Latitude 38 - May 2020-2021

man, Santana 22, Tom Manheim/Marius Landauer, 38. (4 boats) Full results at www.scyc.org

LATITUDE / CHRIS

Eight Bells for

Schoonerman Paul Plotts

The iconic patriarch of the San Diego schooner fleet has slipped beneath the waves. Paul Plotts passed on April 10, 2020, a few days before his 93rd birthday.

Paul has been involved in San Diego traditional sailing since at least the early 1980s when he sailed the 30-ft gaff cutter Artemis, crewed by his young son Tom, in races with the Ancient Mariners Sailing Society. Paul's obsession with schooners would begin with his purchase of the 1930 Alden schooner Dauntless in 1984. Paul challenged Bagherra, a local Alden schooner owned by Todd Schwede, to a match race on San Diego Bay in 1986 and again in 1987. The America's Schooner Cup officially commenced in 1988 with fleet schooner racing as a charity regatta hosted by Kona Kai YC. Paul and Dauntless won the inaugural 1988 Schooner Cup and then also the 30th Schooner Cup in 2018 when he was 90. Paul also started the Billy Bones Schooner Race in 1986 in honor of his late friend Bob Sloan of the schooner Spike Africa. The Billy Bones Schooner Race would draw up to 20 schooners from Southern California to race from Mission Bay to San Diego Bay. The race featured a beach BBQ and memorable schooner raft-ups in Mariners Cove (Mission Bay) and La Playa Cove in San Diego Bay. Dauntless not only sailed San Diego Bay, but regularly competed in the Master Mariners Regatta on San Francisco Bay and the McNish Classic Yacht Race in Oxnard. Paul and Dauntless were most comfortable in offshore races, and sailed twice in the Ancient Mariners Transpac races to Lahaina, Maui, in 1985 and 1991. His sights were always set on the race's elapsed-time record set by Byron Chamberlin's Burgess schooner Rose of Sharon in 1981. Unfortunately, the 1985 and 1991 Ancient Mariners Transpacs were slower races sailed in light winds.

Paul is survived by his wife Peggy, son Tom, Tom's wife Deby, and grandsons Paul and Adam. A celebration of life will be announced at a later time.

Fair winds and following seas, old On the plus side, the Transpacific YC opened registration for the 51st Transpac on April 2. The first wave of starters will depart Los Angeles on July 13, 2021. As of midApril, 13 skippers had signed up to race to Honolulu. The early entries range in size from Charles Devanneaux's 31ft Figaro 3 Mary Girafon to Maryland-based David Happ's Andrews 68 Mr. Bill. Chip Merlin's Bill Lee 68 Merlin will be back for another go, and two Cal 40s are already signed up. See more at www. transpacyc.com. In mid-April, the SSS issued the following: "TheThis image of Paul Plotts graced the cover of 'Latitude 38' in July 2003. With Singlehandedone foot in the water rushing over the rail, Paul steered a galloping 'Dauntless' in the Master Mariners Regatta. 'Dauntless' loved sailing on S.F. Bay. Farallones race, scheduled for May 16, remains on the calendar, subject to friend. the May 4 lifting of the current stay-at— jerry newton, schooner maid of kent home orders and other safety considerations. The board is reconvening the Race Notes week of May 4 to consider race possibili-

For the first time ever, the modern ties." Olympics will be held in an odd year. Regarding the Singlehanded TransThe 2020 Tokyo Summer Games will Pacific Yacht Race, they announced: become the 2021 Summer Games, with "Given the gravity of the recent COthe opening ceremonies scheduled for VID-19 outbreak, the Singlehanded SailJuly 23, 2021. The Games will close on ing Society and registered skippers have August 8. The 16th Summer Paralympics concluded that the solo race from the will follow on August 24-September 5, Corinthian YC to Hanalei Bay in Kauai, but remember that sailing is out of the with events at Nawiliwili YC, will be deParalympics for now. layed until 2021. Factors playing heavily In early April, PCYC Commodore Mi- on the minds of the group included the chael Moradzadeh had the sad duty of need to not spread infection, the strain announcing that the 21st Pacific Cup the pandemic has already placed on would be delayed until 2022. This came facilities in both locations, plus considas no surprise — so many events large eration of the risk of virus exposure to and small were being canceled or post- United States Coast Guard personnel poned. "We invited our existing entrants in an emergency. The SSS is moving to roll over to 2022," announced the forward to offer an exciting event in 2021 PCYC. "So far, we already have a respect- for the singlehanded race to Hawaii." able number!" See https://pacificcup.org. — latitude / chris