Congratulations to the members of the newly formed Southern California Santa Cruz 27 Fleet! This is really an exciting event for the SC27 class! I would especially like to thank Cole Price and Scott Truesdell for their efforts to organize the SoCal boats and get some one-design action going this season. This is the first fleet to organize outside of Santa Cruz in many years. Please join me in wishing the Southern California Fleet fair winds and great racing in the 1998 season and in the years to come.
Those of us from Northern California are very excited to see the SoCal One Design series become a reality and we hope that the Southern California Santa Cruz 27 Fleet becomes a permanent fixture on the SoCal racing scene! Keep up the momentum!
Cole Price's SoCal fleet meeting minutes are reproduced below and, as most of you already know, the SoCal fleet has made some proposals to change the class constitution. I have some experience at having my proposed amendments voted down, so I do have some advice to offer:
Those of us who race One Design in Santa Cruz need to take the SoCal fleet's proposals seriously. The Santa Cruz 27 fleet is at a crossroads: We can choose to increase class participation or remain a one-fleet class. In my view, we must find ways to make the boat attractive to owners outside of Santa Cruz if we are to continue the growth that we have experienced in the last year. The two major obstacles to one-design growth are the lack of one design fleets in other areas and a disparity between our class rules and PHRF. There are other specific problems, such as the 132 rating in San Francisco Bay, that also need to be addressed. If we want the fleet to grow then we must find solutions to the problems that owners outside our area have with the current class rules.
Some of the changes proposed by the SoCal owners just make common sense. For example, the rule that permits amendments to the Constitution to be passed by a 3/4 majority vote at a meeting of 20% of the membership was passed so that rules changes could be made at the meetings held during the Nationals--which was about the only time that most of the hard core SC27 people got together. We have 34 current members (up from 21 last year!) so that means that seven owners could meet and six of them could pass a constitutional amendment! This was clearly not the intent of the rule.
The proposal to change from the IOR Mk III rule to PHRF makes sense at first glance, but I'd like to understand the specifics. IOR Mk III is certainly dead as a handicapping system, but that is not what we use it for. The IOR rule spells out very specifically how sails and rigs are measured. As I understand it, PHRF allows sails with more roach and lifts restrictions on battens. I'd like to understand just how much more roach we are talking about. The full-batten main doesn't bother me. The Dinis had one a couple of years ago and it did not seem to make much difference.
PHRF also allows .5 oz. spinnakers. Our current rule sets the minimum weight at .75 oz. Many of us bought the Sobstad .6 oz. polyester spinnakers as part of last year's fleet buy because Sobstad told us that the cloth, once coated, met the .75 oz. bag weight. But I don't think any of us ever actually weighed the sails. I can tell you from my experience that these are not light air spinnakers. Ours works best in about 15 knots of wind. In drifting conditions, the .75 oz. nylon chute is much easier to fly.
One cost-cutting idea that was left out of the SoCal proposal was outlawing #2 jibs. This is a sail that experience shows is useful once every couple of years--yet a new one costs about $1500. I know there was general support for this idea but somehow it did not get enacted.
The SoCal fleet is also proposing to eliminate the sailcloth weight restrictions but add restrictions on the number of sails that may be purchased in a year. A similar proposal by Andy Carson and myself was voted down in 1995 at the Monterey Nationals, but perhaps a differently worded proposal might gain approval. Frankly I don't see anyone winning in this fleet because they are wealthy. The boats that are winning are the ones with regular, experienced crews, decent sails and consistently good tactics. Marley has exactly the same sails as Hanalei Express and has occasionally shown superior boatspeed. Yet we have only beaten Hanalei in two races in the last seven years! I can tell you that it's not the boat's fault! During the great 3DL scare of 1995 I was in favor of limiting annual sail purchases. Now I'm not so sure. I don't want to limit the incentive to sailmakers to develop sails for the boat and I don't think we have an arms race situation. I've seen guys spend big bucks on their boats in this fleet and get beaten anyway. SC27 one design racing is some of the most level racing there is. Remember Variety Show scoring a 1-2 on the last day at Huntington? It can be done and it doesn't take big bucks. It takes good sailing.
While we are on the subject of the rules: Mark Dini's proposal to make lifelines optional failed by a vote of 9-4.
