Volume 2, No. 8 August, 2001 Class Newsletter for the 1st, 2nd and 12th Districts AUGUST REGATTA SCHEDULE Austin Sperry is the son of G. Brooks Sperry, a star sailor in Stockton, CA. His son Austin is a revered 1st District character in the Star Class and I might add with the ladies Aug. 11-12 Secretary's Cup/ as well. At the trophy presentation George raised the sleeve Make-a Wish Regatta (Benefit) (BH) on his left arm where a Red Star was tattooed (I could just Aug. 11-12 Picken Memorial (GSB) hear Brooks shudder). George exclaimed that Austin now Aug. 23-31 North American Championship (Mid) would have to revisit his tattoo artist to change the star http://www.mycstar.org color to Blue. Austin single handily has built the WSFB 2nd District fleet to at least 17 boats and says you have not seen Aug. 4-5 Miles River/Green Star-MES anything yet. Aug. 11-12 Oxford Summer-TAYC Big Mike Dorgan finished 3rd teaming up with little but very competent Star crew Eric Weintraub. Mike, who had a 5th District little problem meeting weight, had planned to sail with

Vince Brun. Vince and Mike plan to sail the Worlds in 12th District Medemblik. ‘Ol Vincee was seen at the trophy presentation Aug. 4-5 Sunapee Open (Sun) having a private little talk with Mike— sooooooo Mike will Aug. 11-12 N.Y. State Championship (SL) be at weight for Medemblik. John O’Mahony and Ed Sprague also had a weight problem so together with Mike they are having a weekly weigh-in on Mike’s new scale to see who can lose the most weight. John magnanimously let his daughter-son team, Angel and Brian sail his boat. One TH 5 DISTRICT BLUE STAR CHAMPIONSHIP or the other usually crews for John. San Diego Yacht Club Turnout for the Districts was held down do to a last June 16-17, 2001 minute change of the regatta date by SDYC because of the By Ed Sprague Jr. Lipton Cup. Wind & Sea: Sunny clear skies, Saturday, Wind 6-8; Newcomer, Jim Buckingham (NH) and veteran Star Sunday, Wind 12-15 knots. crew, Joel Kew, scored their second consecutive regatta 4th place and will be a force to deal with in the future. It was George “Little George” M. Szabo, III (SDB) and good to get Howie Shiebler back in a Star. The Butler’s are Austin Sperry (WSFB) win the 2001 Fifth District Blue still tuning up their new boat, but had a very credible finish Star Championship by one point over Peter Vessella at 6th place. This boat was Vince Brun’s 1968 World (WSFB) and Brian Fatih (SMB). There were 19 entries. Championship boat. Vince won the World’s in the 110-boat Just the weekend before George and Austin won the King fleet in Capri, Italy with Hugo Schreiner as crew. of Spain Regatta out of California Yacht Club by one point A record of five ladies participated in the series. Susie over Vince Brun and Mike Dorgan. George was sailing Pegel, with crew Tom George, finished 12th. Susie has a Austin’s boat, which formerly was owned by Mark new Folli being delivered from Annapolis via Wisconsin. Reynolds. Brian Fatih, who also owns a Star, gave up his Jessica Costa, who normally crews for her father, Peter F. opportunity to steer too, by teaming up with Vessella. Costa in #7621, in Owl, has taken up with Jeremy Georgie, tell Mark he can just keep sailing those ugly, fat, Davidson, (NH). Together they finished 9th, having a bullet big boats that you have this Star sailing well under control. in the second race. Peter has lost his daughter as crew, but Little George, Doug Smith, Howie Shiebler, Vince Jeremy and the Fifth District has snared a great crew. She is Brun, , Peter Vessella and maybe Barton a veteran of the Boston Harbor Fleet and many Miami’s Beek will all attend the 2001 Star Worlds Championship in Bacardi Cups. Angel O’Mahony steered while brother Medemblik, Netherlands in August. 1 STARDUST August, 2001 Brian O’Mahony crewed. Ed Sprague and crew Susan fajitas, beer, wine, soft drinks and all of the trimmings. This Kuehn-Toyama retired Sunday because Ed forgot to place is the former home of Frank and Patty Wyatt. The home has the mainsail lug in the boom and it was just blowing too been the site of many Star parties dating from before World hard to change the sail. Elizabeth Newell crewed for fellow War II. It is a magnificent setting with a rolling lawn architect George Szabo. She is a Star sailor from sloping down to the bay where there is a dock. For the Connecticut now practicing architecture in Los Angeles. occasion J. Gerald Driscoll’s classic Edymion was tied up at George was overheard saying, “Imagine you tell someone the dock. Gerry won the Star World’s in 1944 on Lake you are on your first date and you take her as crew on a Star Michigan. The Edymion, with its classic sea-green mist boat. Further imagine that you sail to weather and she deck color, is the class of the bay. Several Star sailors hangs over the side and each time the boat tacks she goes remarked about the setting, “It does not get any better than out on the other side, meanwhile getting banged up and this.” bruised. Then further imagine that when you round the Frieda Sprague packaged the jacket and shirt trophies, leeward mark you do this all over again. Then he asks that which were purchased from the San Diego Yacht Club you do it all over again for four more races.” Well she does boutique. Mike Dorgan presented the trophies. The trophy it and that is what makes Susie, Angel, Susan, Jessica and presentation included beer and hors d'oeuvres. Isao Toyama Elizabeth such game lady Star sailors. took photographs on the racecourse and updated the Fifth Lee Kellerhouse was under the weather and just could District web site http://www.starclass.net. Frieda took not sail. ‘Ol Silver Fox Kim “Fletch” Fletcher with ‘ol photographs at the trophy presentation. The San Diego crew, Bill Kreysler finished eighth having a bullet in Yacht Club Race Committee, catering department and staff Saturday’s third race. Fletcher won the Masters division gave their usual professional effort. Thank you all for rd with Barton Beek second and George Szabo, Jr. 3 . making the 2001 Blue Star Championship a memorable Byron Nelson (LB) and son, David won 1st place in the regatta. under 7000 category Barton Beek, the august sailor of the Newport Harbor Star Fleet with Brian Sharp came back in the tough going on Sunday to beat his son, Charles Beek (NH) and Val Lyon overall by three points. Chuck Driscoll was unable to sail because his rudder fell off the week before at the King of Spain. He and his wife, Lori, however contributed immensely to the regatta by hosting the Saturday night party at their home. Chuck and Lori had Miguel’s cater the party with beef and chicken

