2008 MCYRA National Racing Schedule
Updated 1/25/08
| Date | Event | Location | Yacht Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 16-17 | *L.A. Midwinters | San Pedro | CBYC |
| March 15 | Fleet Race/Nor Cal Series | Alameda | Encinal Y C |
| Mar 29-30 | *San Diego Regatta | Coronado | Coronado Y.C |
| April 12 | Carmiggelt Regatta/Nor Cal Series | Alameda | Encinal Y C. |
| April 20 | Point Fermin Inverted Regatta | San Pedro | CBYC |
| May 3-4 | *Race of Champions, Cinco De Mayo | Santa Barbara | SBSC |
| May 10 | Homecoming/Nor Cal Series | Alameda | Encinal Y C. |
| May 24-25 | Haldorn Regatta | Stillwater Cove | Stillwater YC |
| June 14 | Fleet Race/Nor Cal Series | Alameda | Encinal Y C |
| July 12 | *Hart Nunes | Belvedere | SFYC |
| July 26-27 | *High Sierra Regatta | Huntington Lake | HLBC |
| August22-24 | National Championships | Long Beach | ABYC |
| August30-31 | *Labor Day Regatta | Stillwater Cove | Stillwater YC |
| Oct 4 | SF Fleet Regatta | Richmond | Richmond YC |
| Oct 11-12 | Fall Series | San Pedro | CBYC |
| Oct 18-19 | *Joe Logan Regatta | San Francisco | STFYC |
| Oct 25-26 | Goblin Regatta | Santa Barbara | SBYC |
| Nov 1-2 | *Monterey Invitational,Perry Cup #1 | Monterey Bay | MPYC |
| Nov 22-23 | *Turkey Day Regatta | Alamitos Bay | ABYC |
| Dec 6 | Perry Cup #2 | Monterey Bay | MPYC |
| Jan 3 2009 | Perry Cup #3 | Monterey Bay | MPYC |
| Feb 7 2009 | Perry Cup #4 | Monterey Bay | MPYC |
One of the most difficult to win, this series is awarded to the MCYRA member who compiles the best overall record in 7 of 9 designated major Mercury Class regattas. By finishing in the top five places at the Los Angeles Midwinters,Coronado Spring Series, Race of Champions, Hart-Nunes , Huntington Lake, Labor Day, Joe Logan, Monterey Invitational and Turkey Day regattas; a participant will earn bonus points as follows: First place 6 Points Second place 4 Points Third place 3 Points Fourth place 2 Points Fifth place 1 Points Additionally, each MCYRA skipper receives 2 participation points for each of the 9 regattas in which he competes. The winner is announced at the MCYRA annual dinner. George Rosman, MCYRA Chief Measurer from 1961 to 1974, established this event as a means to encourage Mercury owners to travel to major regattas. George felt that by encouraging trailing of their boats, Mercury sailors would become better all around yachtsmen and at the same time build friendships throughout the State of California.Changed to 7 regattas, scoring only the best 6 in 2005. This was changed again in 2007. Two regattas were added to have equal number of regattas in the north and south and the scoring made the best 7 of 9
During the 1950's and early 60's, members of the Stillwater Mercury Fleet often discussed starting a winter racing series on the other side of the hill in Monterey. Many members felt that the limited summer season in Stillwater really wasn't enough. Thomas K. Perry was one of the original advocates of the winter series which now bears his name. Although the idea of a winter racing schedule came up over and over again, nothing was really done about it until a number of Stillwater sailors decided to create a new fleet in Monterey in 1970. The Monterey Fleet, looking for a way to attract new members, yet, also wanting to continue racing at Stillwater during the summer, decided to hold the first winter championship in Monterey. The series was to last all winter, but not wanting to create a series which would drag on, seemingly forever, it was decided that it should be raced only one weekend per month. The first Monterey Winter Championships was won by Tim Condon in 1970-71. Later that year Tom Perry was killed and his wife Pat offered to donate a perpetual trophy for the series to be named after him.
Hosted by the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in conjunction with the Southern California Yacht Racing Association this annual President's Day weekend event has long been a favorite of sailors from both Northern and Southern California. Along with over a hundred classes and in excess of one thousand yachts, the Mercury Class has a long history of participation in this, the largest yachting event in the world. The regatta is held at the north end of Los Angeles Harbor with occasional sojourns outside the breakwater to the Point Fermin buoy. Most of the competitors lodge at a single water-front hotel, fostering comraderie between Northern and Southern fleets. The highlight of the weekend is the annual Saturday night extravaganza at the Palo Verdes Estates home of Park and Lynn Densmore. One of the most enteraining evenings of the Mercury year, the Densmore party makes this winter outing a well attended tradition.
Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Lester Baldwin, active Mercury sailor of the 1960's, this trophy is a beautiful silver sailing ship model on display at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The trophy was originally gifted as a competition between current and past Mercury Class Champions. In recent years the trophy is presented to the winner of a spring regatta sailed in the waters off Santa Barbara. This spring format was chosen to obtain optimum weather and wind conditions. The large fleets and competitive racing has made this regatta a premiere event on the Mercury Class Schedule.
This trophy is retained by the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. Presentation is made yearly to the skipper in the Mercury Class who is designated as winner of the Mercury Fleet in the Semana Nautica Regatta.
This trophy was donated by Peter Sutter and designed and built by Leonard Delmas. The Homecoming Regatta was sailed in honor of the Builder, Ernie Nunes and later other builders. Currently the regatta is held at the Encinal Yacht club in Alameda.
The Race was started in 1954 informally when five Thistles raced a windward leeward around the windward island. With Bill Bradley as one of the founders, the regatta was formally initiated in 1955. The Mercurys and the Thistles were the original classes to compete on this 7000 foot high lake. The lake and it's surroundings have remained unchanged over the past years. Other than a cluster of condos with tennis courts and a pool, there has been very little new construction The sailing has also remained perfect. The wind comes up at 10 am and fades at 6 pm daily. The Mercury has been in attendance every year since the regatta's inception. In the early years, the class raced under the auspices of the Fresno Yacht Club. Due to logistics, the class now sponsors it's own regatta, which normally occurs on the fourth weekend of July. Bill Bradley's friends, in 1981, put up a trophy to be known as the Bill Bradley Perpetual Trophy. This is to be presented to the winner of the annual regatta. Bill and June Bradley have been kind enough to host a Santa Maria Barbecue at their cabin with the Pat and Jim Bradley families supervising. Attendance at this great party numbers over 200. Many families travel to Huntington Lake to enjoy what is known as "baby beach." This is a lagoon like setting where most of the boats tie up bow to the shore and the young ones frolic in the lake.The barbecue is currently held at the Lakeshore Resort.
Since it's inauguration in 1950, the Labor Day Regatta hosted by Stillwater Yacht Club on Carmel Bay, has been a highlight of every Mercury year. Sixty two Mercurys were on the starting line in 1959, an all time record. A great storm then destroyed the old pier, and the event was held in Monterey Bay in 1969-71. By 1972, despite the pull of other classes and other regattas, "Labor Day" drew 55 Mercurys, second largest record. Special thanks are due Past Commodore Matt and Mimi Jenkins for 40 years of their fabulous Log Cabin cocktail party (1952-91) which helped pull the whole class together, for donating the sterling silver permanent senior trophy and for Mimi's strong personal commitment to the rebuilding of the pier. In 1975 an annual senior championship regatta was established, followed in 1976 by a "B" division regatta. The three starting lines and three sets of trophies are unique in Mercury racing and afford appropriate recognition to important segments of the class.The current format is one large class with A and B prizes racing six races on saturday and sunday.
Dr. Joe Logan was a prominent physician in Fresno and an early member of the Fresno Mercury Fleet. Although his interest in sailing did not develop until later in life, he dearly loved the time he spent on his Mercury. His first boat was hull #104. During the summer months Dr. Logan kept his boat moored off the pier at Santa Cruz. This was in the days before the Santa Cruz Marina was constructed. During a summer storm the boat broke loose from its mooring and was destroyed on the beach. He ordered a new Mercury built with the salvaged keel of #104. To keep the memory of his old boat alive he christened the new one "Wonofora'. While preparing his beautiful new boat for its first racing season, Dr. Logan was struck by a heart attack and died. In memory of her husband and to perpetuate his love for the Mercury his widow donated this trophy. It is a working model of his Mercury #434 down to the smallest detail. The trophy is currently on loan from the Fresno Fleet to the St. Francis Yacht Club where it is on display Through 1976 the trophy was raced for in Fresno and kept on display at the Fresno Sports Hall of Fame. The new deed was drawn up in February of 1977 and the trophy is now awarded to the winner of an annual series sailed in the waters off the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. The trophy is truly one of the most finely crafted and best looking in small boat sailing.