{"id":3259,"date":"2022-06-28T04:56:07","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T04:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/?p=3259"},"modified":"2022-06-28T05:07:08","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T05:07:08","slug":"bruce-cooper-on-the-ullman-sails-long-beach-race-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/28\/bruce-cooper-on-the-ullman-sails-long-beach-race-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Bruce Cooper on the Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Join us for an interview with regular guest Bruce Cooper <\/strong>\u2013 insights into the race at Long Beach only heard here on Sail Sport Talk airing on Tuesday, June 28th LIVE at 9:37 am on SportsBylineUSA.com<\/a>


PRESS RELEASE

Top form and top conditions prevail at Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2022\u00a0<\/strong>

LONG BEACH, CA\u00a0\u00a026 JUNE 2022 \u2013 \u2013 Competitors returned to Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week<\/a> (USLBRW) this weekend in top form, despite the three-year hiatus forced by the pandemic; their outstanding performance matched only by the spectacular sailing conditions. Across the course sails were trimmed, tactics were sharp, and smiles were wide on the faces of hundreds of racers who turned out for this venerated season opener.

For decades USLBRW has been one of the favorite regattas for sailors on the west coast, with highly fought competition, nightly parties, and weather conditions that say, \u2018Hello summer!\u201d

And this weekend was no exception as Mother Nature doled out three days of sunshine, breeze, dolphin sightings, and fun.

USLBRW is hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club<\/a> (ABYC) and Long Beach Yacht Club<\/a> (LBYC) with a helping hand from California Yacht Club and an armada of volunteers. The collaboration provides for three distinct racecourses, all expertly managed, hosting 14 different divisions. Spanning the horizon this weekend, the waters off Long Beach and Seal Beach were peppered with colorful spinnakers and sails as far as the eye could see.

\u201cIt\u2019s been good to have everyone back and enjoying the regatta,\u201d said Principal Race Officer Mark Townsend. \u201cThe Long Beach breeze really delivered and we had highly competitive racing all three days!\u201d Townsend explained the courses were designed to be challenging and based on the fleets anticipated, with several months of planning and exploring various course options. Final course selection \u2013 where to go and how far \u2013 came down to race-day conditions, and Townsend commended Race Committee volunteers on all three courses for pulling off those races seamlessly.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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PHOTO CREDITS TOM WALKER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Racing began at 12:55PM Friday\u00a0with breezy conditions testing the fleet right out of the gate. Wind that gusted to 21 knots created a formidable chop, even in the inner harbor race circle \u2018C.\u2019 That didn\u2019t stop organizers from running two races for the windward-leeward boats, and a lengthy trial for the random leg entrants.

By Day Two the leaderboard began to solidify as the wind continued to blow. Dominating the J\/111 fleet was\u00a0Skeleton Key<\/em>, as PHRF-C was controlled by the J\/35\u00a0Rival<\/em>.\u00a0Shadowfax<\/em>\u00a0took an early hold on random leg-C while\u00a0Argo4\u00a0<\/em>reigned in random leg-A. The Carkeek 40\u00a0Adjudicator<\/em>\u00a0had rivals green with envy, with all top two finishes.

But for many classes, the racing was tight and it would come\u00a0down to the final matches on the final day.\u00a0

Bruce Golison\u2019s J\/70\u00a0Midlife Crisis<\/em>\u00a0held off an attack by\u00a0Nimbus<\/em>, who was OCS in Race Three. Despite a brilliant rally to a ninth-place finish in that race,\u00a0Nimbus<\/em>\u00a0was unable to best\u00a0Midlife Crisis\u2019<\/em>\u00a0all top-five finishes, and finished second overall, with\u00a0Huckleberry<\/em>\u00a0third.\u00a0Midlife Crisis\u2019\u00a0<\/em>stellar performance earned the team both J\/70 gold and Friday\u2019s Boat of the Day honors. Steven Proud\u2019s J70\u00a0Swish<\/em>, hailing from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Aus., received\u00a0\u00a0the Furthest Traveled award.

In the Beneteau 36.7 division, Larry Smith\u2019s\u00a0PI<\/em>\u00a0captured gold and the High Point Series distinction. Although\u00a0Rode Rage\u00a0<\/em>had\u00a0five straight wins on Saturday and Sunday, they could not overcome an absence Friday and two dncs, and finished six points behind\u00a0PI<\/em>, with\u00a0Bella Vita<\/em>\u00a0close behind.