Pl Hull Sail Boat Skipper Crew Fleet 1 2 3 4 5 Pts 1 7995 7995 Principessa George M. Szabo, III Austin Sperry SDB 5 2 2 1 2 12 2 7972 7972 — Peter Vessella Brian Fatih WSFB 1 4 4 3 1 13 3 7451 7451 Shorebreak Mike Dorgan Eric Weintraub SDB 2 12 3 4 8 29 4 8041 8041 — Jim Buckingham Joel Kew NH 6 6 6 7 6 31 5 7631 7631 Larkin Doug Smith Mike Moore WSFB 9 7 7 5 5 33 6 7209 7209 Franny Jay Butler Mark Butler SDB 8 5 8 6 9 36 7 8069 8069 Nautica Howie Shiebler Rick Peters WSFB 3 14 14 2 4 37 8 7942 7942 Silver Fox Kim Fletcher Bill Kreysler SDB 12 9 1 9 11 42 9 7931 7931 Hoku Jeremy Davidson Jessica Costa NH 10 1 13 10 10 44 10 7555 7555 Novia Barton Beek Brian Sharp NH 15 13 5 8 3 44 11 7294 7294 Marianne Charles Beek Val Lyon NH 11 3 9 11 13 47 12 6356 6356 Purple Haze Byron Nelson David Nelson SMB 4 16 10 13 12 55 13 7325 7325 Ruffian II Susan Pegel Tom George SDB 16 8 12 12 7 55 14 6283 7542 Mother George T. Szabo, Jr. Elizabeth Newell SDB 14 15 15 15 14 73 15 7932 7932 Ursula Ed Sprague Susan Toyama SDB 13 10 11 dnc dnc 74 16 7130 7130 — Jorg Westerheide Kent Karlsson NH 18 18 17 14 15 82 17 6658 6658 Cookie Monster Ken Dornberg Yuji Dornberg SMB 7 17 dnf dnc dnc 84 18 7173 7950 Seanachai Angela O'Mahony John O'Mahony NH 17 11 16 dnc dnc 84 2 19 7956 7956 Gigi Bee Vince Brun — SDB dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc 100

