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July 24, 2017

‘Weckless’ Continues Winning Ways

This story [which has been updated as of 1 p.m.] comes courtesy of Anne Russell in response to our Cover Contest, where we were also soliciting general sailing news, stories and photos.

Fathers, daughters and friends take a photo with the Jim DeWitt perpetual trophy. From left: Kelsey Tostenson, Will Martens, Tim Russell, John Claude, Madison Claude, Haylee Woolard, and Lucie Russell.

© 2017 Anne Russell

"San Francisco Yacht Club member Tim Russell and SFYC Youth Sailing Instructor Will Martens won the High Sierra Regatta just over a week ago aboard the Wylie Wabbit Weckless," Anne wrote. "Along with crew member John Claude, they won the five-race regatta, taking bullets in four out of the five races.

Weckless sails to windward with John Claude on the trapeze, Will Martens in the middle and Tim Russell at the helm.

© 2017 Anne Russell

Anne said that over 100 boats competed at the High Sierra Regatta, which is hosted by the Fresno Yacht Club on Huntington Lake (sitting at just under 7000 feet of elevation). The regatta is held over two weekends in July, and has been running for over 60 years now. Fleets included Optis, Moths, Lidos, two Day Sailor divisions, Banshees, Snipes, Lasers and Laser Radials, Vanguard 15s, Victory 21s, RS Aeros, San Juan 21s, Thistles, Moore 24s, two PHRF divisions and a Sport Boat fleet. The dinghies race the first weekend, the keelboats the second. 

The winning crew. From left: Jean Claude, skipper Tim Russell and Will Martens.

© 2017

"Tim has raced the regatta for 10 years, and has a record eight-year winning streak," Anne wrote. "In addition to the first-place trophy, a framed Jim DeWitt painting of a Wylie Wabbit is awarded as the perpetual prize. Will Martens — who’s been on the podium for two consecutive years now — will be a sophomore at Charleston College in South Carolina, where he’s also on the sailing team. Tim enjoys racing in and outside the Bay Area on various boats representing SFYC."

PHOTO

For the full rundown of this year’s High Sierra Regatta, be sure to check out Race Sheet in the August issue. 

And if you have a great sailing story or photos, please send them here!

Can You Help with Shipping Info?

Tieman, aboard his really cool cat, at Turtle Bay shortly after she was launched in 2008. 

latitude/Richard
©2017Latitude 38 Media, LLC

You might be able to help Glenn Tieman, a Californian who is perhaps the most frugal cruiser in history. Back in the day he cruised for seven years on just $1 a day. And in 2008, he launched the 38-ft Manu Rere that he built for something like $14,000. He’s been cruising her ever since.

Unfortunately, Maru Rere, Tieman’s replica of a Polynesian cat, was T-boned and badly damaged by a fishing boat in Malaysia about a month ago. Glenn was back in the States with his ailing father at the time.

Tieman’s boat, such as she is, in a boatyard of sorts in Malaysia.

© Glenn Tieman

Upon his return to Malaysia, Glenn was able to get the cat hauled at a boatyard under a bridge, and he cut out the damaged areas of the hulls. His plan is to have a friend buy and mill some cedar in the States. When done, the wood will fit in a package about 7 feet by 6 inches by 6 inches, and weigh about 30 pounds.

But here’s where Glenn needs help. The quote he got from FedEx for even such a small package is beyond his still extremely modest budget. As such, he’s hoping somebody in the Latitude readership knows something about how to get such a package to Indonesia economically. He’d like to get the wood in less than six weeks.

If you can help, please email Glenn at [email protected]. And please send a copy to [email protected].

Damage to one of the cat’s hulls. 

© 2017 Glenn Tieman

Our gut feeling is that Glenn is not the kind of guy who would solicit contributions. But if there is no other solution, the Wanderer would be happy to chip in $100 toward whatever shipping expense there would be. Tieman is that much of a unique and unheralded American cruiser/adventurer. Would anybody else be willing to chip in? 

Glenn’s main living quarters. If we’re not mistaken, this is the area in the above photo that was badly damaged. 

latitude/Richard
©2017Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Local Triumphs in Governor’s Cup

The victorious locals of Team Killian celebrated their win at Balboa YC.

© 2017 Longpre Photos

Sailing for the host club, Balboa Yacht Club, 20-year-old Christophe Killian won the Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship on July 17-22 in Newport Beach. Team Killian was the first winner from the host club since 1980.

Killian, with crew Harrison Vandervort and Jack Martin, scored a 3-0 win over Christopher Weis of Del Rey YC in the semis and a 3-1 victory over Kiwi Leonard Takahashi in the finals. It wasn’t as easy as it might sound. Although Killian won the first race against Takahashi, the 18-year-old Kiwi came back to tie the series in the second race.

The Governor’s Cup is held in purpose-built 21-ft boats.

© Longpre Photos

Australia’s Harry Price, the sixth-ranked sailor in the World Sailing Open Match Racing rankings, was the favorite going in, but uncharacteristic mistakes led to his loss to Takahashi. Price and Weis sailed the petit final to determine third place; Weis won that match 3-1.

The Governor’s Cup dates back to 1967, when California’s governor, Ronald Reagan, donated the trophy. See www.govcupracing.com for more.

While prowling the Sausalito waterfront we came across this sleek new 50-footer recently delivered to a Bay Area owner.