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U.S.A. WINS FD GOLD IN PAN AM GAMES

by Bob Levorsen

Harry (Bud) Melges and William (Bill) Bentsen turned in an outstanding performance under varying conditions to capture gold medals in the Flying Dutchman competition at the 5th Pan American Games, in spite of strong competition from a Brazilian team, new to FD but bound to be heard from often in future competition. Seven other countries also entered teams but Canada eliminated herself early and the others showed only spurts of competitive sailing.

The US team got off to a good start by winning the first two races, had a scare thrown at them when Brazil's Conrad won the third race and then entered into an exciting tacking duel from just boat lengths behind near the finish of the 4th race. However, Bud and Bill's all around excellence showed itself here also when their smooth tacking actually increased their lead and gave them a near unbeatable 1-1-2-1 against Brazil's 2-2-1-2 at the lay day break.

Canada won the 5th race by getting into the new wind early, with Melges playing it safe up the middle for 2nd while Brazil sailed off in the wrong direction and finished 5th. While this virtually assured M & B the "gold," the 6th race was still a challenge as heavy winds blew shallow Lake Winnipeg into its famous short steep sea condition and only one FD made it all around the course. The winds were not so bad (25-30, gusting to 35-40), but the resulting 6 foot seas with seemingly less than 30 feet between crests made sailing more a matter of survival than a race. Once more Melges and Bentsen showed their exceptional skill and teamwork as they were the only team to finish. They could have not sailed the next race, but did so anyway and won both it and the Gold Medal going away with a perfect port tack start.

FINAL RESULTS

U.S.A. 1-1-2-1-2-1-1 Gold Brazil 2-2-1-2-5-DNF-2 Silver Canada 3-DNF-3-3-1-DNF-6 Bronze Jamaica 6-4-4-4-4-DNF-4 4th Virgin Islands 7-7-6-9-3-DNF-3 5th Mexico 5-3-8-5-6-DNF-5 6th Trinidad 4-6-5-6-7-DNS-DNS 7th Puerto Rico 9-DSQ-7-7-8-DNF-DNS 8th Barbados 8-5-9-8-9-DNS 9th

For the 1967 Pan American Games, four classes were selected; namely, Flying Dutchman, Lightning, Snipe and Finn. In order to attract more entries, all boats were supplied by Canada. In each class, all boats were new and made by the same builder, all were of fibreglass construction and included all fittings, boom and mast though Finn sailors could bring their own masts. In the FD class, no extra fittings were allowed and fittings could not be moved if this required boring new holes as all boats had been promised for delivery to new owners after the races. All contestants were assigned one boat for the duration of the series by draw, and all were required to bring their own sails.

Bud Melges crosses finish line well ahead in Fourth Race.

The FDs were built by Small Craft of Canada Limited, Calgary . All were single hulled with brightly colored fibreglass decks. They had large, curved, side bouyancy tanks, tube travelers, Lewmar blocks and self-bailers. Center boards were of laminated Philippine and Honduras mahogany, while rudder blades were of 9 ply plywood. Masts were Proctor F sections with standard Proctor fittings. Booms were Proctor aluminum also, with block track and two blocks hung on wire.
The Pan Am Yacht Races were held on Lake Winnipeg, 4th largest fresh water lake in the world, and certainly one of the shallowest. The southern portion of the Lake, where the races were held, measures 20 by 60 miles with an average depth of 25 feet. However, there are no islands or shoals, and the flat lying Manitoba plains surrounding the lake provided no clues as to the next wind shift. Winds were abnormally light for the first five races, strong the 6th and "just right" for only the last race. However, no one could claim that conditions prevented the best sailors from winning and sufficient variety existed to challenge one and all.

The host town of Gimli was settled in 1874 by colonists from Iceland and natural blond beauties were much in evidence. Icelandic Day celebrations during the race series attracted Icelanders from allover Canada as well as the President of Iceland himself. Gimli is located on the west shore of the Lake, 60 miles from Winnipeg, host city for the rest of the Games. Yachting clubhouse facilities and a protected, small boat launching and docking area were constructed just for the games at a cost of $80,000. If anything, over-organized, the 1967 Pan Am Yachting Games were a credit to Canadian Yachtsmen.

Races were sailed on two courses, FDs and Lightnings on a full Olympic 10.8 mile beat.reach-reach-beat-run-
beat, while Snipes and Finns sailed a separate 7.3 mile course. Scoring was by the revised Olympic System, namely 0 for first, 3 for second, 5.7 for third. There were 9 countries entered in all classes except Snipe which drew thirteen entries.

U.S.A. and Brazil shared overall honors, both winning gold medals in two classes and silver in two. Besides the FD, USA took first in Lightnings with an outstanding performance by the Bruce Goldsmiths (husband and wife) and their foredeck man, Carey Long. It is perhaps appropriate to note that the US won in the two classes using spinnakers and both these teams were near perfect and definitely superior to the competition on spi legs.

Brazil, winner in both the Finn and Snipe classes, made a determined bid to capture all four events. Less than a year ago, their unbeatable Snipe group was split up with Reinaldo Conrad, three times World Snipe Champion moving to FD, Bruger changing to Finn, another Snipe expert to Lightning and their former Lightning champ to Snipe. In the Brazilian trials, Conrad beat out the popular Roderbourg and Hendricksen, 1963 Pan Am winners now in separate FDs, with less than 6 months practice. A keen competitor, he and his handsome crew pushed M & B hard in all but two races and should be watched in both the '67 Worlds and the '68 Olympics.

