Bartlett captures fourth Trans-Tahoe victory
Fast-changing weather conditions marked the 43rd running of the Trans-Tahoe Regatta last Saturday, the annual feature race of the Tahoe Yacht Club.
Nevertheless, good racing conditions prevailed for much of the day and favored boats with big reaching spinnakers. Groovy, Les Bartlett’s tricked-out Venture 24 with Soling rig and masthead kite, won first place overall for keelboats. It was Bartlett’s fourth Trans-Tahoe victory.
Merlin, a Melges 32 owned by John Corda and Richard Courcier, took a close second, just nine seconds behind Groovy in corrected time using Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) time-on-time handicapping.
Bay Area boats fared well in the regatta, with Kirsten Lane’s Brick House winning the hotly contested Melges 24 division of eight boats, and with Scott Hipsley’s Wild Thing taking second, 13 seconds behind Brick House.
In the C Division (PHRF over 130), Mike Whitfield’s J/24 TMC Racing sailed extremely well to finish second in conditions not well suited for J/24s.
Big spinnakers were key in gaining line honors. Dick Ferris’ J/125 August Ice, with its huge masthead kite, was the fist keelboat to finish, completing the 26-mile course in 4 hours, 29 minutes.
Gary Redelberger’s brand new Farr 36 ” just completed by Jim Betts in his Verdi, Nev., yard ” took second, 17 seconds behind August Ice.
Adrenaline, Bill Erkelens’ Custom 36 took first in the multi-hull division, beating 10 Corsairs, including Ross Stein’s Origami and Jerry Grant’s Freedom Dance, which finished second and third respectively.
Mike Robinson’s Express 27 Expressway won the B division (PHRF 90-19). Knott Bitchin, owned by Choco Moller and Walt Frese, won first in the cruising (non-spinnaker keelboat) division.
Weather conditions included two hours of no wind that delayed the start followed by a wind change of 180 degrees an hour after the start. Later, a large thunderhead loomed in from the south, bringing rainsqualls and lightning to the back of the fleet. Finally, a rare northeasterly wind replaced Tahoe’s normal afternoon southwesterly. To meet the fast-moving weather, most crews stayed busy hoisting spinnakers a dozen or more times during the race.
“Fifty-two boats registered for the regatta,” said Jim Mullen, regatta co-chairman, “including a number of Melges 24s that will be competing in the Melges 24 PCCs at the TYC a week after the Trans-Tahoe, and there were some J/24s that will be competing in the J/24 Western Regionals in South Lake Tahoe that same weekend.
“Also, we had a fleet of 10 Corsairs that have made the Trans-Tahoe a big part of a week-long, summer rendezvous and family campout at Lake Tahoe.”
A Division (PHRF under 90):
Merlin Melges 32, John Corda, Richard Courcier
Racer X Farr 36, Gary Redelberger
Ice Nine J/109, Jim Casey
August Ice J/125, Dick Ferris
Arch Angel Antrum 27, Bryce Griffith
Reddy Freddy J/100, Fred Altmann
Chinook J/105, Jim Duffy
Boowin Bayou J/105, Jim Teel
B Division (PHRF 90-129):
Espressway Express 27, Mike Robinson
Stray Cat Olson 30, Brian Barger
True Luff Tartan 10, John Utter
Ripple Hobie 32, Ted Stover
The Sting Canadian 36, John Larsen
E Ticket Olson 30, Eric Arnold
C Division (PHRF 130 and up):
Groovy Venture 24, Les Bartlett
TMC Racing J/24, Michael Whitfield
Blue J J/24, Brian Mullen
Tinker Toy Santana 20, Blair Wallace
Ricochet Ultimate 20, Geoff Gardner
Brainwave Wylie, Charles Quagliari
Poopsie Santa Cruz 27, John Rogers
Charisima Catalina 27, Randy Chitwood
Mental Floss San Juan, Byrne Falke
Eowyn Olson 25, Pat Colletti
On Belay J/24, Don Taylor
Melges 24 Division 8 boats:
Brick House Melges 24, Kristen Lane
Wild Thing Melges 24, Scott Hipsley
Seein Double Melges 24, Peter and Brian York
Personal Puff Melges 24, Dan Hauserman
Nothing Ventured Melges 24, Tom Klenke
TTFN Melges 24, Stacy Conner
Go Dogs Go Melges 24, Tim Hawkins
Regazzoni Melges 24, Donnelly
Cruising Division (non-spinnaker keel boats) 5 boats:
Knot Bitchin Melges 24, Choco Moller, Walt Frese
Kracklin Rose Merritt 22, Dennis Cleary
Prime Interest Catalina, Bob Pelton
Multi-Hull Division 11 boats:
Adrenaline Custom 36, Bill Erkelens
Origami Coursair 24, Ross Stein
Freedom Dance Coursair 24, Jerry Grant
Puppeteer Coursair 24, Thom Davis
Ama Mana Coursair 24, Cal Tanucchi
Flash Coursair 24, Bret Nelson
Trident Coursair 24
Miss Blue Eyes Coursair 28
Preshuss Coursair 24, Fred Cox
Jubilent Coursair 24, Brian Burke
Rociante
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