A classic high-quality racer cruiser

Much like the Newport Bermuda Race shapes offshore aspiration in even years, it is the Transpac Race in odd years that provides a similar focus. Getting a boat ready and crew trained for the 2225 course from Los Angeles to Honolulu requires a plan.

The 2023 Newport to Cabo Race in March provided a good benchmark for Liz and Dave Moore’s Santa Cruz 52 Westerly as they won their class and were second overall on the 800nm course. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck checks in with Dave about racing his 24 year old boat:

Let’s start with the boat name.

Westerly sails in honor of two brothers, Liz’s father Westcot Stone and uncle Earl Stone. Both young men grew up sailing small boats they built themselves in Southern California. They were both car racers, natural aviators, and shared a passion for ocean adventure. Everything was doable; to the West, Catalina, Hawaii and the South Pacific beckoned. Wes and Earl never met a risk they didn’t like.

The Cabo race had staggered starts. How did that impact the results?

It had a significant impact. Friday was cold, wet, and windy. Saturday was cold, occasionally wet, and almost windless. On the weather rail for Friday’s start, we were all voting for the best and worst pieces of foul weather gear. Best: a new Musto water repellent fleece lined hat and Zhik boots. Worst: old gear with worn out water repellent.

What were the pivotal moments in the race?

The pivotal segment of the race was the start to tack number one adjacent to San Clemente Island. As events unfolded on the water, the Dave Ullman guide to J/70 competitors at SDYC from summer 2018 came into clear focus. The guide is a decision matrix. One of the decision vectors: If you have a spot to race to – in this case, an expected wind shift – prioritize getting there above all else. To see it graphically, replay the yellow brick tracker – it is very educational.

The local conditions at Cabo San Lucas can get sticky. Was there a good time of day to finish?

Absolutely; if there’s a choice – and sometimes there isn’t – try not to arrive just after dawn for the morning glass off. Rio 100 joined us in the parking lot. They found the breeze first and finished more than an hour ahead of us.

How has the boat been optimized?

Immediately after Transpac 2019, we met with Greg Stewart from Nelson/Marek Yacht Design and began planning changes to the keel and addition of transom scoop to improve our competitiveness with the SC50/SC52 fleet. Kevin Miller at North Sails Channel Islands designed and built a complete sail inventory. The importance of excellent sails cannot be overstated.

What is the training/racing schedule leading up to the Transpac Race?

We started in 2022 with the multi-weekend Catalina Island Series hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club. It’s a premier event: race to the island, dinner party in the evening, and race home. The fleet is very competitive and the learning is intense. The Islands Race hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club is another excellent training event in preparation for Transpac. It was prudently cancelled this year due to weather, so we replaced it with our own equivalent offshore practice. The Cabo Race was big fun and helped the crew become a team.

The Transpac always draws a good fleet of SC50s and SC52s.

The boat’s designer Bill Lee and I had a conversation recently and we’re both dedicated to making sure none of these special boats meets the crusher. Westerly shows that a classic high-quality racer cruiser, more than two decades old, can be competitive with the latest go-fast platforms.