Cazador, Stealth Chicken and Condor breeze through finish line.

Race Committee snapped this photo of Sabrina at the finish line. They are looking forward to a busy Wednesday morning of finishers.

It has been a busy Tuesday of finishing boats and updating weather and arrival forecasts as the 2009 Cabo Race has been changing like a chameleon.

The first finishers arrived in the early dawn hours, with a tight group of Santa Cruz 50's after that. Scratch boat Mag 80 came in midmorning. See the preliminary finish times in this file.

So now, all of class C has finished. In terms of the rating spreads, that was the tightest group. Looks like the ratings worked. Check out the spreads between elapsed times. Now, look at the corrected times. Over an 800-mile course, those numbers are pretty close.

The two class A boats that have finished were rocket ships this race. Akela said she never went below 10 kts and peaked at 23. No white knuckles, calm, smooth seas, perfect conditions! Scratch boat Mag 80 lived up to her hype as the boat to watch, nearly catching all of the boats that left 24 hours earlier. Check out her elapsed time. She didn't break her own record of 2½ days, but it's hard to imagine how she could've done better in these great racing conditions.

0800 hrs Tuesday morning 15 miles north of Cabo San Lazaro, breeze has finally filled in again, 15 knots out of 315.

This has been a challenging race for Team Holua so far, with brilliant sailing and tactics giving way to random holes and windshifts. But once again we have caught our fleet here off Lazaro, thanks to Joe Buck's relentless push to the inside and then a perfect call on the jibe out.

Sunrise found Westerly a few miles ahead, and then the TP 52's close
by with Grand Illusion and Alchemy coming at us on the other jibe,
well within our grasp, a pretty nice reel-in from being 12 miles
behind. Sam cooked up pancakes and bacon this morning, John
singlehanded dinner last night,meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad. Dave is driving now, with Bruce looking around going through the potential crossing scenarios, Simms is trimming and John grinding, Brack is in his bunk after some marathon driving last night,and our other bowman, young Tyler Prentiss, is resting comfortably after consuming two Red Bulls before going off watch.

After carefully navigating through frustrating wind holes, Jim Madden and his crew on Stark Raving Mad IV crossed the finish line at approximately 0515 race time on Tuesday, March 10. Their cheering could be heard over a quarter of a mile away.

Making her own approach to the finish line in the same faltering wind conditions, Horizon limped along, with everyone on the leeward side trying to create some apparent wind. While that crew was likely evaluating the pros and cons of ooching, pumping, and rocking at the finish line, a pair of sportfishing boats approached and passed Horizon at full speed...going the opposite direction...one on each side. Wakes that were nearly surfable. Two of them. Can you say VMG less than or equal to 0? Ouch!

Despite such hardships, Horizon finished, crossing the line about 23 minutes behind SRM. Because of differences in the boats' ratings, that 23-minute delta unofficially translates into approximately a 1-hour corrected time differential. Can't wait to see the official position/finishing report that comes out on Monday morning!

As of 0330 race time (0430 Pacific Daylight Time), the dogfight for line honors continues, keeping race fans and race managers right on the edges of their seats.

With under 10 nm to go to finish, SRM is doing all she can to get to the finish line in lighter air, while Horizon claws into SRM's lead, trailing by just 3 nautical miles. The boats are close enough to see each other's running lights; can you imagine the tension on board? Perhaps it's going something like this.

Can Horizon claw her way even in time? Will SRM be first to cross? An 800-mile race coming down to the wire? Inconceivable!

The ongoing battle between SRM and Horizon has continued all the way to the finish line. With less than 100 nm to go, SRM has the finish line almost in sight, while Horizon trails just a few miles behind.

Meanwhile, just over 100 nm behind, Mag 80 continues to grind past the competition. As of 1900 race time, she has passed all of class D , which started over 24 hours ahead of her, and continues to consume the miles between her and class C. While it's unlikely that she'll be first to finish, there's little doubt that Mag 80 has sailed close to her rating, and close to her own course record.

