Latitude 38 June 2009

JuneCoverTemplate 5/15/09 1:28 PM Page 1 Latitude 38 VOLUME 384 June 2009 WE GO WHERE THE WIND BLOWS JUNE 2009 VOLUME 384 MASTER MARINERS New isn’t always better. Just part, the ships themselves won such ask the connoisseurs of automobiles, useful items as a cord of wood or a ton guitars, LP records, Lalique glassware of potatoes. and classic sailing yachts, to name a Today's Master Mariners Benevolent few. And sometimes, the older the bet- Association encourages the care and ter. Such was the case at this year’s preservation of elderly yachts. And 364 Master Mariners Regatta on May 23. days of the year, most owners lavish The event itself is grizzled with age. attention on these boats as if they were It dates back to the 1800s when com- classic Bentleys. On Regatta Day, they mercial ships would set aside a day go beat the hell out of them. to race around the Bay. Various Bay Sixty-nine boats showed up to do Area business owners would put up battle on the cold and overcast Sat- money to sponsor each entry — with urday before Memorial Day. Breeze in the money in those days going to the 10-12 knot range held through the care for disabled sailormen and the reverse handicap starts, which began families of those lost at sea. For their continued on page 96 —OTHER OLD BOATS TITLE RULEHERE ALL PHOTOS LATITUDE / JR Above, the 122-ft LOA topsail schooner 'Lynx' was once again this year's biggest competitor. Right, the Bear Boat fleet was back in force. Opposite page, searching out the next mark. Spread, the gaff schooners 'Aida', foreground, and 'Stardust' neck and neck down the homestretch. MASTER MARINERS Page 94 • Latitude 38 • June, 2009 —OTHER OLD BOATS TITLE RULEHERE Serving their masters (clockwise from below) — a tidal wave sweeps over 'Pegasus'; 'Nautigal' passes safely in front of a container ship; 'Bright Star' rail down; 'Bounty's kites were pretty but we fear per- manent retina damage; adjusting the main outhaul on 'Lynx'; 'Corsair' on a firehose reach (actually, a firehose would probably be dryer); 'Ouessant' chases 'Credit'; the other 'Corsair' looking pretty — and pretty wet. Left, 'Polaris' in hot pursuit of 'Sequestor.' June, 2009 • Latitude 38 • Page 95 MASTER MARINERS PRELIMINARY RESULTS off StFYC at noon. (In reverse handi- BIG SCHOONERS — 1) Seaward, Ken Neal; 2) Alma, National finish behind the mighty schooners cap, the slowest boats start first and Park Service; 3) Lynx, Craig Chapman. (3 boats) Seaward and Brigadoon. the faster boats later; so the first GAFF 1 — 1) Brigadoon, Terry Klaus; 2) Aida, Skip Hender- Going back to our theme, we in each division to cross the finish son; 3) Yankee, John Collins. (3 boats) also note that, in several classes line is the winner.) Per tradition, the GAFF 2 — 1) Makani Kai, Ken & Kristine Inouye ; 2) Sea Quest, and matchups, the oldest boat grand dame of the fleet went at the Stephen Carlson; 3) Taihoa, Jody Boyle (7 boats) prevailed. Nowhere was this more GAFF 3 — 1) Andrew Mulligan, Stephen Canwright; 2) Star- first gun — the 60-ft scow schooner thrilling to watch than the Gaff dust, Mary Moseley. (2 boats) Alma is the oldest Master Mariner L-36 — 1) Leda, David James; 2) Papoose, Allan Edwards; 3) III contest between Sequestor and and, as a seagoing ‘flatbed truck’, Ole, J. Hamilton/C. Leonard. (4 boats) Polaris. The former is a 32-ft Tahiti the only boat left that raced in an MARCONI 1 — 1) Chrysophyle, Kirk Morrison; Bolero, Tim ketch built in 1948, owned and original Master Mariners regatta. Murison; 3) Bright Star, Ted Hall. (7 boats) skippered by Hans List. The latter Per usual, breeze built through MARCONI 2 — 1) Sunda, Bob Rogers; 2) Nautigal, Jeff Stokes; is a 34-ft Pumpkinseed gaff sloop, the day to about the low 20s, giving 3) Unda, Dean Gurke. (6 boats) currently owned by the Spaulding everyone a thrilling ride down the MARCONI 3 — 1) Vixen, Steve Kibler; 2) Little Packet, Dick & Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito Barbara Wrenn; 3) Vectis, Louis and Sara Nickles. (7 boats) homestretch to the finish just below MARCONI 4 — 1) Flirt, Peter Strietman; 2) Glory, Jerry de and skippered by former owner Treasure Island. Rham; 3) Blackjack, Ted Hoppe. (7 boats) Tom List — Hans’s father. Although OCEAN 1 — 1) Kate II, Roger Emerick; 2) Bounty, Dan Spra- Sequestor started 15 minutes ear- dling. (2 boats) lier, as the two boats sailed under One of the highlights this OCEAN 2 — 1) Chorus, Brad Asztaios; 2) Credit, Bill Belmont; the lee of Treasure Island, Polaris year was a fleet of eight Bear boats 3) Ouessant, Gene Buck. (4 boats) was coming up fast. Slowly, inevita- — the largest one design class in BIRD — 1) Robin, Pat