Byline: Rick Roberts
LONG BEACH — The Notice of Race didn’t mention that the annual Yacht Clubs of Long Beach Charity Regatta for the Children’s Clinic would also celebrate “Ladies Day.”
Women won three of nine classes presented by Alamitos Bay and Long Beach yacht clubs, featured by the four Catalina 37s all skippered by women.
Among 42 boats in 10 classes, Lynsie Gibbons of Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego led the four-boat C37 class, normally raced by some of the blokes who were grinding out the days in the America’s Cup, with two firsts and a second. In addition, Alamitos Bay YC’s Jane McNaboe won Senior Sabots and Julia Golison won Junior Sabots.
You go, girls!
In a moderate southwest breeze of 6 to 9 knots, Gibbons won the virtually all-female Catalina 37 class on the ocean course while Alamitos Bay YC’s Jane McNaboe won Senior Sabots and Julia Golison, 12, won Junior Sabots against mostly guys inside on the bay.
Gibbons said it was planned that way. The other C37 skippers were, in order of finish, Jane Hoffner of Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Judy Rae Karlsen of Long Beach YC and Kathy St. Amant of Long Beach Women’s Sailing Association.
For many, including Gibbons, it was an on-water introduction to the less-than-sleek race boats featured in Long Beach YC’s annual Congressional Cup match racing classic.
“We’re all practicing for the Linda Elias Memorial Regatta (Oct. 18-19) here,” Gibbons, 31, said. Elias, the late leading lady of Long Beach sailing, died of cancer in her prime.
“Today was my first time on a Catalina 37,” Gibbons said. “We’d heard they were aircraft carriers.”
She and St. Amant had mostly women in their crews of nine, while Hoffner and Karlsen’s teams were all women.
“I definitely surprised myself,” Gibbons said. “I had a lot of good people on board.”
Gibbons won by three points, but McNaboe had a tighter struggle with veteran Fred Stevens, Paul Anctil and John Ellis — her father — each only one point apart in first through fourth.
No big deal, McNaboe said. “I grew up with it, sailing with my dad. I didn’t think about it, really.”
Julia Golison, with a familiar surname in local sailboat racing, won the 12-boat Junior Sabot fleet by two points over Peter Sangmeister, the son of John Sangmeister, who led the Leading Edge catamaran campaign in last summer’s Transpac Race to Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Long Beach YC’s Ray Godwin won the event’s Family Trophy for the third consecutive year, with 17 members of his extended brood on board.
The event was hosted by Alamitos Bay YC, Long Beach YC, Seal Beach Yacht Club and Shoreline Yacht Clubs. Other participating organizations were Little Ships Fleet, Marina Yacht Club, Navy Yacht Club, Long Beach Singles Yacht Club and Blue Gavel District 10.
Races were run inside Alamitos Bay for dinghies and on the ocean inside and outside the breakwater for keelboats.
All entry and sponsorship funds went to six nonprofit 501c (3) licensed community health clinics serving low-income, uninsured and underinsured children and their families in the greater Long Beach area.
The Children’s Clinic is focused on “Serving Children and Their Families,” and this event has raised more than half-million dollars to aid youngsters over the last quarter-century.
Benefits and proceeds from related events — including a silent auction, a swap meet in July and a golf tournament in August — also go to the clinic.
The Children’s Clinic was organized in 1939, serving children and adults to age 95.
Long Beach Charity Regatta Winners:
Alamitos Bay YC
BIC (5 boats): Max Rosenblad, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-3-1, 5 points.
LIDO 14 (4): James Sears, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-1-2, 4.
LASER (2): Jack Berg, Long Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.
LASER RADIAL (3): Trent Turigliatto, Long Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.
SENIOR SABOT (6): Jane McNaboe, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-2-4, 7.
JUNIOR SABOT (12): Julia Golison, Alamitos Bay YC, 4-2-1, 7.
Long Beach YC
CAL 20 (9): Steven George, Alamitos Bay YC, 5-1-1, 7.
FARR 40 (4): Temptress, Ray Godwin, Long Beach YC, 3-2-1, 7.
CATALINA 37 (4): Lynsi Gibbons, Southwestern YC, 2-1-1, 4.
CAL 25 (2): Tiburon, Rick Sottile, Seal Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.
Shoreline YC
CRUISING CLASS (9):Volare, Jason Hite, Shoreline YC.
Seal Beach YC
Results not available.
