47th Annual Sunset Race Series Has a Dramatic Finish

Skipper Dick Hampikian took the lead down the stretch to win the California Yacht Club's Sunset Series for the sixth year in a row in one of the closest finishes in recent race series history.

“In the last couple of hundred of yards, we finally won it. It was our sixth Marylyn Ritchie Trophy win in a row and the seventh overall for the Lizzie B,” Hampikian said Wednesday night after the race.

He gave a lot of credit to his crew.

“I’ve been sailing with some of these guys for 20 years. A couple of them have won the trophy 10 times," Hampikian said.

Hampikian's G&S 27 had less than a single point edge over Alice Leahy's J-109 before the final race of the series and the lead between the two boats had been trading back-and-forth all season.

Leahy had regular crew for the first time that had stepped up since the races began. Leahy almost missed the season finale because she was due to be at a family gathering in New England. Her crew pleaded for her return, even offering to take up a collection to defray costs.

Leahy paid for the flight out of pocket, a 24-hour, cross-country turnaround to helm her beloved Grace O’Malley. Before the season’s final showdown, she assessed her eager crew.

“Six women, with a couple of token males,” she said.

Beating to windward mark, the boats had a bit of breeze that soon began to fade. Many sailboats did not finish, opting to motor back rather than bob around at sea, but Hampikian and Leahy toughed it out in their decisive battle. On the way back down the main channel, Leahy took the lead but Hampikian crept forward as night eased in.

“Both Dick and I won our classes, but the overall margin for the entire season was .19 of a point,” Leahy said.

Cal Yacht Club Commodore Anne Ach said this was the closest Sunset Race Series that she ever remembered. Third place finisher Duncan Cameron on Dean, his Martin 42, was more than five points behind the two leaders.

Some sailboat races are one design with nearly identical boats racing against one another. Most of the races in Santa Monica Bay use an elaborate system of handicapping that changes after each race to give crews on different boat designs an equal shot at sailing glory.

“Although some people are competitive, it’s more about the camaraderie; it’s a very good-natured race series,” skipper Harry Johnson said.

“I race a Beneatu 32, a cruising boat that has become a racing boat. I’ve added a feathering prop and removed the anchor, adjusting the rigging, but I’m really racing because of the skill of my crew,” he said.

Attendees at the post-race bash went out of their way to single out the volunteer work of Denise George, who coordinated the entire series. She thanked West Marine for its support.

The Milard Rosing Trophy is awarded to the top cruising boats in the Sunset series. The top three finishers were George Biddle on Prometheus, a Hunter 35.5; Ron Jacobs on Duchess, a Catalina 42; and Joe Cowan aboard Yasoo, a Cal 34.

Class winners were as follows: Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) A: Jay Steinbeck in Margaritaville, an And 52; PHRF B: John Staff in Plankton, a Viper 830; PHRF C: Alice Leahy in Grace O’Malley a J-109; PHRF D: Dick Hampikian, Lizzie B, a G&S 27; the Martin 242s Duncan Cameron in Dean; PHRF E: Cheda/Thomas/Fleck in Bandit, a San 20; Cruising A: George Biddle on Prometheus, a Hunter 35.5; and Cruising B: Joe Cowan in Yasoo a Cal 34.

The top boats and a few wild cards have been invited to race together one last time Wednesday in a King of the Hill contest. Leahy said her boat will compete, but she plans to remain in New England with her family.

Editor's Note: This story was reported by . Story updated at 10:10 a.m. Friday to CORRECT the spelling of Denise George's name.