Amateur Race Week Begins in Long Beach

The appeal of no pros and no protests has drawn 123 entries in seven classes to the sixth annual Audi/North Sails Race Week starting at Long Beach today.

The first race is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., with two races Saturday and one Sunday.

Racing in most classes will be under the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) system popular among weekend sailors, but J-35s and Schock 35s will race in separate level classes without handicaps. The 22 Schocks also will compete for their Pacific Coast championship.

The event is not sponsored by a yacht club, but the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club will assist in race management, organizer Bruce Golison said.

Marine industry racers (MIRs), such as sail-makers, are barred from steering boats, unless they are principal owners.

Three years ago, Golison instituted an alternative protest system allowing boats guilty of fouls to fly an I code flag and accept a 20% penalty in the results rather than risk disqualification in a protest hearing. Two years ago, that was expanded to an arbitration system in which a competitor could take a 40% penalty after explaining his case to an impartial arbitrator.

“We’ve averaged about three (full) protests a regatta since,” Golison said. “Normally it would be 18 or 20. The sailors love it.”

Lew Beery’s R/P 41 It’s OK, rated 54, is two-time defending champion in Class A for grand prix boats. His strongest competition could come from Mike Elias, sailing the Frers 45 Camouflage, rated 36.

Other defending champions are Tom and Doug Jorgensen’s Diablo among the J-35s, John Cazier’s Buttercup in the Schock 35s, Ron Kluwe’s N/M 25 Easy Go in Class F and the Farr 30 Gizmo in Class F, under new owner David Law. The Washburn/Rickershauser Peterson 30 won Class D last year but will sail in Class E this time.

The Audi Quattro trophy will go to the top performing boat overall. As sidelights, three-boat teams from 14 clubs will compete for the Yacht Club Challenge trophy, and the Lydia Kent Trophy will go the the top family-sailed boat.