ABYC's Midwinters 2010 Day 1

by Rich Roberts on 21 Feb 2010
After Mike Martin won the 505 Worlds at San Francisco last summer he parked his boat and didn't race it for five months.

Burnout? Not really. With 33 clubs from San Diego to Santa Barbara and east to Arizona hosting competition in the Southern California Yachting Association's 81st annual Midwinter Regatta and his own club, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, running races for the 505 dinghies, Martin figured, why not?

'It was like, 'Well, I've gotta get ready … where is everything?' ' Martin said. 'Then I got out on the water [to practice] yesterday, and it felt so good I thought, 'OK, this is why I do this.' '

Phil Stemler replaced the unavailable Jeff Nelson as crew, and Martin picked up right where he left off at San Francisco, winning the first and third of three races---the official exception being Race 2 when the wind went light. Martin likes strong wind, like at San Francisco.

Three skippers enjoyed perfect days by sweeping the day with three wins in the challenging and changing conditions: veteran Argyle Campbell of Newport Harbor YC in Etchells, Judge Ryan of San Diego in International 420s and Vincent Paternoster of South Coast Corinthian YC in Coronado 15s.

Eighty-two boats including dinghies, keelboats and multihulls were greeted by brisk breeze at mid-day, but the first start was delayed because the committee boat broke down on its way out to the race course, causing an hour's delay.

The wind held at about 15 knots for part of the first race, then dropped steadily as it swung sharply from southwest to due west, causing more delays---and a nightmare for the race committee---to re-set marks for the seven classes of boats, which at one point were racing in all different directions to different marks. After dipping to single digits for the second round, the wind went back to southwest at a fairly steady 10 knots.

It all left Frank Overbeek, crew for Richard Benner of Redondo Beach on a Nacra 20 catamaran, contorting his upper body in the boat yard at the end of the day.

'It was pretty out there,' be said, 'but every muscle in my body is sore.'

But it was worth it. They lead the Portsmouth class---two Nacra 20s versus two A-Cats, neither numbering enough to establish their own classes.

Most of the competitors were from Southern California, but Grace Lucas and crew Jane Rew came from New Jersey to race in a strong International 420 fleet.

'It was cold,' Lucas said, 'but it's freezing in New Jersey.'

Racing concludes Sunday starting at noon, conditions permitting.

Class leaders

505 (6 boats)---Mike Martin/Phil Stemler, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-3-1, 5.

CORONADO 15 (3)---Vincent Paternoster, South Coast Corinthian YC, 1-1, 2.

CAL 20 (11)---Don Zinn, Cabrillo Beach YC, 1-3-3, 7.

ETCHELLS (8)---Argyle Campbell, Newport Harbor YC, 1-1-1, 3.

FORMULA 18 (6)---Pete Melvin, ABYC, 2-1-1, 4.

INTERNATIONAL 420 (11)---Judge Ryan, San Diego YC, 1-1-1, 3.

LASER MASTERS (12)---Kevin Taugher, ABYC, 1-1-2, 4.

PORTSMOUTH (4)---Richard Benner (Nacra 20), King Harbor YC, 2-1-1, 4.

LIDO 14 A (14)---Stu Robertson, ABYC, 4-1-1-2, 8.

LIDO 14 B (7)---Erik Bakker, ABYC, 1-1-4-1, 7.

http://www.abyc.org/