WINTER
SERIES RACING
Our
winter racing season got off to a great start with three boats and
teams competing in the first race of the series. We ran a 7 mile
course of G-A-B-C-F in 8 knots of SW breeze under clear skies. Cloud
Chaser led at the start and all around the course, followed by Dark
Star and Nazdrowie. Although skippers Walt Gonzales on Dark Star
and Tracie Labollita on Nazdrowie closed on the leader at different
points, skipper Doug Elner and crew of Pavel Ugoltsov, Dan Purrington,
Rich Bennett and Ed Johnston held off the challengers for the first
win of the new season. The second race also had great wind with
all 3 boats in tight competition over the entire race. A 9.2 mile
course of G-A-B-Gs-C-F was called for the 10 knot SE wind. Rich
Bennett driving Fugga Oui really nailed the start with Frank Andrews
right behind at the favored committee boat end of the line. Dark
Star started late, but pointing higher caught the leaders as the
3 boats stayed in a tight formation around the course. At the midpoint
of the race rounding G, the fleet was within a couple of minutes.
Finishing up the channel skipper Ron Lee and his team of Doug Ellner,
Tracie LaBollita and George Hirst maintained their lead crossing
first but had to see if short handed Frank Andrews and his crew
of Debbie Borner and Esther Berg would get the win on corrected
time. After 2 hours of great racing, Dark Star had the win by 11
seconds over Frank and the ladies with Rich just a few minutes back
on Fugga Oui.
Winter racing on Saturday afternoons in Southern California is some
of the best sailing anywhere. The wind is generally better, we can
run longer races than the summer TGIF races, the sunsets are beautiful,
and there's frequent sighting of our local migrating gray whales.
We'll also be opening our races to other sailors within the harbor,
scheduling our races for those Saturdays that don't conflict with
DPYC PHRF races. This will give Aventura members the experience
of racing in mixed fleets with multiple starts including a spinnaker
class. Check your newsletter and the web page for the scheduled
races. If you haven't yet participated in the Aventura racing program,
make a point to start this year. Remember no prior racing experience
is necessary, only the interest in sailing, improving skills, meeting
like minded sailors and having a good time.
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Every
October, there's the Aventura Cup!
Members put together teams to compete for the Cup in a one-day,
two-race regatta. In this unique event, the winning team in the
first race sails the second race in the boat that finished last
in the first race; second-place team sails second-last boat and
so on. Talk about a great test of sailing! Total scores for both
races decide the Cup championship, and the winning team gets individual
take-home trophies at the big post-regatta barbecue that night!
Aventura's
race program feeds sailors into other races around the harbor and
throughout the West. Members have chartered Aventura boats for the
Newport to Ensenada race, and members have gone on to sail on boats
in the Puerto Vallarta race and the Transpac race from Los Angeles
to Honolulu, among others. And many members have gone on to buy
their own boats and sail races throughout Dana Point and all of
the West Coast.
For more
information call the Office (949) 493-9493
or email us at info@aventurasailing.com.
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