Seaweed Soup and the America's Cup

March 6, 2011

They were last seen together last year on the same occasion: the Seaweed Soup bowl and the America's Cup. They were reunited yesterday for the post-race celebration at Golden Gate YC, as the club wrapped up their Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup regatta and handed out awards for the midwinter series.

The day began with virtually no wind and an hour and a half postponement. It was ebbing all day, even when it was supposed to be flooding. The race committee kept this final race short in order to allow time for the results to be tallied and the awards to be handed out. A nice, moderate westerly did perk up and got the boats around the course in a timely manner. The RC called it 8 knots, but at the windward mark close to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was closer to 15.

The closest contested division was PHRF 3, with the incumbent cup-holder (Seaweed Soup, not America's) Gordie Nash on his mod. Santana 27 Arcadia just one point ahead of Mike Mannix on his Catalina 38 Harp and Steve Wonner on his Wyliecat 30 Uno, who were tied in second place. Arcadia held onto the lead in that division, with Harp taking second and Uno third. The long downwind leg in the one-lap upwind-downwind race wasn't as fast for the Wyliecat 30 as it was for the spinnaker boats.

Arcadia (left) and Uno in December's race. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

But it was PHRF 2 that scored the big prize this year. Scott Easom's new-to-him Farr/Mumm 30 Eight Ball romped on her fleet sisters with five bullets in five races, which won her the big silver bowl. (Incidentally, Scott's uncle Hank won the same trophy in 2009 with his 8-Meter Yucca.)

Eight Ball in November's race. Notice that she's sailing her own race, not trying to cover her competitors. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The post-race celebration went upscale and upstairs this year, compared to last year's below-stairs event, when the world's oldest trophy sat on a table right in front of crews eating hot dogs. Yesterday The Cup sat atop a fancy podium, behind red velvet ropes, with a view of the Golden Gate, while sailors dined on prime rib.

Like last year, racers posed for their pictures with the Cup. This is the crew of the Express 34 Two Scoops. Photo by Anne Thomas ©2011 norcalsailing.com

Complete results are available at www.ggyc.org.