Hawaii’s Gran Prix Offshore Racing

Past, Present and Future

by Ray Pendleton

When the 12th, and final, biennial running of the Kenwood Cup Hawaii International Offshore Series officially began on July 31, 2000, it marked over two decades of world-class yacht racing in the Central Pacific. Still, Hawaii’s offshore racing roots were a good deal older.

Originally, it had begun in 1972 when members of the Waikiki Yacht Club created a 755-mile “fun race” to race the winds of paradise. It was to be an annual summer race around the major islands of the state for Hawaii’s sailors, and if visiting yachts competing in the biennial Transpac or Vic-Maui races were interested, so much the better.

By the sixth “Around the State Race” in 1976, interest in it had noticeably faded and there was talk of disbanding it entirely. Yet, a few WYC members were not ready to give up on what they knew was a good idea. Through their efforts, the race was transformed into a biennial series of races that attracted yachtsmen from around the world, and, with sponsorship assistance from Pan American Airlines, the Clipper Cup Yacht Series was born.

During the following four events, through 1984, the Clipper Cup series grew in popularity and international stature. The fleet expanded from 41 yachts to a record 78 entries representing Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the U.S. But then, once again, the future of international offshore racing in Hawaii was threatened. Pan American Airlines had dropped Hawaii from its overseas routes and had ceased its promotional activities in the Islands. Even the name “Clipper Cup” was no longer available.

Fortunately, there were others who saw promise in what had grown into a well-attended international yacht racing series. In 1985, Japan’s Kenwood Corporation offered to become the race’s new and enthusiastic sponsor. And to compliment its efforts, a new organizational structure, the Royal Hawaiian Ocean Racing Club, was formed to take over race promotions and to assist with race operations.

With a spirit of renewal, notices went out inviting sailors to participate in the 1986 Kenwood Cup Hawaii International Ocean Racing Series. Forty-six yachts, representing Japan, France (Tahiti), Australia, New Zealand, and the United States responded to the invitation and arrived to compete for the first-ever Kenwood Cup trophy. Two weeks later, a U.S. boat, Crazy Horse, had taken the individual honors, and the first-awarded Kenwood Cup went to Team New Zealand.

The 1988 Kenwood Cup series saw nearly as many boats entered - 45 - but many more nations represented. The international field included boats from Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Great Britain, and the U.S. This was the direct result of organizers incorporating the World Maxi Championship (boats 60 to 80 feet) into the Kenwood Cup series and awarding Champagne Mumm World Cup points to team winners.

When the last race of the1988 series was finished, once again a U.S. boat, Bravura, had captured the individual honors, but another country’s team took the Kenwood Cup. This time it was the Australians’ Red Team, comprised of yachts Great News, Sagacious V, and The Esanda Way.

In 1990, the Hawaii I.O.R. Series attracted 49 yachts from around the world, as again, Champagne Mumm World Cup points were on the line. Along with entries from the U.S. - Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand were represented. An unusual entry from Russia unfortunately arrived after the series had finished.

That year’s races hold historical footnotes for a heavy attrition rate due to broken masts and rigging, and for an accident that resulted in a tragic fatality. During the overnight Molokai Race, one of Japan’s entries, An, ventured too close to shore and struck a reef. In the ensuing chaos, one of the all-female crew, Hisako Saito, became entangled in the rigging and was pulled underwater to drown.

Even with such a deep tragedy during Kenwood Cup1990, there were, nonetheless, victors. For the first time, honors were given to two separate handicapping system winners. In the International Measurement System (IMS), Urban Renewal, a boat from Hawaii, finished first, and under the International Offshore Rule (IOR), it was New Zealand’s Matenrow. Also for the first time, Japan’s Team Blue, consisting of the boats Swing, Tiger, and Will captured the coveted Kenwood Cup.

As the world began to encounter an economic recession in 1992, the number of entries in the Hawaii I.O.R. Series showed a similar decline - even with the added attraction of a Two-Ton World Championship (boats of about 45 feet). The countries of Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.S. were represented, but the fleet was down to 36 boats.

Although fielding a smaller fleet, the1992 Kenwood Cup series was as competitive as any. The IMS award went to New Zealand’s Cookson’s High Five, while another N.Z. boat, Shockwave sailed off with the Two-Ton World trophy. The IOR trophy was awarded to the Italian racer La Rouge and the Kenwood Cup went to a composite team from Europe. It was made up from Italy’s La Rouge, France’s boat Corum Rubis, and the Irish yacht Mad Max.