This from Cole Price:
The first ever, SC27 Southern California Fleet Meeting was held at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) on 1/31/98. Notwithstanding the rain, it was well attended by the following people representing the boats delineated below:
Russ Boudreau - Silver Bullet Tom Fischer - Mr. Ed John Reiter - Mach 5 Jay Newsom - Plum Crazy Frank Ross - Yellow Jacket Willy & Nancy Carlson - Cruz Control Scott Truesdell - DeathMobile Cole Price - Southern Comfort
Following Introductions, everyone was reminded that they can join the National Association by sending their checks for $27 to Martha Miller along with certain specific information about themselves and their boats.
Everyone was told about our great SC27 Web Site. Not everyone had seen it, but those who had were very complimentary.
We then discussed a racing schedule for the SoCal Fleet and agreed upon the following 3 races:
6/19 - 6/21 Long Beach Race Week 6/26 - 6/28 Golison North Sails Race Week 7/18 - 7/19 LAYC One Design Invitational
Everyone is invited to participate in these races, including our friends in Santa Cruz. You get the first 2 races with one boat delivery because they are on succeeding weekends. The One Design Invitational will be sailed in the same waters and on the same courses as the Nationals . . . So, Come On Down!
We will not have a formal newsletter this first year. Rather, we will report on Fleet activities using E-Mail which will keep everyone informed of fleet activities, including our friends around the country. Results, etc. can be posted on the web site if anyone is so inclined.
We voted and unanimously incorporated an amendment to the SC27 Constitution that supersedes the section entitled "Sails and Spars" so that we PHRF legal SC27s can sail one-design in SoCal Fleet events. It also restricts sail replacements to 2 sails per year per boat. This precludes deep pocket sailors from showing up with light "throw-away" sails.
This change does not effect the 1998 Nationals which must be sailed with sail plans that meet the requirements of the current (unmodified) Constitution. For that reason, some of us So Cal sailors will need to borrow sails from our friends in Santa Cruz so that we are equipped properly for the Nationals. Please discuss that subject at your next Santa Cruz Fleet Meeting and determine who has what sails that can be loaned. We will need Mains, #1 genoas and spinnakers. Local sailmakers can recut the sails prior to racing if necessary.
We will send a copy of the change to the Constitution addressing sails & spars to Dave for the Fleet's consideration.
Since most (if not all) of the SC27s sailing outside of Santa Cruz race under PHRF, it will improve participation in SC27 National Association sanctioned events if PHRF is adopted as the baseline rather than IOR. If we institute the change now, it will give everyone almost 2 years to transition their sail inventories over for the 1999 SC27 Nationals that will be held in Santa Cruz (only mainsails, #1 genoas and in rare cases, spinnakers are affected). With these changes, maybe we can attract boats from all over the country, particularly So Cal, Oregon, and Puget Sound to Santa Cruz in '99.
Frank Ross (who is a PHRF area C measurer) took an action to look into getting PHRF to designate an "SC27OD" (one design) on PHRF certificates which would rate 141 (rather than 138). The "SC27OD" boats would meet current class Constitution/IOR rules and benefit with a 3 second/mile bonus. This would only be applicable to Southern California Area C (Long Beach/Cabrillo) and would not help other SC27s out of the Long Beach area.
We also discussed another topic that needs to be addressed now that we are becoming a truly NATIONAL fleet. That is the subject of VOTING. It was suggested that Changes affecting the National Fleet be discussed via mail, or E-mail, and be voted on by mail with everyone having a chance to be heard and vote. This subject needs to be discussed, refined and the Constitution amended to delete the following portion of the sentence under "Voting": "or by 3/4 majority vote at a meeting of at least 20% of the total membership." That statement technically empowers either the So Cal Fleet or Santa Cruz Fleet to amend the constitution without involving other fleet members since we can each gather enough members. Obviously, that isn't anybody's intent. By deleting the aforementioned wording, everyone will have an opportunity to vote by mail, and measures with majority support will pass. I would also encourage discussion of ballot measures by E-mail and/or mail so that all facts come out in debate and members can make an informed decision.
We all look forward to sailing together this year with the So Cal SC27 sailors and our friends up in Santa Cruz and around the country.
We had informal discussions about our boats and despite the rain everyone had a good time.
