505 Santa Cruz Spring Open
Mike Holt
Santa Cruz Yacht Club hosted their Spring 505 Open over the weekend of May 30/31 and 21 boats arrived to race. Conditions were a little more over cast than we would have liked and the wind was therefore not giving us the sort of conditions we all wanted to practice in for the Worlds that are now less than 3 months away.
The race management team of Dave Whale and Phil Vandenberg got in 3 good races on Saturday, the first two in around 8-10 knots, giving occasional trapezing and very tactical racing. Brian Haines and Ted Conrads got off to a fast start with a 1, 2 while Jeff Nelson and Mike Martin started with a 7th and then a win in the second race. Carl Smit and Mike Holt had a solid start with a 2, 3. By the start of the third race the wind had built a bit to full trapping and wire running, clearly into Jeff/Mike conditions as they recorded their second win. Carl/Mike chased hard to put another 2nd on the board and Steve Bourdow and Nick Adamson rounded out the top 3 giving them two 3rds for the day. Racing was close through out the fleet with some very congested mark roundings.
Following a birthday BBQ at Matthias's house on the Saturday evening, racing resumed on Sunday in more promising conditions. Wind was up at 12+ knots from the start and full trapezing and wire running were the order of the day, as were Gate Starts. Carl/Mike extended their lead at the top with a win in race 4, followed by Mike Smith and Jeff Miller, Steve/Nick picked up their third 3rd! Race 5 started in a little bit more breeze and Jeff/Mike won from Geoff Ewenson and Tyler Moore who were out representing the "other" coast. Carl/Mike crossed in 3rd.
Going into the final race in the no discard event Carl/Mike lead Jeff and Mike by 5 points, reasonably comfortable but no sure fire deal. The breeze was now up to a good 15-16 knots and pathfinders Peter Alarie and Hasso Plattner rounded 1st, Carl and Mike were in 3rd with Jeff and Mike one place further back. However, rounding the mark Carl and Mike fouled Geoff and Tyler and things weren't looking so pretty following a couple of circles. By the bottom of the run three places separated the two and Jeff and Mike did everything they could to increase that number. By the last run with the breeze still increasing and both boats gybing early Jeff/Mike had got up to 2nd behind Peter/Hasso but Carl/Mike had moved up to third. The places stayed this way with Peter/Hasso holding off the challenges behind.
A fantastic weekend of racing with some excellent coaching and debriefing for everyone from Jay and Pease Glaser and Skip Whyte. The next event will be on the Worlds course on June 27/28.
If you lost a black pair of sun glasses Dave Shelton found them.
1. Carl Smit/Mike Holt USA 9002 2,3,2,1,3,3 14pts
2. Jeff Nelson/Mike Martin USA 8714 7,1,1,6,1,2 18pts
3. Steve Bourdow/Nick Adamson USA 8081 3,8,3,3,6,4 26pts
4. Brian Haines/Ted Conrads USA 887 1,2,7,8,8,8 34pts
privileged. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to
receive this message for the intended recipient), you may not use, copy,
disseminate or disclose to anyone the message or any information
contained in the message. If you have received the message in error,
please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete the message. Thank
you very much.