The continuing downtrend in the world economy in 1994 was again reflected by fewer entries in the Kenwood Cup series. Also, a trend towards smaller boats gave evidence to this new economy and was displayed with the emergence of a new class of racer, the Mumm 36. Another change was the general demise of the International Offshore Rule handicapping system for race boats, which left IMS Kenwood’s single standard.

After two weeks of intense competition from the 31 boats of nine nations - Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Great Britain, and the U.S. - it was a clean-sweep for the United States. The U.S. Red Team of Excel’s Growler, Gaucho, and Slip, Sliding Away captured the Kenwood Cup , the IMS trophy went to Excel’s Growler, and the top Champagne Mumm World Cup points went to the U.S. team, as well.

If the Kenwood Cup entry list can be used as a barometer of the world’s economy, it would seem 1996 showed a definite upturn after a four-year downward plunge. The number of entries jumped to 46 and the number of large, maxi-boats (over 50 feet), with their larger crews, was on the rise as well. Eight nations were represented: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, and the U.S.

Nevertheless, once the final points were tallied, the New Zealand team of Big Apple III, G’Net and White Cloud took the Kenwood Cup and individual honors went to Japan’s G-Shock in the OD 48 Class, New Zealand’s Big Apple III in the Racing division, and White Cloud in the Cruiser/Racer division.

In July, 2000, the attention of the world’s yacht racing community was again focused on the waters off Waikiki. The entry list was small - 29 boats - from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. And, the New Zealand team of Big Apple 3, Air New Zealand High Five and Sea Hawk captured the Kenwood Cup one last time. But what was not known then was it would be the final Kenwood Cup Series. Once more, the world’s economic realities were forcing the departure of the regatta’s primary sponsor and drawing the curtain - however temporarily - on Hawaii’s premier international offshore series.

But, in 2003, as in the late 1970s, a few dedicated members of the Waikiki Yacht Club weren’t quite ready to give up on what they knew was still a good idea: “racing the winds of paradise.” The result of their time and effort became the first annual Waikiki Offshore Series regatta in Honolulu, which ran from July 31 through August 6, 2004.

Similar to the Kenwood Cup Series, the regatta offered both shorter windward-leeward courses and longer 60- and 145-mile races for Americap and PHRF handicap boats. Six boats entered from homeports of Hawaii, Seattle, Japan and San Francisco. John Siegel’s Wylie 42 Scorpio took first place, Manabu Kodama’s Farr 40 Dottoressa took second and Todd and Cindy Wyrick’s Sydney 36 Fins took third place, as well as Top Hawaii Boat.

Dottoressa won the trophy for first in the combined offshore races and Scorpio won first in the combined inshore races. First on corrected time for the Molokai race went to Dottoressa and first corrected for the Makapuu race and first to finish the Molokai race were won by Charles Burnett’s Transpac 52 Braveheart.

In 2005 eight boats entered the Waikiki Offshores from homeports in Japan, Seattle, San Francisco and Hawaii. They included Isao Mita’s new Reichel/Pugh 72 Beecom and two Transpac 52’s, Charles Burnett’s Braveheart and Phillipe Kahn’s Pegasus 52. Pegasus 52 won all but one race to claim the new King Kalakaua Trophy and Braveheart finished second in Division 1 and third overall. Beecom finished third in Division 1, seventh overall and won Top Foreign Boat.

In Division 2, Dave Nottage’s J44 Kaimiloa III came back from a broken boom in race eight to finish first in Division 2 and second overall, as well as winning the award for Top Hawaiian Boat. John Myhre & Harvey Arkin’s Farr 43 Flash Gordon finished second in Division 2 and fifth overall. Gary Fanger’s 1D35 Sensation finished on a high note by winning race 10 - in class and overall - to be the only boat in the fleet to beat Pegasus, which finished third in class and fourth overall.

For 2006, the Waikiki Offshore Series will split up the Molokai Channel Race and the Waikiki Offshore Regatta. The Molokai Channel Race will be started at 1800 hours on July 25 and the Waikiki Offshore Regatta will run from July 27 to 30.

Without question, “Sailing the winds of paradise” is back!