Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup all set + Video

by Rich Roberts on 8 Feb 2012 The fifth edition of the Harbor Cup and Cal Maritime Invitational Intercollegiate Regattas are set to take place from 9-11 March and will welcome a nationwide fleet of ten teams to Los Angeles Harbor, being led by the winners of the first four editions.

The Port of Los Angeles---the nation's busiest---has continued its sponsorship of the event that will see many of its participants advance into the maritime industry from some of the world's leading nautical institutions.

'The Port of Los Angeles is proud to sponsor and host this exciting event for the fifth consecutive year,' said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz. 'This world-class regatta promotes environmental awareness, stewardship and teambuilding, while instilling in our youth an appreciation for the land and sea.'

The Los Angeles Yacht Club is the organizing authority and California Maritime Academy of Vallejo is the inviting school. Charlie Arms is CMA's director of sailing. She was recently honored as California Boating Educator of the Year 2011 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

As many as 10 races are scheduled over three days on windward-leeward courses set west of the harbor entrance within view from Point Fermin Park high on a nearby bluff. Racing is scheduled to start at 3 o'clock Friday and at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, conditions permitting.



All will sail Catalina 37 sloops chartered from the Long Beach Sailing Foundation---the same boats to be used in the 48th Congressional Cup match racing classic at Long Beach later in the month.

The entries include Maine Maritime Academy, the winner the first two years; 2010 winner USC, based in nearby Long Beach, and defending champion Cal Maritime Academy's Keelhaulers from Vallejo.

One of their strongest threats is expected to be the U.S. Naval Academy team from Annapolis, Md., which last November against similar competition won the John F. Kennedy Cup---unofficially known as the intercollegiate Big Boat National Championship---on its home waters.

The Midshipmen finished second to Cal Maritime in last year's Harbor Cup. Another of this year's entries---Cal State Channel Islands from Camarillo, Calif.---was third overall.

Other previous competitors are the U.S. Coast Guard Academy from New London, Conn., and SUNY Maritime Academy of New York. Newcomers are Massachusetts Maritime, UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan.

Stan Honey, director of technology for the 34th America's Cup at San Francisco next year, will be the featured speaker for a regatta dinner Saturday night. Honey, co-founder of Sportvision Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., was America's Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for 2010 after navigating the trimaran Groupama 3 to a Jules Verne Trophy global record. Relevant to mainstream sports fans, he also developed the electronic yellow first-down line for football on television.

2011 results - (10 races; no discards):

1. Cal Maritime, 1-4-2-1-1-1-5-2-3-4, 22 points.
2. Navy, DNS-1-3-3-2-4-1-5-2-3, 34.
3. Cal State Channel Islands, 7-2-4-7-4-3-2-4-4-2, 39.
4. Univ. of Hawaii, 2-3-6-2-6-8-4-1-8-1, 41.
5. USC, 5-6-1-6-3-2-6-9-106, 45.
6. U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 3-8-7-5-DNF-5-7-3-5-5, 57.
7. SUNY Maritime Academy, 4-5-5-8-8-5-9-8-8-7-7, 66.
8. Maine Maritime Academy, 8-7-8-4-7-7-5-6-6-9, 67.
9. UC Santa Cruz, 6-9-9-8-8-6-9-7-9-8, 80.