OCC boat watches over Transpac race

June Casagrande

As the top racers in the world face off in the prestigious Transpac

race, none other than Orange Coast College’s own Alaska Eagle is

keeping track of their positions and transmitting the information to

shore.

For the eighth time, the 65-foot sloop owned by the college’s

School of Sailing and Seamanship is the official communications

vessel for the race, which kicked off this week. The first wave of

racers left Tuesday from Palos Verdes for the race to Honolulu, which

lasts a week or more. Departures will continue through Sunday until

all of the 60-odd ships are on their way.

“The entire fleet radios in to Alaska Eagle twice a day to confirm

their positions at sea and also to communicate with the mainland the

positions of the boats,” said Brad Avery, program director of the

school and commodore of the Transpacific Yacht Club, which puts on

the biennial race. “It takes a boat that is very reliable and has

good communications equipment. ... The boat has computers on board

that also compute the handicap standings.”

Alaska Eagle first acted as communications boat in 1983. The race

dates back to 1906.

“It’s one of the oldest regularly scheduled ocean races in the

world, and certainly one of the best known,” Avery said.

Roy Disney’s Pyewacket, which set the Transpac record in 1999 with

a finish time of about seven days, 11 hours, is back this year.

Pegasus, which finished first last year, is also back. But the 2002

overall winner, Bull, is not taking part in the race.

Newport-Mesa entries in the race include the J 125 Lucky Dog,

sailed by the two-man crew of Peter Putnam of Lido Isle and Len Bose

of Costa Mesa.

Alaska Eagle’s schedule this summer includes educational charter

trips to South Pacific destinations, including Tahiti and Rapa. Some

spaces are still available. For information, call the school at (949)

645-9412 or visit www.occsailing.com.