STARDUST August, 2001 1st DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP / Chambers and Cusick / Iverson dropped back to below June 22-24, 2001 mid-fleet. Finally Cusick was able to shake Fiumara but it Cottage Park Yacht Club was too late to be able to climb back out of the hole. Bill Watson / Roger Sharp won the race, followed by Fran Twenty-nine boats from five fleets showed up for the 1st Charles / Ron Sandstrom and proud new father Ken Woods District’s Blue Star event hosted by the Boston Harbor (with photos of daughter Kendall and wife Loren doing fleet. Weather predictions for the long weekend were not well) / Bill Paton came in third. the best, but fortunately the weather did not cooperate with the weatherman. Racing for the top spots was very close. Only one point separated series’ second from series’ fifth and three points Friday’s race got off to a late start because of a fairly dense separated series’ second from series’ seventh. Several morning fog. The race was held “inside” and because of the people were left saying “If we had only….” amount of room available Course 2 was used. Substantial wind shifts and various lulls marked the first and second Jake Fiumara / Joe Chambers won both the Blue Star and legs of the race, first separating the fleet and then bringing the Junior Trophy. Fran Charles / Ron Sandstrom, who got it back together again. Then the fleet was separated again the series’ second, also won the Green Star. John Safford / near the reaching mark. The wind finally settled down at Patrick Bodden got series’ third. Bill Watson / Roger Sharp about 90° to the right of the original wind direction and were the top Masters, Dave & Mike Chittick the top Grand began to pick up to about 15 knots. Bear Hovey / Bud Masters, Ted Engel / Ed Demarais the top Exalted Grand Converse took first, Peter Cusick / George Iverson second, Master, and Emil Karlovshy / Brian Kane the top Venerable and the eventual series winners Jake Fiumara / Joe Exalted Grand Master. Chambers came in third. With delicious meals on both Friday and Saturday nights Two races were run on Sunday out on Broad Sound. The and a nice awards’ ceremony put on after the series was first race on Course 3 started in light wind with most of the over on Sunday the Boston Harbor fleet and event crews either in the boat or sitting to leeward. At the organizer John Siljander made this a memorable event. windward mark the fleet split with most going left. This turned out to be the right way to go because as the fleet approached the leeward mark the wind shifted about 90° to the right putting everyone on a close reach. Peter Cusick / George Iverson were leading the left pack, but this shift put him and the rest of the left boats into the cheap seats. The race was won by Ben Pl Sail # Skipper Crew Fleet R1 R2 R3 R4 Total Cesare / Steve Grgas, followed by Jake 1 7817 Jacob Fiumara Joe Chambers CA 3 2 2 12 7 Fiumara / Joe Chambers and John Lombard 2 7444 Fran Charles Ron Sandstrom BH 10 9 1 2 12 / George Iverson. 3 7847 John Safford Patrick Bodden CA 6 4 4 4 12 4 7371 Peter Cusick George Iverson Mid 2 14 3 8 13 The wind settled down and picked up in 5 7728 John Lombard Luke Buxton MID 5 3 5 6 13 force for the second race of the day, also 6 7465 Ben Cesare Greg Anthony MID dnf 1 6 7 14 run on Course 3. Fran Charles / Ron 7 7222 Bear Hovey Bud Converse Mid 1 7 7 9 15 Sandstrom won the race, with Jake Fiumara 8 7629 Ken Woods Bill Paton BH 13 6 8 3 17 / Joe Chambers in second and Peter Cusick 9 7657 Bill Watson Roger Sharp CLIS 7 10 10 1 18 / George Iverson third. 10 7950 Joe Zambella Jonathan Marks BH 8 16 9 11 28 Sunday saw the fleet go out to Broad Sound 11 7621 Peter Costa Peter Rodriques BH 16 19 12 5 33 again. As happened on the previous day the 12 7248 David Chittick Michael Chittick Mid 12 11 19 10 33 wind was on the light side the first time up 13 7471 John Bainton Will Christenson NB 9 22 11 14 34 on Course 3. Because of a certain amount of 14 8052 Steve Braverman Ron Rezac BH 4 17 16 17 37 jockeying for position several boats were 15 7265 Josh Phypers Butch Roth CA 15 8 15 15 38 called over early at the start and had to 16 7732 Gary MacDonald Howard Davis BH 11 18 17 16 44 restart. Among them were Cusick / Iverson. 17 7468 John Siljander Sara Siljander BH 14 12 21 18 44 With the light winds several of the lighter 18 6378 Jay O'Malley CA 22 5 dnf 20 47 crews seemingly made their moves and 19 7386 Jim Kubik Chris Sawyer CA 18 13 18 25 49 rounded the first mark in good positions. 20 7890 Guy Gurney Timothy Duval CLIS dnf 24 13 13 50 However as the race went on the wind 21 6767 John Fox Mark Lindsay BH 17 15 dnf 19 51 continued to increase in strength and the 22 7970 N. Stephenson Terence Glackin CLIS 23 23 14 dnc 60 lighter crews were left behind. Meanwhile 23 7101 Ted Lavery A. Koutoulas BH 20 21 20 22 61 because of the power struggle both Fiumara 24 7321 Arthur Housman Tom Donnelly BH 19 20 dnf dnc 68 25 7076 Ted Engel Ed Demarais CA 24 27 22 23 69 26 7012 David3 Bolles Alejandra Bolles Mid 25 25 23 24 72 27 7554 Emil Karlovsky Brian Kane Mid dns 26 dnf 21 76 28 6970 Dave Hoffman Jim Rittenhouse CLIS 21 28 dnf dnc 78 29 7851 James Coggeshall John Sutich BH dnc dnc dnc dnc 87 STARDUST August, 2001 JULY 4th SERIES be passed right at the line by John Vanderhoff and June 30-July 4, 2001 Rowan Perkins. Milford Y.C. Race two: same race course, same breeze one hour The weather prediction for the July 4th Series was not later and the left paid big. The leader this race was what one would desire for sailing, but for Saturday’s Tom Price and Will Wagner. They held this lead to and Sunday’s races fortunately the predictions were the last leeward mark of the windward leeward course off. Saturday’s race was run in moderate wind. Dylan where John MacCausland and Shane Zwingelberg just Mark and Mike Lebov led most of the way and got an inside overlap and were able to hold the lead to finished