Volume 87, Number 05 May 2015 REPEAT! 2014 and now 2015 World Champion Mike Holt Well he has done it again! While winning the ing with my regular crew Carl Smit. Carl and I have 2014 Championship last year, SCYC member Mike been sailing together since ’03. Holt has now consolidated his title as 505 World The event started with a 2 day Pre Worlds Champion with a 2nd World Championship, now the warm-up regatta that was a 2 race affair and a win in 2015 Title. Sailing with a different crew than last the second race gave us overall victory, with many tell- year’s regatta, Mike once again came out on top at the ing us that was bad luck…The main event started with 505 World Championship regatta, this year sponsored 10 knots, gradually building, we started strongly, win- by SAP and hosted by Algoa Bay YC in Port Elizabeth, ning the first race and the following race but slipped South Africa. a bit on day 2 with a 5th place in the lightest race of In Mike’s own words, “Sailed in the open the event. Day 3 saw us return to form with a 3rd fol- ocean, very similar to Santa Cruz but much warmer, lowed by a big win in race 4. We then had a day lost water temps around 70F. Winds were generally in the to big breeze. PE is a windy city in the summer and moderate range, with a light race and a windy one at although we were well into the fall there are still some each end of the spectrum. This year to defend the title I “big” days there! On resumption of racing we sailed won with Rob Woelfel in Germany last year I was sail- to another race win in the first race of the day, leaving May 2015 Santa Cruz yaCht Club Spinnaker Sheet A super friendly YC, combined with great sailing, top sponsor and amazing shore side attractions meant this was one of the great 5O5 Worlds for me”. SCYC Members Racing Updates MEXICO UPDATES- Since we went to press so close to the end of the Newport-Cabo race last month, there were a couple updates to the reported finishes. Morgan Larson on the SC70 Holua, finished nd2 , Dylan Watts on the SC70 Grand Illusion finished 3rd, Paul Allen on the RP63 Invis- ible Hand finished th6 , Brent Ruhne on the STP65 Bad Pak finished 12th. SWITZERLAND - While Morgan hasn’t had a chance to race it formally yet, he had a fun trip last month to Geneva, Switzerland to sea trial (Lake trial) the new Alinghi Cat, A foiling GC32. “After a fun Helicopter launch we sailed in the snow! It’s a fun boat with tons of potential. After a quick and cold trip to Lake Geneva I headed down for some sea trials of the new TP52 RAN, which I will be joining for the first Med Cup Series in Valencia, Spain in mid May. This year there will be 9 new TP52’s joining the already strong field.” CARRIBEAN – Brent Ruhne just got back from the Les Voiles de Saint Barth Regatta on the Swan 90 Odin. They were first to finish in all races, but due to an unfriendly rating, their finish on handicap was pretty far down the list. However, Brent related that it was a “fantastic week of rac- ing in the Caribbean.” CALIFORNIA - Susie Snyder, Walter Oliveri, Warren Sampson, Tom Garside, Beat Naef, Rob Schuyler, and of course, World Champion Dennis Bassano, took themselves off to the Ivanpah dry lake it only mathematically possible to be beaten. The second in Nevada last month, place team would have to win both races and we would for the 2015 America’s need to be outside the top 4 in both. As it turned out, with Landsailing cup. 97 boats, the wind blowing around 18-20, we hit the turbo and won 5 days, 72 races started, convincingly to clinch the title with a day to spare and 5 2 black flags and 1 pro- wins from the 7 races we sailed. test later, the results were Other SCYC members who traveled to South in.... In the single divi- Africa to compete in this year Worlds, were Dave Shelton sion, Susie Snyder (5th), who finished 15th sailing with “top female” Tina Plattner, Walter Oliveri (10th), 15 and Aaron Ross, sailing with Rob Waterman of SoCal boats; In the twin class, finishing in 19th. 2 May 2015 Santa Cruz yaCht Club Spinnaker Sheet Warren Sampson (6th), Tom Garside (9th), Walter Commodore’s Report Oliveri (16th), Beat Naef (23rd), Rob Schuyler (28th), 37 boats; NALSA 2 Class; Dennis Bassano (4th), 9 boats; Tradition!!! No, don’t