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Press Release No. 8 Fast and Familar Trio on Starting Line for Transpac 2001 |
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41th Biennial Transpacific Yacht Race / Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpacific Yacht Club, Sandy Martin, Commodore March 8, 2001 Fast and Familar Trio on Starting Line for Transpac 2001 Merlin, Medicine Man and Pyewacket - boats that have sailed miles worth of smiles in the Transpacific Yacht Race - are among the 11 latest entries for the 41st race from Los Angeles to Honolulu this summer. They bring the total to 24 with 3 1/2 months remaining before the first starts. Between them, Merlin and two of Roy E. Disney's Pyewackets have won five "Barn Door" trophies as the first boats to finish. Bill Lee's 68-foot breakthrough design launched the ultralight revolution in 1977 by sailing the 2,225 nautical miles in 8 days 11 hours 1 minute 45 seconds. That brought a new word to the sport's jargon: "sled," for a boat designed to sail downwind, a trademark of the Transpac. Merlin's record stood for 20 years until Pyewacket II beat it by 19 1/2 hours in 1997 and a new Pyewacket lowered it to 7:11:41:27 in '99. Bob Lane's Medicine Man, a smaller Andrews 56, had its two days of fame in '97 when it made the most of a three-day headstart and flew to the islands in 8:06:31:00. "Now they'll have to beat my record," Lane said, half-joking -- before Pyewacket did just that. The latest Pyewacket, a 73-foot Reichel/Pugh maxi sled, has had some subtle upgrades since that success, but Merlin and Medicine Man have been modified into virtually new boats. Merlin's latest owner, Al Micallef of Ft. Worth, Tex., has even given it a new name with a Western ring: Merlin's Reata (lariat). As this is reported, Medicine Man's remake is still a work in progress. When it's complete, Alan Andrews, the original designer, will have placed a longer, sleeker hull under the old deck and rig. Then it will be an Andrews 61. "For the last race we turbocharged the rig," Andrews said, "and now we've added a new hull to enable the extra horsepower of that rig to be used to its full potential. Bob has constantly upgraded the boat since it was built in 1989." However fast the made-over Merlin and Medicine Man may be, Pyewacket's strongest competition is expected to come from new boats not yet entered. But Disney points out that speed alone is no guarantee of winning Transpac. "I think we fool a lot of people because we tend to make it look easier than it is," he said. "Our crew has been together for 10 or 20 years and does a great job of sailing. That's our real strength." Entries From All Over As the lineup for Transpac 2001 grew to 24, it seemed the final total could top the last five races since 49 competed in 1989. The list reflects broadening interest, including boats from six states and four countries on three continents. Entries chairman Jerry Montgomery said, "The encouraging thing about this list is it's not our usual suspects. When you combine these with the ones we usually get, the turnout is going to be impressive." Organizers this year have created added incentive for smaller as well as older boats, with the new Transpac 40 and 50 boat-for-boat competitions and the Aloha (formerly "cruising") class for sailors with older displacement boats who are still keen for racing. "The Aloha fleet is going to be very well represented," Montgomery said, "and the top end of the overall fleet is going to be very competitive." The latest entry list: Divisions 1 and 2
Doublehanded
Aloha Class
Starting Dates and Pre-Race Sendoff Parties
Transpac Publicity:
Entry Information:
WEB Page:
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Activities | ETAs | Sportswear | Hotel | Shore Support | TransPac '99 | TransPac '97 |
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Website © 2000/2001 Doug Vann, Lisa Niemczura, Walt Niemczura |
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| 06/02/01 | |||||||||||