J/29 RUSH STREET Wins Class C
(Santa Barbara, CA- August 7th-8th)- Twenty two J's (over 20% of the whole fleet of 100 boats) participated in this annual summer offshore sailing classic that kicks off the month of August in the Los Angeles basin. This eighty-one nautical mile race can be a fast one from Santa Barbara to Kings Harbor, using Anacapa Island as the one and only mark to leave to port on the way south from Santa Barbara. Most often, though, this is characterized as a slow race with a dying Westerly thermal and slatting in light winds and large rolling swells all night long on the west side of Anacapa Island as the fleet drifts with the breeze towards LA. Not this year. A good solid breeze built all day long and sent the fleet off on a fast reach and, for some, incredibly quick planing conditions most of the way down to Kings Harbor.The J/105 fleet was won by Mark Noble from Santa Barbara YC aboard ESCAPADE. In second was Scott McDaniel hailing from SBYC racing OFF THE PORCH and lying third was David Gomey from AYC aboard NO COMPROMISE. After the eight one plus miles, the top three only finished ten minutes apart!
In the various PHRF divisions, there were some notable successes, including Larry Leveille racing his venerable J/29 RUSH STREET to first in PHRF Class C. A good showing was put in by Shawn Ivie on his equally classic J/30 FRICTION LOSS with a fourth in PHRF Class D. A smattering of J's raced PHRF Class B with Fred Cottrell sailing his J/33 TIGGER into third, Eric McClure racing his J/35 MACS into fourth and Bill Webster cruising fast in his J/37 SIDEKICK into fifth.
In the PRHF Sprit divisions, there was some controversy in the class splits especially as it regards the placement of the two J/125s, Dr. Laura's WARRIOR and Mark Surber's DERIVATIVE. In short, they should've been in ULDB Class B to race against like boats and should've finished second and fourth respectively. No matter, they finished 1st and 2nd boat-for-boat in their class. In the PHRF P Sprit group basically loaded with all J's, Gary Winton's J/120 SHENANIGANS was the winner by just over a minute followed by Peter Bretschger's J/120 ADIOS fifteen minutes further back on corrected time was Bryce Benjamin's J/109 PERSISTENCE. For more info.
