January 3 - DRYC Malibu and Return (2d F40/2d PHRF AA)

*¤February 21+22 - SCYA Midwinters, Cal YC (1st F40)

¤April 16 - Sept. 3 - Sunset Series, Cal YC (PHRF A - 1st in Class)

*April 18+19 - Ahmanson Cup, Newport Harbor YC (1st F40/Overall Ahmanson Cup Winner)

Piranha #3 Destroyed

Piranha's demise at the hands of a negligent delivery crew on March 11, 2007 has become old news and I am pleased that we have acquired hull number 105 (ex-Mean Machine) as a replacement!  I have posted photos and story on the attached page of both the old and the new here. 

By the way, you may notice in the photo above and to the right of this paragraph that P3 and the new P4 were rafted together at Worlds in 2004 (P4 was the pink boat before being repainted white).  And in the photo to the right, this is P4 sailing with the new Farr 40 masthead spinnaker with 40% more sail area than the fractional spinnaker configuration!

REPEAT CHAMPIONS!  2007 - 2008 - 2009!

For the third year in a row, Piranha won BOTH the Season Championship Farr 40 West Coast Fleet and the Farr 40 Championship Regatta!  With the exception of Cal Race Week where we finished second by one point, Team Piranha won every single circuit event in 2009.  Put simply, it is the crew that wins races.  Thanks to Dawn McIntosh (Bow), Charlie Beven (Bow), Steve Mullen (MidBow), Jeff Patoff (Pit), Mark Van Gessel (Floater/Trim), Doug McIntosh (Spinnaker), Tim Clarke (Jib), Chad Hough (Main), Eric Doyle (Main), Kevin Miller (Tactics), and last but definitely not least, the "Little Hippie" Erik Shampain (Tactics).  Also thanks to Dennis Castaneda for making sure we were as fast under the water as on top of it!

Our loyal Wednesday night regulars Christine Perakis, Ted Winer, Andrew Scott, John Worsfold, Paul Jacobs and "EJ" Elizabeth James who joined with Tim, Charlie, Steve, Tim and Mark combined to win 14 out of 15 races against the other Farr 40's -- becoming the only boat ever to win the CalYC King of the Hill Regatta twice and winning Sunset Series PHRF A for the third year in a row.

Add to that one-design wins in both distance races -- the inaugural Border Run and Santa Barbara to King Harbor!  Thanks to Diego del Pino, Tim, Doug, Mark and Steve.

It is frankly inconceivable any boat could ever have such a season across all disciplines again -- but we'll sure try in 2010!

2009 Luck Continues!

Four for four!!!  The three week swing through Newport Beach to San Diego was as good as it gets for the team.  In the space of just fifteen glorious days, we won bragging right for the best Farr 40 in Ahmanson Cup, The Border Run, Leukemia Cup and  Yachting Cup and put ourselves firmly at the top of the spreadsheet for the Farr 40 Season Championship with three straight wins on the circuit.  We also enjoyed winning the overall trophy at Ahmanson Cup as the largest class.  The competition has been tough with Dave Ullman calling tactics on Temptress taking second at both Ahmanson Cup and Yachting Cup.

The team continues to learn to work together better with practice days that are paying off when the gun goes off.  Kevin Miller joined the crew for Ahmanson Cup and will fill in for Erik as tactician at Cal Race Week.

I was pleased to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and friend/organizer Julia Olmstead by getting five Farr 40's out for the new race format which was a slightly shortened version of the Hot Rum course out the harbor entrance down towards the Del Coronado Hotel and back again (great fun course).  We also had a bit of a reunion of the East Cast 2005/2006 team when we won the silent auction for dinner with incoming US Sailing President Gary Jobson.  This was a special experience and SDYC's Commodore allowed us to enjoy the evening in his private cupola room atop the SDYC building.  Unforgettable.

2009 Team Wins Midwinters 

Midwinters was as light a regatta as we have ever seen, but the new team did a great job under difficult conditions to bring home the win.  One of those regattas where last was always possible and you are thankful to come out on top!  For their first regatta together, the team performed exceptionally and with the talent onboard I am looking forward to a great season.

Team Photo - from left: Chad Hough (main), Tim Clarke (Jib), Charlie Beven (Bow), David Voss (Helm), Erik Shampain (Tactics), Steve Mullen (MidBow), Dawn McIntosh (Bow), Doug McIntosh (Spinnaker), Mark Van Gessel (Floater/Trim), Jeff Patoff (Pit).

2008 West Coast Fleet Champions - Repeat!

16 different sailors - 13 returning from the 2007 championship team -  contributed as members of Team Piranha in the six regatta 2008 West Coast Championship.  Victories at Midwinters, Yachting Cup, Long Beach Race Week and Fiesta Cup together with second place at both Cal Race Week marked a successful season championship.

Thanks to Steve and Kris Potter, Jeff Patoff, Steve Mullen, Dawn and Doug McIntosh, Chris Gillum, Claudia Wainer, Erik Shampain, Marty Atwell, Jim Dorsey, Martin Kozacek, Ted Winer, Luke Ackerman, Michael Riches and Paul Breen who sailed during the Season Championship regattas.

2008 Piranha Schedule - Revised 9/7/08

January 5 - DRYC Malibu and Return (DNF)

November thru February - CYC Winter Sunset Series (11/11, 12/9, 1/13, 2/10) (1st in all four races and overall PHRF A)

*¤February 16+17 - SCYA Midwinters, Long Beach YC (1st Farr 40)

¤April 16 - Sept. 3 - Sunset Series, California YC (PHRF A - 1st Overall - 11 wins)

*April 19+20 - Ahmanson Cup, Newport Harbor YC (4th Farr 40)