Express 27 Nationals
October - San Francisco Bay
Attitude Adjustment in the Express 27 Nationals
Hosted October 1-3 by Richmond YC, the
Express 27 Nationals crowned Soren and Liga Hoy as this year's
champions. Their Attitude Adjustment beat out second place
finisher Will Paxton's Motorcycle Irene and third place
Tom Baffico's Baffett, as well as 22 contenders in eight
races with one throwout. Liga Hoy comments:
"Our victory was a complete Attitude
Adjusted Team effort. The five of us relatively big folks were
actually 20-something pounds under the 880-lb Express 27 weight
limit. Jeff Thorpe drove under all sorts of influences and pressures
to ultimately pull it off - a truly professional sailor. J.V.
Gilmour of RYC fame was the star bowman who didn't miss a jibe
or a wind shift call as well as some critical equipment repairs.
Deb Hong - a long-time Bay Area talent, who flew in especially
from Portland, OR, was the 94-lb big spirited all-around back-up
for everyone from bowman to backup trimming the brand spanking
new kite (North). Soren Hoy called tactics and trimmed and I
was trimmer and blue-handled wincher from rail. Our crew work
was honed at the SFYC Summer Keel and the Express 27 Pre-Nationals
Regatta the weekend before the Nationals, where the winds seemed
to average 25 each weekend.
The winning crew with their trophy
Photos Ralph Deeds
"At the Nationals, we were especially
spurred on by the relentless competitive spirits and superbly
talented team efforts of all the other Express 27 crews on the
water. We have Motorcycle Irene, Baffet, Swamp Donkey, Moxie,
Chimo, Magic Bus, and many others to thank for keeping us
awake and tuned in throughout all eight races. Jeff Zarwell did
a great job as PRO, despite motor problems on Saturday.
"The one-of-a-kind Scott Easom winch
drums led to Caribbean blue handles on topsides were critical
in getting us on the rail and up to speed in the tacks, especially in the bigger wind (Saturday and Sunday) - they allowed
the crew to trim the genoa and jib from the windward rail. The
Donkey sailed by after the first race on Friday and asked,
"What are those blue handles for?" At the RYC dock,
many Express 27er's stopped and asked to pull the handles.
"If only Carl Schumacher had been
there to see a 21st century Attitude Adjustment, his First
Express 27 out of the Santa Cruz molds (hull #1) in 1982 win
the 2004 Nationals and the 2004 Season Championship after a wait
of 22 years. In spirit, he definitely was!"
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