A few more boats pulled into Transpac Pier at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach on Saturday. Some of them, including the Andrews 80, Alchemy and the TP52, Flash, used the windy Coastal Cup race from San Francisco to Catalina Island as a shake down cruise for the Transpac Race. Some boats ducked into Santa Cruz rather than brave the 30-knot winds, the rough ride and more carnage.
Tom Atkin's, Flash, and his crew weathered the bumpy ride south with some minor damage. Veteran Transpac navigator, Jay Crum, was among the Flash team. Crum set the double-handed Transpac record with Howard Gordon on Etranger and he played a major part in Bill Turpin's Alta Vita claiming the King Kalakaua Trophy for being first overall in the 2003 Transpac. Crum has sailed more than a dozen Transpacs. His son, Joe, will be sailing his second Transpac on the same boat as his father.
As they aired out sleeping bags and Med-tied Flash in front of Gladstone's and Club Transpac in Long Beach, Jay joked, "Last time it worked out well. He taught me a lot." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and Joe, a full-time college student, is also an accomplished skiff sailor.
This father-son duo will be on opposite watches during the Transpac. Quipped Jay, "I sleep well knowing that Joe is on deck." Joe's summer vacation is aboard Flash. He has been helping to prepare the TP 52 for the Transpac and will be working the bow and the mast with Paul Allen.
Another father and his offspring are lined up for Flash. Paul Cayard and Danny and Allie, his son and daughter, are part of the 10-person crew. This will be America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race skipper's second Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpac. His first was aboard Sayonara in 1995. The Cayard threesome sailed together in last year's Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Hawaii.
Said Paul of Danny and Allie's Pacific Cup participation, "It was their first offshore experience. They loved it and it was neat for me to see how they changed over the nine days at sea." He continued, "Offshore Sailing has given me a lot, sense of self reliance, the belief that I will always find a way to survive and rebound from a bad moment. These are great character attributes for life and I wanted my kids to be exposed to that at a young age. Also, it is an adventure that we will share forever."
Generations of Transpac sailors will be sharing in Transpac '09 events that kick off on Friday, June 26th with the 4:00 pm Opening Ceremony at Club Transpac.
Follow the lead up to Transpac '09 at www.TranspacRace.com, the official website for the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race. Become a fan on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment