18ft Skiff International Regatta at San Francisco - Preview

Will the 18s show the AC the way?

If the powers ruling the next America's Cup want to make sailing a spectator sport, they need look no farther than their own front yard for a primo demo with the ninth annual 18ft Skiff International Regatta starting Sunday.

The fast and frighteningly unstable three-person boats winging it in reliably brisk breeze will make that point in the natural amphitheater fronting the host St. Francis Yacht Club and its next door neighbor, the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The latter now owns the sport's top prize through the efforts of its representative, the BMW Oracle Racing team of software tycoon Larry Ellison.

While BMW Oracle dangles the bauble before the world in the insufferable process of determining the best site to defend it, the 18s already know. Take it from Howard Hamlin, the Long Beach saltwater thrill seeker who has won world championships racing on the edge on International 14s, 505s and on 18s' in the JJ Giltinan Trophy classic in Australia.

Heck, Hamlin, 56, won his third in a row here last year leading the only team to keep their wildly overpowered craft upright through all five days. This time, with four competitors from New Zealand joining the fun with a half-dozen locals and Aussie icon John Winning and his mates, there will be as many as 18 boats in the field.

"By far the most we've ever had," said Hamlin, who was already out practicing with crew Matt Noble and Fritz Lanzinger last week. "It's more of an event sailing in San Francisco. Guys around the world understand how cool it is."

Those guys may now include the America's Cup crowd.

The 18ft International Regatta sails a course about 1 1/2 miles long from inside the Golden Gate Bridge to a leeward mark set in the narrow gap between the historic prison site of Alcatraz Island and the city front. At the course's widest mid-point there is only about three-quarters of a mile between the beach at Crissy Field public park next to St. Francis YC and the busy commercial shipping lanes on the north side, but that's not seen as a problem.

John Craig, the StFYC racing director, sets a mid-course gate to merge the fleet, and, he said, "The flood tide [of 4 to 5 knots] creates that minimum alley when you can't go far from shore. It makes the visuals awesome."

And, Hamlin adds, should a few 18s stray too far north seeking stronger breeze, "Freighters are not a problem. We have them in Sydney Harbor [during the Giltinan]. We just sail around 'em."

The 18s, technically monohulls and barely that, reach 30 knots downwind in 25 knots of breeze. That's multihull stuff, which presents another AC option to be settled. Although multis were a non-competitive bust at Valencia, speed freaks like Hamlin are enthusiastic about their prospects at San Francisco.

"Absolutely," he said, "it's better sailing for match racing … more opportunity to pass downwind. You could have four sets of boats sailing on that course at the same time."

With controlled course perimeters and the necessity of playing nature's currents and wind channels, even super-fast boats like multihulls would be forced into close proximity. Hoo-yaw!

"That's why we do it," Hamlin said. "It's always tough here . . . the ultimate in skiff sailing. You wake up in the morning stoked, like going to war."

Russell Coutts, the four-time AC winner who serves as BMW Oracle's CEO, may see those possibilities, too. He mentioned last week that whatever venue were selected he was considering chopping off the sides of the normal windward-leeward diamond to narrow the race track and prevent boats from separating left and right and compelling them to carry out more maneuvers.

Craig noted, "One of the things with the AC is they're trying to keep the multihulls in play. By making it narrower they're trying to force the cats back together. I think Russell understands all that. I could definitely see between here and Pier 39 [off the city front] as another massive viewing area. I'm just hopeful that the city and the state all get on the same wave length in time to make it happen."

Decisions are expected next month. According to the San Francisco Examiner, city leaders have been told by BMW Oracle Racing that a basic proposal is needed by the end of September, according to Kyri McClellan, a project manager in the mayor's office.

Meanwhile, the 18s will have their days on the bay with two races a day starting at 1 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, except for Wednesday when the 18s will race at 5 p.m., followed by the traditional Bridge to Bridge 7 1/2-mile charge from the Golden Gate past the city to the Bay Bridge when kiteboarders and windsurfers will join in the fun.