first, followed by David & Alejandra Bolles the finish. Tom Price held in for second holding off a and Charlie Correll / Andy Nelson. Sunday’s race was late charge from John Vanderhoff. held in the best wind of the season. Jack Button / So Sunday started off with John Vanderhoff with a 1- Charles Sevincer showed the boats the way around the 3, John MacCausland 4-1 and Tom Price with a 6-2. course followed by Don Gray / Wayne Pierce and The conditions for Sunday were a little different from David & Alejandra Bolles. Unfortunately the race on Saturday. July 4th never got underway due to lack of wind. Dylan Mark / Mike Lebov, using a boat donated to the On Sunday the breeze more to the west and about 5 to Milford Y.C. sailing foundation by Don & Valerie 8 mph. The first beat the right paid. John Vanderhoff Cronan, won the series. David & Alejandra Bolles had and Arron Serinis were the lead boats from this side a series second and Don Gray / Wayne Pierce a series with John MacCausland and Tom Price the 2 most left third. boats and rounding well behind the leaders. From here Pl Boat Skipper Crew R1 R2 Tot on the race only got wilder. There were good puffs 1 6554 Dylan Mark Mike Lebov 1 4 5 from the right and in-between the puffs there was not 2 7012 David Bolles Alejandra Bolles 2 3 5 much wind. On the first run the fleet got a little 3 7964 Don Gray Wayne Pierce 4 2 6 bunched up. The lead boats tacked around the leeward 4 6822 Charles Correll Andy Nelson 3 5 8 mark which let John MacCausland get his nose out to 5 7565 Jack Button Charles Sevincer dns 1 12 the right which was the way to go. The fleet then 6 7554 Emil Karlovsky Susan Taylor 5 dns 16 7 7306 Don Cronan Valerie Taylor 6 dns 17 started to work the right side. The second weather 8 7724 Joe Giunti John Taylor dnf dns 22T mark Arron Serinis led with Trapper Lippincott and 9 6020 Jim Schumacher Sally Schumacher dnf dns 22T Barbara Vosbury second John MacCausland third. 10 6731 John Courtney dns dnf 22T This all stayed the same for the last leeward mark. Then it got really mixed up. In the last 500 yards a lot of places changed. Trapper Lippincott won the race. th th Elliott Oldak came from 6 or 7 to finish second. John MacCausland held his place for third. Arron 67TH MILLER MEMORIAL SERIES Serinis and Chris Brown who lead the whole race Gibson Island finished fourth. Tom Price came back form the dead July 7-8, 2001 to finish fifth with John Vanderhoff finishing sixth. by John “Little Mac” MacCausland With these mixed up finishes it took a little time to On the East coast we have many regattas that have a figure out the overall places. long history. The Miller Series has just that the series A good time was had by all and thanks to the Gibson started in 1932 and except for the war years it has run Island Yacht Squadron. continually to this date. Names like Etchells, Lippincott, Ogilvy, Allsopp, Beek, Ruggles are only a Boat # Skipper Crew Fleet R1 R2 R3 Points few of the 67 winners. This years event was run on 8056 J. MacCausland S. Zwingleberg CR 4 1 3 8 8038 John Vanderhoff Rowan Perkins NCB 1 3 6 10 the weekend of July 7-8. We had a nice breeze on 7939 Elliott Oldak Angelo Busumi AN 5 5 2 12 Saturday 10 to 14 from the southwest. For the 7313 Tom Price Will Wagner CB 6 2 5 13 Chesapeake in the summer it was as close to heaven 7763 Arron Serinis Chris Brown 3 6 4 13 7425 Allan Lippincott Barbara Vosbury AN 8 7 1 16 as it gets. 7785 Davis Buckley Jon Rogers AN 2 9 7 18 8063 Burt Collins Guy Avelon AN 9 4 10 23 The first race the right paid on the first beat. Davis 7475 George Kalfa John Jenkins 7 8 9 24 Buckley and John Rodgers lead at every mark only to 7454 Weisenburger Henric Kerring 10 10 8 28 7688 Larry Parrotta Frank Hansen NCB ocs dnf 11 35 4 STARDUST August, 2001 REMEMBERING “Plumb” bow boats were being built by Skip Etchells and TOM BLACKALLER Carl Eichenlaub, and Tom figured this would make his boat By David Bolles faster. While I was off somewhere for a couple of weeks Tom did major surgery to his boat. When I got back there I knew Tom Blackaller’s family even before I was born. in the yard of St. Francis Y.C. was this strange looking Tom’s aunt Dr. Brock was my mother’s obstetrician and Starboat. John Rumsey, one of the guys who worked for my “deliverer”. My parents formed a friendship with Dr. local yacht maintenance wizard Eugene Vigno, explained to Brock and her husband Dr. Watson and for the next 25 me what happened. Tom took two planks of red cedar and years I would be part of various Morris-Blackaller family glued them to the bow of Spirit. Then he took an ax and functions both in Berkeley and at Inverness on Tamales chopped away at the planks until he got the desired effect. Bay in Marin County, California where they had a summer His bow turned out to be even more vertical than the O.G.’s place. Tom was one of a brood of children who roamed and Eichenlaubs of the time. Needless to say, this didn't around at these events so I wouldn’t have been able to pick make Spirit any faster, but Tom thought that it looked cool him out of the crowd, and I am sure I was much the same and up-to-date. for him. However, in 1957 we both bought Stars and that brought us together on a more personal basis. After a summer of sailing around in “Spirit” Tom ordered up a new boat from Carl Eichenlaub, # 3938, which he Tom’s first boat was an old clunker, Star # 2482, “Spirit”. It named “Good Grief!” He took delivery of this boat at about was a round pumpkin of a boat and it wouldn’t surprise me Christmas time and sailed his first races in Southern if the waterline was at least a foot shorter than other Stars California. It was with this first “Good Grief!” that Tom of the time. Somehow Tom got the boat to go to windward began his serious racing career in the Star Class which pretty well, but once he rounded the weather mark “whoa culminated in two Gold Stars, won in 1974 and 1980. Nelly”, the boat would put on the breaks!

