HistoryMuch of the finishing excitement occurred during the night-time hours, in the glare of the Diamond Head searchlight instead of under the warm Hawaiian sun. The first excitement was four “maxis” charging down the channel in their final sprint for first-to-finish, crossing the line within a span of less than thirty-seven minutes! The elapsed time intervals between yachts were: 17 minutes (between 1st and 2nd), 7 minutes (between 2nd and 3rd), and 13 minutes (between 3rd and 4th). The finishing order of those four was SILVER BULLET, BLONDIE, TAXI DANCER and MONGOOSE.
Before dawn another four maxis were ready to party at Ala Wai. They were: CHANCE, DRUMBEAT, RAGTIME and EVOLUTION. This may make it sound like a maxi-dominated race; however, as has happened many times before in modern Transpac history, one of the smaller IOR classes saved her time and won the canoe. She was also a night time finisher, NOTORIOUS.
The third night time event off Diamond Head was a tragic one: Only a few hundred yards before the finish line, MEDICINE MAN, a Class C yacht which appeared to be in contention for 1st or 2nd overall on corrected time, went on the reef off Diamond head. All six persons aboard were rescued, but did not escape injury. The next morning a tug was able to pull MEDICINE MAN off the reef and tow her to the repair yard at Ala Wai Yacht Basin.
A post-race event which made headlines was the loss of PANDEMONIUM’s keel on the way back to San Francisco and the fortunate rescue of her delivery crew. About a year later her hull was sighted, drifting upside down toward Hawaii, but it has not so far been recovered.
- Commodore Frank K. Mallory