Celebrity Media Regatta
The many organizers, donors, volunteers and sailors putting on the first Celebrity Media Regatta couldn’t have hoped for a better day. The confluence of multiple boat fleets (big racing sailboats, little Access dinghies, Bic O’Pens, kayaks, powerboats and ferries merging on McCovey Cove somehow complemented the excitement of a Bay Bridge Series, as the Giants hosted (and beat) the A’s.
Colorful kayaks and kids on Bic O’Pens headed out of South Beach Harbor for neighboring McCovey Cove. © 2009 norcalsailing.com
The Access dinghies of the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS) stayed in the Cove, while the big boats of the Celebrity Media Regatta raced out to a mark near the Bay Bridge. © 2009 norcalsailing.com
South Beach YC provided their usual efficient race committee work, starting and finishing the two races at the entrance to McCovey Cove.
The J/120s set their spinnakers as soon as they cleared the start line. © 2009 norcalsailing.com
Unexpected warmth found some folks overdressed and under-sunscreened. A southwesterly breeze filled in just in time for the start of the first race. Sailing euphoria set in not long after.
Hey, waaait just a minute. Didn’t you guys have your spinnakers up going the other way? You’re having waaayyyy too much fun. © 2009 Erik Simonson/www.marinemediaalliance.com
Normally competitive racers took themselves none too seriously. For instance, Aaron Kennedy’s Beneteau First 36.7 Ay Caliente protested themselves for failing to round any marks. © 2009 Erik Simonson/www.marinemediaalliance.com
Putting the ‘Celebrity Media’ in the Celebrity Media Regatta were local broadcasters and sports figures, many of whom had never taken the helm of a sailboat before. Joe Vazquez, a news anchor/reporter from KPIX CBS-5 steered the big wheel aboard Barry Lewis’s J/120 Chance for most of the day. “I’m hooked,” he said.
Chris Chamberlin and the crew of Jolly Mon. We’d give three guesses as to which one is Dan Rusanowsky, radio play-by-play announcer for the San Jose Sharks, but you don’t need that many. © 2009 norcalsailing.com
By mid-afternoon, all the boats were put away and the sailors, celebrities, and volunteers congregated onboard Rendezvous Charters’ 90-ft Bay Lady for pizza (a spontaneous donation by Waypoint Pizza of Tiburon) and cold drinks. The mood was festive.
Sailboats provided by their owners and crewed by their regulars included: J/120s Desdemona, John Wimer; Mr. Magoo, Steve Madeira; Jolly Mon, Chris Chamberlin; and Chance, Barry Lewis; Beneteau First 36.7 Ay Caliente, Aaron Kennedy; J/105s J/World, Barry Demak; and Frisky, Steve Crawford and Steve Harris; Jeanneau 45 Acabar, JY Lendormy; Catalina 34s Ima Loa, Gregory Sherwood; and Crow’s Nest, Ray Irvine; and Hunter 35 Westwind, Michael Fitzgerald.
Guest celebrities included: Dan and Karen Rusanowski and Randy Hahn, San Jose Sharks; Roberta Gonzales, Joe Vazquez, Jim Bernard and Zack Heene from CBS-5; Sal Castenada from KTVU-2; Helge Hellberg, AM 960; Scott Riess and Kate Longworth from Comcast Sports Net; Roland West, former Live 105 radio host and market promotion manager at Island Def Jam; Kimball Livingston, Sail magazine; and Cristina Dennison representing the new FC Gold Pride professional women’s soccer team of Santa Clara.
Kudos to instigator Erik Simonson and all the volunteers, donors and participants for making it such a fabulous day! We know you’re not rested up yet, but we hope the Celebrity Media Regatta will return next year.
June 15, 2009
In the first leg of the second race, Jolly Mon stays close to the seawall, while fellow J/120s Desdemona and Chance head out towards the middle. © 2009 norcalsailing.com