Tom prepares “Good Grief!” for the 1963 West Coast Fall Championship, now known as the Calvin Paige. Note that # 3938 has a varnish finish with mint-green trim on the sheer and water-line. Years later Tom would remark that it was quite a job keeping the varnish in good shape and required refinishing four times a year. (Photos: above: collection of author. Below: 1969 Log.) 5 STARDUST August, 2001 At about this time there was a flurry of new faces in the some reason Tom, a.k.a Charlie Brown, was standing Stars in San Francisco. Ralph DeLuca and Snipe national directly behind the boat. As John walked the mast back and champion Don Trask were amongst them. During the got near the balancing point Tom got distracted and looked holiday season we used to have “Star Parties” at various away. Just then the mast butt popped out of the mast partner homes. One of the constant topics of conversation was how and John lost control of the mast. The tip fell on top of we as a group should try to improve ourselves so that we Tom’s head. Fortunately there wasn’t much force in the could keep up with the boys from Southern California. It blow. All of the onlookers found this very amusing and seemed like whenever we sailed with them they would began to laugh. collectively do a horizon job on us. In 1968 Tom won his fist major events in Star # 5150, also One of the ideas, strongly pushed by Don Trask, was to named “Good Grief!” He won two Silver Stars, first at the have tune-up races every Wednesday night in front of St. Western Hemisphere Spring Championship and then at the Francis Y.C. For these tune-up races we were able to get 5 North Americans. In 1971 and again in 1979 Tom won the or 6 boats out. Those of us who could get out of work early, 5th District Championship. After one of these wins which usually included Tom and me, would get the boats in somehow the 5th District Trophy just mysteriously the water and ready to go. Then the rest of the guys would disappeared. Bonnie, Tom's ex-wife, was cleaning up her roll down out of the hills and jump into their boats. By this house a few years ago and came across this original 5th time of the day usually the wind had calmed down again to District Trophy in a closet. She got a hold of the District conditions more like Southern California. Off we would go, officers and returned it. However, it was badly beat. The all lined up to work to windward. One boat would be Trophy was recently restored with the help of Malin designated as the pace boat in which no changes were Burnham, Kim Fletcher, Barton Beek and Ed Sprague and made. The rest would try to see if they could make their is again emblematic of winning the 5th District boats go faster. When someone finally showed that he had Championship. clearly gotten his boat going faster then we would round up and coast downwind to in front of the club. On the way down we would talk about what happened and then try some of the tips we heard from the others on the next time up. The major beneficiaries of all this work were Tom Blackaller and Don Trask, but we all benefited from all this work as the results of the 1962 5th District Championship, held off Alameda to the south of Treasure Island, show. Chick Rollins won the series and came in second, but Tom Blackaller came in third and I came in fourth. In the one race which counted for him Don Trask got a second. Clearly we had managed to close the gap on the Southern California boys. From time to time these Star Parties were held at my parents’ house in San Francisco. For some reason, which now that I look back on it I find rather weird, we always showed up to these parties dressed in coats and ties. (Really weird the more I think of it!) From the third-floor balcony of our home hung a climbing rope on which I would climb to get some upper-body exercise. At one of these parties somehow Tom, who was forever boastful about life in general, got egged on to climb the rope. He started up, coat and tie and all, but began to run out of steam. However the cheers and jeers of the onlookers spurred him on and with redoubled effort he made it all the way up. John Rumsey was hired by Lowell North and moved his

