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July 4th Morning Report

The sun rose in Long Beach to reveal a glassy calm on the water. It won’t be long before the Division I and II crews will be begin to appear on the docks to make their final preparations for Transpac 09. Their checklists are short and they are hoping that they already have the tools and parts that they need, because as many as 400,000 people are expected in Long Beach for July 4th celebrations and the streets of Long Beach will be gridlocked.

Transpac Websites, Reports and Blogs

In addition to following Transpac 09 on at www.TranspacRace.com, other social media is being created about the race. Daily activity updates are posted at http://www.facebook.com/TranspacPier.

Transpac Sailors Leave Behind Goodwill and Smiles

“Before you leave today, I will ask you, ‘who do you think got more out of the visit, you or the kids?’” That is what Ron Hingst, of Racing for Kids, a unique international charity that draws on the popularity of motorsports to bring attention to the health care needs of children and child health institutions, said before the Morning Light kids paid a visit to children receiving treatment at Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Care Center.

Alfa Romeo Romances Californians

As soon as Alfa Romeo took its prominent position at the end of Transpac Pier at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, it became everybody’s darling. Its mast towers above the palm trees along Shoreline Drive and it is the first thing that pedestrians and boaters notice when they enter Rainbow Harbor.

July 3rd Morning Update

The July 3rd Daily Standings as of 0600 PDT for Transpac 09 have the Spanish crew aboard Charisma leading the charge to Hawaii. Charisma is 1,734 nautical miles from Hawaii and over 150 miles ahead of her nearest competitor in Division VII, Between the Sheets, a Jeanneau 50. The doublehanded sailors aboard Relentless continue to set the pace in Division 6. They have stretched their lead to 10 miles over the Canadian boat, Narrow Escape.

Picture Perfect Division 3, 4 & 5 Send-off and Start

Thursday’s Aloha Send-off from Transpac Pier at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach was picture perfect. Tachyon III, Kanzunori Komatu’s Santa Cruz 52, with members of the Japanese Olympic Sailing Team on board, led the parade out of the basin. Like each of the 18 Transpac 09 race boats that followed, Tachyon III was escorted out of Rainbow Harbor’s entrance by paddlers from the Kahakai Canoe Club. Free Range Chicken, Bruce Anderson’s deluxe Perry 59, was the final Transpac race boat to leave the pier. As she streamed away from the dock, the crew showered their escorts with fresh fuschia-colored leis. Long Beach added more pageantry to the send-off by having Navy seals sky dive from a blimp and splash down in between the end of the pier and the Queen Mary.

Navigators, Honey and Girls

History surrounds the Transpacific Yacht Race and everywhere you turn at Transpac Pier at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, you run into living legends. Christopher Branning confided, “We are 15 of the luckiest people in the world. Being part of the Morning Light crew has opened up opportunities."

Branning, a strong dinghy sailor who recently graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, was one of 15 trained by Transpac legends before he sailed the Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpac Race in 2007 on Morning Light. Recently, Branning showed up at Club Transpac like a pro. He melted into the crowd and before he knew it, he was in a clutch of world-renowned navigators. 

July 2nd Morning Update

Transpac 09 Division 6 & 7 boats have been heading SSW since their start on Monday, June 29th. Their three-day head start over the next group of 19 larger boats has only given them a 150 to 250 mile advantage. The Division 6 & 7 boats have been pointed in a SSW direction and coasting along at a top speed of less than 7 knots. Charisma, Alejandro Perez Calzada's Sparkman & Stephens 57 continues to be the most northerly and westerly of the fleet. Charisma has not yet dipped below 30º N and is approaching 123º. Transpac 09's only Spanish entry is sailing along at approximately 6.5 knots and is over 30 nautical miles ahead of her closest Division 7 competitor, Ross Pearlman's Jeanneau 50, Between the Sheets.