1981 Catalina Ski Race Overall Winner

[SPECTRABRENT]

1981 Catalina Ski Race Overall Winner

 

[old rigger]

Would you look at the crowd on the Queen Mary!

And 129 teams!!!!

 

[steamin rice]

So cool. My brother skied as a novice behind our 1979 24' Spectra back in 2000 or so. Such a unique and fun event!

 

[HighVoltage329]

Nor-Cal Boat & Ski Club!!!

 

[twocents]

What a lot of people have forgotten is that Belvail and Pat came close to winnnng Catalina overall in 1975 with the same Spectra. I lead the race in my 24 Schiada from wire to wire pulling Chuck Stearns but couldn't shake the NorCal duo off my transom for the first 60 miles. Returning through the Queens Gate opening and ready for the sprint to the finishline, Pat and Johnny were only about 100 yards behind us. Directly in front of us was the Catalina boat plowing along about 10 knots heading to the island with a load of passengers...and throwing a wake many times larger than a Ski Nautique with 6,000 pounds in its ballast tanks. I had two choices -- slow down and attempt to cross those mountainous rollers without losing Stearns in the process, or turn to the east (away from the finishline and the rollers) and pick a safer, more gentle place to cross. Pat went for it, hit the rollers dead head-on giving Johnny a ton of line slack , pulling him over the front of his ski. We won Catalina for the third time in '75 -- glad Pat and Johnny had the opportunity to finally win it too in '81.

 

[SPECTRABRENT]

What a lot of people have forgotten is that Belvail and Pat came close to winnnng Catalina overall in 1975 with the same Spectra. I lead the race in my 24 Schiada from wire to wire pulling Chuck Stearns but couldn't shake the NorCal duo off my transom for the first 60 miles. Returning through the Queens Gate opening and ready for the sprint to the finishline, Pat and Johnny were only about 100 yards behind us. Directly in front of us was the Catalina boat plowing along about 10 knots heading to the island with a load of passengers...and throwing a wake many times larger than a Ski Nautique with 6,000 pounds in its ballast tanks. I had two choices -- slow down and attempt to cross those mountainous rollers without losing Stearns in the process, or turn to the east (away from the finishline and the rollers) and pick a safer, more gentle place to cross. Pat went for it, hit the rollers dead head-on giving Johnny a ton of line slack , pulling him over the front of his ski. We won Catalina for the third time in '75 -- glad Pat and Johnny had the opportunity to finally win it too in '81.

Great Story!

 

[Havazoo]

Awesome event

 

[fmo24]

Would you look at the crowd on the Queen Mary!

And 129 teams!!!!

Going out the gate was hairy. I was observing and had my hand hanging over the side of the boat when we about made contact with another boat bouncing towards our side. Never hung my hand over the side after that.