New Pyewacket Is Winner

From a straightforward streak to Baja California last year to a weird reversal of wind this year, Roy E. Disney-owned boats named Pyewacket continue to do the voodoo that they do so well.

Named after the witch’s cat in the movie “Bell, Book and Candle,” the boats have been the class of West Coast sailing in recent years. The old Pyewacket, a turbo sled 70, swept the seas clear of records in a campaign climaxed by the 1997 Transpac to Hawaii and last year’s Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race.

The new Pyewacket, a maxi sled 73, looked to be even faster Saturday in winning the 52nd Newport-to-Ensenada race, although fast isn’t a term that will be applied to this year’s event. The race was upwind all the way, with not especially strong winds at that. “We never put a spinnaker up,” said Robbie Haines, Pyewacket’s sailing master.

Spinnakers--the colorful, parachute-like sails--are used only downwind, which this race usually is. Unlike 1998, when the old Pyewacket rode a consistently strong following breeze to a record for monohulls of 11 hours 54 minutes, the new Pyewacket was forced to sail 168 nautical miles rather than the straight-line 125.

Heavy seas discouraged many of the 479 entries at the start, and light winds caused nearly 100 others to give up part way and motor on to Baja or turn around for home.