Class Acts at the Jessica Cup

Twenty seven boats in five divisions enjoyed spectacular fall racing in the Jessica Cup over the weekend. A sort of mini version of the annual Master Mariners Regatta (held every Memorial Day), the Jessica Cup is as much spectacle as competition (at least for observers), as the participant boats are all classic wooden craft, many built or designed before World War II.

Several days of rain at the end of the week gave way to brilliant clear skies on Saturday, with a brisk 10-12 westerly eventually filling in to usher the fleet around a main Bay course off the hosting St. Francis YC. Two races on Saturday were followed by one on Sunday.

While it’s always fun to see big schooners like Brigadoon and Yankee steaming along with multiple sails flying, it was a particular treat to see the Farallon Clippers and L-36s racing in their own one design divisions – even if there were only three boats in each. Don Taylor’s VIP notched the win for the Clippers with a 1-2-1 record, while Allen Edwards and his Papoose crew aced the L-36s, also with a 1-2-1.

The following boats won their respective classes. Gaff Division – Brigadoon, 50ft Herreschoff schooner (built 1924), Terry Klaus; Marconi I Division – Bolero, 44-ft Davis sloop (1946), Tim Murison; Marconi II Division – Chorus, Kettenberg 38 (1958), Peter English; Farallon Clipper – VIP, Don Taylor; L-36 – Papoose, Allen Edwards. For complete results, see www.stfyc.com.