Long Beach Charity Race Provides Feel-Good Competition

Byline: Rick Roberts

Long Beach Charity Race Provides Feel-Good Competition

LONG BEACH — Ray Godwin rates the annual Yacht Clubs of Long Beach Charity Regatta for The Children’s Clinic as “my favorite regatta of the year. I love this regatta because even if you lose, you feel good.”

Well, Godwin, a veteran sailor from Long Beach Yacht Club, had it both ways in this 26th year of the event, hosted Sept. 23 by Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, Seal Beach and Shoreline yacht clubs. Other participating clubs included Little Ships Fleet, Marina YC, Navy YC, Long Beach Singles YC and Blue Gavel District 10.

Godwin’s Temptress not only again won the family trophy for most offspring of him and his crew on board (seven), as he did last year, but this time he swept the table with three first-place finishes.

In all, there were 57 boats competing in 13 classes, and the sailors applauded the conditions of temperatures in the high 70s, with southwest breeze building from 7 to 15 knots through the afternoon.

The winners also included five other competitors who won every one of their races: Jeff Ives of Alamitos Bay YC, in Cal 20; Jay Golison of Alamitos Bay YC, in Laser; Erik Hon of Newport Harbor YC, in Junior Sabot; Art and Scott Melendres of Long Beach YC, in Cal 25; and Andrew Donchak of Balboa YC, in Catalina 37, defeating Kathy St. Amant’s all-women crew.

Elsewhere, perhaps the most competitive class was on the Seal Beach YC course inside the breakwater, where Bob Marcus’ Code Blue from Alamitos Bay YC beat Ron Duphily’s Impulse, also of Alamitos Bay YC, on a tiebreaker by winning the second race of a 2-1 to 1-2 split.

In his earlier efforts, Godwin said, “We didn’t win any trophies for performance. This time, we had a lot of our (Farr 40) A-team on board … (including tactician) Scott Munch. He got us of the start line perfectly every time. I let him make the calls. I don’t even look around.”

The seven youngsters, including four of his grandchildren and Munch’s two kids, also helped.

“We had plenty of people for weight when the wind came up, and were able to move away,” Godwin said.

Marcus’ tactician on Code Blue, Jim Bateman, said, “In the second race, we got into a jibing contest downwind. We followed him around the leeward mark and finally passed him in a tacking duel (13 tacks) all the way to the finish line. We crossed about 10 feet ahead.”

Races were run inside Alamitos Bay for dinghies and on the ocean inside and outside the breakwater for keelboats.

All entry and sponsorship funds go to the 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,” a cause that celebrated its silver anniversary last year and has raised more than $500,000 to aid youngsters over the last quarter-century.

Also, benefits and proceeds from related events, such as a swap meet in July and a golf tournament in August, go to support the clinic.

The Children’s Clinic was organized in 1939, and before the Charity Regatta was formed, was well on its way to serving children and adults to age 95.

Final Results:

Alamitos Bay YC
LIDO 14 (4 boats): Gabe Ferramola/Sarah Simpson, Alamitos Bay YC, 2-1-1, 4 points.
LASER (7): Jay Golison, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-1-1, 3.
LASER RADIAL (4): Elizabeth Hays, Balboa YC, 1-2-1, 4.
SENIOR SABOT (6): Fred Stevens, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-1-4, 6.
JUNIOR SABOT (3): Erik Hon, Newport Harbor YC, 1-1-1, 3.

Long Beach YC

CAL 20 (8): Jeff Ives, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-1-1, 3.
FARR 40 (4): Temptress, Ray Godwin, Long Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.
CATALINA 37 (2): Andrew Donchak, Balboa YC, 1-1, 2.
CAL 25 (2): Art & Scott Melendres, Long Beach YC, 1-1-1, 3.

Seal Beach YC  

PHRF-A (7): Code Blue, Bob Marcus, ABYC, 1-2, 3 (won tiebreaker over Impulse, Ron Duphily, Alamitos Bay YC, 2-1).             PHRF-B (4): Nancy J, Terry Hanna, Seal Beach YC, 2-1, 3.
PHRF-C (4): Wild Cat, Tom Sanders, Seal Beach YC, 2-1, 3.
CAT 36 N/S (2): Soggy Dollar, Jeff Dawson, Seal Beach YC, 3-1, 4.

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