Going Old School With Channel Islands to Marina del Rey Race

After the first boats had finished the 45-mile Channel Islands to Marina del Rey race on September 23, more chutes were seen on the horizon, including J/111s, 1D35s and a Hunter 37.

Wait, what? How did a 30-year-old cruiser stay within sight of the faster, lighter boats in this long downwind course and correct out overall against seasoned pros on full-on racing machines?

Local knowledge, an experienced skipper, and a seasoned crew proved a winning combination for the Hunter 37 Rascal as she corrected out first overall in the 35-boat fleet by playing the shifts and executing a dozen flawless jibes with their asymmetrical spinnaker. “The only preconceived course I had in mind was to stay away from the shore, head to the middle of Santa Monica Bay, and go for the shortest course where we could find a breeze,” said Rascal’s skipper, Kathy St. Amant. “I thought I saw that more wind would be out in the mid-bay.”

Kathy was right. Following the staggered starting sequence of slower boats starting first, racers left the starting line off Channel Islands Harbor and sailed close-hauled on starboard tacks to the first mark, Oil Island Gina, which is three miles from the shore. Then it’s a left turn and downwind 42 miles to Marina del Rey.

In the 1980s, this race left Anacapa Island to port, finishing at MDR as a feeder to the popular MDR-San Diego race. Later it was shortened, without Anacapa, before being discontinued in the 1990s as turnout declined and race volunteers moved on. During COVID year two, Del Rey Yacht Club and Channel Islands YC brought it back. Participants like the new course and the events, starting with a pre-race steak dinner at CIYC and a post-race awards brunch at DRYC.

The starting line was exciting, with the committee boat end being favored and 12-14 knots of breeze resulting in a couple of barging incidents that had the race volunteers jumping for cover with millimeters to spare between hulls.

Driving down PCH to Marina del Rey, we watched racers jibe along the beach to Zuma before heading for deeper water in the middle of Santa Monica Bay. On this sunny afternoon, dozens of colorful chutes jibing along the coast delighted beachgoers and race volunteers alike.

In the end, Kathy St. Amant’s Rascal corrected out ahead by just one minute over Lonnie Jarvis’ Chronic, a slick Farr 400m, out of Channel Islands. Chronic won her class and took line honors, finishing just before 6 p.m. against the backdrop of a beautiful autumn sunset.

Other class winners, besides Rascal and Chronic, included Revo, Brack Duker’s well-sailed J/111, Black Marlin, Herwig Baumgartner’s 1D35, OMG, Mike Geer’s recently purchased Hobie 33, and Gary Schaffel’s Odyssey, a Tartan 400. Complete results are posted at dryc.org/racing.