Special awards for 50th Transpac Race

In addition to recognizing performance in elapsed and corrected time, this year’s 50th edition of the Transpacific Yacht Club’s biennial yacht race from LA to Honolulu is also offering new trophies for the nearly 100 entries ready to start in July 2019.

Besides the new Nash Family Corinthian Trophy and the Storm Trysail Club Trophy for team score, the Ronald L. Burla Trophy for Media Excellence will be awarded to the entry that provides the most creative and original media content related to their on-board experience while sailing in Transpac 50.

Photos, videos and/or written stories are all eligible, with one submission made per boat sent after their start and before their finish in the race. A panel of judges from TPYC and the race’s Media Team will decide the winner from among all submissions and announce this at the Awards Ceremony.

As Publicity Director of the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau and a founding member of Waikiki Yacht Club, Ron Burla was a tireless promoter of the race, taking the local press out to the finish line and is credited for having re-discovered this beautiful silver cup.

In addition to these three new awards, there is also the Mark S. Rudiger Celestial Navigation Trophy named in memory of famed offshore navigator Mark Rudiger. This antique brass T. Hemsley & Son silver-vernier, A-frame sextant from 1905 donated by Stan Honey is awarded to the navigator who submits celestial navigation worksheets or evidence of traditional navigation to the finish inspectors immediately after finishing, and whose work is selected as the “best” by an impartial panel of judges.

Transpac also recognizes the fastest among Double Handed entries while the Oldest Average Age Trophy embraces the most senior team.

“As much as we enjoy celebrating the performance of those who sail the race course fast,” said TPYC Commodore Tom Hogan, “we are also proud of our ‘special’ trophies that recognize achievements in other aspects and dimensions of this historic race. It’s this rich heritage we think keeps Transpac popular and relevant across the generations.”

A summary of these special trophies can be found at https://2019.transpacyc.com/transpac-yc/trophy-faq.

Event Details – Entry list – Facebook

Background: First organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club in 1906, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race or Transpac is an offshore sailing race from Point Fermin in Los Angeles to Diamond Head, just east of Honolulu, a distance of 2225 nm. The 2019 edition has 12 divisions with staggered starts on July 10, 12, and 13.

Boats racing in Divisions 6, 7, 8, 9, the Cal 40s, and the Multihulls in Class 0A will start on July 10. The second start on July 12 will be for the boats in Divisions 3, 5 and the Santa Cruz 50/52s, with the final start on July 13 for the remaining monohull entries in Divisions 1 and 2, along with the Multihull class 0 entries.

Source: TPYC