Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week - Day 2
by Long Beach Race Week 29 Jun 03:35 AEST
June 26-28, 2026
Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week - Day 2 © Long Beach Yacht Club
Competition on the penultimate day of Long Beach Race Week saw reshuffling in a handful of class standings, leaving others hanging in the balance heading into Sunday's finale.
Weather conditions on both sides of the break water once again demanded versatility from competitors.
"It felt like there was very little room for error," noted pit man Spencer Webster who, together with the crew of Timeshaver, held on to their lead. Blitzen, in the same class, worked their way from fourth to second after a strong start and quick racing.
SWORDFISH also hung on to their lead by a slim margin on the Random Leg C course during an 18-mile boomerang style out-and-back race.
"We just have to stay in front of Off The Porch," said trimmer and tactician Buddy Richley of their strategy going into the final day racing against their fellow J105 competitor.
"They are quick," he added. "But we're quicker."
Notably, J125 Javelin, who started the day in second place, moved into first after beating TP52 Fox by 2 minutes and 10 seconds in corrected time. Dan Murphy, who began his sailing career at age 66, said he and his crew did a lot of reaching on the boat's number one genoa.
"We made good choices with our sail inventory - when we do that and don't make any mistakes, the boat does really well," the skipper said.
On course Alpha, spectators saw the 17-boat Melges 15 fleet experience a 15-degree wind shift before the first upwind leg of the day. Wind speeds dropped to as light as 3 knots in some areas of the course, forcing sailors into a familiar dilemma - be patient and wait for the wind to return or tack out in search of new breeze to propel them down the course.
"The day was all about who could get out of bad air better," said skipper Allie Blecher who, together with trimmer Katie Moran chose the latter option and climbed into first place in Sancha amid the added challenges of excess chop and a crowded racecourse.
Mike Guccione, in his Beneteau 36.7, said his class saw three tight matches, each with boats finishing seconds apart from one another.
"We were within a boat length of everyone all day," said the Teaser skipper who put himself on the podium in his fleet's first day of racing.
"We have a new crew, so I was pleased that our performance improved race over race."
Race Co-Chair Ed Feo, who is also racing this weekend aboard Soto 40 Loco, says it's those kinds of crew experiences that make the regatta special.
"We're still seeing hundreds of sailors make it to this event. Whatever the conditions - and they vary widely - Race Week always delivers wind, sunshine, and a lot of fun."
Sunday is the final day of racing is with 2 windward-leeward races scheduled for the Alpha and Charlie courses at noon and single races slated for each of the PHRF and Random Leg fleets on the distance courses. Perpetual trophies and class championships remain up for grabs, with many fleets separated by only a handful of points.
The trophy presentations for Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week will take place at 5:00 PM, poolside at Long Beach Yacht Club. Race sponsor Pirates Lair will be on-site at Long Beach Yacht Club from 4 PM until close.
Hosted jointly by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Long Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach Race Week sees participation from a wide mix of one design and PHRF competitors, from veteran campaigners to first-time entrants eager to test themselves against the region's top sailors. It is the largest yacht race on the West Coast.
For full schedule, results, and more, go to lbrw.org