Pyewacket and Grand Illusion racing for Hoag title

by Rich Roberts on 14 Jun 2009
It wasn't much, no more than a knot of additional breeze, but it made a difference that the skipper of a high-powered ocean racer can appreciate.

'Instead of no helm and no feel,' Gary Weisman said, 'it suddenly feels like you have a boat in your hands.'

Until the fourth race of the third biennial Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup Saturday, finishing first in every race was nice but not enough for Stark Raving Mad, Jim Madden's newly acquired and upgraded TP52 that finally finished far enough ahead of the competition with the highest ORR handicap rating in the fleet to beat the numbers, as well, for its first official victory.

With only one race remaining Sunday, the dark blue beauty remains in third place with only a longshot chance to overtake Pyewacket III, which leads overall with seven points, three ahead of Ed McDowell's defending champion Santa Cruz 70, Grand Illusion, and seven ahead of Stark Raving Mad.

Madden, unable to sail this weekend, turned the wheel over to Weisman, the president of North Sails. The boat hasn't been especially impressive upwind, but with its massive spinnaker filling half the length of the boat from the deck to the top of the mast, it's been a killer downwind.

Saturday's first race was a replay of Friday's two races: Pyewacket III, a larger and older Santa Cruz 70 with a smaller chute, led at both windward mark roundings over the 1.85-nautical mile windward-leeward course but downwind couldn't hold off SRM, sailing lower - more directly toward the leeward gate or finish line, although Pyewacket III managed to cover its rival on handicap time.

Not so in the second race on a shorter 1.4-n.m course. There was a general recall when several boats jumped the line on the first starting attempt, prompting a second try a few minutes later.

Weisman said, 'Sometime between the general recall and the restart the wind filled in, and it made a big difference. It was the best wind we'd had all weekend.'

The wind had been no better than 8 knots and as low as 5 1/2 the first day and a half, but when it rose slightly to an official 8 1/2 knots that was enough to kick in another gear for Stark Raving Mad.

'That's when the boat came alive,' Weisman said.

SRM---now moving freely upwind as Pyewacket III seemed locked in on a slower pace with Grand Illusion and Andy Rasdal's Valkyrie, the other TP52---actually led at the second windward mark and flew away to the finish, 3 minutes 10 seconds ahead of Pyewacket III in actual tine and 1:24 ahead in handicap time.

And this time Grand Illusion and Valkyrie also hooked Pye by the numbers by 41 seconds and only one second, respectively. That's how close the racing has been---which is the whole idea of handicapping unequal boats.

Pye skipper Roy Pat Disney said, 'They [SRM] started to get their wind conditions, plus we didn't get off the line well. We got into a pickle behind the committee boat. [Chris Welsh's Andrews 70] Vicki kept us from tacking, while G.I. had a clear lane and good wind to get to the [favored] right [side of the course] and we couldn't get away from them.'

In fact, Pye's main worry Sunday will be Grand Illusion.

'We know what we have to do,' Disney said.

So does Grand Illusion. O'Brien said, 'It's gonna be tough. Pye is pretty good. Our plan today was to stay with them. We had a better start, and in good breeze we were able to stick.'

The forecast was for stronger wind Sunday.

'We would like to have a little more wind,' O'Brien said.

'Isn't that always the case?' Disney said.

The regatta benefits Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute and is organized and hosted by Hoag Hospital and the Balboa Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

Overall standings (by corrected handicap time; 4 of 5 races):

1. Pyewacket III (Santa Cruz 70), Roy Pat Disney, Los Angeles, 1-1-1-4, 7 points.
2. Grand Illusion (SC 70), Ed McDowell/Patrick O'Brien, Redondo Beach, 3-2-3-2, 10.
3. Stark Raving Mad (TP52), Jim Madden/Gary Weisman, Newport Beach, 2-6-5-1, 14.
4. Valkyrie (TP52), Andy & Camille Rasdal, San Diego, 5-3-6-3, 17.
5. Chayah (1D48), Oscar Krinsky/Chris Redman, Long Beach, 6-5-2-5, 18.
6. Westerly (SC 70), Tim & Tom Hogan, Newport Beach, 4-7-4-6, 21.
7. It's OK (Andrews 50), Tom Purcell/Tres Gordos Sailing LLC, Balboa, Calif., 7-4-7-7, 25.
8. Vicki (Andrews 70), Chris Welsh, Newport Beach, 8-8-8-8, 32.

**Weather forecast by PredictWind.com
Sunday: Winds 10-14k, southwest; air temp. low 60s; partly cloudy.
Saturday's conditions: Wind 5.5-8.5k, southwest; air temperature mid-70s.

http://www.nhyc.org/files/Hoag%20Cup%20Results.htm