14th Biennial
West Marine Pacific Cup
SAN FRANCISCO, January 24, 2005 --- The Pacific Cup Yacht Club reversed a 25-year policy this week by inviting multihulls to participate in the 2006 West Marine Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii.
Although a number of important conditions were left for later determination, the vote to let multihulls into the event was unanimous.
One of the undecided issues is the minimum length. Proposals range from 36 to 46 feet minimum length on deck, but a number in the low 40s appears to be the most likely. (The Long Beach to Honolulu Transpac sets the minimum length for multihulls at 45 feet.) Required number of crew will also be tied to length - probably one crew for every ten feet of LOA, but the exact formula was also left for later determination.
Multihull entries will also be required to comply with all applicable ISAF Special Regulations, Category 1, for safety equipment and seaworthiness features.
"The number of purpose-built racing multihulls that would be interested in this race is probably very small," commented PCYC Board member Paul Kamen. "But there is a growing fleet of cruising cats in the mid-40 size range and up that are very well suited for the Pacific Cup, and we expect to attract enough of them for some good racing in the new multihull division."
The 2006 West Marine Pacific Cup will mark the 100th anniversary of racing from California to Hawaii. The organizers of the first race originally planned a San Francisco start in 1906, but moved to Long Beach because of the earthquake that year. It became the Honolulu Transpac and is now held on odd-numbered years. The Pacific Cup revived racing from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1980, and now finishes at Kaneohe, Oahu, in even-numbered years.
The start dates for the 2006 race will be July 3 through July 7.
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| Ann McDougall | Tony Gasparich |
| Ann McDougall Communications | West Marine |
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