Transpacific Race : Yachts Pick Up Strong Winds; Blondie Leads After 203 Miles

Despite a slow and ragged start Thursday, the 55 yachts in the 2,225-mile Transpacific race to Honolulu picked up strong northeast winds south of Catalina Island Friday and were sailing at near hull speeds.

Leading the fleet with 203 miles logged in 19 hours of sailing at the Friday 8 a.m. roll call was Bob McNulty’s Santa Cruz-70, Blondie, out of Los Angeles Yacht Club.

One mile behind was Roy Disney’s Nelson-Marek 70, Pyewacket. Other Class A yachts among the leaders were Dick Pennington’s Peterson-66, Cheetah; John Wintersteen’s Santa Cruz-70, Hotel California, and Bill Packer’s NM-66, Pandemonium, all of whom were reporting distances nearly 200 miles from the start. All of the leaders were on a southerly course.

Most of the fleet reported winds of 18 to 22 knots from the north-northeast, which allowed them to break out the bigger spinnakers. The sky was overcast, and seas were 3 to 4 feet.

The 48-foot Boo, skippered by John Paquin, retired at midnight Thursday with steering problems and was returning to San Diego.

On the handicap scale, the top 10 were Pyewacket, Blondie, Cheetah, Blade Runner, Hotel California, Pandemonium, Tigris, Tomahawk, Black Sheep and Citius.