Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

Competitve racing and epic parties await at Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2023

by Long Beach Race Week 23 Jun 2023 05:50 HKT June 23-25, 2023
Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2023 © Tom Walker

83 boats racing in eleven divisions including eight one design classes and three PHRF fleets will be on the start for the 18th edition of Long Beach Race Week (LBRW), which starts Friday with a first gun at 1:00pm.

Bringing together many long-time participants of the event, and others who will be racing LBRW for the first time, the message is clear: Long Beach Race Week always delivers!

Racing in PHRF A is the Cape 31 M2, an exciting boat relatively new to the west coast and owned by Marc McMorris (San Diego Yacht Club). Hartwell Jordan, who will trim main on M2 for LBRW, commented, "We're looking forward to sailing back in California after having the boat in the Caribbean over the winter. We're also really looking forward to sailing with Dirk Freeland (Santa Barbara Yacht Club) racing his brand-new Cape 31 Full Send. Dirk's boat is less than a month old and is one of the reasons we came down to sail with him, he'll come up to Big Boat Series later in the year to sail with us. It should be fun!"

The J/70 Sandpiper will be racing LBRW for the first time with owner Courtney Clamp (Richmond Yacht Club) at the helm, and her dad Tom White trimming main and calling tactics.

"I am mostly looking forward to getting out in a larger fleet for close one design racing with lots of boats on the start," she said. "It will be a good experience to see where we need to improve." Crew Jeff Holder who has raced LBRW multiple times and will be trimming jib and spinnaker on Sandpiper, encouraged Clamp to make the trip to Long Beach to compete this week. "We're fortunate to have a female skipper and the racing should be great in a deep competitive fleet. LBRW is one of the epic sailing events on the west coast and the parties are always fantastic!"

David Boatner will be back to defend his title after taking first in PHRF C last year on RIVAL, his J/35. "We're looking forward to some nice weather, good wind, and excellent competition," Boatner smiled. "I expect the First 38 Topa to be quite difficult and Raptor is a J/109 will be a tough go." Boatner, who has done some 18 LBRW events, added, "We're probably the most winning boat in LBRW history, mostly because we've been to so many of them, but we have won our class a lot!"

Race Day one begins with a weather briefing at 10:15 AM by Ullman Sails, and a skipper's meeting at 10:30 AM upstairs at LBYC. The first race warning will sound at 12:55 PM on Friday, and at 11:55 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Conditions permitting, it is expected that two races will be sailed in most classes on Friday, three races on Saturday, and two races on Sunday.

"We look forward to seeing competitors at the Ullman Sails weather briefing on Friday morning, and assisting the fleet with their sails wherever we can," Bruce Cooper, owner of Ullman Sails Newport Beach, said. "I know that this will be another great LBRW event!"

LBYC Staff Commodore Chuck Clay has been involved in the regatta since its early days when it was known as Golison Race Week; he was a volunteer running the whaler. He's been on the organizing committee since 2011 and knows the event better than most.

"We're sitting at 83 boats and we're happy with that given it's a Transpac year when we lose a lot of boats," Staff Commodore Clay said. "It's still a big event, we want to treat it with respect, and we're really paying attention to making it worthwhile because we know things are changing. LBRW really has two components: great sailing in Long Beach and the parties, and we know that's what people like. We really look forward to it each year because it's like a reunion for everybody - it's great sailing, excellent race management and the parties are super fun.

Long Beach Race Week (LBRW) will be hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) and the Long Beach Yacht Club (LBYC). LBRW is open to multiple classes and this year is proud to host the Catalina 37 National Championship, the Schock 35 Pacific Coast Championship, the Viper 640 Pacific Coast Championship, and the J/70, J/80, J/105, J/109, and J/120 Southern California High Point Series. Competing for the first time is the Melges 15 class, and the event is thrilled to have them on board.

The event is grateful to the generosity and support of its 2023 sponsors including Ullman Sails, Evans, Clarke Marine Insurance, Cabrillo Boat Shop, The Oriana Shea Group, Tom Walker Photography, Pirates Lair, Durant Design and Construction, and Mount Gay Rum.

Parties featuring music and dancing will be hosted by ABYC on Friday night, then Saturday and Sunday night at LBYC. Prize giving will be held at LBYC on Sunday at 5:00 PM. Competitors are invited to enjoy both the clubs' services and amenities including the ice machine, and free water taxi service between the clubs until 9:00 PM Friday and Saturday. For full details on entry, schedule, mooring requests and more, go to www.lbrw.org.

Related Articles

Transat Paprec Day 6
A high-tension weekend At sea for six days, the competitors have already completed a quarter of the Transat Paprec course. After crossing the Bay of Biscay, rounding Cape Finisterre, and sailing down the Portuguese coast, the fleet has now stretched out. Posted on 25 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 5
Israel deny China triple gold On a day of high pressure - in all senses - and drama in all the Medal series, team power and individual brilliance produced some of the closest board Finals in Hyères history. Posted on 25 Apr
Sled looking to avoid 2024's late season slide
As the 52 Super Series starts next week in Saint-Tropez Fourth overall last season, 2024 and fourth also on 2022's final standings, fifth in 2023 Takashi Okura's USA flagged Sled team start 2025 looking to find the small percentage gains here and there. Posted on 25 Apr
Smarter at the Dock, Safer at Sea
How Upgrades Are Changing Cruising The service being offered by yacht manufacturers leaps forward every year - responding to a market which demands the highest quality in every aspect. Posted on 25 Apr
Transatlantic Race 2025 Preview
A North Atlantic adventure like no other The Transatlantic Race 2025 from the East Coast of the United States to the shores of the United Kingdom stands as one of sailing's most time-honored and demanding challenges. Posted on 25 Apr
A+T Instruments 10th Anniversary Celebrations
"We set out to make the World's Best Yacht Instruments" Globally recognised yacht instruments company A+T Instruments is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year after a decade of successful growth by pushing the boundaries of quality and customer service. Posted on 25 Apr
Is the Côte d'Azure set to deal a dose of déjà vu?
All set for the 52 SUPER SERIES 2025 season opener next week Teams from the 52 SUPER SERIES, the world's leading grand prix monohull circuit, have been hard at work through the winter and spring preparing for the 2025 season, technical updates giving way recently to on the water training. Posted on 25 Apr
Ficker Cup sets stage for Congressional Cup
Eight international match racing teams prepare to do battle Eight international match racing teams will prepare to do battle at the Ficker Cup this weekend, 25-27 April, an official qualifying event of the World Match Racing Tour, hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club. Posted on 25 Apr
Melbourne Osaka Cup Update
A Thrilling Finish for Quest and Lord Jiminy After more than 5,500 nautical miles of ocean racing, just 44 seconds separated Quest and Lord Jiminy in one of the closest finishes of the Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race so far. Posted on 24 Apr
5th Dragon Cup at Vilamoura Sailing Preview
A Key Warm-Up Ahead of the World Championship Today marks the start of the Dragon Cup at Vilamoura Sailing, welcoming 25 boats from across the world. This regatta offers top-level competition and serves as an essential training opportunity for many of the teams preparing for the Dragon Worlds. Posted on 24 Apr
B&G Zeus SR AsiaPantaenius 2022 - SAIL & POWER 1 FOOTER ROWRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTER