J/160 & J/120 Dominate Class III(Newport Beach, CA)- The second major offshore event in the Southern California racing season, the 5th Annual Islands Race, lived up to its billing as a fun but very challenging race. Co-hosted between Newport Harbor YC (the start) and the San Diego YC (the finish), the race strategies are anything but obvious because there are at least 3-4 tactical segments of the race. The start to the islands, getting around the islands, the shot from south of San Clemente to San Diego and then the finish (where anything can happen).
The teams started 1100 hrs on Friday, March 7th and hope to complete the 139nm course as fast as possible. The race is an overnight that goes around the beautiful Channel Islands (including Catalina and San Clemente) and it can be deceptively challenging for many boats. This year’s sailing was on the lighter side of the spectrum.
Said one notable meteorologist, “we ran the routing models for a few boats we are assisting in the Islands Race today from Long Beach, CA around Catalina and San Clemente Islands and into San Diego. Minimum wind speed will be in the Catalina Channel with breeze at 2-4 knots. Things improve as the afternoon goes along and you get double digit wind speeds around 4PM. If you are participating in this race it is important to note that the US NAVY will be conducting ‘live fire’ exercises on San Clemente Island and there is a strict exclusion zone that you need to stay out of. See amendments to the course at the club this morning”.
For those who sailed the course correctly, it was time for “victory at sea” celebrations! Bringing it home in Division III were two J/Teams that are well-known in the offshore SoCAL sailing community. Winning was Gary Winton’s SHENANIGANS from Coronado Bay YC, taking class by a mere 7 minutes and 4th overall! Taking second was John & Myron Lyon’s J/160 INNOCENT MERRIMENT from San Diego YC, both beating a Farr 40, XP 44 and Farr 55 in the process and taking 6th overall.
As for Division III “wannabe’s”, the unfortunate fate that befell Viggo Torbenson’s J/125 TIMESHAVER from Dana Point YC was a “tight rounding” of San Clemente Island (yeah, that place that had live shelling from the US NAVY). Sadly, the navigator may have missed the “memo” from the race HQ on this particular issue and “hazards to navigation”. Consequently, Timeshaver got DSQ’d for entering the “bombing exclusion zone” around San Clemente Island, one of the marks of the course. Timeshaver may have easily won the division by a long shot, other than their navigational error. They had finished over 20 minutes elapsed in front of the J/160 and miles ahead of the J/120. Next time, as they say! For more Islands Race sailing information
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