Dave,
I've spoken to the owner of "Silver Bullet" which is a very well sailed SC27 down here in Alamitos Bay. He is enthusiastic about racing one design here next year, especially doing the Nationals. He will do Long Beach Race Week, the North/Gollison Race and NOOD, plus the Nationals. The first three races will be held prior to the Nationals and will be a good tune-up for them. I will also speak to the owners of "ZIPPER" and "Yellow Jacket" who also have their boats down in Alamitos Bay, plus I will attempt to call some of the other Long Beach area SC27 skippers listed on Scott's previous E-Mail after the location for the '98 Nationals is locked in. I'm pretty sure that we can get 5 to 10 SC27s on the water for each of the aforementioned Southern Cal Races. Hopefully class racing will stick and we can re-establish the SC27 class down here. I'm sure that if we are successful in that endeavor, some of the leaders of the pack will show up in Santa Cruz in '99 for a course in flying . . . Santa Cruz style.
Cole
Partners Rob Schuyler and Roger Sturgeon completed their fifteen year quest for a Nationals title by sailing Hanalei Express to a 2.75 point victory over Jeff Smith's Kokopelli (ex-Excalibur) in the eight-race, no throwout series at Huntington Lake, California. With Rob at the helm and Roger's tactical genius, Hanalei has been a perpetual contender in the Santa Cruz fleet, winning numerous one design series over the last several years. Congratulations, guys, on finally winning the Big One!
Hanalei pulled ahead early, taking bullets in all three races on the first day. Kokopelli, with tactician Pat Bradley's 35 years of local knowledge of the flukey Huntington Lake winds, was the only boat that ever threatened them, coming within 3/4 of a point with one race to go. A broken halyard dashed Koko's chances in the last race, giving Hanalei her first Nationals win.
Of special note was the performance of Variety Show, driven by Barry Whittall. They got their act together and scored 1-2 on the last day. Barry showed us that it is possible to break out of B fleet! Last time I saw him, Barry was still three feet off the ground...
A marvelous time was had by all. Jeff Smith threw a wonderful barbecue at his cabin--reportedly a former bordello during the early 1900s. Owners, crew and their families devoured 24 tri-tips which Jeff had cooked to perfection. Canadians Warren Campbell, Brian Campbell and Richard Hargreaves came all the way from Vancouver for the event, and there were some raucous goings-on at the unofficial "Canadian embassy."
Many thanks to Jeff Smith and the Fresno Yacht Club. You put on a great regatta which we will all remember for a long time!
Click here for complete results and click here for some great photos!
Jersey Girl hit every shift and left the rest of the fleet behind by at least a quarter mile. Greg's tearful acceptance of the perpetual trophy, won for the first time last year by Duet, was a poignant moment for all of us who knew Dave.
Click here for some remembrances of Dave and information about the Dave Diola Trust.
De Schuyler retired as Secretary/Treasurer after twelve years of running the Santa Cruz 27 fleet. De says she just needs a break, but rumor has it that her fleet duties reminded her too much of work--De's a kindergarten teacher.
New officers for 1997-1998 are Dave Emberson, President (yeah, that's me...), Bob DeWitt, Vice President, and Martha Miller, Secretary/Treasurer. The new board has been tasked with locating a Southern California venue for next year's Nationals.
At my "inauguration" (frequently interrupted by champagne-soaked crew members from Hanalei Express), I dedicated myself to getting as many boats off of trailers as possible. Outgoing president Barry Hopkins, who did an excellent job during his tenure, heaved a sigh of relief as we lost control of the crowd. Robert's Rules of Order does not mention anything about conducting meetings of drunken sailors!
For the full story of the Singlehanded TransPac click here.
Santa Cruz 27s scored stunning victories in this year's Swiftsure and Crew of 2 races (Congratulations again to Red Dwarf and Death(Love?)mobile!). One design racing will reappear in Southern California next year and owners are seriously talking about organizing one design fleets in Hawaii and Portland. We have two new owners in Seattle, so with a bit of effort one design racing will return there, also!
The reason for this resurgent interest is simple: The Santa Cruz 27 represents the best "bang for the buck" deal in a sailboat money can buy. What other personal rocketship is in the American Sailboat Hall of Fame, is strong enough to sail the Transpac, sleeps four, is safe enough to take little kids daysailing and can be had for as little as $10K?
Could the Santa Cruz 27 be on its way to becoming an International Class?
A late challenge by MPYC has resulted in the Veeder Cup being cancelled for this year. It seems that MPYC did not issue their challenge with enough time (30 days as specified in the Deed of Gift) before the scheduled race day. SCYC ruled the challenge invalid and requested that the race day be rescheduled. Apparently MPYC refused to reschedule the race, so the whole thing has been called off.