What fun would Mexico be without a few technical difficulties...it seems that no one at the Tesoro Hotel knows the password for the committee to log on to the Internet. Hopefully that will be resolved shortly...

In the meantime, the Race Committee is now on station at the beautiful Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Hotel. Temperatures are in the mid 70's and a westerly breeze has filed in at 15 - 18 knots. Weather on the course (forecasted by Commander's weather) is predicted to continue to be from the northwest as the pacific high has settled further south in the past 24 hours. Winds will range from 10-20 knots and will tend to increase from Turtle Bay to the finish.

Overnight it appears that the fleet consolidated a bit with SRM still leading the charge both on elapsed and corrected time. The question is can she hang on. Magnitude 80 and Akela have overtaken the boats in rear of the D fleet as expected.

Day 2 was interesting... we continue to see nice breeze as we reach
along with our spinnaker / staysail combination. The weather remains a
bit chilly but the spirits are high aboard Holua as we prepare for
another evening of battle among this tough fleet. Hopefully we'll work
some magic as we move further south towards Cabo!

I'll check in again tomorrow!

Brad

News reports late Friday night and midday Saturday led with the story of a small, private plane that crashed in the ocean between San Clemente island and Oceanside, CA.

No word from any of the racers in classes C & D about witnessing aircraft in trouble or debris in the water.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of Stone Froberg, the pilot and reported lone occupant of the plane.

For more on the story, please click here.

Nice afternoon aboard the Holua... After a good start, we jib reached all afternoon in 10 knots of breeze. The crew is having a great time and the boat is performing very well.

It's dinner time and I'm on watch so I'll check in tomorrow!

Adios!

And they're off! The entire fleet is now making their way to Cabo San Lucas after another picturesque start at the Newport Beach Pier. Fifteen of the fleet's fastest boats started just hours ago with 10 knots from the south, a 4-foot westerly swell and partly cloudy skies.

Holua appears to have the early lead among the class A boats after losing the start to Akela who started at the (again) favored leeward end. Current Cabo Race record holder Magnitude 80 (2d:13h:25m:58s) had a second-row start, crossing the line with her staysail up. She then tacked to port approximately 5 minutes after crossing the line to get windward of the fleet, then tacked back to starboard and hoisted her genoa and started the game of catch-up.

Weather reports suggest that the strongest winds will be offshore tonight, however looking at the 1600 hrs iboattrack.com positions shows most of class B sailing the rhumb line or closer inshore. Criminal Mischief and Relentless appear to be racing NASCAR style, with CM drafting directly off Relentless' stern. If drafting like that worked in sailing, CM would be ready to "Shake 'n Bake!"

Grand Illusion and Holua are doing the same thing. Unfortunately, in sailing that's a slow spot, as the boat in back gets close enough to eat dirty (turbulent) air from the boat in front. No "Slingshot...engage!" for Brack Duker and his gang.

Further offshore, Akela (nee Scout Spirit) is holding her lead from the start as she and a group of class A competitors head offshore. From her early maneuvering, Mag 80 is farthest west with the rest of the group fanning out behind her. TP 52 Cazador however, seems to be trailing behind; her 1600 position shows her behind most of the class B boats. Perhaps it's just a reporting glitch.

Class C continues to scout ahead, with boats spread out west of the rhumbline. If they maintain current speeds, they'll pass Isla Cedros overnight, and make a slight left turn at Turtle Bay to follow the coastline. That is, of course, if they don't choose to move outside in the search for greater pressure overnight. Cedros also marks the division between Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur, the two states of the Baja peninsula.

SRM IV holds her lead in position and is leading in class, but as the race gets longer, she needs to gain more distance to compensate for rating allowances she owes to other boats in her class and in the fleet.

Rocket appears to have made a strategic decision to move closer to shore, going from being the outermost boat to the rhumbline itself. Perhaps she's looking to use the new racing rule 19 to get room to maneuver as the inside boat on the pinwheel around Cedros.

Magic still holds the lead position in class D, but those boats are staying fairly well grouped. Like class C, they're likely to approach, and perhaps pass Cedros in the morning hours. Boats in both C & D will catch, and ultimately pass, escort vessel William B, which spent the night in Turtle Bay. As of the time of this report, the iconic tug is back underway heading southeast, likely headed for a stop at Magdalena Bay.

