The original Coquille was a 10-meter owned by Walter Podolak, a plastics manufacturer who mounted the first West Coast campaign for the America's Cup. Podolak sailed Coquille to victory in the inaugural California Cup that was held in 1963.
Podolak used the 10-meter as a practice platform for the America's Cup, which was held in 12-meter yachts at the time. Podolak skippered Columbia in her unsuccessful bid to become the defender for America's Cup holder New York Yacht Club.
Sadly, Podolak died while skippering Coquille in the Newport-to-Long Beach Race on Oct. 12, 1964. Albert Ezor of Delray Yacht Club purchased the renowned yacht from Podolack's widow Charlotte and maintained the name Coquille.
Marina del Ray, Calif. (June 19, 2014) - Kevin McNeil has sailed his Star boat in big regattas on Santa Monica Bay. Andy Horton competed in the 2007 Olympic Trials for Star class on the same body of water. That combined experienced has helped the Nightshift team post consistent results in an extremely tricky venue this week.
McNeil has done a superb job of steering while Horton has been solid calling tactics to help Nightshift string together six strong races to open the California Cup, being held on Santa Monica Bay.
Conditions on the ocean course off Venice Beach for Thursday's action were quite similar to the day before (8-12 knots out of the southwest) and Nightshift was dialed in again. McNeil steered the Annapolis entry to a splendid score line of 3-4-1 to earn Boat of the Day honors for the second straight afternoon.
California Yacht Club welcomes strong 15-boat fleet for third stop on circuit
California Yacht Club established the California Cup in 1963 and the regatta has a rich, storied history. Founded as a match racing event and later switched to fleet racing, the Cal Cup has featured many great classes, renowned yachts and famous sailors.
Jim Kilroy won the third edition aboard his 73-foot yawl Kialoa II while Paul Cayard captured the 1983 edition aboard the 6-meter St. Francis. George Coumantaros claimed victory with his highly-successful 80-foot sloop Boomerang while Ed McDowell won with his equally accomplished Santa Cruz 70 Grand Illusion.
At various times, the California Cup has been contested using the 12-Meter yachts that were a staple of the America’s Cup for many years or the 70-foot maxi sleds that have done so well in Trans-Pacific Yacht Race and other West Coast distance events.
Marina del Ray, Calif. (June 16, 2014) - Marina del Rey and Santa Monica Bay certainly delivered on the opening day of the California Cup as the fleet of 15 Farr 40s was greeted by sunny skies, warm temperatures and solid 8-12 knot southwesterly winds.
And if Wednesday's action is any indication, racing over the course of the four-day regatta being hosted by the California Yacht Club will be tight, tricky and a real test of skill for skippers and crews.
Principal race officer Peter Reggio reeled off three starts in rapid succession and there were three different winners on the day. Santa Barbara skipper John Demourkas and his crew aboard Groovederci rounded the first weather mark in first and was able to maintain that lead the rest of the way in winning Race 1. Annapolis skipper Kevin McNeil and his team on Nightshift took advantage of a late mistake by Plenty to win Race 2. Finally, Wolfgang Schaefer steered the German entry Struntje Light to a come-from-behind victory in Race 3.
With an earlier start time, the fleet sailed into the offshore haze which gave way to patches of blue sky as the first race got underway at 1115 in a seven-and-a-half knot southwesterly breeze with puffs registering between 10 and 11 knots. Chicago’s Helmut Jahn, the 2012 Farr 40 World Champion on Flash Gordon 6, was leading the fleet through the bottom gate followed by Ray Godwin’s Temptress, Wolfgang Schaefer’s Struntje light, Gary Ezor’s Coquille and Alex Roepers’ PLENTY. Jahn, who had come into the final day of the series tied for second in the overall standings, went on to win the race, his first of the series, and took the overall lead with 29 points. Roepers on PLENTY, finished third for 31 points, while Shaefer finished eighth on Struntje light to drop in the standings on 33 points.