Kirrane; 2) Curlew, James Josephs; 3) bly, Polaris drew even with Seques- Widgeon, David Cobb. (3 boats) tor this year’s race. Once as plentiful BEAR — 1) Magic, Tim Maloney; 2) Bongo, Jill Lutz; 3) Cam- , then a bowsprit ahead, then a as J/105s on the Bay, the Bears embert, Todd Greenberg. (8 boats) boatlength — all within the last 100 have been in a sort of 'hibernation' Complete results: www.mastermariners.org yards. Just before they finished, a for the last few years. The rumors large cheer went up from the old continue that they will once again ners turnout is a harbinger of that. A big boat. A hundred years old and still qualify for one design status in WBRA congratulations to Magic, which not only winning. Take that, carbon fiber! next year, and we hope the Master Mari- won the class but was the third boat to — latitude/jr Join the Crowd and SAVE! Photo Credit: Ari Bakker Ari Credit: Photo Low Rates for all your boats at BoatU.S. Thousands of boat owners just like you have switched to Call or apply online for a fast, free quote. BoatU.S. insurance. They know we provide the broadest 1-800-283-2883 coverage and best protection for your premium dollars. Priority Code: 4848 Insurance for your boat has never been more affordable! BoatUS.com/insurance t Low Rates, Broad Coverage t Agreed Value, Actual Cash Value or Liability PLUS Options t Discounts for Boating Safety Courses t Flexible Payment Plans All policies subject to limits and exclusions. Installment fees apply to payment plans. Own more than one Boat or PWC? Ask about our Multiple Boat Discounts! Page 96 • Latitude 38 • June, 2009 MASTER MARINERS WOODEN BOAT SHOW Sunday, June 28, 2009 Supports the Preservation of Classic Sailing Vessels, Seamanship and Nautical Education HEADED TO THE DELTA? No matter where you’re headed this summer, start with Landfall for all the outﬁ tting gear and expert advice you need to get home Corinthian Yacht Club safely. Call or click for a free catalog or to sign up for our monthly Main Street, Tiburon Landfall Report e-mail. Shop online anytime. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $10 • Children under 12 free & must be supervised. A rare opportunity to view and board San Francisco Bay's classic sailing yachts. Meet the skippers and learn their history. | Corinthian Yacht Club Outdoor Bar & Grill Open for Lunch 800-941-2219 landfallnav.com Sponsored by historic (1867) Master Mariners Benevolent Association · www.mastermariners.org SAFETY | NAVIGATION | REFERENCE | WEAR Illustration by MMBA member Caleb Whitbeck ©2009 Landfall Navigation. All rights reserved. June, 2009 • Latitude 38 • Page 97 BOATYARD TOUR If you're a wooden boat-lover, here's a little tip: Run around to various Bay Area boatyards in mid-May to see some of the Bay's more interesting examples of the breed getting ready for the annual Master Mariners Regatta at the end of the month. Although unintentional, our annual foray through the boatyards yielded an abun- dance of woodies — some prepping for the race, others simply (or, rather, not-so-simply) catching up on delayed maintenance. Every boat may have a story, but it's the people behind the boat that make a story interesting. And everyone we spoke to that day in May had a tale to tell — like the sailor who loved to help others but, in the end, needed the 'kindness of strangers' to get his own boat launched; or the young couple working hard to live their dream of returning to her homeland by boat; or the family of 12 siblings who sails — and restores boats — together; or the salvation and resurrection of a former champion by a team with a vision. Though their stories may differ, all the sailors we spoke to had one thing in common: a passion for their boats. From production boat to custom-designed work of art, each vessel boasted an owner who loved her fiercely. We all know that a boat isn't the most fiscally sound investment, but we'd wager that not a single sailor in this article could care less. — latitude/ladonna Albatros, Atkins Eric — Most folks like to get in and out of the boatyard as quickly as possible. But sometimes a lengthier haulout is necessary, as was the case for Mike Curray's Albatros. She'd been on the hard for six months! "I live in San Diego," Mike explained, "but we've kept her in San Rafael for the last 10 years or so, which was probably too long — the freshwater wasn't good for the wood." In fact, Mike and his wife Gisela have based Albatros out of the Bay Area off and on for the last two decades, in between cruises to such far-flung ports as New Zealand, the Marquesas, Polynesia and Hawaii — a "little" 10,000-mile loop.

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