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44th Biennial Transpacific Yacht Race / Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpacific Yacht Club, Al Garnier, Commodore March 27, 2007 Casio's Oceanus official timekeeper of Transpac 2007 LOS ANGELES---The 2007 Transpac will start and finish on time -- Oceanus time. The Transpacific Yacht Club has joined with Casio Computer Co., Ltd., in a sponsorship agreement to make the company's Oceanus watch the official timekeeper of the 44th biennial race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Casio, based in Tokyo, also will provide 50 Oceanus watches to be used as special prizes or awards. Transpac Commodore Al Garnier said, "Transpac says to Casio, 'Welcome aboard!' This Pacific Rim alliance with such a progressive international corporation can only enhance our status as one of the world's great ocean races." Yuichi Masuda, general manager of Casio's Timepiece Development Headquarters, said, "The history of the Transpacific Yacht Race dates back over 100 years to 1906. The 2007 race will be especially memorable for marking the race’s departure into a new century, and Casio is honored that its Oceanus watch brand will have the opportunity to support the competition as official timekeeper." Masuda described the Oceanus as "a solar-powered chronograph watch with a time signal-calibration function we developed by making full use of our advanced electronic technologies. Our sponsorship decision was based on a recognition of the similarity between the Oceanus brand image and the sporty, intelligent image the race derives from the strategic nature of yacht racing, as well as of the race’s maritime connection with the origins of the Oceanus brand name." After pre-race staging and a festive sendoff from Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, the race will have three starts from below Point Fermin Park in San Pedro --- July 9 for the Aloha class, Cal 40s and the smallest racing division boats; July 12 for the mid-size boats in racing divisions 3 and 4, and July 15 for the largest boats in divisions 1 and 2, all at 1 p.m. PDT. Set your Casio watch. Casio Computer Co., Ltd. is one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics products and business equipment solutions. Since its establishment in 1957, Casio has been dedicated to the creation of innovative and imaginative products incorporating both originality and advanced technology. Today, Casio's offerings include timepieces, digital cameras, cellular phones, electronic dictionaries, calculators, musical instruments, system equipment, and electronic components such as LCDs. News and product information: http://world.casio.com/ Transpac seminar at Los Angeles YC March 31 A Transpac seminar for prospective ocean racers is scheduled Saturday, March 31, at Los Angeles Yacht Club in San Pedro, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is not necessary to be entered in the race to attend. There is no charge except for lunch that will be available. The lecturers will include Stan Honey and Joe Buck on weather and permissible weather access software; Robbie Haines, sail selection and inventory; Dan Nowlan, Transpacific Yacht Club ratings; doctors from St. Mary Medical Center discussing medical issues; Tom Garrett, Rainbow Harbor pre-race mooring arrangements and activities; Roby Bessent, boat inspection; Jerry Montgomery, provisioning and storage, and Jim Hill, the FIS Tracking system. Laurie Gaylord Sportswear will have official Transpac apparel for sale. Those planning to attend may pre-register at mmmontgomery@aol.com Ragtime returns for record 14th Transpac Thirty-four years after Ragtime set the sailing world on its ear, the sleek wooden wonder will extend its record for most Transpacs to 14 when the big boat fleet starts July 15. In 1973 the smaller New Zealand-built boat shocked record holder Windward Passage by 4 minutes 31 seconds---still the closest first-to-finish margin---and went on to claim the Barn Door again in 1975, just to show it wasn't a fluke.
Other entries include Roger Sturgeon's new STP 65 Rosebud, a step up from the Transpac 52 of the same name on which he won overall honors in 2005, and Bob Webster's Minnow, a Catana 52 catamaran hoping for the company of three other multihulls necessary to establish a class. There also will be several races within the race. Early entries include six Santa Cruz 50s, four each Cal 40s and Transpac 52s and three ULDB 70 sleds, with prospects for more of each class. Official entries to date:
DH-Doublehanded. Multihull (Four entries required to establish class)
MEDIA CONTACT Transpac Documentary Video/DVD The two-hour historical documentary "Transpac/A Century Across the Pacific" is on sale in marine stores and nautical museums or may be ordered online with a credit card through a link on the Web site home page here. The Web site also has a mail-order form. The video format $39.95, DVD $49.95 and PAL $49.95 for countries requiring that medium. COMMODOREAl Garnier (310) 600-0158 reinrag@aol.com HONOLULU CHAIRMAN ENTRIES PRESS OFFICER WEB PAGE
The official 2007 TransPac Yacht Race Website http://www.transpacificyc.org
03/27/07 |