Three boats racked up perfect scores in USLBRW 2022:<\/strong> J\/35\u00a0Rival<\/em>\u00a0in PHRF-C and the J\/111\u00a0Skeleton Key<\/em>, both with a lucky seven wins in seven races; plus\u00a0Shadowfax<\/em>, who logged three firsts in the random leg-C division.

In the end,\u00a0Adjudicator<\/em>\u00a0triumphed in PHRF A followed by\u00a0Flaquita<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Pendragon IV<\/em>. In PHRF B, Jim Bailey\u2019s\u00a0Destroyer<\/em>\u00a0took first and with sons Charlie, Danny and William at his side, also took home the Golison and Kent Family Trophy for the highest placing boat sailed by at least three members of an immediate family. Second place in PHRF B went to\u00a0Jim<\/em>, with\u00a0Lugano<\/em>\u00a0third.

Farr 40 racing was wily and wild, with\u00a0Blade II<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Insanity<\/em>\u00a0battling it out for first. But a penalty in Race Five proved a setback for\u00a0Insanity<\/em>\u00a0which they couldn\u2019t overcome. They finished second to\u00a0Blade II<\/em>, with\u00a0Dark Star<\/em>\u00a0third.Racing the Catalina 37s for both trophies and bragging rights on the bay, Team\u00a0D-Ives Plus<\/em>\u00a0held off a robust challenge by\u00a0Temptress<\/em>\u00a0to nab the title: squeezing out\u00a0Temptress<\/em>\u00a0by two points, with\u00a0Team Del Rey Yacht Club<\/em>\u00a0just one point astern. For their effort,\u00a0D-IvesPlus<\/em>\u00a0won both the Catalina 37 National Championship and\u00a0Satariano One Design Boat of the Week\u00a0award. In addition, Keith Ives\u2019 accomplishment\u00a0gave his colleagues a leg-up in the Team Challenge, capturing that honor alongside LBYC teammates\u00a0Whiplash<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Relentless<\/em>.

It could be said that Bob Little and team \u2018crushed\u2019 the competition in the J\/109 division, with\u00a0Blue Crush\u00a0<\/em>edging out\u00a0Fuzzy Logic<\/em>\u00a0by two points, and\u00a0Raptor<\/em>\u00a0in third. Said Little, \u201cIt was super tough competition this weekend.\u00a0Our contenders were super-fast boats all weekend and the competition was fierce. The win did not come easy.\u201d The team was recognized as the J\/109 Pacific Coast Champion.\u201c

Where yesterday\u2019s (Saturday) races were challenged by strong winds, the challenge today was shifty winds,\u201d he continued. Little has owned\u00a0Blue Crush<\/em>\u00a0for just over three years, making this the J\/109\u2019s USLBRW debut. \u201cAny of the boats in the fleet could have won,\u201d he added. \u201cWe got lucky \u2013 and a couple of good breaks.\u201d

Ed Feo\u2019s\u00a0Loco X<\/em>\u00a0advanced into first place in the Viper 640 division on Day Two and hung on to win the Pacific Coast Championship title. Tight racing in that fleet saw several changes in the leaderboard over the three-day regatta, with Geoff Fargo\u2019s\u00a0Boomslang<\/em>\u00a0leaping into second after a stellar Day Two which won the team Saturday\u2019s One-Design Boat of the Day trophy. They finished second with\u00a0Boiling Point<\/em>\u00a0third, just one point over\u00a0Haulin\u2019 Asp<\/em>.

