Press Release No. 2

Transpac 99 Poster Launched

July 27, 1998

Transpac 99 Poster Launched

The Transpac 99 poster, a giant 27x40-inch tribute to the 1997 winners of the Transpacific Yacht Race and a harbinger of next year's 40th edition, is available by mail.

The poster features Roy E. Disney's turbosled 70 Pyewacket, the fastest of six boats that beat Merlin's 20-year-old record. There also are photos of Jerry Montgomery's chartered Santa Cruz 50 Ralphie, the overall winner on corrected time; Bob Lane's first-to-finish (with a three-day head start on Pyewacket) Andrews 56 Medicine Man, Bruno Peyron's catamaran Explorer and Fred Frye's Tayana 52 Salsipuedes, winner of the first cruising class.

The poster notes Pyewacket's record time and presents an on-the-wall reminder of the starting dates for the 1999 race. It may be previewed soon on the Transpac website: < www.transpacificyc.org >.

The price is $20 for an unsigned poster or $65 with a personalized autograph of the buyer's choice from Roy Pat Disney, who took over as Pyewacket's skipper when his father was unable to sail because of a broken leg.

Both prices include shipping and handling, and $50 of the autographed version is tax deductible. Proceeds go to the Transpacific Yacht Club to promote the next race.

Orders may be mailed to:

Cathie Nash TPYC Administrator

1508 Santiago Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Checks should be made out to the Transpacific Yacht Club. Those purchasing the autographed version should note any special inscriptions they want.

Directors Monitor Debate on Safety Regulations

PFDs, harnesses-wear 'em if you want, or wear 'em you must?

The issue before the Transpacific Yacht Club has aroused lively discussion in the sailing community in the two months since the directors expressed an inclination to expand on current safety regulations for the sport-an interval during which famed French sailor Eric Tabarly fell overboard and drowned while not wearing a life jacket.

In that light, and since the next race was a year away, at their July meeting the directors decided to allow more time for feedback and input.

TPYC Commodore L.J. Edgcomb said, "It's something we're going to address for the next 12 months and get more people involved in the process." US Sailing, the national authority for sailboat racing, has issued a manual "Safety Recommendations for Offshore Sailing" for 1998-99 that requires, under Rule 5.01, that "all personnel on deck shall wear personal flotation while starting and finishing without exception, and at all other times except when the Captain of the boat directs that it may be set aside."

Some Transpac principals, including Pyewacket helmsman Robbie Haines and Santa Cruz designer Bill Lee, don't think that goes far enough, in that the 2,225 nautical miles between San Pedro and Honolulu is the most dangerous part of the race-especially at night. Others question whether the skipper should be burdened with the decision of when to order that safety gear be worn.

No life has been lost during the Transpac in 39 races since 1906.

Transpac Notes
ROY E. DISNEY'S Pyewacket averaged 13.07 knots on its record run in the recent West Marine Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Kaneohe, Oahu-almost a knot faster than the 12.13 it averaged last summer in setting the Transpac record of 7 days 15 hours 24 minutes 40 seconds from Point Fermin to Diamond Head. Although Roy Pat Disney reported that the winds were "even better than Transpac," Transpac rules would have prohibited Pyewacket from sailing in the configuration it used in the Pacific Cup: a 35-foot spinnaker pole (instead of 20) and 3,000 pounds of water ballast hung over the starboard side in seven Kevlar bags until day 3 of the 6 1/2-day run. Meanwhile, the Transpac is fine-tuning its rules pertaining to boats configured for what is predominantly a starboard-tack race. Paragraph 2.8.1 of the Sailing Instructions already requires "all yachts to be designed and raced in a symmetrical (no-list) configuration . . . [as for] a race that has equal amounts of time on both tacks." . . . Alaska Eagle and GRANT BALDWIN will return as communications vessel and roll call administrator, respectively, for Transpac 99. The 65-foot cutter-rigged sloop from the Orange Coast College Sailing Program has served in that role for most of the races since 1983, since winning the second Whitbread Round The World Race as Flyer in 1977-78. Baldwin, who sailed his first Transpac in 1947, recently did the Bermuda race to help organizers set up a communications program similar to the Transpac's. Suggestions to expand the Transpac's roll calls from 24 hours to every 12 hours is under consideration. BRAD AVERY, director of the Orange Coast program, said, "Sailing on the boats, it seems like 24 hours is a long time to find out how the other boats are doing." Baldwin said, "From the standpoint of people aboard the communications vessel, it would not be a problem." . . . . The Sailing Instructions, with entry information, are available on the race website - or by writing to entry chairman DAN NOWLAN at 4224 Point Loma Ave., San Diego, CA 92107. Nowlan also may be contacted by phone or fax at (619) 224-0198, pager/cellular at (619) 300-5950 or e-mail at < dtnowlan@earthlink.net >. . . . The Cruising Class for heavier displacement monohulls will return in '99, along with the standard monohulls and multihulls. Cruisers must be a minimum of 34 feet in length overall with a Southern California Region PHRF Random Leg rating between 27 and 195. Standard monohulls must have a rating of 140 or lower. Multihulls must be 45 feet LOA. . . . Entry fees paid before March 1 are $600 for boats under 50 feet, $800 for 50 feet and longer and $2,500 for Category C advertising entries. After March 1 the fees jump to $750 and $1,000 for under and over 50 feet. Members of US Sailing receive $50 discounts.

Publicity: Rich Roberts

1258 Lakme Ave.

Wilmington, CA 90744

Phone: (310) 835-2526

Fax: (310) 513-1664

e-mail: richroberts@compuserve.com