October 2009 eBook all pages (free PDF, 36.6 - Latitude 38

SHARON GREEN/WWW.ULTIMATESAILING.COM
J/120s and 1D35s — actually three
bangs to be exact, when a huge hole that
marooned the only fleet to start — IRC A
— at the southeast corner of Alcatraz as
it made its way down the first run, and
racing for all the fleets on this course was
abandoned. The North Course boats were
able to sail a final, shortened race that
cemented the winners in the Express
37, J/105, Beneteau 36.7, Cal 40 and
Melges 32 classes, though it produced
no changes in winners.
That meant no final day Bay tour and
boat parade in front of the club, much
to the chagrin of just about everyone we
talked to. Also absent, due to fog outside
the Gate on Friday, was a race to Pt.
Bonita for the bigger boats.
— HANGIN' TOUGH IN '09
Yet these aren't the kinds of things
that'll keep people from coming back,
and, if nothing else, the locals could
finally have the pleasure of telling the
out-of-towners a line they don't often get
to use — "It's never like this here. . . ."
IRC A
Although it featured four TP 52s
— probably the most together for a regatta
in California since the class began
almost a decade ago — IRC A went to
the only purpose-designed IRC boat,
Jim Mitchell's R/P 52 Vincitore. Mitchell
was back this year to improve on last
year's runner up spot with a new team
including Chris Dickson on the wheels,
and Norman Davant on tactics.
"We talked about last year’s regatta
all year long," said Mitchell, a native of
Chicago living in Switzerland. "We had a
motto this year, super-fine in 2009."
After coming out of the blocks strong
with a pair of bullets, Vincitore's lead
evaporated in races four and five on
Friday afternoon and Saturday morning
respectively. A pair of fourths in
those two races dropped them into a tie
with Tom Akin and Mark Jones' TP 52
Flash, which scored a 1-1 in the same
two races. Helmed by Jeff Thorpe with
Paul Cayard calling tactics for the first
two days and navigator Artie Means filling
in for Cayard — who had a previous
MedCup commitment — for the second
two, Flash wound up scoring a third to
October, 2009 • Latitude 38 • Page XXX