Life about Alaska Eagle is settling in. Our crew has meshed well and if the cloud cover would ease a bit, we'll be into some Celestial Nav practice this afternoon. Chef Bill's concoctions have gone down well, but I suspect he's only getting "warmed up". Last night we passed within a few miles of USCG Cutter Alert, apparently searching for a possible downed aircraft.

We could use a little more breeze, and a few more fish!!

More later . . .

Our first on board report from the SC 50 Horizon as they make their way to Cabo. Off to a good start, we'd say...

Uneventful start. Had wind from 160m at the start in the 7-9 kts range, hvy#1 and not making course. Here we are now at dinner time, 5pm and we've changed sails and are now flying our Code 0 with the genoa staysail in 12-15 kts hitting the occasional 10+. The class is on a west to east line with Flaca outside, Rocket, Allure and then us most inside SC 50' and SRM inside us by a mile or so with the J 133 even more down the beach and everyone seems to be the same speed. Seems a straight shot as the routing has us hitting the corners (of the Baja geography) and cutting off extra distance. Discussion on deck about a 3A or just go straight to the 2A. We've seen 17 kts TWS so far but the wind has only backed into the 270-280's. Dinner is the next milestone, and we've been solid 10+kts BS now for the last hour or so. The future looks good. It would be nice if it lifted 15 degrees more so we could set the 2A and flatten out a little. It's coming.

17-21 kts with the 4A, pole forward blasting along, top speeds in the high teens with a lot of moon. Not much in the way of waves, fairly steady sea state...and it's cold, very cold, with the big boys starting tomorrow...such is the life of an offshore Mexico race. It beats working.

After 7 hours of racing, boats in classes C and D have San Diego abeam and are within hailing distance of the Mexican border.

Horizon and SRM IV are neck and neck in the lead, offshore and inshore, respectively, with the rest of the C fleet spread out in rank behind them.

Meanwhile, the fastest of the class D boats, Magic has nearly caught up with the C fleet, trailing just a few minutes behind. The rest of the D fleet is more dispersed across the course, likely searching for stronger pressure.

Overnight, boats are likely to make their first strategic moves, picking either the inside track--keeping them closer to shore, the rhumb line, and the potential of thermal influences--or the outside track--where stronger winds and higher sailing angles might pay dividends.

Fans ashore can wake up early to check the position reports, but most boats racing will have to wait for 0800 position updates in the morning roll call to see what moves their competition has made.

Tomorrow also brings the start of the A & B classes. These fast racing machines have the potential to overtake the C & D classes late Sunday or Monday, depending on wind conditions down the course. Anyone out there care to pick a time when Magnitude 80 passes its first class D competitor? How about class C?

While you're at it, which boat are you watching this race, and why? Be sure to comment by clicking on the "Comments" link below.

Less than 3 hours ago, 11 boats in classes C & D left Newport Beach under clear skies, 2-3 foot seas and light to moderate winds. The Race Comittee aboard the NHYC flagship Jim Webster situated the starting line just off the Newport Beach Pier providing spectators and photographers a prime viewing location.

All boats checked in early, except for the S/C 50 Horizon who radioed the R/C to report minor engine trouble while transiting to the starting area from Dana Point. Fortunately the 8-member crew solved the problem, and Horizon arrived at the starting area 15 minutes before the first warning signal.

Race Committee Chairman Dwight Belden announced at the Skippers' meeting last night that it was his intention to heavily favor the pin end of the line. Interestingly, only one boat took his bait, the J/125 Stark Raving Mad IV with Jim Madden at the helm. The plan worked; SRM IV quickly launched itself out in front of the rest of the boats in the C fleet.

In class D, Cabo Race veteran Amante timed her start perfectly, crossing the line as the echoes of the start horn wafted down to the pin. Close behind her the Calkins 50 Sabrina, who won Balboa Yacht Club's Corona del Mar-to-Cabo race in 2008 on corrected time, stormed through a few boatlengths to weather with Uncontrollable Urge hot on her heels.

