Brewer Wins Prestigious Pacific Coast Championship

Richmond Yacht Club, San Francisco, California, September 13-14, 1997

Dick Brewer, Crew

Racing on San Francisco Bay is the best - the city skyline and Bay Bridge as a backdrop with twenty plus knot winds whipping over a tide-swept venue. Since itıs fairly shallow across the course, the chop builds as the day progresses, making it no place for the faint of heart later in the afternoon. A Lightning experience!

Nine boats converged at the Richmond YC, five from the Bay Area, with two each from Portland, OR, and San Diego. It was a disappointing turnout considering the high quality of racing.

The weather gods smiled on San Francisco, delivering two days of blue skies for the five race challenge. The Lightning Pacific Coast Championship, an annual event, was tacked onto the regularly schedules Hard Chine Regatta. With the five-minute starting sequence, fleet separation was not a problem.

The big news was Dave Andersonıs return to fleet racing in Crusader Rabbit, Carson #13626, which he inherited from his father, Sam. Whil he only raced one on both Saturday and Sunday (he had a few things to sort out!), it was great to have Dave back on the line.

The first race was scheduled for a noon start with a five leg windward/leeward course. The wind already over 16 knots with a square line, an aggressive Mike Brewer was the only skipper over early. The fleet generally played the left side with the early lead contested by Scott McBurney, Douglas Hickman, Scott Finkboner and John DeBenedetti. At the weather mark, these leaders were still bunched along with Mike Molina, Mike Brewer having recovered to sixth place. Brewer had his crew Dick Brewer and Fred Chandler jibe set to the left side of the first downwind leg, which was the way to go; the rest of the fleet bore off for a starboard spinnaker set. By the leeward mark, Mike had worked out a ten-length lead which he held to the finish. A lot of changing in position took place back in the fleet, with Scott Finkboner and crew Marlena Finkboner and Frank Davies having to do a 720o dropping back to fifth, with Doug Hickman, John DeBenedetti and Scott McBurney capturing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

The big news was Dave Andersonıs return to fleet racing in Crusader Rabbit, Carson #13626, which he inherited from his father, Sam. While he only raced one on both Saturday and Sunday (he had a few things to sort out!), it was great to have Dave back on the line.

The second race started in gusting eighteen knot winds on a square line with no boats over early. Mike Brewer played the left side to the layline, rounding the weather mark in first. Again, the course was a windward/leeward with the left side favored on the downhill run. Brewer was not challenged and lead to the finish. Scott McBurney, playing the right side to perfection with crew Michelle Krengel and Sean McBurney, traded position several times with Portlandıs John DeBenedetti over the windward legs before prevailing with a fast finishing 2nd. John with crew Tim and Roger Antigues held third over a tenacious Roger Hicks with crew Richard and Joel. Scott Finkboner, suffering another 720o penalty, worked up through the fleet for a fifth place finish.

The wind was a gusting 20 knots at the start of the third race with an ever-aggressive (remember those penalty 720ıs in races one and two) Scott Finkboner port tacking the fleet at the start (Way to Go, Scott!). Playing the right side along with DeBenedetti, McBurney and Hickman, Finkboner lost his initial advantage to Mile Brewer at the weather mark; Mike having once again stuck to the left side and tacking on the layline.

It should be commented at this point that tuna on the rail, sailing flat, may have been the overriding factor in the left sideıs prevailing. There is a message here for those of you intending to compete at the 2000 (?) NAs on San Francisco Bay. Others trying the left side, including Elissa McQuillin with crew Andrew Baxter and Ellen Rathgy, and Mike Molina and crew Jeff Breen and Mark Songey, did not fair as well; probably not enough stuff on the rail being the cause.

Molina on the first downwind leg lost his spinnaker over the bow at the leeward drop and had to retire after hauling in a shredded runner. Over the balance of the race, Brewer maintained his lead with Finkboner in 2nd holding DeBenedetti, McBurney, Hickman, and McQuillin back for 3rd through 6th.

At the close of Saturdayıs racing, Mike lead with three bullets, DeBenedetti was in 2nd with 9 points, McBurney in 3rd with 10 points, Finkboner in 4th with 12, Doug Hickman, with crew Brice and Derek, in 5th with 14, Roger Hicks in 6th with 20; McQuillin and Molina were in 7th and 8th, separated by one point.

Saturday night the fleet stayed close to the bar at the host yacht club for dinner and relaxation.

Sunday dawned bright and clear with the promise of 20 knots by mid-afternoon. Race four was sailed in exactly these conditions.

Scott Finkboner jumped off to a quick lead playing the right side with McBurney, DeBenedetti and Hickman. Brewer once again stayed left with Molina and McQuillin, all of whom suffered the left side blahs, rounding the weather mark behind the four right-siders. Positions changed little off wind with Brewer losing his spinnaker over the bow at the leeward drop. Fortunately, crew Fred Chandler recovered it quickly prior to the rounding, but it dropped Brewer to seventh place behind Molina and McQuillin. The rear end racing was for fifth place, the first four boats now ell ahead lead by Scott Finkboner. One the last windward leg, Brewer worked by McQuillin and then broke through to weather of Molina to capture fifth. Finkboner held off Scott McBurney for a first with DeBenedetti and Hickman finishing 3rd and 4th.

DeBenedetti, with 4 thirds, went into the last race tied with Scott McBurney, both only one point ahead of Scott Finkbonerıs 13 points, but all were chasing Mike Brewerıs 8 points. So it all came down to the 5th race.

Scott Finkboner at the start once again successfully port-tacked the fleet, working the now-favored right side for a two boat lead at the weather mark. Brewer, Hickman, DeBenedetti, McQuillin and Hicks were close behind in that order. After rounding the weather mark, Finkboner bore away as if for a downwind leg, apparently forgetting it was a triangle course. Brewer and Hickman took advantage of this lapse, driving over Scott for the first two spots. The rest of the triangle was more or less ³follow the leader² as were the following windward/leeward leg. At the finish, in dropping winds, Brewer held on for the win, with Hickman, Finkboner, DeBenedetti, and McQuillin bunched for 2nd through 5th.

The trophy ceremony was held at the bar with only the Pacific Coast Championship Cup awarded. This was Mike Brewerıs first victory in this prestigious event, joining such pasts victors from the 1960ıs and 1970ıs as the Barber Twins, Lowell North, Carl Eichenlaub, and Allan Raffie.

Tied for second were John DeBenedetti and Scott Finkboner, with Scott winning the tie-breaker. Fourth, just three points back, was Scott McBurney with a one-point advantage over Douglas Hickman in fifth.

Congratulations to Elissa McQuillin and Scott McBurney for their outstanding effort in staging the 1997 Pacific Coast Championship. Next year it is scheduled for Portland, Oregonıs fresh water venue. See you there!