Jeez, guys, this is getting as bad as the America's Cup! This writer sincerely hopes that cooler heads will prevail and the race will be rescheduled. Sigh...
Skip Ely, who owns Santa Cruz Yachts (formerly Bill Lee Yachts) along with his father and brother, writes to say that his family has just purchased Gordy Cowan's boat, Gonnagitcha, hull #101. The Elys plan to keep the boat down in San Diego, but will bring it to Santa Cruz occasionally. The Elys have changed the boat's name to Wiz. Welcome to the fleet, Skip! We'll see you on the water!
Skip Ely also reports that he has found Bill Lee's original spec sheet and line drawings for the Santa Cruz 27 in a box at Santa Cruz Yachts marked "scratch paper!"
It figures we are the last to know...
Scott Truesdell reports that last January the Santa Cruz 27 was named to the American Sailboat Hall of Fame at the Museum of Yachting in Newport, Rhode Island. The Santa Cruz 27 joins such landmark designs as the Sunfish, Laser, Valiant 40, Hobie 16 and the Triton in the pantheon of American boats.
Guess we aren't the only ones who recognize what a great boat the SC27 is!
Click here for the full story!
Brian's first-person account follows:
"No wind with sunny skies made for a two hour delayed start for this year's Swiftsure International Yacht Race. Over 200 race participants were gleaming once they crossed the finish line. Winds eventually picked up and remained constant with next to no rain throughout the race weekend.
Racers thanked everyone around them for an incredible sailing experience. Competitors began crossing the finish line at 1:16am Sunday morning (Red Dwarf), setting a new course record for Swiftsure.
We had a good start on starboard about 1/3 from the leeward end and rolled over a 30 footer while he just seemed to stand there with this stunned look on his face. Most of the fleet went over right away to go into the beach and cut through Race Rocks on the Canadian side. We soon went over to cover but port was really headed and light so we bailed and decided to go outside and head to the American side in the building westerly. A few complaints from the crew about our height compared to other boats around us, were soon forgotten as we started to pull away. Make the boat go fast. We were flying a #2 genoa and spent many hours on starboard in 18-22 knots apparent in a persistent lift with some pretty good seas (for that little boat anyway). The cabin top was washed over a few times but the drivers were forgiven after. Once we reached the American side it was short tacking up the beach, lots of breeze and pick your spot in the waves. Great fun. No kites coming out of the weather mark, that's a good sign. You've never seen a crew so happy to see the turning mark and we're first around with nobody in sight!(it was lonely).The chute goes up and we are screaming, ya hoo! Forty minutes out of the mark and we start picking up the fleet. They've still got at least a couple of hours to go to weather. We're smiling. Man that boat goes downhill like a train, what a ride. Go rhumb-line with constant vigil on the GPS to check our track, no problem. Going downwind at night has a certain magic, it felt sometimes like the boat was barely touching the water. Haven't seen any boats since sunset (where are those damn multihulls?) still lonely, still screaming. Eight miles out around midnight making our turn around Race Rocks, seas are building and BOOM! "blow the vang and sheets boys we're over!" Knockdown, damn. "Please stay in the boat guys." Kite's flapping and we're scrambling. Finally get the chute in the boat, it's 30 knots and too tight a reach. Sheet in the main and we're doing 9+ knots over the ground. Forget the jib. The last 7 miles was the hardest drive of the day with breaking rollers just above the quarter. Close to the finish things softened up and the jib went up so we'd look pretty. "Yep you guys are the first boat in" Wet and wobbly, we're still lonely, still smiling."
"Love that 'Cruz 27"
Brian Campbell, Red Dwarf
Click here for details on this year's Swiftsure International Yacht Race.
Thanks to Gary Evans' excellent advocacy, the Monterey Bay PHRF committee has raised the SC27 rating to 141, a gain of 6 seconds/mile.
This will go a long way toward making us competitive with the Moore 24s, who have long enjoyed a virtually untouchable rating.
Give Gary a big "Thanks!" when you see him, and get out there and whup those Moores!!
Editor's Note: So Gary, now that we can be competitive in PHRF why do you want to buy an Antrim? :-)
I just found out Forespar is offering a bow pole kit that appears to be quite similar to the one that I designed for Sumo. It is called the SS-27 and sells for $484. Forespar's number is 714-858-8820. It is actually manufactured by Hess engineering and I think that is the same guy that modified his SC-27 a few years ago to incorporate an internal bow pole. There is also an advanced version that articulates, but I don't have any more information on it.