2023 Made in Santa Cruz Race Week has begun with in-the-Harbor Jester (11) and El Toro (10) dinghy races last evening. It was all in the family, as Paul Tara won the El Toros and son Patrick Tara won the Jesters. Santa Cruz 27's and Moore 24's are arriving, many from out of town, and some from as far as Washington State.
Made in Santa Cruz (MISC) was a local industry during the 60's, 70's, and 80's, when the only thing bigger economically in our small beach town was pot being grown in the local hills. Laminators, craftsmen (Alvie, KT and Andre,) brokers, accountants, journalists, truck drivers, a new marine hardware store (West Marine). Keel pourers (Tom Carr, Doug Brower, and Dave Wahle), sailmakers (Kurt Larsen. Dave Hodges, Annie and Steve Lewis), sparmaker Buzz Ballenger, and dozens, even hundreds, more, across town and the West Coast..
As long as Santa Cruz built ultra-lights surf Pacific swells, smiles will light up and Fast Is Fun will prevail. We all have our favorite boats and favorite stories from this era. Favorite boats? 505? Moore 24? Express 27? Santa Cruz 50? In addition, Bill Lee delivered 17 68 footers, based on his iconic MERLIN, as well as dozens of SC-27's, 33's, 40's, 50's and 52's, while across town George and Lyn Olson were turning out O-30's, 25's, 29's, 34's and 40's and Alsberg brothers were building Express 27's, 34's, and 37's. As Ron Moore recalls, despite the popularity of the Moore 24, his most famous boat was the winged wonder, the Moore 30, which with a crew of 12 would plane in a whisper or capsize, whichever came first. According to Ron, his Moore 30 (designed by Gary Mull), made the cover of every sailing magazine of the day.
One of my favorite stories briefly lit up Santa Cruz Harbor one Friday afternoon after crew practice aboard SC-70 #15 MIRAGE. Owner Jim Ryley was enjoying driving his big sled under spinnaker at 16-20 knots as we approached the Harbor entrance. Our crew of 8 whispered a plot, and as MIRAGE spinnakered in the Entrance, we all slipped below, the spinny halyard tail and lazy guy in hand down the forehatch. Jim was all smiles as we passed the Crow's Nest and restaurant goers had their noses glued to the windows watching the spectacular entry of an apparent singlehander flying a spinnaker on such a large boat in such narrow confines. Jim waved and smiled a big grin to the crowd. But you could hear a note of concern in his voice as the Harbor Bridge approached. "Guys?" Hey, Guys!" "Guys!!!" Just then, as pretty as you please, the halyard was run and the spinnaker disappeared down the forehatch with no one on deck....Jim spun MIRAGE into her slip on F dock, and everyone appeared on deck, all grins. Only in Santa Cruz.
For your Friday trivia with a Beckman's rhubarb and cherry pie on the line, what Santa Cruz boat builder built more boats of one class (>200) than any other? It was not Bill Lee building 145 SC-27s, nor was it George Olson building Olson 30's or Jester dinghies. Not Ron and John Moore building Moore 24's or Terry Alsberg building Express 27's. Jim Brown, Howard Spruit, Dave Wahle, Jim Foley, Bob Thompson, and Larry Tuttle aren't the answer either, although they all built many fine and fast boats.
Your answer here_____________________
Made in Santa Cruz Race Week will be happening all weekend. Come visit!
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