(Written By: Betsy Crowfoot BlastReach Communications)

Saturday’s light breeze forced the cancellation of the semi-final and final races of the third annual Mayor’s Cup presented by St. Mary Medical Center – giving the victory to San Francisco Yacht Club’s Liz Baylis and team, based on cumulative points.

The same calm conditions that were ideal for the morning’s Catalina Ski Race wreaked havoc on the sailing competition. After a two-hour postponement, the Mayor’s Cup proceeded in southerly breezes that built to a shifty 6-8 knots, allowing the eight teams of women to squeeze out the final two flights of the round robin.

Going into their last match, Baylis led the fleet with 11 wins, while Sail Newport-Bayview Yacht Club’s Sandy Hayes trailed closely with 10.

In match racing, a tie breaker rule gives the win to the opponent who most recently beat the rival. Hence Baylis and Hayes’ final race would prove a showdown for first place.

“We knew it was an important match to win,” Baylis admitted. “My mom always said ‘Win early and often’ and in match racing it’s more true than anywhere else; so you’re always in the catbird seat if something happens weather-wise – as was the case today.”

After a lively pre-start, Baylis took the lead and held it from wire-to-wire, to capture first place in the third annual event.

She credited her tactician, Pease Glaser, an Olympic medalist from Long Beach, and, “a really good crew who could put the boat wherever I wanted to go.

“That gives you so much more confidence as a driver,” Baylis said.

Hayes secured second place; with Southwestern Yacht Club’s Charlie Arms third, with eight points.

The same tie-breaker rule decided fourth place, favoring Long Beach Yacht Club’s Claudia Wainer and her team of six local women: Kelly Dale, Lise Evaul, Sue Herrshaft, Dawn McIntosh, Jean Morris and Liz Tran.

Wainer, competing in just her second graded match race, said, “I had very realistic expectations coming in to this regatta, based on who we were sailing against.” The Mayor’s Cup competition included five of the top 25 female match racers in the world.

“It’s intimidating,” said Wainer. “You’ve got to fight the butterflies before you enter the box, and that’s been a constant all three days. But when we just calmed down and did what we knew, it really worked out.”

“Going in to today, we needed to win two races,” added Wainer. “We just went berserk at the end of that last race: all of us were so choked up. I’m just so proud of my team.”

The Mayor’s Cup, a Grade Two International Sailing Federation (ISAF) event, was organized by Long Beach Yacht Club and the Long Beach Sailing Foundation; presented by St. Mary Medical Center of Long Beach in conjunction with the Port of Long Beach, and operated by the Charter Communications Long Beach Sea Festival. For results, photos and information go to www.mayorscuplongbeach.com

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Liz Baylis USA 12-2
2. Sandy Hayes USA 10-4
3. Charlie Arms USA 8-6
4. Claudia Wainer USA 7-7
5. Katy Lovell USA 7-7
6. Katie Spithill AUS 6-8
7. Caroline Bejar BRA 5-9
8. Delphine Casas FRA 1-13