‘Tonopah Low’ Wins SCYC Mix and Match (aka Jack and Jill)
I grew up in Santa Cruz as a “son of a sailor,” actually the son of two sailors. My folks’ annual sailing highlight was the yearly Jack and Jill race at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club. Bobbo and Janey raced on many boats, but the 1981 Moore 24 Tonopah Low was their favorite.
Years later, my friend and neighbor Chris “Biff” Watts won the race so many times they renamed it the Biff and Trixie Regatta for the Moore 24s.
Over the past year I have done some major renovations to Tonopah Low with the help of the team at Elkhorn Composites (Craig and Patrick), Buzz Ballenger at the mast shop, and Larry Tuttle at Waterat Sailing Equipment, three of the last boat shops in Santa Cruz that are still pouring resin and making old and new boats go fast.
Anyway, I digress.… My longtime friend and past 470-tuning partner Pam Healy (2027 StFYC commodore) and I came together on a beautiful autumn weekend in Santa Cruz for this year’s Jack and Jill event. There were a handful of other competitive Moores out enjoying a nice day on the water. After a short wind delay, the SCYC regatta team got us rolling with a Mile Buoy/Black Point twice-around course in the 8-knot SW wind. Pam, first time on a Moore 24, won the pin end as we sailed offshore with four other Moores on our right side. They say, “Always go right,” in Santa Cruz, and well, we didn’t and rounded Mile Buoy in last place.
Pam suggested a quick jibe (nothing was too quick with me on the bow), but we managed to jibe back toward the building breeze and get the jib down without incident. Her tactic paid handsomely as we slowly snuck past the other Moores battling for wind below us. I begged for an early drop so I had time to tuck the kite away, as any rookie bowman would do.
We lost our lead with the conservative approach, but then stretched our legs as the building westerly filled in. This time we led at Mile Buoy, which means you’re the first to scare the sea lions as you pass by. This time we completed a jibe set in the building 15-knot west wind and had a nice slide down to the finish. Winning the Jack and Jill is no easy task, and the trophy is quite a reward! Thank you, Pam, for slumming it in Santa Cruz! I think she liked SCYC bartender KC’s “Biffarita” and I know she will be back.
You can find the full scores to the SCYC Mix and Match here.
*Check out Latitude’s Good Jibes podcast with Pam Healy on “Giving Back to Women Sailors.”