Gaudio and Clay made the right Cal 20 calls
by Rich Roberts on 13 Jul 2008
Gold fleet boats traverse the leeward gate, with different opinions on the best way to go - Cal 20 Class Championship Rich Roberts
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Sometimes sailboat races are won or lost before the racing starts.
With the wind looking iffy on the first day of title competition in the 47th Cal 20 Class Championship, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Chuck Clay wasn't sure which set of sails to use, and defending champion Mark Gaudio showed up one crew short, on purpose.
But by day's end Clay, the Cal 20 class president and ABYC member, had finished 5-6-1-1 to stand in third place among 23 boats, five points behind the frontrunner, Gaudio (1-2-2-3) of Bahia Corinthian YC, and two behind Mark Golison (2-1-4-4) of ABYC.
After a puzzling morning before they left the dock---would the sea breeze finally show after two preliminary days of single-digit wind?---Clay and Gaudio wound up getting it right.
'It was too light for our new sails [in Friday's qualifying races],' Clay said. 'So we went out with our old sails today, and when we saw the wind coming up we went [into the lee] behind the oil island and changed back to the new set.'
Bingo! Boat speed is often better than smarts. Clay beat Gaudio by 10 seconds in the third race.
If you don't have boat speed you can't have tactics,' Clay said. 'You can't cover anybody or go where you want to go.'
Gaudio, a three-time class champion, sailing with longtime crew Erik (Buster) Heim, said, 'The forecast was for no wind, so Buster and I were going to do it with our 280 pounds.'
But when they got to ABYC a light breeze was blowing from the southwest, from where the sea breeze normally builds, and many of the skippers with an option were agonizing on whether to go with two bodies on board for light wind or three for ballast.
Heim spotted an acquaintance 'just hanging out,' Gaudio said, 'so Buster reeled him in.'
And so the wind built from 10 to 15 knots through the four-race afternoon, Gaudio stands with no finish worse than third, and his new crew, Brian Bissel, finds himself in first place with three races to go.
Now, after placing second behind Gaudio last year, Clay, with Geordy Hershmann and Kate Wall as crew, is hanging in there with two guys who have won five of the last eight class titles between them.
And his 43rd birthday is Sunday.
A couple of side notes:
-- Ryan Davidson, 14, working the whisker pole for Freddie Stevens, may be the youngest crew member competing;
-- Mike Wood is the only skipper sailing with four people on board. His crew are dad Ron Wood and Cindy King … who is 5 1/2 months pregnant.
Racing will start at noon Sunday, conditions permitting. The race course will be set on the outer Long Beach Harbor inside the breakwater between the outermost oil islands Freeman and Chaffee, beyond the Mayor's Cup match racing off Belmont Pier.
The leaders - GOLD FLEET
1. Mark Gaudio/Erik Heim, Jeff Keenon, Bahia Corinthian YC, 1-2-2-3, 8 points.
2. Mark Golison/Steve Flam, Jennifer Flam, Alamitos Bay YC, 2-1-4-4, 11.
3. Chuck Clay/Geordy Hershmann/Kate Wall, ABYC, 5-6-1-1, 13.
4. Keith Ives/Chuck Stevens, ABYC/Long Beach YC, 3-5-6-6, 20.
5. Doug McLean/Stacie McLean, Randy Smith, ABYC, 10-3-7-2, 22.
SILVER FLEET
1. Bruce Golison/Robin Durnin, ABYC, 2-1-1-1, 5.
2. Lee Smith/Paul Pierce, ABYC, 4-3-3-3, 13.
3. Cathy Black-Smith/Todd Smith, ABYC, 5-4-4-4, 17.
Complete results - click here
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