“operation” to San Diego, boat and all. John was pretty good at taking out the mast by himself, and was my teacher In 1966 Lippincott Boat Works began construction of in this technique. At a Mid-Winter’s Regatta at Los fiberglass Stars and Tom ordered up one of these boats later Angeles Y.C. John was demonstrating this technique. For in the year. Here we see Tom cruising along on San Francisco Bay. Still no hiking straps: you had to hang on 6 STARDUST August, 2001 however you could.

7 STARDUST August, 2001 MORE MEMORIES time discussion and envy. Old photos show the 1939 OF TOM BLACKALLER Transpac winner with a hard dinghy stowed upright on the by Skip Allan starboard side, presumably a repository for deck equipment and sails. Starboard tack bias has even extended into the I first met Tom Blackaller at Newport Harbor YC in the fall construction of Pacific racers, as at least one maxi-sled had of 1957. Tom was 16 and I was 12. Tom was a brash its permanent furniture arranged so the boat heeled several young kid living in his Starboat. He liked to brag that his degrees to starboard with nothing aboard. In fact, the near beautiful all varnished Eichenlaub was built of all hand ultimate in creativeness came in the 1998 Pacific Cup when picked cedar and was the lightest Star ever built at 1340 “Pyewacket” set the course record, assisted by the then pounds (no weight limit in those days.) Tom liked me for a legal use of water ballast bags externally hung over the crew because I only weighed 100 pounds, good for the light weather rail in kevlar slings. winds of Southern California. The competition in District 5 was intense, and Blackaller in the early days rarely finished But even this pales by the most humorous of scenes in the higher than midfleet. But he talked a good race, and his 1985 Transpac aboard the ULDB 70 “Saga”. When the friends knew him as “Charlie Brown.” He was known as wind came aft and the spinnaker was set on the third day, “Charlie Brown” partly because he loved to clown around, Tom Blackaller, inshore race, sailmaker, and raconteur par and partly because his Star #3938 was named “Good excellence, couldn't believe we were going to carry 300 Grief!” Tom's early sails were the red bags by Murphy and pounds of wet jibs the remaining 1500 downwind miles to Nye. Honolulu. He reached into his duffel, wrote the owner a check for the headsail inventory, and ordered the crew to Tom was very active in experimenting with equipment, and jettison all the jibs overboard. had one of the first home-built ratchet mainsheet blocks of his own design. He also had a self-bailing system for his Cooler heads soon prevailed and the check was not Star which consisted of nothing more than a beveled accepted, but Blackaller never let us forget for the rest of aluminum tube that could be stuck out the bottom of the the race. I can still hear his cackling lament every time he boat. I believe this predated the more sophisticated Bello came on watch: “Just think how much faster we'd be going and Elvstrom bailers. if we weren't carrying all these damn sails.” Just after taking delivery of “Good Grief!” Tom (Editor’s note: In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Skip participated in an early Christmas Regatta, 1957, held Allan was a Southern Californian teenage phenomenon. He inside Newport Harbor. A cold front had just passed, and first made an impression on the Star Class when he was 14 the wind was 30, gusting 40 inside the harbor. Only three during the 1959 World’s held in his home waters off Stars ventured out, all of them World Champs to be: Bill Newport Harbor. In Stan Ogilvy’s History of the Star Class Ficker, Don Edler, and Tom Blackaller. Ficker took one there is the following comment: tack and returned to the dock to sit it out. Edler, with son “ remembers a deflating experience he had Kent as crew, and Blackaller, with Barton Beek as crew, before 1959 World’s. The course off Newport Beach has managed to start and get to the windward mark, up by Lido predominantly light airs with a fair amount of Pacific ground Isle. They turned the mark and both were immediately swell, leftover waves from better winds to the northwest, and dismasted in a mammoth puff. They then raced downwind powerboat slop. The local sailors become proficient at with just their mast stumps. handling these conditions, which are somewhat mystifying at Tom was a student of the game and on a steep learning first to the outsider. Newport Harbor had a 14 year-old named curve. By the early 60's, he was one of the best downwind Skip Allan who was very good at it, so good that he beat a sailors in District 5, and soon climbed into the leading bunch of Gold and Silver Star skippers to win the tune-up group of local sailors that included Ficker, Edler, Burnham, race. Durward, who had arrived a few days early to do some North, Rollins, Bennett, Buchan and others. practice sailing, asked Skip late one afternoon if he would like to tune up with him. "I didn't mind so much that he kept

