MEXORC Copa Corum

The 2014 edition of the biennial MEXORC Copa Corum concluded Saturday. To say that all racers enjoyed themselves last week would likely be an understatement. The friendly on-the-water competition was augmented on land, where sailors enjoyed post-racing parties and one of Mexico’s finest tourist destinations.

Although this year’s attendance was down from years past, that didn’t make the racing any less competitive. Whether you were racing the newest one-design class on J/70s, or aboard one of the largest boats in Division 1 — with Peligroso, Vincitore, Grand Illusion, and others — everyone on the race course was focused on winning. Soon after they were focused on having a good time.

Among the California boats that competed, the most notable may well have been Grand Illusion, James McDowell’s Santa Cruz 70, once known as Hotel California back in the day. Her crew was champing at the bit to win, and after the second day of racing they were in first in their division and didn’t look back. 

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In the J/70 fleet, our own Wayne Zittel, Barry Demak and crew Rick Taylor tied for first place in their first-ever one-design division, but came in second. Richmond YC’s Bill Helvestine’s Santa Cruz 50 Deception was sailed by her regular Bay Area crew plus a few others who filled in during the week. Although they weren’t quite as competitive as they had hoped, it was a remarkable experience for all on board.

Find the final results here and stay tuned for an in-depth story in the May issue of Latitude 38.