Cruiser Challenge XVII

First Race Rule: Avoid A Collision!

- Dick Herman

It was the 17th annual running of the Cruiser Challenge and the faithful started to gather at Monterey, California, on Thursday, July 21, 2016. The Potter Yachters of northern California sponsor the race that is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club. (For some reason, the good folks at the MPYC and the Harbormaster’s office smile a lot when the Cruisers show up.)

The Potter Yachter coordinator, Jim “Goose” Gossman, was there and waiting with Regale, his highly modified WWP-19. It was Goose’s fourth and last time chairing the race, and like Regale, this one was going to be different. It’s not that Goose thinks outside the box, but he likes to “juggle” with it. One look at Regale is testimony to that—but that is another story.

The first big change was seen on Friday when most of the racers arrived. Goose had solved the perennial parking problem. While most of the skippers launched and parked by the Harbormaster’s office, three 19-footers made the 13-nautical-mile run down Monterey Bay from Moss Landing. A few of the skippers exchanged studied glances and mentioned the weather. But this was Monterey and the sailing was always great.

The Cruiser Challenge is a different style of race where fun is the key ingredient. There are three simple classes; Large boats (20' to 26'), Medium (15'-1" to 19'-11"), and Small (15' and below). Forever flexible, Goose threw in an open class where boats from any division could fly a spinnaker. But, Potters being Potterers, there were no takers. The first race rule is to avoid a collision. After that, the basic Coast Guard right-of-way rules apply, with one addition: entrants within two boat-lengths of a mark that have inside overlap must be given room to round the mark, regardless of which tack they are on.