Press Release No. 5

First Entries Open the Door to Paradise

First Entries Open the Door to Paradise

The initial entries responded quickly to the recent publication of the official Notice and Conditions of Race for next summer's 41st Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii. Although a discounted entry fee is in force until March 2 and entries don't close until May 20, five boats are already officially in the fold.

The early birds reflect not only the enthusiasm but also the variety of focus for the restructured event. Three are entered in the Aloha (formerly known as "cruising") class for heavier displacement boats; one will be sailed double-handed, and the other is a Santa Cruz 52, a model with a long history of Transpac participation. The latter is Triumph, owned by Dr. Edward B. Diethrich of Phoenix, Ariz., who last competed in the race on a C&C 61 of the same name in 1979.

Howard Gordon of San Luis Obispo will sail E'tranger, a Jutson 50, in the Open 50 class with only one other crew member. The three Aloha boats are William Johns' Joyride, a Beneteau 42 s.7, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Jim Fabrick's Gecko, a Tartan 41, Laguna Beach, Calif., and Howard Raphael's Tango, a Beneteau 40 CC Oceanis from Palo Alto, Calif. that raced in 1999.

Classes are scheduled to start from June 25 through July 4, leaving the Palos Verdes peninsula at Point Fermin for the finish line off Diamond Head 2,225 nautical miles away.

The Barn Door trophy awarded to the monohull with the fastest elapsed time is the foundation of Transpac's tradition, and Roy Disney's record holder Pyewacket appears destined to face some especially formidable challengers this year. But the heavy hitters typically are among the last to fulfill the formality of filing official entries, preferring to lie low until the final minute.

Ultimately, the final overall entry list will break down not only into divisions arranged by size but new no-handicap, first-to-finish contests within the overall competition: the Transpac 40s and 50s, Open 50s and the Clothier Trophy for the first boat under 49 feet with a fully furnished interior. Also, Santa Cruz 50s and 52s will race as a class on a handicap format.

Transpac Rating Limit in Place

The Transpacific Yacht Club directors have determined that the Transpac rating limit, calculated from a yacht's IMS certificate and the Transpac Wind Matrix, will be 339.165 seconds per mile for the 2001 event. The figure is based on the ratings of the first five finishers in 1999.

What that means is that no entry may be configured by the size of its sails, the length of its spinnaker pole or other factors to attain a potential of higher speed in the base conditions.

Legendary designer Bill Lee, whose ultralight Merlin revolutionized the race in 1977, said, "The rating limit has been an element in Transpac since 1983. The purpose of a rating limit is to form a level class, which will race without handicap for the shortest elapsed time on the course.

"The other purpose of the limit is to make sure no single boat is much faster than the others who are also racing for the shortest elapsed-time honors. The original rating limit was an IOR rating of 70.0 which was the worldwide limit at the time. This rating limit has evolved over time, first by adding an IMS equivalent and then increasing the limit substantially when the ILC Maxis raced the course in 1995."

Aloha Start Date Affirmed

The Aloha (formerly "cruising") class will start on Monday, June 25 - not on Tuesday, June 26, as initially published in the Notice and Conditions of Race.

Transpacific Yacht Club Commodore Sandy Martin said, "This gives us the one extra day we felt we needed after the last race in 1999."

Starting dates and pre-race sendoff parties:

• Aloha -- party June 24; start June 25, 2001.
• Under-50-footers -- party June 29; start June 30.
• Over-50-footers -- party June 29, start July 1.
• Multihulls -- party June 29, start July 4.

Ilikai Offers Special Rates to Racers

The Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel again will be the official hotel for Transpac. The Ilikai overlooks the Ala Wai Marina, which serves as the island home for all race boats.

Through arrangement with the TPYC Honolulu Committee, the Ilikai is offering special room rates for all Transpac racers, crew members, club officials, members of the news media and their families.

Details are available on the Transpac Web site, www.transpacificyc.org, or by phoning the hotel at (800) 245-4524.

Transpac on the Road

The premier tour of "Transpac: A Century Across the Pacific" continues Feb. 16 at the San Diego Yacht Club.

Since November of 1999 Roy E. Disney and Leslie DeMeuse, producers of the two-hour documentary video history of the race, have visited yacht clubs from New York to Hawaii and most recently Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle. Following San Diego, they are scheduled to give presentations at Northwestern University in Chicago Feb. 23 and the Long Beach YC May 2.

The video traces the race's origins to the 19th century with old film clips and more than a hundred interviews. It may be ordered through Transpac YC Commodore Sandy Martin, 527 W. 36th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. The price is $59.95, which includes taxes, shipping and handling. Checks should be made payable to Transpacific Yacht Club.

Transpac Publicity:

Rich Roberts
Phone: (310) 835-2526
e-mail: richsail@earthlink.net

Entry Information:

Jerry Montgomery
e-mail: mmmont@aol.com

WEB Page:

Walt Niemczura, Web Master
www.transpacificyc.org
e-mail: walt@hawaii.rr.com