Wednesday, April 28, 2010

J/145 BAD PAK Wins Class- Newport-Ensenada Race

J/145 offshore
 racing- sailing- cruising- sailboat

(Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico)- It was a sweet ride to Ensenda this year. The mad dash down the coast didn't set any records this year, but the fleet of 210+ boats were met with gorgeous weather at the start and less than twenty-four hours later, most of the fleet had finished by Saturday evening.

Winning PHRF Sprit A division was the Transpac-winning J/145 BAD PAK sailed by Tom Holthus of San Diego YC (seen sailing off into the sunset here).  BAD PAK won on corrected by one hour and two minutes and was tenth overall on handicap in the 100+ boat PHRF/ Sprit class  divisions.  BAD PAK was Second fastest elapsed time in all PHRF/  Sprit Racing classes with a time of 18:11:47, just ten minutes slower than the custom racing RP50 BLUE BLAZES, whom BAD PAK beat by nearly nine minutes on corrected time.   Just behind in third place was the J/120 DR NO sailed by Jed Olenick from San Diego YC, missing second place by six minutes!  Fourth in this class was another J/120, John Laun's CAPER also from SDYC.  And, fifth in class was Jeff Shew's J/120 VIVA LA VIDA from Long Beach YC.  Those same three J/120s went 1-2-3 in the J/120 class awards.

The PHRF Sprit B division was an entirely J/Boats affair with Mary Wyland's J/105 LUCKY STAR from American Legion YC winning by forty-seven minutes on corrected time.  Second to them was John Shulze's J/109 LINSTAR from Balboa YC.  And, third was another J/109, Anthony Wetherbee's COMMOTION from Dana Point YC.

There is a short video featuring a J/120 sailing just after start of Ensenada Race by Mary Longpre.  For more sailing and Ensenda Race information