Spunky competitor UU is the smallest boat in the fleet at 32'. She is hoping to return to glory and finish strong in 2009. In 2007, her bid for victory was cut short by a collision with something under the surface more substantial than kelp. Though damaged then, she made it safely to the finish line. She seems in fine racing form this year. Everyone hopes her trip this time is collision-free!

As we look forward to our Saturday start, Holua is undergoing her final preparations; rigging review, sail packing, gear inventory, boat cleaning, and final provisioning. Our boat captain (Sam Heck) is very proactive so I'm confident that the boat will be in top shape. Our crew consists of our regular offshore team of the owner Brack Duker, Dave Ullman, Bruce Nelson, Mark Sims, Sam Heck, John Fuller and myself and this trip we'll have Tyler Prentice and Baja race regular our navigator, Joe Buck. Our crew is always well prepared for offshore sailing and very familiar with the boat so again, I'm ready to get heading south!

The small boats started Friday in a nice southwesterly breeze and will get down the course rather quickly today. Our forecast looks good for Saturday so we're optimistic to get offshore and get heading to Cabo in a nice breeze. It looks like Saturday evening will be a little cold so packing all the layers will be critical this year.

I'll check back in tomorrow... wish us luck!!

Adios!!

Brad Avery
Holua

With just days to go, over 250 sailors are gearing up for the 2009 Cabo Race.
Set to start on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, the regatta will feature a diverse group of 28 sailboats racing from Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas. Newport Harbor Yacht Club is the organization hosting the race.
Experienced racing sailors use the NHYC Cabo Race as a tune-up for the longer Transpacific Yacht Race. The Transpac and the Cabo Race both occur on odd years, both include significant downwind legs, and both use similar rating systems for scoring purposes.
This year, regatta organizers have partnered with Horizon Marine to supply racers with onboard GPS tracking devices that allow spectators and race managers to track racers' progress down the coast to Cabo San Lucas. Horizon's iBoat system is one of the leading race tracking systems available, and will provide data on boat position, speed, and heading 24 hours a day.
The current course record of 2 days, 13 hours, 25 minutes and 58 seconds is held by Doug Baker's Magnitude 80, set in 2005. Baker is returning in 2009 to defend that record against a fleet of swift, lightweight 70- and 50-foot boats in Class A.
Class B has the most geographic diversity, with boats hailing from ports in Southern California, Northern California, and Oregon.
The tightly grouped Class C may be one of the most hotly contested in the regatta. The expected rating differences in the class are very small. That, coupled with similarities in design features, portend close racing from Newport Beach all the way to Cabo.
Some of the most interesting stories, however, may arise out of Class D. All of the boats are veterans of racing to Cabo, and with a couple of exceptions, all are generally older, heavier, and more diverse in design.

Quick Race Facts
Numbers
15th edition of the regatta, started in 1971
26 boats, ranging from 32-80 feet in length
Approximately 250 participants
Estimated 4,000 unique virtual spectators (via online race tracking)
792 nautical miles from start to finish
Expected duration, depending on weather conditions: as little as 2½ days for fastest boats, as much as 6 days for slowest boats

Location
Starting approximately ½ nautical mile off Newport Pier, Newport Beach, California
Finishing near Cabo Falso, approximately 3 nautical miles west of Land's End, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Newport Beach and Cabo San Lucas are Sister Cities

Host organization
Newport Harbor Yacht Club

Event Partners
Newport Beach
Balboa Boat Yard
Clarke Garvey Marine Insurance
Young's Market Company
Cabo San Lucas
Marina Cabo San Lucas
Clicerio Mercado
Baja Cantina Dockside
Tesoro Hotel
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort
Victor Barreda

Media Information
A limited number of spots are available on press boats for the race starts on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7. Press boats will leave the dock at NHYC at 10:30 AM on each day and are scheduled to return--depending on weather conditions--at 1:00 PM.
To make a reservation, please contact event organizers via e-mail at caborc@nhyc.org before 12:00 PM Thursday, March 5.