Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD

An interview with Sue Service about the 2019 Cal Race Week

by David Schmidt 29 May 2019 16:00 BST June 1-2, 2019
Racecourse action at Cal Race Week © Joysailing

California has long offered the hottest sailboat racing on the West Coast, and with a coastline thats stretches more than 840 miles from stem to stern, its little surprise that great racing can be found in myriad locations. Take, for example, Cal Race Week (June 1-2), which is hosted by the California Yacht Club on the waters off of Santa Monica. This regatta, which was established in 1999, has long offered both high-end handicap and One Design racing, as well as a relaxed and fun-focused cruising class.

Not surprisingly, Cal Race Week attracts sailors of all stripes who are interested in great racing as well as the chance to mingle with friends, both new and old, once the finishing guns fall silent each night.

I checked in with Sue Service, Cal Race Weeks regatta chair, via email, to learn more about this exciting West Coast regatta.

Can you tell us a bit about the regattas origins? Also, how has the regatta grown and evolved over the years?

Cal Race Week began in 1999, so its in its 21st iteration. Over the years weve seen a change in the types of boats that participate, from PHRF classes of 40-50 footers, to dominance by the smaller One Design classes.

In that inaugural year, more than 80 boats in nine classes competed-from ULDB sleds to Melges 30s, J/120s, as well as classic One Designs like Stars and Schock 35s.

Arriving in force that year was a competitive Farr 40 fleeta boat still relatively new to Southern California at the time. The Farr 40s have competed in virtually every Cal Race Week or California Cup in the years since.

How many boats are you guys expecting this year? Also, how do these entry numbers stack up to recent comparable years?

Were hoping for 60-70 boats on two racecourses, which would be comparable to the last three or four years of the regatta. Entries peaked in the early 2000s, when we had ~130 boats and three racecourses!

This year, for the first time, the PHRF SoCal Championship will be held during Cal Race Week. That meansin addition to another title being up for grabs in the PHRF class PHRF-rated cruising class boats will be able to compete at Cal Race Week as well.

There will be a third, random-leg coursein addition to the regattas two traditional windward-leeward tracks-for the cruisers to navigate each day of the regatta.

Can you describe the levels of competition that sailors can expect to find, once the starting guns begin sounding?

Cal Race Week draws some of the best sailors from Southern California, and competition is intense. This year, the regatta is a qualifier for the J/70 Worlds, which CYC will be hosting here next year, and we expect particularly aggressive racing in that class.

That said, the PHRF classes deliver some hotly contested battles, year after year, as well.

Conditions-wise, whats typical for this regatta?

The sea breeze kicks in around noon, around the time of the first warning, and in June, both velocity and direction are remarkably consistent: 75-percent of the time we see wind from the WSW with velocities in the 7-11 knot range. By late afternoon we will often see 12-15 knots.

Do you have any advice or insider tips that youd like to share with first-time racers? What about returning racecourse veterans?

In the early afternoon when winds are lighter, it can be tough to get through the waves and chop. Keep the sails powered up while going upwind.

What kinds of onshore/evening entertainment has been planned for non-racing hours?

Seeing that the regatta turns TWENTY-FUN, [sailors can] expect a good party! Well have dinner for racers, and our sponsors NAOS Yachts and North Sails, are providing beer. Mount Gay is also a sponsor, and we plan to have a rum-tasting station. After dinner, there will be a live band and dance contest, and ice-cream samplings from Tillamook.

Can you tell us about any steps that you and the other event organizers have taken in the last couple years to help green-up the regatta or otherwise lower its environmental wake?

Like other regatta organizers across the sport, were working hard to cut down on single-use plastics by providing water stations and encouraging racers and RC rely on their own refillable and reusable water bottles.

Anything else that youd like to add, for the record?

Our vision is as it was 21 years ago for Cal Race Week to be a regatta that offers both serious competition and a fun weekend event for the entire Southern California racing community.

Related Articles

Make me smile
Smiles and cash can always do amazing things. No cash, no splash, after all… Manly's pathway to progress looked at a way to attract and keep youth in sailing. Nice. Really nice. Now, what to do when you cannot replicate such a successful model? Posted on 15 Dec
Firefly dinghy videos from the 1980s and 90s
It's time to dig into the archives again, one year after our first ever video feature It's time to dig into the video archives a second time, a year after our first ever video feature, which happened to be on 1950s Firefly sailing. But this time all we can find is from the 1980s and 90s! Posted on 15 Dec
Vendée Globe Twists and Turns, Thrills and Spills
I need to start with an admission... I'm addicted to the Vendée Globe I need to start with an admission... I'm addicted to the Vendée Globe. When I wake in the morning, I look at the tracker, and at each sked (it updates every four hours) I take a look. Posted on 10 Dec
Ways Into Sailing: GJW Direct's Luke Marsh
From a phobia of water to sailor, an inspiring story from the marine industry When Luke Marsh joined GJW Direct to head up their Marketing Department he had no experience in sailing. In fact he had a phobia of water. Posted on 5 Dec
The Traditional Hobart
Interesting. You hear the term a bit, but what does it really mean? You hear the term a bit, but what does it really mean? One thing is for sure. It is not like we are hearing people saying they are buying up all the full-keelers to go to Hobart at six knots, no matter what direction the breeze is coming from. Posted on 1 Dec
New Products from Allen Brothers at METSTRADE 2024
Swivel Blocks, Tii-Bones and Travellers! New and innovative products to make sailors' lives easier Swivel Blocks, Tii-Bones and Travellers! Allen Brothers never disappoint, with new and innovative products to make sailors' lives easier. We spoke to Ben Harden at METSTRADE 2024 to find out about three new products in their range. Posted on 28 Nov
Manly's pathway to progress
A youth sailing success story in Australia The Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club is a success story against a background of dwindling support for youth sailing in Australia. Posted on 26 Nov
Gloves off! (Or is that actually gloves on?)
After last year's spectacular Hobart win, can LawConnect claim underdog status anymore? Well now... Isn't that actually a really good point. Normally, you'd say it was gloves off, time to get physical in a bare-knuckle street fighter sense. Posted on 17 Nov
So much more than tiller extensions
Charting the incredible rise of GOAT Marine If you were at the Dinghy Show a couple of years back you may well have seen Steve Badham selling tiller extensions on a small stand. Those that picked them up would have noticed they were really light and immensely strong whilst also being shatterproof. Posted on 14 Nov
Saving the best for last
2024 is being a veritable feast for big events in sailing 2024 is being a veritable feast for big events in sailing with SailGP giving us our hors d'oeuvre, Paris 2024 in Marseille as our starter, the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup the main course, and we're now enjoying the Vendée Globe for dessert. Posted on 13 Nov