Last to start, first to finish! Brett Johnston won the 2014 Arizona Governor’s Cup Regatta sailing his Nacra Inter 20 Catamaran. Brett and his crew Crew (that’s really his son’s name) picked their way through 32 entrants in light and shifty zephyrs for this year’s regatta. Brett had the last start time, one hour and five minutes after the first boat to start in the pursuit race.
Brett gets to keep the gigantic Governor’s Cup trophy (see picture) for the next year. He’ll accept the trophy at Tuesday’s monthly meeting.
In fact, all the entered catamarans dusted the monos, making the best of the light air and finishing about four hours after they started. Best finishing mono was Court Roberts in his Melges 24, working his way into the cat fight.
The event organizer was Cruising Captain Tom Errickson, who opted for a simple format this year: A pursuit race where the slowest boats start first and the fastest start last. Start near the dam, sail around Horse and Balance Rock islands, then the unnamed island at the south end of the lake (an island that’s the only one in that area with vegetation), do most of it again (Horse, Balance, No-Name), and finish at the no-wake buoys at the north ramp.
After the race, everybody was invited to the Pleasant Harbor Marina Grill for a no-host bar and some munchies. Entry fee is $10, member or nonmember, and everyone is invited.
Tom notes with a wink that this Governor’s Cup had Jan Brewer on the race committee boat. Yeah, really. But this Jan Brewer might bear only a passing resemblance to the one occupying the Governor’s office.
