Cal Maritime enjoys strong start and finish, formally announces 2023 Transpac participation during Harbor Cup weekend
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SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Kyle Collins (skipper), Cianna Coyle, Ryan Downey, Cyrus Khaleeli, Ben Louttit, Julia Mast, Brock Paquin, Cooper Smith, Django Tomlinson and Justin Zmina ended Friday's opening round of races by finishing first and fourth as Cal Maritime sat atop the leaderboard entering weekend competition at the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup, hosted by the Los Angeles Yacht Club.
Due to lack of wind on Saturday, zero races took place until the late afternoon after officials moved the course to another nearby location. This decision allowed teams to squeeze in another pair of races before returning to the LAYC for dinner and a presentation by two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Sally Lindsay Honey.
When the Keelhaulers entered Saturday night's dinner, they were tied for first with Maine Maritime Academy and positioned themselves perfectly for a potential three-peat since the team entered this year's regatta as two-time defending champion. However, Cal Maritime's position on the leaderboard took a dramatic turn once Honey concluded her speech because it was eventually disqualified from one of the two races that took place that afternoon due to protest.
Within a two-hour timespan, the Keelhaulers dropped from a tie for first, to sixth place, and trailed the Mariners by nine team points with one day of racing remaining.
The result of Saturday night's protest ultimately prevented Cal Maritime from defending its title — in the 14-race history of this regatta, the Keelhaulers won eight Harbor Cup championships — even though it ended the regatta the way it started, with another bullet, which allowed the Keelhaulers to end the afternoon, and the three-day event, in sixth place.
With three top-five results, including a first in the regatta's penultimate race, Hawai'i captured its inaugural Harbor Cup crown. Following a near-two-hour-long protest hearing, Rhode Island finished second, three points behind the 'Bows, followed by Maine Maritime and College of Charleston.
Since the Mariners and Cougars each finished with 38 team points, MMA officially captured third by virtue of a tiebreaker based on high-place finishes.
Navy and Cal Maritime finished fifth and sixth, respectively, with Cal Poly, Coast Guard, Queen's University — the first Canadian team to compete in the Harbor Cup — and Maryland completing the final standings.
Even though the team's final 24 hours in Southern California did not end with its desired result, Cal Maritime will take full advantage of experienced gained throughout the weekend and apply it to upcoming offshore competition since the Keelhaulers formally announced their appearance in the 2023 Transpac, a biannual 2,225-mile open ocean race from Los Angeles to Honolulu, during Harbor Cup weekend.
Following a beautiful day of practice on Thursday, one that featured blue skies and optimal sailing conditions, the weather turned south less than 24 hours later with the combination of choppy water, ever-changing wind and rain creating a unique race environment in and around Los Angeles Harbor. Due to these elements, race officials could only squeeze in two races that day before summoning everyone back to the dock.
Of those two races, the Keelhaulers did the best job of managing conditions that were out of their control by finishing first in the Harbor Cup's inaugural race, followed by a fourth-place result to secure first place overall with four points, one fewer than Hawai'i, who ended Friday's action in second place.
Rounding out the top five following Friday's action were Cal Poly, Navy and Maine Maritime Academy.
Unlike the previous day, which featured shifting winds and heavy rain, CSUM spent the first few hours of Saturday's competition floating in the fog alongside the other nine teams since there was not enough wind to conduct an official race at the scheduled start time.
After teams floated in open water for over four hours, race officials chose to relocate the course inside the breakwater to conduct as many races as possible before darkness forced the fleet of Catalina 37s back to the LAYC.
What started as another strong day of action for the Keelhaulers quickly turned south when individuals from various teams were requested to meet with race officials and a panel for protest hearings. Of the conversations that took place one involved CSUM that directly affected its overall standing.
Even though the sun and wind allowed teams to participate in four races on Sunday, the highest total of any day throughout the regatta and a total that matched the previous days combined, Cal Maritime was unable to completely erase its post-protest deficit even though it won the final race of the weekend.
Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup
March 10-12, 2023
San Pedro, Calif.
Port of Los Angeles
Hosted by the Los Angeles Yacht Club and Cal Maritime
Final Results
1. Hawai'i – 33 points
2. Rhode Island – 36
3. Maine Maritime – 38*
4. College of Charleston – 38*
5. Navy – 39
6. Cal Maritime – 41*
7. Cal Poly – 41*
8. Coast Guard – 52
9. Queen's University – 58
10. Maryland – 63
* - Number of high-place (1) finishes
Regatta History — Harbor Cup Champions
2023: Hawai'i
2022: Cal Maritime
2021: Regatta canceled due to COVID-19
2020: Cal Maritime
2019: College of Charleston
2018: Navy
2017: Cal Maritime
2016: College of Charleston
2015: Cal Maritime
2014: Cal Maritime
2013: Cal Maritime
2012: Cal Maritime
2011: Cal Maritime
2010: USC
2009: Maine Maritime Academy
2008: Maine Maritime Academy