Akela beats wicked winds for top Ensenada prize

by Rich Roberts on 28 Apr 2008 After the racing and the partying and the packing, the theme evolving from the Newport Ocean Sailing Association’s 61st International Yacht Race to Ensenada Sunday was that anybody who won something earned it.

David Janes and Bill Turpin's Reichel/Pugh 75, Akela, from Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club won the President of Mexico Trophy for first overall on corrected handicap time and missed a sweep for first to finish by only 11 1/2 minutes behind Doug Baker's Magnitude 80.

There were 391 entries, 380 starters and 307 finishers---none of the latter in distress but most in disappointment.

Janes said, 'We had many hours of one knot [wind and boat speed], but we really had to pay attention the whole night.'

Keith Kilpatrick, accepting Mag 80's award for the fastest elapsed time, said, 'We were saying on the boat that of all the races this was hardest going of all.'

They were within reach of the record until reaching Todos Santos Bay, well away from the headlands, but without enough wind to fly a spinnaker.

'At 8:57 p.m. [Friday night] we were doing 15 knots---and at 9 p.m., nothing,' Kilpatrick said. 'I've never seen anything like it. Then near the finish Akela came up on us---flying a spinnaker. We thought, 'No way!' '

Stark Raving Mad III skipper Jim Madden told a similar tale: 'The wind suddenly stopped as if someone had turned a switch off, and there we were – about 4-5 miles offshore and in clear sight (and smell) of the Baja coast, and only about 24 miles north of Ensenada.

'We spent hours admiring the new Sempra LMG plant north of Ensenada while slatting offshore. We also thought we heard some pangas coming up to us without any running lights, but it turned out to be schools of dolphins.'

Notable class winners included John Szalay of the UC Irvine Sailing Association winning PHRF-I on his Peterson 34, Pussycat, in his 44th Newport-Ensenada race.

The Nauti Chicas of Oceanside YC, led by co-skippers Sue Senescu and Terri Manok, won the Caroline Starr trophy as the first of four all-woman teams, sailing the J/35 Predator---a major comeback following their struggles in last month's Corona del Mar-Cabo race.

'The wind was better than usual,' said Senescu, who has done 17 Newport-Ensenadas, 'but there were wind holes and shifts of 100 degrees.'

The dropouts included Chris Calkins' Sabrina, the 50-year-old 50-footer from San Diego that swept handicap honors in the recent Corona del Mar to Cabo San Lucas race.

Fantasma de Navidad, the 36-foot Ferro-cement schooner that John Haupt of Imperial Beach, Calif. bought on eBay for $780, was unable to get to the start line on time because of a leak in its engine compartment and delays with Customs coming through San Diego from its marina in Baja.

Haupt said, 'I would have to question who might be more bummed---me for not officially making the start of the race or Doug Baker, a much better racing sailor that could not break Pyewacket's race record? But as long as God keeps the bilge water to a minimum, there will be another Newport to Ensenada race for each of us next year.'

The winners
(Corrected handicap time)

PRESIDENT OF MEXICO (first overall on corrected time)---Akela (Reichel/Pugh 75), David Janes/Bill Turpin, Bahia Corinthian YC.

NOSA/LAHAINA Y.C. (elapsed time)---Magnitude 80 (Andrews 80), Doug Baker, Long Beach YC, 16 hours 52 minutes 20 seconds.

MAXI---Akela.

ANCIENT MARINER---Rose of Sharon (51 schooner), Byron Chamberlain, Newport Harbor YC.

PHRF-A---Fifty-One-Fifty (Santa Cruz 70), Mike Warns, Channel Islands YC.

PHRF-B---French Bred (Beneteau 447), Ronald Coalson, Coronado YC.

PHRF-C---Ono (Olson 40), Mark Folkman/Mike Galloway, King Harbor YC.

PHRF-D---Martela (IMX 38), Viggo Torbensen, Dana Point YC.

PHRF-E---Sidekick (J/37), Bill Webster, King Harbor YC.

PHRF-F---Zulu (J/29), John Sieracki, Cortez Racing Assn.

PHRF-G---Day Tripper II, (Hunter 40), Andy Horning, Little Ships Fleet YC.

PHRF-H---Ralphie (Cal 40), Pillsbury family, St. Francis YC.

PHRF-I---Pussycat (Peterson 34), John Szalay, UC Irvine Sailing Assn.

PHRF-J---Campaign II (C&C 34), James Devlin, Balboa YC.

PHRF-K---Obsession (Catalina 30), Bill Apps, South Bay Yacht Racing Club.

PHRF-M---Sleeping Dragon (Hobie 33M), Dean Daniels, PSSA.

SPRIT-A---Jules' Jewel (Hunter 50), Richard Corbett, MCYC.

SPRIT-B—Superluminal (FT 30), Jerzy Poprawski, Anacapa YC.

XS RACING---Cat Attack (R33 cat), Randy Reynolds, Lido Isle YC.

CAROLINE STARR---Nauti Chicas/Predator (J/35), Sue Senescu/Terri Manok, Oceanside YC.

Full results at http://www.nosa.org/

Event sponsors and supporters include Mount Gay Rum, the Balboa Bay Club, Vessel Assist, West Marine, Tommy Bahama, Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Balboa Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Ullman Sails, Bajabound.com and the city of Newport Beach.