HistoryThe 39th Transpacific Yacht race will forever be known as one of the Outstanding races in Transpac history. The race was again sponsored by the Kenwood Corporation, and attracted new, exciting entries, mirroring the latest develpments of yachting technology including: ZEPHYRUS, a Reichel/Pugh 75'; MAGNITUDE, an Andrews 70' Turbo, and VICKI, an Andrews 70' Turbo. As it turned out the race would ultimately be won, however, by repeating Transpac veterans, outstanding sailing, and excellent wind conditions.
Veteran record holder, MERLIN (sporting a canting keel), and refurbished RAGTIME were also part of the 38 entries for this race. Other noteworthy entries included: all woman crews on BAY WOLF and PEGASUS XIV; and SURVIVOR, an all-HIV positive crew, willing to challenge the sea. The race was started over a 9 day, 4 start, span to accommodate the vast differences in vessel speeds. The monohull starts were: June 28th Cruising Class from 35' to 52'; July 2nd, smaller racing entries from 30' to 60'; July 5th, larger racing entries from 60' to 75'. On July 7th, the multihull racers started and EXPLORER, having sailed directly from France without an engine, barely made it on time.
Early contestants started in light wind at Point Fermin, but the wind quickly built to a strong, steady 20 knots. This would be a good year – if it held. The early leader in the Cruising Class was Fred Frye’s SALSIPUEDES, a Tayana 52. By the second start, all the entries were praying for the winds to hold and the Pacific high to stay north. Immediately, Bob Lane’s MEDICINE MAN, a highly modified Andrews 56, started setting a record pace. SEA DANCER, SEAZ ThE MOMENT, and 2 GUYS ON ThE EDGE were forced to retire with varying problems. The third start, although slow, almost immediately followed with excellent winds. Unfortunately, three new Division I yachts, ZEPHYRUS, MAGNITUDE, and VICKI, all retired with mast failures within 48 hours. With a 3 day head start on the bigger monohulls, MEDICINE MAN, on record pace, would give the big boys a true greyhound to chase, turning in a 305 mile day.
Early leaders in the larger Division I class were the Turbos, Hal Ward’s CHEVAL (1995 Barn Door Defender), VICTORIA, and PYEWACKET, and MIRAGE, TAXI DANCER, plus venerable KATHMANDU in the S/C 70, Division II. By the time the multihulls started two days later, it was apparent this would be a record breaker due in part to a tropical storm off Mexico. The multihulls led by Bruno Peyrone’s EXPLORER, a huge 86' catamaran and Steve Fossett’s LAKOTA, a Jeaneau 60', the defending Champion, began an epic battle to catch the fleet, while DOUBLE BULLET retired shortly when she lost the top portion of her mast.
In fact, SALSIPUEDES, the cruiser, and MEDICINE MAN, with their respective head starts, were also racing for “first place at the dock.” On July 10th, MEDICINE MAN passed SALSIPUEDES less than 10 miles from the finish at Diamond Head and began the string of record-breaking finishes by bettering Merlin’s 20-year old record of 8 days, 11 hours, 01 minutes, 46 seconds, by 4 1/2 hours. SALSIPUEDES would finish under 28 minutes later, winning the new Overton Perpetual Trophy for best Cruising Class Corrected Time Yacht.
However, everyone was still watching the record pace of the Turbos, led by VICTORIA’s 337 mile record 24 hour run, LUNA BARBA at 319, MERLIN at 327, CHEVAL at 331, and PYEWACKET at 336. ExPLORER and LAKOTA each sailed the first half of the 2,225 mile distance in less than 3 days.
Indeed, the big cat, EXPLORER, would overhaul and pass the record-setting monohulls to finish in 5 days, 9 hours, 18 minutes and 26 seconds, in record time winning the new Rudy Choy Trophy for best multihull elapsed time by averaging 17.2 knots, followed closely by LAKOTA.
No one waited more impatiently than Roy E. Disney, veteran of 11 consecutive Transpac races, confined to a dock-side seat due to an auto collision injury, as his PYEWACKET, skippered by his son, Roy Pat, and navigated by Stan Honey, slid into the lead of the Turbo class. Ultimately, the new two day old monohull elapsed time record would be shattered by five more boats: MERLIN 8 days, 3 hours; LUNA BARBA 8 days, 1 hour; VICTORIA 7 days, 21 hours; CHEVAL 7 days, 20 hours; and best of all, averaging 12 knots, by Barn Door Trophy Winner PYEWACKET with a new Transpac record of 7 days, 15 hours, 24 minutes, 40 seconds.
KATHMANDU, chartered by Jaconi, Hitchcock & Thompson, both arrived and corrected out 17 minutes ahead of MIRAGE in Division II. With all the records being set, another veteran, Jerry Montgomery, would have the final laugh. He chartered the ancient S/C 50, RALPHIE, and along with owner John Latiolait, won the King Kalakua Trophy, presented by the Governor of Hawaii with a 9 day, 5 hour run, correcting out (7 days, 00 hours, 15 minutes, 51 seconds) on the entire fleet as well as over MEDICINE MAN and STEALTH CHICKEN in Division III. PEGASUS XIV recorded the first placing in the final standings by an all-woman crew, taking second to ACEY DEUCY, in Division IV. Veteran RAGTIME, a Barn Door Trophy winner in 1973 finished her 11th Transpac with her best time ever. It should be noted in addition to Disney (in almost every way a participant) Avery, Durgin, Haines, Honey, Jourdane, Sinclair and Tretter, seven Directors of the Transpacific Yacht Club, were on board various racers and the three flag officers, Jones, Edgcomb and Martin were at all the starts and finishes.
In all, it was a magnificent race that set high new standards for the future.
- H. Gilbert Jones, Commodore