Pandemonium Is First-Day Cal Cup Leader

Pandemonium, a Nelson-Marek-66 sloop under charter to Bob Moore of Balboa Yacht Club, took an early lead in California Yacht Club’s Cal Cup series Friday with a third place and a first place in the first two of five races.

Pandemonium won the second race going away with a 2-minute 31-second margin over Dick Pennington’s Peterson-66, Cheetah of Long Beach YC.

Winner of the first light-air race was Don Ayres’ Nelson-Marek-68, Drumbeat of Newport Harbor YC, leading the six-boat fleet from wire to wire. Drumbeat was sailing second behind Pandemonium in the second race until the last downwind leg, when the crew had spinnaker trouble and dropped to fifth.

The regatta is being billed as the “battle of the ULDB (ultra-light displacement boat) sleds,” all rating 70 feet under the International Offshore Rule.

John Landon’s Santa Cruz-70, Kathmandu, last year’s Cal Cup winner, wound up fourth in both races Friday.

Blondie, another SC-70 under charter to Pat Farrah of Long Beach YC, finished second and third and is second in the standings.