J Sailors Enjoying Laid Back Hot Rum Series(San Diego, CA)- Every year in the late fall the San Diego YC kicks off its winter sailing season with the infamous "Hot Rum Series" off Point Loma, a series of pursuit races that take place over the period of a month, just before Christmas/ Holiday season. Depending on the winds, the fleet either sails out off Pt Loma, sails a giant triangle into the Pacific Ocean, then heads home to finish just off the breakwater entering San Diego's enormous harbor populated with none other than several US Navy nuclear carriers, nuclear submarines and monstrous cruise ships that should be nuke powered, too. If the weather gets nasty, with giant Lows swirling offshore throwing up massive swells and breaking waves, the SDYC RC/PRO's prudently keep the fleet inside, making for unbelievably tight racing inside Coronado Island while ducking around all the military/ cruise ship hardware!
Last
year, it seemed the Hot Rum Series could hardly buy a break from all
kinds of bad weather. If you recall, it all started pretty off with a
vicious Low blowing onshore at 20-30 knots with rain squalls sweeping by
about every five minutes, or so it seemed. This year it's nearly the
converse with barely a breath of air, lots of monstrous, long period
swells and the fleet of 120+ boats making every effort to keep
themselves moving in the lightish on-shore sea breezes that keep
developing late afternoon. Many J sailors in the SoCal region look forward to this event every year. Just take a look at the PHRF 1 Fleet for the big boats- a fleet of four J/125s are sailing plus a J/145 is thrown into the mix. In PHRF 2, there's six J/120s, two J/124s and four J/109s. In PHRF 3 you have ten J/105s, one J/35s and one J/100. In PHRF 4 there's a J/27 and J/32 cruiser. In PHRF 5 you see one each of a J/22, J/24 and J/30. That's quite a turn-out for J aficionados in this laid-back regatta.
Amongst
the J/125s in PHRF 1, Jim Madden's crew on STARK RAVING MAD is leading
the pack of J/125s and is 6th in class. Second J/125 is Mark Surber's
DERIVATIVE, third is Viggo Torbenson's TIMESHAVER and fourth is Tim
Fuller's RESOLUTE. Hanging in there is Tom Holthus' beautiful J/145 BAD
PAK (they're praying for more breeze!).PHRF 2 has local ring-leader Chuck Nicholl sailing his famous J/120 CC RIDER into first in class and first in the J/120s. Second in the 120s is Tom and Terri Manok's POLE DANCER, third is John Laun's CAPER. Top J/109 is Daylen Teren's GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, lying 11th in class. And, top J/124 is Seth Hall's MARISOL in 14th class, just ahead of Tom Barker's J/124 GOOD CALL.
The
J/105s seem to be having their way in PHRF Class 3, with Dennis and
Sharon Case's WINGS leading the pack, 2nd in class and top J/105. Next
is Team Boline/Kyel racing JETSTREAM sitting 4th class and 2nd J/105.
Third J/105 is Team Fisher/ Dagostino on VIGGEN sitting 6th in class.
Just behind them is Dave Vieregg's TRIPLE PLAY at 4th in J/105s and 7th
in class.Over in PHRF 4 Class, David Cattle's J/27 BLACKADDER seems to have a great looking, fast crew and are hanging tough to hang in 6th in class ahead of fellow J/classmate Steve Worcester's J/32 RHAPSODY in 11th class.
There's
a huge, huge, massive, ginormous, epic battle for Hot Rum braggin
rights brewing in PHRF 5! Wow, the J "classics" division is seeing the
J/22, J/24 and J/30 all vying for top honors on the podium. So far,
Mary Snow's J/24 BOGUS is leading the J/Classics division, sitting 2nd
in class. Then, Bob Noe's J/30 MAD HATTER is 3rd in 
class
just barely ahead of Shala Lawrence's cute little J/22 NOTHING DRIVES
LIKE A RENTAL (it is a rental, isn't' it??). Watch this page next week
to see who wins this epic, winner take all battle! We're breathless
with anticipation-- if Mary doesn't win in her J/24, rumor has it that
Chris may be doomed to hand-cutting thousand-panel tri-radial J/24 North
Sails genoas for life in Sri Lanka! Uh oh, the stakes and drama are
going to be high in this class next weekend! Sailing photo credits- the infamous Sir DA-Woody (a.k.a. Dennis St Onge)(the ONLY person who can drive a car on water!) For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information
