1941 World Championship - Los Angeles, CA

1941 World Championship - Los Angeles, CA

The following results are from George Elder's book "Forty Years Among The Stars". In common with the early Logs it is interesting to note that in his results Elder does not give the yacht numbers of the boats which participated in the World's, but only just their names. It was not until the 1950 Log that yacht numbers were included in the results. From 1950 through 1976 both yacht numbers and names were given, but starting with 1977 frequently only yacht numbers were given. The last time both yacht numbers and yacht names were given was 1989.

In later years sometimes fleet designations were omitted. In these cases some of the more obvious fleet designations were supplied. Also from time to time only last names were supplied. First names, where known, were added.

Abbreviations etc: Dsa - Disabled. Dsq - Disqualified. Dns - Did Not Start.
Wdr - Withdrew. Ch - Chairman. B - Builder. * - Defending Fleet. 0 - No points, reason not given.

1941 - OFF LOS ANGELES

Winning yacht No. 1912. B - South Coast Boat Bldg., Newport Harbor, California, 1940.
Ch. I.R.C. - Leo Benzini. Ch. Meeting - Glenn Waterhouse.

Regatta Report from the 1942 Star Class Log

FLEITZ'S WENCH TAKES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
by W. GLENN WATERHOUSE

George Fleitz with Bill Severance won the 1941 World Championship by consistent sailing. Although Harry Nye's Gale from Southern Lake Michigan finished second, the 1942 series goes to Chicago because of Article IV of "Rules Governing the World Championship." In third spot was Scout III, sailed by Barney Lehman and Paul McKibben, Ir. Their three firsts and a third were marred by a disqualification for hitting the leeward mark in the fourth race.

Rascal, sailed by Frank Campbell and his charming wife took fourth and was the most beautiful Star in the series. The newest boat in the fleet was Sioux, built by Bill Lewis at the Douglas Aircraft Plant at Santa Monica. Cene of Seattle was the hard luck craft of the week, being disabled in two races with broken rigging.

The series was remarkably cleanly sailed and completely devoid of team racing or any sectional bitterness. The spirit of contestants was exceptionally fine. Considering the amount of wind on three of the five days, there was a minimum of breakdowns. The races were capably handled, and the courses selected with good judgment by the I.R.C. of Glenn Waterhouse, Chairman, Leo Benzini, Bill Baxter, Cliff Smith and Dr. McKibbens.

The first race was over a windward leeward course, No. 3 AB, sailed in a strong 18-20 mile breeze with a choppy sea. Kurush was over the line ahead of the gun but returned without a hail and recrossed without difficulty.

Soon after the start all boats flopped off on the port tack, most of them heading out to sea until they could lay the weather mark. As they neared the first mark the wind freshened, Scout having a slight lead over Wench, which was crowding Lehman's craft. Wench rounded first since Scout could not come about until Wench was ready to let her. These two boats were closely followed by Bob White in Jade. On the run down wind the boats held their positions, rounding the lower mark in the same places as they had the weather buoy.

On the next beat to windward Scout passed Wench and Jade was overtaken by Brownie from Lake Arrowhead and Gale. The run to the finish found Scout increasing her lead over second place Wench as Gale took third. Brownie nosed out Jade by inches for fourth position.

The weather mark at the first round saw Guiding Star disqualify herself by port tacking Rascal into the mark. Cene and Sioux withdrew after being disabled.

In the second race all crossed the starboard tack in another fresh breeze and choppy sea on a twice around windward and leeward course. Wench stepped into the lead over Scout. The latter efficiently covered, could not get clear. Finally, Wench headed for the mark and let Scout go. As they arrived at the weather mark Wench had a 15 second lead but lost it down wind as Scout slipped through her lee. By this time Gale was closing up the gap and continued a threat. At the outer mark the order was Scout, Wench, Gale, and Kurush and thus they finished.

The third race over a twice around triangle, course 1 CBA, was sailed after a half hour postponement in a twelve mile breeze. Rascal was first over but the three series leaders soon moved out in front, closely bunched, Wench slightly ahead of Gale and Scout. In that order they finished. Bob White went into third place at the weather mark and held that spot the first time around but on the second weather leg Scout passed him well to windward.

By her third race win Wench went into a tie for the series lead with Scout at 37 points. As the latter had beaten Wench two out of the three days, however, she won the Vandervere Trophy. The daily trophies were presented at a dinner dance at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Thursday was a bye day with a Tahitian party at the Los Angles Yacht Club.

The fourth race was in light air, about four knots, over a windward leeward course. Scout got across first on the starboard tack. Several boats tried port tack starts, including Wench, and as a result she landed in the middle of the fleet down in the ruck with Gale. Rascal moved up to weather but somewhat astern of the leaders. Then the offshore winds started to pay off and Rascal moved into the lead. Rascal and Jade split tacks, the former going out to sea broadside to the current and Jade going up the coast. The inshore tack proved advantageous, and Jade went out in front.

At the weather mark the first time it was Jade, Rascal, and Gale with the point leaders Fleitz and Lehman back in the ruck and some 50 to 75 yards between the first three. Downwind, positions were unchanged, with Rascal moving faster but unable to catch Jade. As the yachts rounded the leeward mark with Scout in fifth place, Lehman came so close to the stake boat that his mainsail brushed its head stay. Wench on the first time around was seventh.

On the next beat to windward the wind hauled to the west and freshened to nine or ten knots. Both Jade and Rascal overstood the weather mark badly because of the wind shift. Harry Nye, seeing the handwriting on the wall, tacked offshore, heading for the mark and rounded just astern of the leading Jade.

Down wind Gale and Rascal both outran Jade. Gale was the winner while Jade and Rascal finished so close that there was just time to fire both guns, the latter taking second. The series was again tied up between Gale and Wench, with Scout in third spot and Jade fourth.

The fifth race and series finale was over windward and leeward course 3 AB in a steady twelve knot breeze with a 1 1/2 knot current running down the coast. The series leaders did not fare so well. Wench was well boxed in by the fleet while Gale had a last place start and then, to avoid Wenchs' backwind, held out to sea, and from then on was never close.

The first boat over on the inshore tack was Gale, followed by the fleet. Rascal was among the leaders with wind clear, followed by Wench which had to tack to get clear wind. Rascal and Scout were nip and tuck to wind ward, the former rounding the mark 15 seconds in the lead, having gotten by Scout on the inshore tack. About a third of the way down on the run Rascal and Scout jibed and then Lehman slipped into the lead, never to be headed. On the second weather leg the leaders held their positions, but Scout widened her lead over Rascal and held it down wind to the finish.

The new trophy presented by the Santa Monica Fleet went to Charles de Cardenas of Cuba and he also took the Invaders Trophy. The Distant Fleet Trophy went to Rascal II.

The final banquet at the Pacific Coast Club in Long Beach was a notably successful affair, highlighted by the presentation of the Big Cup and Gold Star to the new World Champion, George Fleitz, by the First World Champion, Bill Inslee (1922). Leo Benzini and the Los Angeles Yacht Club officials handled the series splendidly and special mention is also due Wes Smith, Commodore of the Southern California Yachting Association, and Jim Cowie and Van Hickman for the fine job in setting the marks of the course.

Hail to the new Gold Star combination of George Fleitz, a great skipper, and Wench, a great boat. The Southern Lake Michigan Fleet will have to go some to make the 1942 series any more successful.