We had been sailing for only 3 years when we qualified for the 1970 Cal 20 Nationals by finishing 2nd in our Fleet Championships. However, Pat and I had beaten Hank Schofield in the Championships and he had won the Nationals in 1968. Maybe our boatspeed and our lucky #1177 would make us competitive.
The Nationals were to be held off Marina Del Rey, July 17-19. I had attended an AIAA Symposium on Sailing in 1969 and learned of a method developed by a couple of RAND Corporation people to predict the Santa Monica Bay wind patterns. It gave good info about the usual late afternoon shift in the wind in the summer. That might help us.
I could not find much about the currents in the area. That could be a problem.
Often the visibility in the afternoon off Del Rey can make it difficult to see the marks. I had the idea of using two stopwatches to keep track of the total time on each tack to the weather mark. We had a knotmeter so with a few calculations before the start, I could determine the required time on each tack to reach the mark. One watch was stopped and the other started after each tack. We could then concentrate on what the other boats were doing. When the times got within a few minutes of the required amounts, we could start sizing up how to approach the mark with the other boats on the course.
We had a lot to do to make it all happen!
I still have a handmade calendar for June and July of 1970. Looking at it now, it is hard to believe that we survived: June 17, Wet Wednesday race. June 18, Pop Top race. Friday, June 19, take outboard for checkup, get equipment for Marina Del Rey to San Diego race. June 20, rig spinnaker gear, life lines, etc., go to Bakersfield at 3:30. June 21, make man-overboard pole. June 23, sail check with Dick Deaver of North Sails at 4:30. June 24, Wet Wednesday Race. June 25, Pop Top Race. June 26, pick up 180% genoa, load boat for race. June 27, motor to Marina Del Rey. June 28, practice sail. July 1, vacation day, take kids to Wasco, final load of boat. July 2, vacation day, start of Del Rey to San Diego race. July 5, motor-sail back to Long Beach. July 6, vacation day, pick up kids in Wasco. July 7, strip boat. July 10, motor to Del Rey in pm. July 11-12, practice races off Del Rey. July 16, vacation day, take kids to Bakersfield. July 17-19, vacation days for Cal 20 Nationals. July 20, pick up kids in Bakersfield, bring boat back to Long Beach.
The sail check with Dick Deaver turned out to be very helpful. We had 3 year old sails and most of the Cal 20's at the Nationals would have new ones. Deaver motored around us in a small boat giving advice on our sail trim. Primarily, he had us tightening the jib halyard much, much more than we had ever done before.
The Marina Del Rey Race to San Diego was to be the first long distance race for us, and it was only 2 weeks before the Cal 20 Nationals. It turned out to be a short race. Late on the first day we were off the east end of Catalina Island on starboard with the chute up. I decided to jibe so we could get closer inshore to work the off-shore breeze at night. As soon as we took the load off the starboard spreader, it dangled from the upper shroud. The spreader bracket was broken. I rigged the spinnaker halyard to help support the mast and we motored back to Long Beach. We got some sleep and I went down to check the mast. The port spreader bracket was broken also. That was not on our calendar. More work to do!
The Cal 20 Nationals were limited to 60 boats. The boats were divided into flights, each flight racing against one of the other flights in each of of Friday's two races. Separate starts meant that no more than 30 boats on the starting line at one time. The boats were then divided into Championship and Consolation divisions for Saturday's two races and the final long race on Sunday. Trophies would be awarded to the first 5 boats in each division. After the first day of racing, we ended up in the Championship division.
I don't remember much about the races on Saturday except that there was a strong current across the course. At one weather mark, a lot of boats were hung up trying to fight the current. A Cal 40 spectator boat was using his motor to keep position near the mark. We saw it soon enough, sailed well beyond the layline and managed to pass a number of boats in the rounding.
The race on Sunday was a twice-around. At the end of the first circuit, we were in third, a bit behind Hank Schofield and another boat. They both rounded the lee mark and headed out on port tack. I was determined to catch them, so we rounded the mark and set out after them. After a little over a mile, I asked Pat to check our position relative to a wing mark, "E mark should be quite a way off to the right." Her reply was, "No it's real close by."
Oh no! I looked back at the lee mark, D, and most of the fleet was going out on starboard and getting lifted up by the current. We tacked immediately to get back with the fleet but had lost 5 or 6 boats. Schofield continued out on port tack. He must have finished back somewhere in the teen's.
Looking across at Bud Gardiner as we nipped him at the downwind finish really capped our weekend; and a disqualification of a boat ahead of us that boosted Bud back into first place made it doubly special. We were 7th, not in the top 5, so had nothing to take home but good memories.