special report
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 Two Wyliecat 30s and a Hawkfarm sail past the Vallejo ferry terminal in the Vallejo 1-2. ©2012 norcalsailing.com |
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SSS Puts the Flourish on the Season October 22, 2012 The final gathering for the year of the Singlehanded Sailing Society was held on Wednesday evening at Oakland YC. The trophies for the Vallejo 1-2 were handed out. Commodore Max Crittenden explained that Saturday's singlehanded race counts toward the singlehanded series, and Sunday's doublehanded race toward the doublehanded season. The two races are scored as a regatta. Darren Doud's Corsair 31R trimaran Roshambo won the multihull division. He credited his crew, Chris 'Lew' Lewis for calling all the wind shifts. "I never even saw them coming." First overall were Gordie Nash and Ruth Suzuki on Arcadia. Again, they owe their triumph to hitting all the wind shifts right. Take home prizes were etched glasses, which the crowd seemed to favor over plaques. Both skippers and crew were named, and both received glasses, a clear response to the complaints of Simon Winer and Bart Hackworth of the Moore 24 Gruntled, who were so disgruntled after the Three Bridge Fiasco trophy meeting that they cut their single trophy in half!
Next the season championship trophies were awarded. Roshambo won the Doublehanded division. Lewis addressed the crowd: "I won on Bad Puddy Cat twice." Matt Siddens' C&C 37 Pad Puddy Cat won in 2006 and 2007, "But Gordie spoiled our three-peat." And life interfered. "I spent a couple of years licking my wounds, then met Darren, sailed on his tri, and got addicted to speed. We spend 4-5 hours before each race plotting wind and current and planning. I have no prior experience on multihulls. I talked the whole time and Darren just basically singlehanded."
Dave Morris won the Singlehanded trophy with his Wylie 31 Moonshadow. "The SSS fits my bill," he said. "It raised me up from a fledgling sailor. To be able to race on the course is thrilling. Everything you guys do, I watch. I enjoyed the camaraderie with everyone I've met. The Singlehanded TransPac was the trip of a lifetime for me." He's pondering moving to a trimaran to encourage his wife to sail with him, so Moonshadow may come up for sale sometime in the near future.
Commodore Max announced the 2013 schedule: A trophy exists in the shape of an hourglass, to be awarded to the most valuable race committee volunteer each year, but no one can located the trophy. "Do you have it?" asked Max. If so, contact the SSS. Jim Quanci will be the new Commodore for 2013-2014. "He doesn't have much choice since he won the Singlehanded TransPac," said Max. Tony Bourque will replace outgoing Treasurer Ruben Gabriel. Controversy is brewing over the new Northern California Offshore Racing Council Minimum Equipment Requirements, which in the draft stage. The idea is for all Bay Area clubs and associations to use the same requirements for ocean racing. Among the items sure to stir up contention is the final item: The person in charge and at 30% of the crew (including the person in charge) shall attend a US Sailing sanctioned Safety at Sea Seminar within the last five years. That sounds like a good idea, but the seminars take away a weekend of sailing, cost a bunch of money, and are of questionable value. Lifelines for little boats and man overboard poles for singlehanders continue to be topics of debate, and serve as examples that one size does not necessarily fit all. You can read the draft here: http://norcalorc.org/safety-draft. Once you've read it, you can comment on it on a Pressure Drop forum set up by OYRA President Andy Newell for that purpose. The evening wrapped up with presentations from several Singlehanded TransPac racers, including the story and a video of the Bela Bartok rescue by Ronnie Simpson and Ruben Gabriel, and it was announced that George Lythcott of the Express 27 Taz!! will be the Race Chair for the 2014 SHTP. For more info on the SSS and complete results from the 2012 season, see www.sfbaysss.org.
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