Sports
Drastic Losses In Texaco CatboatRace
The ending of the realTexaco Race Day was close. We enjoyed music from R-Mystis andswapped racing tales.
H.E. Ross
Last Saturday's and Sunday'swinds took their toll in the first of the Cayman Catboat ClubísOctober Month Of Catboats Regatta. The Texaco Catboat Race sawequipment failures, turnovers and a dismasting as the Catboatfleet of eight were reduced to a final Sunday grudge match.
Six Cayman Catboats were launched at the Whitehall Bay barcaderewith four being towed and two setting off under sail toward theTexaco Catboat Race start at the Royal Palms Beach Resort. Thefour towed Catboats made it, the two under sail did not.
The day was windy with a Northeaster setting up a sloppy seaway.The National Drug Council boat, Tradition I, under Peter Kosaíshelming felt the effects of the seaway by breaking the pintlethat holds the rudder to the hull. They attempted to steer withan oar but accepted a tow from the Department of Environment safetypatrol boat.
Catboat builder, Elford Dilbert tested his newest design, an 18'creation, Tradition III, on the way to the race. The boat is alittle smaller than his other designs, lighter and with a largenew spread of Dacron mainsail. The blustering breezes proved abit too much for his crew and Elford decided it would be moreprudent to put back into Whitehall. He regretted the move theminute he arrived by truck at the Royal Palms and saw the arrayof ol' hands of past Catboat racing and saw that he could havereplaced his crew easily.
Among those known locally as the best of the Catboat racers presentwere Kem Jackson, Asley Ebanks, Louis Anglin, Crosby Ebanks, GleasonEbanks, Bob Soto, Loxley Banks, Ervin Rivers, James McLaughlin,Tony Powell, Valma Hew and others whose names I do not know butothers of that group recognised.
Jessie Arch's new glass fibre Catboat did not get organised intime for the race, nor Johnson Mendoza's sleek belle. CaptainCrosby and partner, Marybeth Seher, showed up dejected at notfinishing their rebuilding of their 20' Catboat, See Her Go, intime.
The Cayman Catboat Club was left with four boats on the beachwhich became three to start the race as Fiddlesticks, the TexacoCatboat, overturned before the horn blew.
Captains Asley Ebanks and Kem Jackson powered David Foster's BracCat to a fast paced lead with the Cable & Wireless/ TrpoicanaTours sponsored, Skinny LeeLee, following and our Tradition II,sponsored by Violet Watlerís Cash To Payday, pulling upa close third.
At the first marker buoy we committed a clean gybe, bringing thesail across with a wind behind the boat, and took second. My crewof Craig Corrie, Richard Stewart and nick Joseph had never saileda Cayman Catboat before but by the third mark were moving smoothlyas a unit. And they were enjoying the ride, especially since theNational Drug Council crew, now in Skinny LeeLee had rounded thewrong mark and we wer3e assured a second place.
Kem and Asley had finished and were ashore telling race talesby the time we finished the course almost halfing the time ittook us to bring the boat to anchor.
The competitors decided to disqualify this Saturday race and torace the next day because of the low number of boats competing.Saturday would merely have been a practice. So we enjoyed themusic of R-Mystis and told racing lies for the rest of the afternoonat the Royal Palms.
Sunday morning showed only a slight moderation in the wind intensityand unfortunately many competitors were not able to return. Theday before we had too many crew, Sunday we had too many boats.
Captain Crosby had not shown by the 1 PM starting horn, so wedecided to wait an hour for them since they had put so much effortinto readying their boat. At 2 PM we put four boats in the waterstill waiting for Crosby and Marybeth.
The four boats started their own race with the leading Winfieldbreaking its mast, a second bad luck touch on Captain Louis Anglinísshoulder. He captained Fiddlesticks the day before.
With Tradition II crew, Terry Scheel and Royce Scott, we placedan undistinguished third behind Jerris Miller's skilful helmingof Skinny LeeLee into second and the indomnible pair, CaptainsAsley and Kem in the first slot.
A first race was more of a grudge match betwen FosterísBrac Cat, C & W/ Tropicanaís Skinny LeeLee and theever late See Her Go, and some agreed that this would be the actualTexaco Catboat Race.
Bad luck turned See Her Go over before the start but a fast andcompetitive race developed between the new and old guard. J-22racer, Jerris Miller and Olympian and Catboat racer, Carson Ebanksin Skinny LeeLee took the lead over veteran Catboat sailors, Asleyand Kem in Brac Cat.
I might add that Jerrisí and Carsonís views on Catboatsare featured in my book, LOVE'S DANCE- The Catboat Of The Caymanes,as two opposing insights for the developmental future for theCaymanian vessel.
Captain Asley forced Brac Cat by Skinny LeeLee on a blowing downwindrun. At the mark Captain Asley turned, forcing Jerris to ram BracCat near the stearn and dislodge the rudder. Carson and Jerrisheld onto Kem and Asleyís boat until the two disentangledand the rudder was re-stepped.. Skinny LeeLee then took a longlead as Asley and Kem bailed.
Dramatically, as Brac Catís new sails, built by MonicaSnow at Sails and Canvas, pulled in power the Catboat virtuallyflew past Skinny LeeLeeís sleek hull. Everybody ashorethought the race over after seeing the speed of Brac Cat. But,Asley tacked too soon for the next mark and had to tack twicemore in flukey winds to regain the buoy.
Meanwhile, the two racing stars of the Cayman Islands SailingClub zoomed off to another long lead which proved to be the winningmove for the race.
A last minute close ending due to the lighter breezes near theshore and strong current saw Skinny LeeLee across at 28 minutes23 seconds and Brac Cat at 29 minutes 10 seconds.
Next Saturday, 10 AM, Royal Palms, National Drug Council FamilyFun Day- IMS (International Management Services) Catboat RaceDay.