PHRF Boat of the Week honors went to Ken Keiding\u2019s\u00a0ARGO4<\/em>, which prevailed over a half dozen stunning and slick competitors in the random leg-A division. In over 60nm of offshore racing, it came down to one point between\u00a0Argo 4<\/em>\u00a0and second place\u00a0Saga<\/em>.\u00a0Nereid<\/em>\u00a0finished third.\u00a0

Winning the\u00a0Schock 35 Pacific Coast Championship was Roderick Messinger\u2019s\u00a0Buttercup<\/em>: reputed to be hull number one of the legendary Schock 35 fleet. And while\u00a0Messinger may have been a newbie at USLBRW, the storied history of\u00a0Buttercup<\/em>\u00a0was not.\u00a0

Messinger, a retired lifeguard, purchased the boat in 2018 from its original owner: Dennis Conner. He reported Conner was specifically looking to sell the boat to a rookie; someone who would learn to sail, go out and get others involved in the sport.\u00a0

After changing hands, Messinger undertook extensive renovations for\u00a0Buttercup<\/em>, included the painstaking removal of 40 years and multiple layers of bottom paint. He said refurbishment efforts will eventually benefit his son and grandson, although for now Messinger is joyfully carrying out Conner\u2019s wishes and the legacy of this boat. He said he rarely sails with the same crew twice and has been actively seeking new sailors. For USLBRW, however, veteran sailors Mark Harris and Scott Serber pitched in to guide the new skipper and work with the crew. Rumor has it\u00a0Buttercup<\/em>\u00a0is the only boat Conner never lost a race on. After three days of racing and first-overall honors in the class, indeed\u00a0Buttercup\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0legacy continues.\u00a0

Messinger was quick to give thanks to USLBRW race organizers and committee, volunteers and ABYC and LBYC staff. \u201cIt\u2019s not only that they have done such a great job, but it\u2019s the whole welcoming vibe of the event,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m very honored to be here.\u201d

J\/111 skipper Derek Heeb concurred. \u201cIt\u2019s an absolute pleasure to be here.\u201d He\u2019s only owned his J\/111\u00a0Gurli\u00a0<\/em>for a week, so this regatta was their first. \u201cIt was a great inaugural race for the crew, and such a great venue with lots of breeze!\u201d He added, \u201cI also deeply appreciate Ullman\u2019s Sails helping out with all the snags and tears the weekend brought.\u201d

USLBRW is sponsored by\u00a0Ullman Sails; Councilwoman Suzie Price and Evans Mfg.; plus the Oriana Shea Group, Engel & V\u00f6lkers Yachting, Tom Walker Photography and Pirates Lair.\u00a0

Title sponsor and Ullman Sails Newport Beach proprietor Bruce Cooper announced, \u201cLong Beach delivered! In buoy racing, six of the seven races were in beyond-perfect conditions; only one was momentarily challenged by fog and lighter air,\u201d but that too tested the skills of the competitors.

As a sponsor, the Ullman Sails crew took care of last-minute sail changes and repair, and worked into the wee hours Friday and Saturday, he noted. \u201cWe are totally committed to getting all the boats up to full speed and having the best possible competition. Sailing was unbelievably close in all classes, each having tight finishes. There were no runaways; no one getting to the hoist early,\u201d added Cooper.

Cooper estimated that 65-percent of racers were participating in a one-design class and that is an area destined to grow. He lauded ABYC and LBYC for their management of the regatta, and added, \u201cThe cooperation of these two yacht clubs has made for a great team for many years. For anyone who missed this year\u2019s Race Week, we\u2019ll be back bigger and better next year!\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Previous interview with Bruce Cooper July 2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous interview with Bruce Cooper April 2020<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Join us for an interview with regular guest Bruce Cooper \u2013 insights into the race at Long Beach only heard here on Sail Sport Talk airing on Tuesday, June 28th LIVE at 9:37 am on SportsBylineUSA.com PRESS RELEASE Top form and top conditions prevail at Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2022\u00a0 LONG BEACH, CA\u00a0\u00a026 JUNE 2022 \u2013 \u2013 Competitors returned to Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week (USLBRW) this weekend in top form, despite the three-year hiatus forced by the pandemic; their outstanding performance matched only by the spectacular sailing conditions. Across the course sails were trimmed, tactics were… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[142,45,143,53,44,119,522],"class_list":["post-3259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-long-beach-yacht-club","tag-karen-lile","tag-racing","tag-rick-tittle","tag-sail-sport-talk","tag-sailing","tag-sailing-community","tag-ullman-sails"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sailsporttalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ullman-Sails-Bruce-Cooper-Headshot-Horizontal-Newport-Beach-1190x594-1-e1589939056999.jpg?fit=600%2C299&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3259"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3272,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259\/revisions\/3272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}