race report
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 Bear Wabbit, Madison, Blew By You and Cheap Trick start the 26-mile Konocti Cup. ©2014 Konocti Bay Sailing Club |
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Windy Konocti Cup
May 1, 2014 Brad King from Konocti Bay Sailing Club on Clear Lake filed this report: The 30th Annual Konocti Cup is history and a remarkable Cup it was. We had 31 entries including ten visiting sailors. Our committee boat, with Alan Clapham, Rick Smith, Monica Collins and Suzie Britz, braved the moderate to strong winds and chill air to get us rolling on time. The Coast Guard Auxiliary placed many of the marks, saving the pokey committee boat from a long slog about the lake.
In the pre-race preparations, many of the Full Cup sailors struggled with sail selection and many chose a smaller jib. At the gun, Pat Brown’s J/24 Cheap Trick and Kwazy, Colin Moore's Wylie Wabbit, both got clean starts and lengthened their lead unchallenged for the remainder of the day. U Decide and Madison, the two Ultimate 20s, got away nicely as well but Bear Wabbit retired after equipment failure. The initial beat provided lighter wind than anticipated by many. The boats sailing the genoas had the advantage.
At Windflower Point, Capri 25 Blue By You was now third with another Capri, Lakota, right with her, and the U-20s in the mix. Neck and neck to #2, BBY had trouble with a windward douse and Lakota slipped ahead. The two battled the next 20 miles with no room for error. Not far behind, the freshening breeze knocked the Capri 25 Tranquility Base off her line and the newest Capri, Seahawk, slipped into fifth.
The Ultimates finally got clear on the run and reach to #3. This might have been the final order if Lakota hadn’t pushed their luck on the final beat. Blue By You switched to their #2 on the last run downwind, and coming back into the breeze, Lakota was overpowered and passed by the sleek and trim BBY. This was the final chronological shift in the order of finish.
The maxim concerning a Catalina 22 in a race is, “If you can see him at the finish, you’ve lost,” needs an addendum addressing a Cat 22 without a spinnaker. Don Hare’s No Cat Hare rated 282 and finished ahead of Lakota (and five others) with 10 seconds to spare in elapsed time.
In the Multihull division, the F-24 trimaran Mary Kathryn raced down to just catch the starting gun and join the other Corsair. The intrepid Gary King decided singlehanding a Hobie 17 for 26 miles in strong winds was not as fun as crewing on an keelboat. I last saw the Multis heading up to #2 with only a few Half Cup boats ahead, but Mary Kathryn finished in good time and unopposed when the Corsair 28 Habit withdrew mid-race. The Open Fleet / Half Cup duel continues between the Ranger 23 Lil’ Bit and the Capri 26 Santé. They raced three hours and ended up 40 seconds apart! The Cal 2-25 Showtime is showing a return to her old form with her newly cleaned bottom but, like most of the fleet, it was not a day to sail shorthanded. The Capri 22 Gus T was a good example of proper crew for the conditions, and I'm sure John Coovert is plenty happy with fourth and less than a minute from third! There were some other close placings, with about a minute between eighth and tenth place with the Ranger 23 Slainté barely winning over the Balboa 26 Lusty and Ranger 23 Willimwa. The four Rangers did really well in these conditions, and while Dan and Mei Dye on Pura Vida closed out the Half Cup, they had the biggest smiles on the dock afterward for this, their first Cup. The CG Auxiliary put on a nice little barbecue for the sailors and friends. Some of us moved into the Jolley Clubhouse to thaw out. This was the best – okay the strongest – wind we’ve sailed in in quite a while. It was great experience for our spring and early summer winds, especially the beer cans – good for improving those strong wind skills. – Brad King, Vice Commodore, Konocti Bay Sailing Club You'll find results, video, and more at www.kbsail.com.
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