Cal Maritime on top at Harbor Cup

San Pedro, CA (March 11, 2017) – After a nearly two-hour postponement, the thick fog that had shrouded the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup fleet retreated enough for racing to commence on Day Two of the three-day event.

Gusty breezes of 10 to 15 knots, on a course dappled with fog, made for challenging racing for the seven-person teams from across the US and Europe.

Cal Maritime’s steady performance kept them on the top tier of the leaderboard, ousting Friday’s leader, the University of South Florida, and College of Charleston, who were tied for second.

But the big news was at the bottom tier. At the conclusion of Friday’s races, three teams making their Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup debut – Team Ireland, University of California Santa Barbara, and Oregon State University – had landed at the bottom of the fleet. But today would find them clawing their way up the learning curve. The Santa Barbara Gauchos took an early lead in Race Four and led the fleet around the course to victory. Team Ireland took two solid thirds. Even the Oregon Beavers gnawed away at the competition with hard work and tenacity.

Team Ireland’s Captain Marcus Ryan said, “We heard about this event through (Cal Maritime Coach) Tyler Wolk, when we were competing against his very competitive American team at the Student Yachting World Cup in La Rochelle, France last year.” Based on that experience, Ryan assembled a team of sailors from neighboring colleges in County Cork and Mayo to come to Los Angeles, looking forward to “a highly competitive, enjoyable event” … “and the opportunity to sail in a region where heavy offshore sailing gear isn’t a requirement all year round!”

Maine Maritime won Race Five and College of Charleston won Race Six; before sailing was postponed due to advancing fog.

Competition continues Sunday March 12 at 1130AM.

Event details – Scoreboard – Facebook

Background: Held March 10 to 12, the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup is hosted by the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Yacht Club, and the California State University Maritime Academy. Sailed in the Long Beach Sailing Foundation’s fleet of identical Catalina 37 sailboats, it provides a level platform that tests the skills and strategies of the seven crew members. Founded in 2008, the event seeks to encourage young men and women to enjoy the benefits of competitive offshore big boat sailing.

Source: Betsy Crowfoot