Outdated Merlin Sails Dead Last as Taxi Dancer Leads
The first Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club/UK Sails Summer Sled Regatta at San Pedro is just a sentimental journey for Merlin, the boat that revolutionized offshore sailing on the West Coast a decade ago.
The first of the Santa Cruz 70s, with owner Dixon Hall and helmsman Donn Campion aboard, finished last in both races for the big ultralights around L.A. Harbor Saturday, 11 years after she set the Transpac record--8 days 11 hours 1 minute 45 seconds--that still stands.
Bill Lee built Merlin strictly for off-wind races to Hawaii and Mexico, not for sailing upwind, as is required of the new sleds.
Grand Illusion, with Billy Peterson steering, and Chance, with Dennis Durgan at the helm, won Saturday’s races.
Mitch Rouse, steering Taxi Dancer, collected two seconds and leads going into today’s final race.
Grand Illusion and Chance share second place.
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