Helmsman gives race a lift

Lindsay Sandham

The Scout Spirit will have a helmsman for the First Team Invitational

Regatta, and he doesn’t even need training for the job.

David Team of Newport Beach put up $30,000 for the chance to work

aboard the racing yacht during the regatta, scheduled for May 19

through 22 in Newport Harbor. The opportunity was part of an online

auction before Team made his offer.

Of the amount, $25,000 will go to the regatta and Hoag Hospital,

with the other $5,000 going to the Newport Sea Base, which owns the

78-foot turbo maxi sled.

“He [Team] made a philanthropic donation that benefits both Hoag

Hospital and the Sea Base,” said Jim Madden, the event co-chairman.

“At the same time, it will allow him to do something he loves, which

is sail a high-performance yacht in a world-class event.”

Although the opportunity was open for anyone, regardless of

sailing experience, Madden said Team is a very accomplished,

experienced racer and that he’ll be able to hold his own out there.

David Janes of Newport Beach, who will also be on board “Scout

Spirit” during the race, said he was instrumental in the donation of

the boat to the Sea Base. Janes is on the board of the Orange County

Council of the Boy Scouts, which owns and operates the facility, and

is also a chairman at the base.

“I’m a retired admiral, so keeping people interested in the sea

and sailing has always been my fascination and advocation,” he said.

“It’s a facility that the community can be proud of, a portal to the

ocean for all the young people in Orange County.”

Peter Heck, program director for the Scout Spirit, teaches Sea

Scouts how to sail the boat and “anything else they want to learn.”

“We have a pretty good crew,” Heck, who has been sailing almost

his entire life, said. “It [the First Team regatta] is all about the

Hoag Hospital. We’re just going to go out and give them a little

show.”

Eight to 10 Sea Scouts will participate in the upcoming regatta,

Heck said, along with himself, Janes, Team and some other

professional sailors.

“Because of the complexities of the boat and because it’s new to

the Sea Base, we still need to have some experienced people on board

with the Scouts,” Janes said. “They keep improving their level of

skill each time they sail with us.”

Event co-chairman Jay Swigart said the Scout Spirit auction is a

win-win situation.

“It’s a win for David Team because he’s an excellent sailor,” he

said. “It’s a win for Hoag, and it’s a win for the Sea Base because

they can show the community that they’re training young sailors.”

Madden said they plan to hold the regatta every two years.

“We hope to make it even bigger and better in 2007,” he said. “We

had hoped to have at least 10 [boat entries], and we’ll be having

many more than that.”