The 2004 Big Dog Cup was characterized by light and flukey winds and only four of the five planned races were run. Most of the seven boats competing had recent improvements: Take Five (the eventual winner) with a new bottom, Rhinestone Shades with a new main and Genoa, SuperStrings with a newly faired keel and rudder, Pass the J with a new Genoa, Ketchup with a complete set of new sails. The erratic winds seemed to demand more patience and luck than perfection of hull and sail, but the more perfect hulls and sails seemed to do generally better.

On Saturday, the first race (a course 1) started with a light southeast wind and lumpy water. The wind then lightened and the race became a patience (and luck) contest. Most booms and Genoas were being held by hand. In a close finish, Take Five beat SuperStrings by several boatlengths with Rhinestone Shades less than another boatlength back for third.

The second race (a course 2) had light but steadier winds to the windward mark with holes down wind. The race was shortened to one lap by a fast approaching fog with Take Five winning, Rhinestone second, and Ketchup third. The fog finished racing for the day.

On Sunday, (a course 1) race three found the fleet sailing east on port tack with Superstrings and Rhinestone working out to a 10 – 15 boat length lead over the rest of the fleet. As the leaders approached the “windward mark”, a new wind from the west hit the entire fleet roughly simultaneously, and everyone approached the mark under spinnaker. The return to the finish became a pretty good windward leg with steady winds. Rhinestone Shades passed Superstrings for the win with Take Five salvaging a third just ahead of a pack.

In race four, (a course 1) the wind was from the southwest and relatively steady by the weekend’s standard. The boats on the left side of the course upwind did well with Pass The J rounding first. On the downwind leg to the finish, holes, shifts, and kelp dodging scrambled the results with Take Five moving from third(?) at the windward mark to first, Pass The J slipping to second, and SuperStrings moving from fifth to third.

The regatta totals found Take Five first (6 points) followed by Rhinestone Shades second (11 points including a first), SuperStrings (11 points), Pass the J (15 points), Ketchup (20 points), Tangaroa (23 points), and Wild Child with (26 points).

Doug Hosford