July 25, 2008

Epilogue: Ragtime, Mag 80 relive Tahiti Race; next one in 2012

Ragtime surfs under spinnaker on its way to overall victory in the Tahiti Race photo by Erik Berzins

LOS ANGELES---For Chris Welsh a victory, for Doug Baker a record, and both accomplished what they set out to do in the Transpacific Yacht Club's 13th Tahiti Race.

"First overall on our bucket is pretty neat," said Welsh, reflecting on the hard-earned handicap honors his 44-year-old classic wooden ocean racer Ragtime achieved to earn engraved immortality on the Fritz Overton Perpetual Trophy at the Tahiti Yacht Club.

And Baker, whose four-year-old Magnitude 80 speedster ripped about 3 1/2 days off Kathmandu's 1994 elapsed time record in 11 days 10 hours 13 minutes 18 seconds (average speed 13.0 knots), said, "When you have a boat like this, any record is always your goal."

But Baker also said, "It's an adventure, not just a race."

According to organizers and all who participated after a 14-year hiatus, the event was not at all diminished by having a fleet of only four boats---and, in fact, enhanced immensely by the hospitality of their Tahitian hosts at the finish.

"They couldn't have done better for us," race chairman Dave Cort said.

So much so that the TPYC directors voted this week to do it again in 2012.

Mark Rudiger, Thad Jones: they led the way

LOS ANGELES---The Transpacific Yacht Race and sailing everywhere is mourning the losses of Mark Rudiger and Thaddeus Jones, exceptional navigators of past and present eras who died within 24 hours last week.

Rudiger found his success in Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Races as well as Transpac, while Jones excelled in sailing 22 Transpacs, the record for individual participation.

Rudiger before starting the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race

Rudiger, 53, lived with his wife Lori and son Zayle in Auburn, Calif., near San Francisco. He was hospitalized earlier in the week after he was stricken with a sudden relapse of lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. He had apparently recovered from a first episode in 2004 to resume his career in 2005 and as recently as February had raced on the Santa Cruz 70 Holua in the Vallarta race from San Diego.

Jones, a resident of Laguna Beach, Calif. had suffered from cancer for several years.

A friend, Kirk Elliott, wrote that besides Transpacs, Jones also did "numerous Mexican and Transatlantic races, along with cruising Catalina Island and the Pacific Northwest. He generally enjoyed being with his pals at sea."

Despite all of his ocean racing, Jones noted on the Transpac DVD produced in 1998 that "I've never been seasick in my life."

He did most of his navigating the old-fashioned way, with sextants, even when satellite navigation was in its early stages, before GPS arrived.

• 2007 Race Archive Information previously found on the main page

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