Women’s Sailing Team Finishes Race Despite Setbacks

Nine members of the Women’s Sailing Team pulled into the Hawaiian harbor of Ala Wai early Saturday, finishing their bid in the grueling Transpac Challenge in nine days, 19 hours, 24 minutes and three seconds, in fifth place in their class.

Skipper Linda Elias, sidelined by emergency surgery just days before the start of the race July 2, greeted the crew she and co-skipper Betty Sue Sherman had handpicked.

It wasn’t an easy race. The mainsail suffered an 18-inch tear on the first night, and the boat lost its electronic wind instruments during the final day. The team was forced to ration water when its water maker malfunctioned.

“That was a very grim day,” said Tustin resident and crew member Betsy Crowfoot. “We thought we were going to have to go back.”

Despite the setback, Sherman kept the boat sailing toward Hawaii.

Susan Colby, editor of the Log, a San Diego-based biweekly newspaper for the boating industry, said she spoke with crew members hours after they pulled into Hawaii.

“They were thrilled that they did so well,” she said. “They were right up there in the hunt. If they hadn’t lost their main, they probably would have come in second or third.”