Express 27 Nationals
Who said you can't go home again? Well you can, and if you race an Express 27 then home is in Santa Cruz for this year’s Nationals. Twelve boats showed up July 10-12 at Santa Cruz Yacht Club for a picture perfect three-day weekend of nine races changing from light air in the morning to plenty of wind and surfing opportunities galore. Laura Watt crewed on Buzz Blackett’s New Wave, and sent us these pictures and commentary.
It's not quite as windy closer to shore, so those of us who put our big jibs up got as close to the the kelp beds as we dared. © 2009 Laura Watt
We hit our top speed (12.4) for the regatta while surfing a wave in BIG breeze near the top mark, and after a rather spectacular wipe-out. © 2009 Laura Watt
It's awfully cool to sail with a father and son team, especially two guys as fabulous as Buzz and David. © 2009 Laura Watt
Discotheque and Moxie in the third race on sunday, the ninth and last race of the regatta. We needed to beat both these boats to climb up into third place, and we couldn't quite do it - so they took fourth and third and we took fifth. © 2009 Laura Watt
Congratulations to Freaks ona Leash, who won the regatta and the national championship, and to Witchy Woman who took second. “What a fabulous weekend of wild sailing in Santa Cruz!” said Laura.
Our New Wave team, wearing our spiffy new team shirts (thanks Buzz!). L-r: Ellen Liebenberg (bow), Laura Watt (pit), David Blackett (behind his dad, trim), Buzz Blackett (skipper/owner/driver), and Skip Shapiro (trim/main/tactics) © 2009 Laura Watt
For more of Laura’s photos from the Nationals, see www.flickr.com/photos/lawatt/sets/72157621274545645. For complete results and more, see http://express27.org. The next regatta in the Express 27 Championship Series is the Sarcoma Cup on August 22 at Richmond YC.
July 22, 2009
Lining up for the second start. © 2009 Laura Watt