The final races of Long Beach Race Week saw crews reacting to wind conditions that lightened as the day progressed. Courses were marked by wave states that ranged from steep chop and wide swell at the start to flat glassy water later in the afternoon. Several class championships remained undecided until the final race. “We started the day with about 11 to 12 knots out of the south,” said Race Committee Officer Randy Beers. “It held until the middle of the day before it died off to about 6 knots and went hard left.”
Among those defining stories was J/70 class victor Cake. Scott Deardorff and his crew fought off 13 challengers in the highly competitive fleet. The boat held second place for two days before shifting into an overall first with a bullet in the final and deciding race, a 73-minute drifter that spread the fleet and tested mental fortitude. “We communicated constantly,” said Deardorff. “You know it was ‘Eyes out, call chop, keep it moving, smooth maneuvers, don’t rush it.’”
“Yeah, we really never shut up,” joked trimmer Tristan Richmond.
“And it was good that we didn’t,” added bow Emma Deardorff. “We needed to win that final race outright in order to win our class in the regatta.”
Hosted jointly by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Long Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach Race Week sees participation from a wide mix of one design and PHRF competitors, from veteran campaigners to first-time entrants eager to test themselves against the region’s top sailors. It is the largest yacht race on the West Coast. For more event details, visit www.lbrw.org.