Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta Race Series

by Rich Roberts on 28 May 2008 The Del Rey Yacht Club is navigating uncharted waters in 2009 with its 20th biennial competition to Puerto Vallarta, presented by CORUM Swiss Timepieces. PV09 is no longer just an 'International Yacht Race' but a series of four separate races in succession between Southern California and the Mexican mainland starting next Jan. 31.

The object: to provide serious racers an opportunity to sail their brains out and still kick back to enjoy the Mexican ambiance at three layovers along the way, while offering others an offshore sailing experience to colorful places, with competition and companionship stirred in.

Also, if five or more boats sign up there will still be the traditional non-stop format of 'the longest and oldest enduring race to Mexico,' so Magnitude 80’s record of 3 days 15 hours 51 minutes 39 seconds that toppled Joss’s durable 22-year-old standard last year is not entirely safe.

There are already 24 preliminary entries. The final entry list will be limited to 40 because of mooring limitations at San Jose del Cabo and Marina Vallarta.

The races will be 376 nautical miles from Marina del Rey to Cedros Island outside of Turtle Bay, where fresh lobster is la especialidad del día on any day; 220 n.m. to Magdalena Bay, famous for its friendly migrating whales; 152 n.m. to lively Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja peninsula, and the last 286 n.m. across the Gulf of California to Puerto Vallarta on the mainland.

The format, divided into spinnaker 'performance' boats and non-spinnaker 'racer-cruisers,' expands the event’s 'Salsa' concept of the last few years into 'Hot Salsa' and 'Milder Salsa' divisions. The overall winner will be determined not by accumulated time but by combined finishing positions in the four races, as in a regatta---but with no throwouts.

James Puckett of Pacific Palisades sailed his dad Allen’s well-known Farr 55, Amazing Grace, to second place in Spinnaker A class of the Salsa Division in 2007.

'One thing I enjoyed was that you get to know the people you’re racing against,' Puckett said.

Mickey Scheinbaum of Del Rey YC sailed on another boat and noted, 'For the first stop at Turtle Bay the crews sort of kept to themselves on shore. Then at Magdalena Bay it was better, and at Cabo San Lucas everyone was totally mingling together.'

Hardcore racers could be envious. A promotional flyer reads: 'If you are a frequent gung-ho blue water racer but are tired of doing the same old Mexican races, then this race series is for you. Instead of racing past some of the most beautiful destinations that Mexico has to offer, this series allows you to stop at three picturesque anchorages and enjoy the camaraderie of socializing with competitors. In addition, you have the opportunity to compete in four races and to win four separate trophies, including an elegant CORUM Admiral’s Cup timepiece for the overall winner in each class.'

Entries aren’t required to sail all the way to Puerto Vallarta.

Marketing director Mike Guccione said, 'A lot of people stopped doing P.V. races because they took too much time or were too expensive. But you can do the 376 miles to Turtle Bay and be back in less than a week.'

Or, as race committee chairman Tom Redler said, 'When you get to Turtle Bay, you just might want to go another 220 miles to see the magnificent gray whale migration in Mag Bay . . . especially after you find out how much fun the post-race parties are!'

Also, for less experienced offshore sailors, there is the comfort factor of sailing in a group with a race committee escort vessel accompanying them all the way.

Veteran Jim Maslon, who has raced his Jeanneau 49, Jungle Jim, to Puerto Vallarta three times, said, 'There’s a lot of support. You check in [by radio] three or four times a day. They always know exactly where you are.'

To ensure that all participants will be able to finish a race in time to enjoy the layover and the start of the next race, they may use motors if the winds become so light that their sailing speeds drop below their designated 'crossover' speeds. The crossover speed is defined as 'that boat speed at which the application of the motor penalty will have no detrimental effect on the final computed corrected time.'

The PHRF handicap is applied only to the distance sailed.

In fact, race coordinator Peggy Redler said, 'If they are sailing slower than their crossover speed, they are encouraged to motor-sail if they feel they cannot finish the race on time.'

Preparation seminars scheduled Oct. 23 and Dec. 4 will serve as tutorials for entries, prospective entries and those just interested in learning what offshore sailing is about.

More information and online entry at http://www.pv09.com/

Charter boats are available.

Preliminary entries

Spinnaker
Amazing Grace (Farr 55), James Puckett, DRYC
Apollo V (Peterson 42), Ned Knight, Point Loma YC
Between the Sheets (Jeanneau 49), Ross Pearlman, DRYC
Colt 45 (Tripp 40), Dan Chepley Jr., Ventura YC
Endless Summer (Ranger 33), David McMillin, Dana Point YC
Friction Loss (J/30), Shawn Ivie/Dan Taron, South Bay Yacht Racing
Geronimo (J/109), Gene Pitkin & Assoc., Cortez Racing Assn.
Jungle Jim (Jeanneau 49), Jim Maslon, DRYC
Locomotion (Andrews 45), Ed Feo, Long Beach YC
MACS (J/35), Evie and Steve McClure, Alamitos Bay YC
Showdown (IMX-38), Michael Luna, American Legion YC
Voice of Reason (Ericson 32-2), Jim McCone/Mike Verla, Redondo Bch YC
White Wind (Hunter 38), Kevin Harvey, Marina Venice YC
X-Rated (IMX-38), Dave Fell, Seal Beach YC
Zamazaan (Farr 52-C), Charles A. Weghorn, St. Francis YC

Non-Spinnaker
Aquarius (Jeanneau 43), Hiroyuki Funaoku, Del Rey YC
Artsea (Grand Soliel 45), Marty Laffer, DRYC
Defiance (Swan 56), Peter Noonan, St. Francis YC
G-Rated (Catalina 42), Sid and Mark Lampert, DRYC
Lady Victoria (Beneteau 57), Mitchell and Victoria Morrin, DRYC
Ruffian (Bren Wilson 36), Jonathan Bamer, Single Handed Sailing Assn.
Sea Dancer (Ericson 35), Al Wheatman, California YC
Sweet Angel (Catalina 42), Sandy and Marianne Golden, DRYC
Wind Dancer (Tartan 38), William Solberg, CYC

Del Rey Yacht Club - http://www.pv09.com/

CORUM is an independent, family owned company producing high-quality and prestigious Swiss watches since 1955. The Admiral’s Cup collection, along with the complete CORUM line, may be seen at www.CORUM.ch