SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
PERSISTENT WESTERLY
Paul Tara has covers the race in the Zoop Scoop below. Looks like the Westerly stayed longer than
expected like a persistent Westerly.
Spinny fleet can be seen here:
A Fleet tracks can be seen here:
B Fleet:
PHRF CORRECTED RESULTS:
COURSE DISTANCE 2.93NM
PLACE BOAT PHRF ET CORRECTED TIME
SPINNY FLEET
1 ROSIE 162 35:28 27:33
2 INTERLUDE 141 34:31 27:38
FLEET A:
1 ABORIGINAL 33 26:14 24:37
2 ZOOP 144 32:34 25:32
3 SAGITTARIUS 120 32:38 26:46
4 PERFECT 36 144 33:52 26:50
5 RIO 141 34:50 27:57
6 AQUAVIT 72 33:10 29:29
FLEET B:
1
PACIFIC SPIRIT 165 35:05 27:01
2
TARA 243 39:16 27:24
3
WIND GODDESS 163 35:42 27:44
4
AZOR 243 40:10 28:18
5
SIMPATICO 165 36:44 28:40
6
MAKANI 147 36:04 28:53
7
SAILING PAIR A DICE 180 37:53 29:06
8
KICKS 180 39:16 30:29
9
AVATAR 132 37:28 31:01
10
NIDAROS 120 37:11 31:19
11
TOAD 150 41:59 34:39
ZOOP SCOOP BY PAUL TARA
QUIZ
Last
Week:
Battens
are:
a)
hatches
b)
flocks of bats (usually 10)
c)
sail stiffeners
Answer:
c) sail stiffeners
Battens
originated in China and southeast Asia in the 12th century. The lug rigs
of Chinese junks featured full length battens a thousand years before the
first modern multi-hulls. (It helped to have a plentiful supply of
bamboo.)
This
week:
On
a sailing vessel, a “spanker” is:
a)
a sail
b)
the master-at-arms
c)
support for the taffrail
END
OF AN ERA
2026
marks our last season with Zoop (the Sloop). Through racing and
cruising on the Bay, Stockton Sail-Camps in the delta, to Tuesdays here in
Santa Cruz, she’s been a member of our family for 27 years. Our son
Patrick grew up on her. But, the time has come to downsize. Another boat that I
have a lot of history with (see “Moore Memories” in this month’s Spinnaker
Sheet) is Poltergeist, the first true Moore 24 sailing, and the one
that probably did more than any other to establish the boats’ reputation for
speed and seaworthiness. She also won the class’s 1977 Nationals. Recently,
through a combination of good fortune (Niels Kisling) and good sleuthing
(Patrick), we became aware the boat was available and she’s now in our
driveway. No — she’s not racing in this month’s
Nationals — it’s early days. Meanwhile, if you know of anybody who might be
interested in a “good ol’ boat,” our Islander 36 is available. She’s not
flashy but, as many of you can testify, she’s sound, and she gets the job done.
THE
RACE
YAY,
No Transition! In order for an easterly to develop, Santa Cruz needs to be hot.
Tuesday afternoon, the fog was only about a mile or so beyond MB, and the
southwesterly was ripping across the City, indicating a well established marine
layer and a good chance the breeze would hold through the evening. (As we
docked, around 1900, the breeze was still SW and the fog had closed to just
beyond the Harbor entrance.)
Spinnaker
Fleet had a sort of a race. 4 boats started (plus a couple not on RH).
But only Interlude and Rosie sailed the course. The rest of the
fleet, all Moore 24’s, unable to endure the delayed gratification, skipped the
reach to MB, set their kites and hared off for Soquel Point. Rosie won (better
watch out, those guys are getting better and better).
A
Fleet had 7 boats and was, to some extent, a testament to the IOR Rule. Aboriginal was
patient and made the strategically best start at the starboard end, tacked
immediately on to port, and sped off to the favored right side. She corrected
out about a minute ahead of both Zoop and Sagittarius, which
were designed as One-tonners in the very early days of the IOR. The rule
says they should be the same speed — Tuesday it was right — Zoop rounded
Schuyler 5 seconds ahead, and finished 4 seconds ahead of Sagittarius.
But she had some help from Double Expresso, which got in the
mix enough to up by Schuyler to allow Zoop to reach the
starboard layline first. Unfortunately Double Expresso’s track
is not visible.
B
Fleet was the usual dogfight. It serves as evidence for my favorite
starting axiom, “It’s what happens 2 minutes later that counts.” Toad and PAD made
the best starts, but were pinned on starboard and forced to the left. Pacific
Spirit and Nidaros were first onto port, with the
former winning the drag race to the right. (“Foot to the header,” Peter
Barrett) This gave her an advantage she never relinquished. The
conditions were also windy enough to demonstrate Fred Molnar’s favorite observation
about Santana 22’s, “They come reefed from the factory.” Tara consistently
sailed upwind boat-for-boat with several larger boats; she corrected out
second, with Azor, the other Tuna, 4th.
Thank you Paul!
Barry Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice
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