Gardyloo has its moment in Ullman Sails LBRW

Long Beach, CA (June 28, 2014) – Check the daily Catalina 37 results in Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week and you may notice a team’s home club listing as “CYCT.”

CYCT?

“Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma [as in Washington],” says Eric Nelson, skipper of chartered boat number 1 that surprised everyone by winning the second of three races Saturday, between two forgettable finishes mostly due to crossing the start line prematurely.

With a 9-3-9-1-12/DSQ scoreline, their boat nicknamed Gardyloo Travelin’ Road Show (to be explained in a moment) is no threat to ABYC’s bid for its fourth Ullman LBRW title in six years. Chuck Clay’s crew won the two races Saturday that CYCT didn’t for a 1-4-1-2-1 string of finishes and a seven-point lead over defending champion Dave Hood’s LBYC and Bruce Ayres’ Newport Harbor YC, sharing second place.

The 142 boats in a wide range of classes continued to struggle in wispy southerly breeze of 5 to 10 knots fading back to five by mid-afternoon. The forecast for Sunday’s windup was similar.

Still, the racing went on over three closed courses and Random Leg courses as long as 21 nautical miles across the harbors. In the latter, Tom Holthus’ black STP 65 Bad Pak, rated at minus-126 seconds per mile, again was first to finish, although finishing third on handicap after surrendering 63 seconds a mile to Jay Steinbeck’s first place Margaritaville.

As for other classes, regatta namesake Dave Ullman lost the day’s first race to Bennet Greenwald of San Diego YC but won the next two for an unbeatable log of 1-1-2-1-1 and a 12-point lead over Scott Deardorff of Santa Barbara YC.

His secret, besides being the guy who has won several class world titles in his career: “I’ve been sailing these boats for a year and a half, more than any of these people here. It makes a difference.”

Ullman spent much of last year getting a feel for the new class when the J/70s were introduced on the East Coast. Unlike many world classes, he said, the 70s “are easy to sail with your wife and kids” and limit hiking.

Back to Gardyloo … White said, “The first race we were over early and went back [to restart]. Now we aren’t so sure. We didn’t hear our number called on the radio.”

Tactician Brian White added, “The second race the left side was good and the guys sailed really well. The third race we didn’t think we were over early, but we heard them call our number on the radio.”

That time they didn’t go back and were disqualified afterward for the oversight. So they reside in seventh place among the 11 boats, with two races winding up the regatta Sunday.

But they’re having fun, hooting and hollering in their highest moment and cruising the course in their bright orange shirts in a boat with an unusual temporary name.

Nelson explained, “I learned it on a trip to Scotland, where it means throwing waste water and, you know, whatever out the window at certain times. I thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to name my boat at home.’ ”

So he did.

The 35th year of the regatta has 142 boats from six states and Canada, living up to its slogan, “Race With the Champions.” There will be as many as two final races Sunday, starting at noon, conditions permitting.

The Yacht Club Challenge Trophy features several of the Catalina 37s filling the requirement to be part of a three-boat team with boats from two other classes.

The Golison Kent Family Trophy will be awarded to the crew with the most family members on board.

The final trophy presentation and party will be at LBYC Sunday afternoon and evening. A water taxi will offer transportation between the clubs across the bay.

Class leaders (After 2 of 3 days)

RANDOM LEG (3 races; no discards)

PHRF-1 (8 boats)—Margaritaville (Andrews), Jay Steinbeck, California YC, 2-1, 3 points.
PHRF 2 (12)—Relentless (SC 52), Will Durant, LBYC, 2-1, 3.
PHRF-3 (11)—lulu (Schock), David Booker, Santa Barbara YC, 1-1, 2.
PHRF MULTIHULL (4)—Tie between GoCart (Seacart), Chris Slagerman, California YC, 2-1, and Mama Tried (8.5m), Pete Melvin, ABYC, 1-2, 3.

CLOSED COURSE (7 races; no discards)

CATALINA 37 (11 boats)—Team ABYC, Chuck Clay, 1-4-1-2-1, 9 points.
VIPER 640 (23)—Hot Mess, Kevin Taugher, ABYC, 1-3-4-1-4, 13.
J/70 (16)—David Ullman, Balboa YC, 1-1-2-1-1, 5.
J/109 (6)—Electra, Thomas Brott, Santa Barbara YC, 1-2-3-1-3, 10.
J/120 (7)—Caper, John Laun, San Diego YC, 1-2-3-2-2, 10.
FLYING TIGER (6)—John Harrop, San Diego YC, 1-2-1-2-3, 9.
MELGES 20 (5)—Makaira, Skip Shapiro, Richmond YC, 1-1-3-1-2, 7.
J/24 (8)—3 Big Dogs, Pat Toole, Santa Barbara YC, 1-1-1, 3.
PHRF-SB2 (7)—Avet (J/80), Curt Johnson, California YC, 1-1-1-2-1, 6.
PHRF-A (11)—Flyer (RP 47), Rob Sjosted, Corsair YC, 2-1-2-6-5, 16.
PHRF-B (8)—Rival (J/35), David Boatner, Ventura YC, 1-1-1-1-2, 5.

Full results – Event website

Report by Rich Roberts