History

It was an impressive fleet of 75 boats that lined up for the start of the Centennial Transpac Race, the second largest fleet in the history of the race. The fleet ranged from all three existing MaxZ86’s in the world and the 90-footer GENUINE RISK at the big boat end, down to the 31 foot THE CONE OF SILENCE and the Hobie 33 SOAP OPERA at the small end. In between was a very competitive fleet that included three TP52’s, 14 Cal 40’s and MERLIN and RAGTIME; both competing in their 13th Transpac Race. A strong contingent ofeight foreign boats were entered along with seven double-handed teams.

Despite 57 boats – the most starters since 1985 – Transpac 2003 was less a race for records than milestones. Software entrepreneur Philippe Kahn, sailing a turbocharged PEGASUS 77, collected his second consecutive Barn Door in a two-boat battle with Roy Disney’s PYEWACKET, but again didn’t have enough wind to threaten Disney’s elapsed time record for a monohull set in 1999 (7 days, 11 hours, 41 minutes, 27 seconds). PEGASUS 77’s ET was 7 days, 16 hours, 31 minutes, 17 seconds.

A battle of wits and wind found Philippe Kahn’s PEGASUS claiming line honors in the 41st Transpacific Yacht Race in a three-boat duel with Roy E. Disney’s record holder, PYEWACKET, and Bob Mcnulty’s new Reichel/Pugh 73, CHANCE.

Because of light winds early on, PEGASUS, an R/P 75, didn’t threaten PYEWACKET’s record of 7 days, 11 hours, 41 minutes, 27 seconds set in 1999, but its time of 8 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes, 3 seconds was the 10th fastest on record and earned Kahn the Barn Door on only his second try. PYEWACKET, R/P 74, finished 63 minutes later, about an hour and a half ahead of CHANCE.

With the Dow Jones Average hovering around 10,400 and with the memory of the record shattering ’97 race fresh in peoples memory, one would have expected a great turnout for Transpac ’99, but the sale of most of the sled fleet to the Great Lakes and the growing interest in one design inshore boats kept the fleet size down to 33 starters. Using staggered starts, as has been the case since 1991, eight boats in the Cruising Division and two Double-handed boats started on June 29, and eight 40 footers started on July 2. On July 3, Divisions I, II and III got underway in a light southeasterly that carried the fleet out on port tack to well beyond Catalina Island before the wind clocked and the fleet tacked to starboard with the majority of the July 3 starters leaving Santa Barbara Island and San Nicolas to port.