worry, I’m not going NALSA 4 Class; Dennis Bassano (1st), 4 boats. If you to go all “Fiddler on the Roof” on y’all. But the sea want to learn more about “sailing in the dirt” go to: and the ships in which we sail are steeped in tradition. http://www.nalsa.org/events.htm And with good reason. The essentials of wind and Chris Watts and team won the Corinthian Yacht water haven’t changed much since our species started Clubs one design championships this past month. plying the waves. A ship must still be seaworthy first Chris says...”We sailed in 5 evenly matched Cal 20’s and foremost, but I would say that it must also be that each of the 7 skippers rotated through complet- beautiful, and a nice turn of speed never hurts either. ing 5 races. Short windward leeward courses sailed in The schooners of John Alden have to be some of the front of the CYC so you could watch from the deck. I most beautiful boats ever. They can also be speedy sailed with Bay Area friends Panda and Terre Layton. and are capable of safe passage on any ocean. And We scored a 1,3,1,2,2 and were able to discard the 3 they exemplify the best traditions of the sea. So if giving us 6 points for the regatta. We had the regatta you haven’t yet noticed, Santa Cruz has now become won before the last race! Lots of fun and a great home to a truly stellar example of one of these beau- format. Maybe something we could consider doing at ties. After an exhaustive search and a year-long refit, our club someday.” our own Beau and Stacey Vrolyk brought their “Ma- If you have info on where club members are yan” home to Santa Cruz. She is a living testament to racing, please feel free to pass along details to Buc- the best seafaring traditions and we are fortunate to [email protected] be able to welcome her to our harbor. But as beauti- ful as this wooden ship is, make no mistake -- she By Ellen Kett was meant to go to sea and remains very capable of (Beau and Stacey Vrolyk’s Mayan) 3 May 2015 Santa Cruz yaCht Club Spinnaker Sheet preciate how the designers of each approached the goals of safety, speed and beauty, and appreciate our place in the history of yachting. So who can tell me the essential elements for a successful regatta? A squadron of speedy yachts crewed by hearty and skilled sailors? Check! A crack race committee team aboard Onward armed with flags, tim- ers, horns and clipboards? Yup! An after-party com- plete with cool drinks and lavish food? Got it! Snazzy engraved trophies? You betcha! Strong and steady breezes? Um . what was that last thing again? Well, that’s the way it was at this year’s Commodore’s Regat- doing just that. And sometime in the next few years, our ta. It was supposed to be a “pursuit” race, but the main friends will sail her over the horizon and into their next thing being pursued seems to have been more wind. adventure. So enjoy this while it lasts. Mayan may be Even so, it was a beautiful day and a good time was had the most beautiful boat many of us will ever see, but she by most, so I guess we will call it what it was: a great was never meant to be still for very long! And just so we day on the water followed by a fun party. Major props crazed, ultralight sailing west-coasters don’t feel too left to our Onward crew (Stefan Berlinski, Chuck Murray, out, don’t forget that tradition takes many forms. Walk Joe Altmann, Bert Lemke, and Erin Conant), to KISS any dock in our harbor, and you will see our own Santa for the tasty treats, and to Lauren Linkemyer, Mack Cruz, Moore, Express, Olson, and others who started the Ellis, Ashley Zaninovich and Tim Gilmore for the ultralight revolution and pushed tradition into a new era. great BBQ. It’s too bad Bill Lee and John Alden never had a chance And while we are on the subject of thanks, to chat, as that would have been a conversation worth I want to thank Mary Larkin-Berlinski and Kelly hearing. So admire yachts like Mayan and Merlin, ap- Nesheim. I had to come down to the Club last Sunday morning, and when I arrived around 10, there they were pressure washing our lower deck. Then they went on to re-stain it, so as usual, our Club “goes” because of the efforts of so many, but . Mary and Kelly, you are always, always there.