Doublehanded Lightship

Thirty-eight of 40 boats that started Island YC’s 37th annual Doublehanded Lightship Race on Saturday finished the 25-mile course around the Lightship buoy and back. One dropped out early rather than face the challenging conditions out in the ocean — 20-25 knot winds with gusts into the 30s, and 10-ft seas. Tragically, the other, Kirby Gale’s Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 Daisy, was apparently claimed by those conditions — lost with both hands on the way home. (See related story below.)

Dave Kuettel’s custom Thompson 1150 Serena was the first boat to finish, blasting across the finish line off Golden Gate YC shortly after noon to post a 3-hour, 8-minute elapsed time. That was a personal best for Kuettel, who also finished first in the 2006 DHL, and only three minutes shy of Trevor Baylis’ blazing 3-hour, 5-minute mark set last year with the catamaran Lightspeed 32.

Second in was Dave Austin’s Corsair 31R Little Bear. Third across was Jonathan Livingston’s Wylie 39 Punk Dolphin, which (provisionally) corrected out to win overall. Complete results were not available at presstime but should be posted later today at www.iyc.org.