passing us," said Durward. "But every time he wiped us off TRANSPAC RACES the kid would luff up and say, 'Had enough? I have to go home.'" Durward interpreted this to mean, "Now do you give I raced two Transpacs with Tom. The first time was in 1971 up?" whereas actually it was too late for the youngster to be on “Windward Passage” when we broke the elapsed time out on the ocean according to family rules and he didn't want record and won overall on handicap. The second time was to get into trouble.” in 1985 on the ULDB “Saga”.

The history, creativeness, and controversy surrounding Skip’s high point in the Class came in 1962 when he won starboard tack ballasting in trans-Pacific racing is as old three silver chevrons by coming in second at the 1962 North and colorful as the races themselves, and always elicits race American’s held in Seattle and then a couple of weeks later

8 STARDUST August, 2001 when he crewed for Skip Etchells and won three gold bars by coming in third at the 1962 World’s held at Cascais.)

9 STARDUST August, 2001

2001 North American Championship August 23-31, 2001 Milford Yacht Club, Milford, CT Website: www.mycstar.org

Schedule: August 23-24: Registration & Measurement August 25: Practice Race, Late Registration August 26: Race 1, 11:00 August 27: Race 2, 11:00 August 28: Race 3, 11:00 August 29: Race 4, 11:00 August 30: Race 5, 11:00 August 31: Race 6, 11:00 Entry Deadline: August 5 Awards: Daily first, second & third, Skipper and Crew Series 1 –10, Skipper and Crew Masters 50+ first and second, 60+ and 70+, Skipper and Crew Best over-all Lady Skipper.

Contacts: Chairman: Jack Button. Tel: 203 878 0504 / Fax: 203 878 0279 e-mail: [email protected] Co-chair: David Bolles. Tel: 203 882 9428 e-mail: [email protected]

