Pacific Coast Championship

Mission Bay, August 17-18, 2013.  Results and regatta report by Seth Siegler

The Mission Bay Yacht Club hosted the Snipe Pacific Coast Championship August 18th and 19th as part of their annual summer one design regatta.

Eighteen teams tacked upwind through the jetties, out to the ocean, for what proved to be pretty much the most ideal two days of sailing conditions possible: 72 degrees, 10-15 knots of breeze, big Pacific Ocean swells, and classic competitive Snipe fleet racing.

…

Saturday brought the most breeze, a welcome, unforecasted surprise for all three races.

Competition was hot right off the bat, with local speedsters David Tillson, Doug Hart, Rick Arneson, Ken Reddler and Eric Heim duking it out most of the day at the top of the fleet, up and down the windward-leeward courses. With much of the local racing, typically taking place inside the protected waters of Mission Bay, the fleet was reveling in the opportunity to work their Snipes up and down the steep Pacific swell in the fresh breeze and warm sunshine.

At the end of day one, it was David Tillson and junior sailing hotshot, Ian Brill, leading the way with a 2-1-1 over Doug Hart who was sporting a 3-3-3.

Sunday morning brought grey skies and glass-flat water as the MBYC boat yard slowly came to life with rising jibs and chatter about shroud tensions, weight placement and the awesome Team New Zealand nosedive from race-one of the Louis Vuitton finals, which happened the day before.

In typical San Diego style, the clouds were quickly banished and the sun came out in force, warming right back into the low 70’s. The breeze was even polite enough to fill in, just as boats began touching into the water.

As the fleet started to arrive on station to the ocean racecourse, those that chose to tune upwind, were treated to an epic encounter with 100 or so dolphins feeding on a school of local SoCal tuna. (Who doesn’t like fresh sushi!?)

Lighter breeze made for a different set of challenges including chop management but that didn’t mean any less fun. Racing was even tighter with the entire fleet less than 100 yards 1st to last for much of the day.

Bob Bowden, Scott Hoffman, Don Bedford and Seth Siegler each scored finishes in the top five, joining the usual suspects from Saturday.

The final race brought a bit more breeze and ample opportunity to get back into the hiking straps.

But in the end, it was Tillson and Brill who ran away with the championship with a final scoreline of 2-1-1-1-2-1, dropping one of those pesky “2’s” for a total score of six, good for a seven point win over Doug Hart in second place. Tillson and Brill received the massive perpetual PCC trophy proclaiming them “Best in the West” for 2013.

The top five was rounded out by Rick Arneson, Ken Reddler and Eric Heim.

 

Rank	Fleet	Class	SailNo	HelmName	Rating	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Nett	Total
1st	Snipe	Snipe	30109	David Tillson	91.9	(2.0)	1.0	1.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	6.0	8.0
2nd	Snipe	Snipe	29941	Hart, Doug	91.9	3.0	3.0	3.0	(4.0)	1.0	3.0	13.0	17.0
3rd	Snipe	Snipe	30800	Rick Arneson	91.9	1.0	2.0	(8.0)	2.0	6.0	4.0	15.0	23.0
4th	Snipe	Snipe	29315	Reddler, Ken	91.9	(8.0)	5.0	4.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	17.0	25.0
5th	Snipe	Snipe	0	Eric Heim	91.9	4.0	4.0	2.0	(10.0)	4.0	7.0	21.0	31.0
6th	Snipe	Snipe	30337	Seth Siegler	91.9	(9.0)	8.0	6.0	7.0	5.0	6.0	32.0	41.0
7th	Snipe	Snipe	23965	Matt Hecht	91.9	6.0	(12.0)	7.0	6.0	7.0	11.0	37.0	49.0
8th	Snipe	Snipe	29250	Scott Hoffmann	91.9	(12.0)	6.0	5.0	8.0	9.0	10.0	38.0	50.0
9th	Snipe	Snipe	30113	Bowden, Bob	91.9	5.0	10.0	10.0	5.0	11.0	(15.0)	41.0	56.0
10th	Snipe	Snipe	29671	Tarasa Davis	91.9	11.0	7.0	12.0	(14.0)	14.0	8.0	52.0	66.0
11th	Snipe	Snipe	29197	Ryan Hopps	91.9	(15.0)	9.0	9.0	15.0	10.0	9.0	52.0	67.0
12th	Snipe	Snipe	29013	Chris Wright	91.9	7.0	14.0	10.5 RDG	9.0	(17.0)	14.0	54.5	71.5
13th	Snipe	Snipe	3010	Adam Bennett	91.9	(17.0)	11.0	11.0	11.0	12.0	12.0	57.0	74.0
14th	Snipe	Snipe	30618	Don Bedford	91.9	(19.0 DNC)	19.0 DNC	19.0 DNC	12.0	8.0	5.0	63.0	82.0
15th	Snipe	Snipe	30733	Packy Davis	91.9	13.0	(19.0 DNC)	19.0 DNC	13.0	13.0	13.0	71.0	90.0
16th	Snipe	Snipe	29502	Lanny Coon	91.9	10.0	15.0	12.5 RDG	(19.0 DNC)	18.0	16.0	71.5	90.5
17th	Snipe	Snipe	28858	Nick Kaschak	91.9	16.0	13.0	13.0	16.0	16.0	(19.0 DNC)	74.0	93.0
18th	Snipe	Snipe	29356	Storms, Craig	91.9	14.0	16.0	15.0 RDG	(17.0)	15.0	17.0	77.0	94.0