Dennis Conner to race schooner 'America' in 32nd Annual McNish Classic

by Warren Allan on 31 Jul 2009
Dennis Conner leaves San Diego July 31st on board schooner 'America' enroute to Oxnard and the Channel Islands Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club to participate in the 32nd annual McNish Classic.

This weekend event July 31- August 2 is for wooden yachts designed before 1952: classes include Schooners A&B; Ketches A&B; Sloops A&B; Yawls A&B. The America is a replica of the original vessel built in 1851.

The America is a magnificent timber vessel designed along original lines but modified below the waterline for extra speed. And speed it has.......regularly reaching 14 knots as she returns to San Diego from whale watching and charter trips to the ocean, her best recorded speed since leaving the East Coast for her now permanent home in San Diego was 17 knots on the delivery from Key West in 2006. 'It's amazing to see how fast this big schooner takes off'....says warren Allan, Director of Sales & Marketing for Dennis Conner's America's Cup Experience in San Diego. 'I've been in a Zodiac a number of different times with photographers and video crew....and recall telling those folks to be ready to hang on as we would need to move quickly once she got under way. And indeed....in even a 12 knot breeze when she falls from irons and the sails fill she can reach 10 knots within 3 or 4 boat lengths.'

In San Diego the America compliments two of Dennis’s past IACC yachts, the 1995 Citizen Cup winner Stars & Stripes, USA34 as well as USA54 Abracadabra, purchased in turn from the Hawaiian syndicate yacht from the year 2000 cup in New Zealand. These yachts provide almost daily trips for once in a lifetime experiences for the public as well as corporate team building events. There is no other ‘pair’ of IACC yachts in America for this experience. The ‘America’ is often the mother-ship, transferring guests on and off the IACC yachts mid-bay to deliver racing experiences to as many as 120 guests in an afternoon. You’ll often see Dennis at the helm, a paid guest for some of these events where he will be either professionally speaking, casually mixing with guests or joining them on the water at the helm for a race or two.

While new and modern is important, recently Dennis has begun participating in some classic yacht racing. He restored the legendary 'Cotton Blossom II' and campaigned her in the Mediterranean under the flag of Yacht Club de Monaco before selling her in Europe. Back in San Diego, Dennis acquired the Sparkman & Stephens design 51 Ft sloop 'Brushfire.' In 2008, Dennis competed in the 31st Annual McNish Classic in Oxnard, CA. on Brushfire. The results were pure Dennis, 'Best Looking Yacht,' 'First to Finish' and 'First Overall.' A clean sweep.

All of Dennis’s yachts are available for charter in San Diego, with America available for ports farther afield. She has previously chartered as far North as San Francisco as VIP vessel for a number of racing events.

To learn more visit www.stars-stripes.com