10 STARDUST August, 2001 NEW BOATS AND SAILS Balbi trailer. This boat was fully faired for the 2000 Star World’s and is absolutely race ready. $22500 USD for a race Web sites for new boats and sails which are presently up machine. Please contact Paul Sustronk at 905-825-6463 or and running: [email protected] (4-01) Mader Boats: http://www.bootswerft-mader.de/ STAR CLASS MEMORABILIA In the U.S. contact John MacCausland: 856 428 9094 If you have anything which you think should be in the Star Fritz Sails: www.fritz-segel.de Class Archives at Mystic Seaport Museum please contact North Sails: either the editor ([email protected]) (203 882 9428) http://www.northsailsod.com/class/star/star.html or Joe Knowles ([email protected]) (860 572 0606). Anything from a single photograph to a collection of correspondence, Quantum Sails: program notes, or anything else related to the Star Class http://www.quantumsails.com/star/index.htm and its activities would be most welcomed. Other contacts: UNDER 7000 BOATS WANTED Emmeti Spars: e-mail: [email protected] If you have or know of an under 7000 boat which wants to th Folli Boats, Lariovela Boatyard: get out onto the racecourse again please contact the 5 e-mail: [email protected] District Secretary Ed Sprague at [email protected] (619 224 8454). (4-01) Lillia Boatyard: e-mail: [email protected] VIDEOS In the U.S. contact Joe Zambella: 617 839 0992 Videos available: Mystic Seaport has two World’s videos Star-Rigg Service : available in VHS: the 1977 Kiel World’s (AV 74-77-1) and e-mail: [email protected] the 1981 Marblehead World’s (AV 74-81-1). For further details call Suki Williams, video archivist, at 860 572 5379 Spar Tech: / [email protected] In the U.S. contact John MacCausland: 856 428 9094 / e- mail: [email protected] Star Class videos available: the following videos are available through the Central Office: “Star Class Tuning Guide”, “Fine Tuned for Excellence”, 1999 World's: “The World of the Stars”, 1987 World's: “Sail against the Best.” Also FOR SALE / WANTED available from the Central Office are Stan Ogilvy’s book 6719 Melges is for sale for US $3,5000.00 obo. The boat “A History of the Star Class” and a biography about comes equipped with sails, f-section Spartech mast, 2 Durward Knowles, “Driven by the Stars”. For further Tactical compasses, all Harken, and mast-up boat cover. information on these items of Star Class merchandise plus The boat has an excellent aluminum road trailer, radial an order form please contact Diane Dorr at the Central tires, and surge brakes. The hull was completely faired and Office: finished with nine coats of Interlux two-part epoxy paint [email protected] (Ontario Yachts). This boat has all the go-fast equipment as ISCYRA well as under deck (3 to 1) kevlar running backs, and 1545 Waukegan Rd. double bottom with four auto bailers. The boat is a fast club Glenview, IL 60025-2185 racer and has performed well at the local level. The boat is Fax: 847 729 0718 / Office: 847 729 0630 presently in Toronto and can be delivered. Call 416-465- 8207 or e-mail [email protected] (4-01) 7248 - Mader. Boat is in good condition and has thru-deck backstays. Keel from 7510. Two SparTech F section masts, four suits of sails, and boat cover. This is a solid boat which is still very competitive at fleet level and would make an excellent starter boat/fleet racer. Boat located in Milford, CT. $7,000. Contact David Chittick (203) 261 0283 (office) / 203 268 7815 (home). [email protected] (07/11) 7938, 1998 Mader Star for sale. This is an excellent racing Star. 2001 12th District Champ. Comes with one 1999 Spartech mast, practice suit of sail (other sails negotiable) and 11 STARDUST August, 2001

12 STARDUST August, 2001 REGATTA SCHEDULES EMIL’S CORNER

1st District Please check the 1st District Web Site for more information about these regattas. Go to: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/fcsdesign/ Aug. 11-12 Secretary's Cup/ Make-a Wish Regatta (Benefit) (BH) Aug. 11-12 Picken Memorial (GSB) Aug. 23-31 North American Championship (Mid) http://www.mycstar.org Sept. 8-9 Pine Trophy (Intercollegiate Star Champ.) Sept. 15-16 Bedford Pitcher (CLIS) Sept. 22-23 Nutmeg's (Mid)

2nd District Please check the 2nd District Web Site: http://home.dmv.com/~jenkins/star.html

Aug. 4-5 Miles River/Green Star-MES Aug. 11-12 Oxford Summer-TAYC Sept 8-9 West River Keelboat-WRSC Cartoon by Emil Karlovsky Sept. 29-30 Fall Windup-TAYC Oct. 13-14 Michelob Cup-WRSC (Note date correction on Fall Windup.)

5th District Suggested donation for an annual hard copy Sept. 1-2 Labor Day Pitcher Regatta (SDB) subscription to Stardust: $18. Sept. 8-9 Black Star - Under #7000 California Champs, David Bolles Tel: 203 882 9428 California YC 133 Castle Lane Sept. 15-16 Fall Gold Cup (NH) Milford, CT 06460 Oct. 21-22 Calvin Paige Trophy, St. Francis YC E-mail: / [email protected] Oct. 27-28 Ash Brown Oktoberfest Regatta (SDB) Dec. 8-9 Kriss Kringle Regatta (OD) (SDB) SEND US YOUR MATERIAL th 12 District To submit material to this newsletter please contact: Aug. 4-5 Sunapee Open (Sun) David Bolles Aug. 11-12 N.Y. State Championship (SL) 133 Castle Lane Sept. 8-9 FLASIR (KL) Milford, CT 06460-7515 Sept. 15-16 Lake George Open (LG) 203 882 9428 / [email protected] Sept. 22-23 Chili Regatta (SL) A reminder about reporting regatta results: please try to give the information in the following format: Place/ Boat #/ Skipper/ Crew/ Fleet/ Daily positions/ Score Thanks to Harry Walker for his generous support of this Please contact the editor about any corrections to race publication results. While this cannot undo what has already been printed, it would be helpful in avoiding errors in the future. Thanks to all of the contributors who have submitted material for this month’s issue.

REMINDER PLEASE GET YOUR ENTRY FORMS FOR THE 2001 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN BY AUGUST 5th

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