BOATING : Twichell 12’s Design Jibes With His Sailing Needs

It’s hard to keep up with globe-trotting sailor Chad Twichell. Whether he’s zipping to the office in his red Corvette, jetting off to the North Pole or racing around Newport Harbor in the new sailboat he designed, Twichell maintains quite a pace--especially for a man 82 years old.

As to the Corvette, Twichell says: “The pickup is good, but at my age, the girls are safe.” And about his travels: “I go to unusual places.”

But it is the sailboat that occupies Twichell most these days. “I’m getting old,” he says matter-of-factly, “and I wanted to develop a boat you don’t have to be an acrobat to sail.”

The result is the Twichell 12 (or T-12), a comfortable yet competitive dinghy--a sort of Sabot substitute for seniors.

“I’ve been a small boat sailor all my life,” says Twichell, whose office shelves are filled with hundreds of racing trophies. “I’ve sailed Lidos and Thistles. And lately a bunch of us older folks have been racing Sabots. But Sabots are the most uncomfortable boats in the world.

“They’re so unstable--you step into a Sabot and you fall. One person I knew had to be lifted in and out of the boat. So I thought there ought to be a small boat, one that wouldn’t have to have a crew and that would be comfortable.”

The T-12 is a fast little boat with two unusual features--both of which require less movement on the part of the sailor. The first is that the skipper does not sit facing athwartships, but on a forward-facing bench seat. The second is the steering arrangement.

The tiller, instead of being aft, has been placed forward so that the occupant faces it. That means the sailor can sit comfortably, tiller between the legs, and make smooth forward-facing turns instead of scrambling from side to side with each tack. “It’s a revolutionary idea to have the tiller forward,” he says. “You don’t have to be an athlete to sail.”

In addition, the T-12 has a self-tacking jib, which makes tacks and jibes even easier. Although the boat can hold two people, it is designed to be raced solo.

“The boat is completely different from anything on the market,” says Twichell, who drew up the original designs 18 years ago, then dropped the project. “I got serious about it about three or four years ago,” he says, “and now we have just started production.”

The boats are manufactured by Schock Boats in Corona and sell for just under $3,000. So far, about a dozen have been sold. One of the first customers, Twichell says, was a 70-year-old woman who had been racing a Sabot. “Most people interested in it are older people,” he says. “But even kids like it.”

In designing the boat, Twichell, a silver-haired, semi-retired contractor and builder, drew up what he would like to see in a boat that size. Then he consulted with several professional yacht designers, including one America’s Cup designer.

A prototype of the boat was reviewed by Sailing World magazine, which called it “incredibly responsive.” The T-12 is faster than a Sabot, says Twichell, who hopes to see enough T-12s out on the water that the boats can race each other in a class of their own. Twichell is sailing his boat, named Little Twitch, in Newport Harbor’s summer racing series every Thursday and Friday. In his most recent race, Twichell took a first.

Twichell keeps his boat on the dock outside his home on Lido Isle, and launches it himself, using a hoist he designed. As he rigs the boat and hanks on the sails, he appears as agile and sure-footed as many men half his age. Yet, Twichell admits, a quadruple bypass operation has slowed him some.

To keep in shape, he rides a stationary bike that sits in his office next to his collection of 8,000 slides taken on exotic trips to such places as Tibet, Yemen (where he was shot at), the Amazon and the Antarctic.

The slides, many of which depict nautical subjects, are among Twichell’s most treasured possessions. An accomplished and award-winning amateur photographer, Twichell has presented travelogues at community colleges, both locally and on the East Coast, at yacht clubs, convalescent homes and community groups. “I still get requests,” he says, “but I’ve had to slow down.”

Lately, Twichell has been content to stay at home, sailing his T-12. As he steps into the boat and tacks smartly away from the dock, he looks back over his shoulder and says, “See how easy it is?” One person said the other day, ‘I’m going to fall asleep, it tacks so easy.’ ”

Women Sailors: The Dana Belle Series for women sailors will be Saturday and Sunday just outside Dana Point Harbor. The regatta, hosted by the Dana Point Yacht Club, is open to women skippers and crew sailing boats 20 feet and larger. There will be two races each day. Activities begin with a skipper’s meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the yacht club, 24707 Dana Drive. Racing begins at 11 a.m. For details, call the club at (714) 831-6280. Prospective members are invited to sail with the Women’s Ocean Racing Sailing Assn. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 27 when the group holds its annual “On-the-Water Seminar” at the Balboa Yacht Club, 1801 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar. Several 24- to 34-foot boats will be available to WORSA members and their friends. WORSA racing skippers will be aboard to provide hands-on coaching on racing tactics and sail trim. Call Shannon Aikman, president, at (714) 721-0172.

Boat Show: The Southern California Marine Assn. will present its annual “American Boating Jubilee” boat show July 26 through Aug. 4 at Shoreline Village Marina in Long Beach. Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For information, call the Southern California Marine Assn., 1006 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, or call (714) 633-7581.

Sailing Rides: You don’t have to have a boat to go sailing if you sign up for one of the new programs offered by the Dana Point Harbor Youth and Group Facility. To participate in “Sailing Rides,” call the facility and make an appointment to join an instructor for an afternoon sail. Cost is $22 for a 14-foot boat and $35 for a 17-foot boat. Dates and times are by appointment only. Call (714) 661-7122.