2017 Christmas Fun Run: Chuck Clay wins in Cal 20s, Randy Smith gets Soling class win

2017 Christmas Fun Run © Rick Roberts

Chuck Clay of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club had a dominating win in the Cal 20 Class and Randy Smith of Long Beach Yacht Club won in the Soling Class this past Saturday in the Long Beach Yacht Club's 2017 Christmas Fun Run, formerly known as the Cal 20 Fun Run.

On a blustery day with 9-13 knot breezes coming from an atypical northeasterly direction, Clay crossed the finish line first, ahead of nine other skippers in his class in four of the six races run, winning for the second straight year in the Cal 20s. Fellow club member Keith Ives took second place this year, having won this regatta five times in the last nine years.

In LBYC's new Soling Class---a 27-foot Olympic class boat from 1972 to 2000---Randy Smith had a close-fought battle with LBYC's Mike Tande throughout the day, winning by just one point. Tande learned to race the Soling in this year's LBYC Wet Wednesday Series and showed he's a quick study.

When the class was added this year to the traditional Cal 20 Fun Run, an event name change was needed. There were also a few sailors concerned at the prospect of having both classes racing inside Alamitos Bay at the same time. But everything worked out as skippers gave room when needed, keeping in the spirit of the Fun Run.

This traditional regatta, held on the first or second weekend of December, puts the emphasis on fun, with joking and well wishes heard from boat to boat. It's a good old-fashioned day of racing with friends and family. The five-dollar entry fee is handed to the race committee boat on the water, and trophies are given to the top finishers before they make their way back to the dock for the day. No skipper's meetings, just a fun time for all.

Final Results

Cal 20 Class

1. Chuck Clay, ABYC, 1-1-1-2-1-2, 8 points
2. Keith Ives, ABYC/LBYC, 4-2-2-1-5-1, 15
3. Jeff Ives, ABYC, 2-3-6-5-2-6, 24
4. John Merchant, ABYC, 9-4-4-7-3-4, 31
5. Jennifer Kuritz, ABYC, 5-6-3-9-7-3, 33 (on tiebreaker)
6. Scott Atwood, ABYC, 6-8-7-3-4-5, 33
7. Steven George, ABYC, 7-7-5-4-10-10, 43
8. Ron Wood, ABYC, 3-9-9-6-9-9, 45 (on tiebreaker)
9. Michael Sentovich, ABYC, 11DNC, 5-8-8-6-7, 45
10. Matthew Rustigian, ABYC, 8-10-10-10-8-8, 54

1. Randy Smith, LBYC, 1-4-3-1-1-2, 12
2. Mike Tande, LBYC, 2-3-1-2-4-1, 13
3. Wendy Corzine, LBYC, 3-2-4-4-2-4, 19
4. Charlie Legeman, LBYC, 5-1-5-3-5-3, 22
5. John Sangmeister, LBYC, 4-5-2-5-3-6DNC, 25