“The 25th Annual Plastic was, as usual, a dandy regatta,” says race organizer John Super of the Bay View Boat Club. “The wind, though light at the start, filled in to the usual 15+ knots. Since the wind came late, the boats that started in the doldrums were at a disadvantage for the overall ‘Fastest Boat’ award.” Seven starts were sent off in the South Bay on Saturday, under warm, sunny skies decorated with high clouds. Forty-six out of 55 boats entered finished the race.

“The regatta began as a way to promote the dying fleets of the pre-1970 era of fiberglass boats. There is a certain irony in the fact that this regatta was won overall by a J/24, John Gulliford’s Phantom. The entry requirements were changed several years ago to include boats that were made of ‘plastic’ and designed 25 years ago, not just boats that were designed before 1970. You could say that the race has gone full circle.”

Another ‘modern’ design that made a showing was the Santana 22. The reigning fleet champion, Tom Montoya, and his Meliki crew, thought their boat might have come in first overall. They did finish first in their division - and were first in divsion on corrected time - for a few days (read on). “We got lucky and got away from the first weather mark before the crowd arrived. We then avoided the ebb by staying on shore and fighting through the light spots, while many others went out into the ebb and dying breeze. Having sailed that area a lot when I had a Ranger 23 at Ballena Bay years ago also taught me that the wind fills from the shore on that side of the Bay.

“This was the first time I sailed the Plastic Classic, so I had to depend on the race instructions for the finish line. The instructions said the finish was between ‘T’ and the club deck. T is described as the yellow inflatable buoy. So we crossed T to port and did not get a gun or noise. We radioed the RC and asked if we had finished and they said, ‘Read the instructions.’ So we did and could not figure out what else might have been the finish line. We finally sailed by the catamaran and got a noise. When I radioed again to ask if we had finished, they said yes. When I asked if we were first to finish, they said no, two boats finished in front of us. When I said that was not correct, they said to come into the club. So I went and spoke to the RC. When I showed them the instructions they agreed it was not clear that the catamaran was the finish. I told them we should have corrected out on the two boats they had finishing in front of us, so no big deal.”

John Super explains ‘T’, which was provided by the cruising catamaran Rot Kat: “The famous T Mark, a Plastic Classic tradition, was crewed by a bevy of ladies who greeted sailors as they rounded the mark.”

The International Folkboat Wind Song, sailed by BVBC member Paul Harris, was originally second in Meliki’s division. On Tuesday, we got this correction from the race committee: “The rating for the boat Wind Song was updated from 228 to 234. The 228 rating is for an International Folkboat with an outboard. Wind Song has an inboard and prop, which changes her rating to 234. This changed the results of the race. Wind Song won first in her division and was the fastest pre-1970 boat. The J/24 was fastest post-1970 boat and fastest overall.”

Wind Song accomplished their win with a ripped spinnaker, a half-ounce off an Etchells. They left it up for the spinnaker run and it didn’t tear any more. Paul, a sailmaker, judged that the conditions were light enough for the fairly new kite to make it without further damage. Paul found Wind Song’s jib at Blue Pelican Marine, a consignment shop, for $125. The Ranger 23 jib is only 2-3 inches short of a full hoist.

Paul Sutchek, foredeck, spinnaker trimmer and trapeze artist on Richard Von Ehrenkrook’s Cal 20 Can O’ Whoopass, told us that they do anything they can to make a slow boat go fast. “I’m not sure the trapeze is helping us. We get an 18-second/mile hit (from PHRF 273 to 255). It only helps if it’s windy.”

Besides a trapeze for upwind work, Can-O uses a spinnaker for downwind speed.

During the morning, vintage ‘plastic’ boats racing and not racing are invited to the BVBC dock for a Concours d’Elegance, where they are judged on their merits standing still. Stealing the show was Shantung, a 1976 Luders Cheoy Lee Clipper, 33-ft on deck and 38-ft overall. Shantung (Chinese silk) is owned by Mary Buckman, Rear Commodore of BVBC, who bought her in 1982.

“After racing,” said John Super, “most of the boats anchored off the Bay View Boat Club and their crews were taken ashore by water taxi for festivities and food. Put the 26th Annual Plastic Classic on your 2010 Schedule: the third Saturday in July.” See results at www.plasticclassic.com.

The much-heralded photo gallery is lengthier than any we’ve produced so far and is now available for leisurely viewing.