none for Senescu/Eldredge.
The event was hosted by the Long Beach/Los Angeles Women’s Sailing Association and the Long Beach Yacht Club. Each of the six all-woman teams sailed identically prepared and equipped Catalina 37s owned, managed and maintained by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation.
'It was a great regatta,' Hoenemeyer said. 'We wish we could have sailed today. This is my fifth time and it’s interesting how it’s the first time here for many women.
Hoenemeyer gives full credit to her team: Susan Taylor, co-skipper; Kathy Patterson, tactics; Gwen Gordon, spinnaker; Denise George, jib/afterguy; Kellie Fennessy, jib/afterguy; Ann Chamberlin, pit; Tiffany Brian, mast; Michelle Parker-Ondrey, bow; and Joann Meepos, floater.
'We got a lot of kinks out yesterday,' said Hoenemeyer, 'so we were really looking forward to racing today, even with the [heavy] wind.'
Second went to the Nauti Chicas who hoped for more racing Sunday for a chance to take first in the event.
'We thought it was a great regatta,' Senescu said, 'and we enjoyed the competition, especially with no protests. We think we could have done well today.'
In Saturday’s racing, the Nauti Chicas were OCS (over the starting line early) in two of the three races… probably the deciding factor.
Senescu added with a slight smile, 'If we hadn’t been OCS for even one of the races yesterday…'
She sighed and shrugged.
Finishing a strong third for the event was skipper Samantha 'Sam' Treadwell and her team from San Diego Yacht Club. They posted first-, fourth- and third-place finishes Saturday and were only two points behind the leaders.
'We really wanted today,' Treadwell said. 'We think we could have caught them. When the wind came up yesterday we didn’t do well. It was something out of our San Diego conditions. But we adjusted by the third race and feel we could have done well today. It was just a matter of putting the race together.
'This was my first time as skipper in a fleet race and I’m looking forward to returning next year.'
The event is named after the late Linda Elias, one of Southern California’s most successful female sailboat racers.
Elias sailed in the Transpac in 1989, ’91, ‘93 and ’99 and won the Women’s One Design championship three of the first five years. When she passed away in 2003 after losing a nine-year battle with cancer the Long Beach/Los Angeles Women’s Sailing Association rededicated the event to her memory.
Camille Daniels, who was a close friend and accomplished sailor herself, said of Elias, 'She was a great mentor of all sailors, especially women. She was inspirational.'
Final Standings
1. Marylyn Hoenemeyer/Sue Taylor, Cal YC, 4-1-1, 6 points (win tiebreaker)
2. Sue Senescu/Denise Eldredge, Dana Point YC, 2-2-2, 6
3. Samantha Treadwell, San Diego YC, 1-4-3, 8
4. Karen Campbell, Little Ships YC/LB-LA WSA, 3-3-6, 12
5. Joan Chandler, WSA Santa Monica Bay, 5-5-4, 14
6. Lindsay Artoff, Del Ray YC, 6-6-5, 17
Race information and official standings at:
www.lbyc.org
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