First FD Race: July 26; Wind-light, increasing to medium on last leg. Melges and Bentsen had US 700 out in front for the entire race and leg by half a mile at the start of the final leg. As the wind shifted to make this leg a reach, they were forced to raise and lower their white with blue striped spinnaker several times, finishing an easy first. Canada was second at the last mark, a safe half mile ahead of Brazil and they were very surprised to see Conrad spi-plane past them just before they finished. Trinidad's Barrow brothers, winners of the heavy wind Caribbean and Central American Games, were 4th for their best finish of the series.

Second Race: July 27; Wind-light throughout. US 700 led all the way but with Brazil close behind and pressing. When both were well ahead of the rest of the fleet on the second beat, Brazil started a tacking duel that was beautiful to watch. Melges and Bentsen matched tack for tack, usually 10-15 seconds later. This allowed Brazil to split tack, immediately after the US FD was head to wind, requiring the US to tack again. M & B finally broke off the duel to cover upcoming Mexico who had placed 5th the day before. This enabled Brazil to round almost immediately behind the US boat, but Melges increased his lead on the run and held on during the final beat to win the closest race of the series by several boat lengths.

Canada finished a strong third but had to drop out as they discovered on the final beat that they had inadvertently raised an un-measured mainsail. Barbados caught Puerto Rico passing too close to wind-ward and in the luffing match that followed the boats collided and Puerto Rico was disqualified in the only FD protest of the series.

USA skipper and crew inspect Genoa

Third Race: July 28; wind-moderate at start, then light. A 15 knot morning wind gave the heavy weather Caribbean sailors renewed hope and caused Melges to switch to a heavier mainsail. However, the wind lightened soon after the regular 1:00 pm start leaving a lumpy sea that was hard to move through. The US's spi work continued excellent, but they could not match Brazil's windward speed and lost them on the second beat. Brazil won with the US 2nd and Canada 3rd. This moved Brazil to within 3 points of the US and very much in contention.

Fourth Race: July 29; wind-very light. With light shifty winds prevailing, the Melges-Bentsen duo switched back to their full main and winning ways. Brazil had one chance during the race to get out ahead, right after the start. With everyone on port tack, the wind veered sharply giving leeward Brazil the lead. They tacked across the USA FD's bow, but continued so far before tacking back that the second time the wind veered it put the US out in front of Brazil, where they stayed. Jamaica's light weight team had the best windward speed and led the way to the first mark. They could not match either the USA of the Brazilian boats in spi speed, however, and it was again a two boat race, with Melges opening up his lead under spinnaker, only to have the gap narrowed on the wind. This was a critical race for the Brazilians since another win would tie them for first. On the final beat, they entered into another long tacking duel. Their quick (Snipe style ?) tacks were in decided contrast to Melges' and Bentsen's slow, measured roundings and Brazil finally had to break off as they dropped further back with every tack. M & B had a well deserved 200 yard lead at the finish and a commanding, gold medal position. Canada was again 3rd, with Jamaica 4th and Mexico 5th.

Fifth Race: July 31; Wind-still light. Melges had another good start and when he started short tacking up the middle, Brazil continued on starboard hoping to break free. Meanwhile, the Virgin Island boat had such a poor start she went onto port tack before crossing the line. She tacked back soon after, and much to the surprise of her crew, was found to be pointing higher than the next mark! Only Canada seemed to notice the difference in wind and halfway up she tacked out to follow VI around the mark. This new wind put Brazil hopelessly in the tank and she rounded long after Jamaica, the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Canada spi-ed past VI and led the rest of the way and the US spi-ed by Mexico on the reach and the Virgin Islanders on the run to finish second. Brazil fought back, finally passing Mexico on the last leg to finish 5th.

Sixth Race: August 1; Wind-heavy and increasing. The Race Committee decided to postpone this race until after a cold front had moved by at 3:00 pm to avoid having a 180 degree wind switch during the race. The FD start was made at 4:00 pm with a freshening northwesterly beginning to whitecap the muddy lake waters. Barbados had to retire before the start with her jib flying horizontally after her furling pin had pulled completely out. Trinidad didn't even come out as their skipper pulled an ankle tendon in a "fun" soccer match the night before and couldn't walk. They were both lucky! The wind and their
previous good fortune brought renewed life to the Virgin Islanders and they made a beautiful start under full steam. The USA boat passed them by tacking faultlessly and led at the first mark by 100 yards. Brazil was third, feathering their boat to windward but not matching the speed of the leaders. Bentsen set the US spinnaker and they planed away from the VI boys who decided to play it safe under increasing wind and with the sea building up drastically. Brazil's rudder broke as they started to reach, even though full down and they had to accept an early tow home. Puerto Rico, another one of the teams who had been calling for more wind, raised their spinnaker also. By this time, the US had dropped theirs and safely made their only jibes of the race at the reaching mark and were too busy to see Puerto Rico go over, red spi and all, never to race again on Lake Winnipeg.

The others were having their troubles too. Mexico capped on the first beat. Later their traveler bar pulled loose, as well as the wooden mid-ship cross brace, causing their retirement. The Virgin Islanders were reveling in the heavy wind, but did not realize its full strength and broached rounding up slowly at the leeward mark. Unfortunately, they had not taped their side tank porthole covers which had popped out in the pounding from the increasing steep seas. This allowed their side tanks to fIll while capsized and they finally quit bailing-sailing-capping-righting-bailing, etc. several miles downwind of the course. Jamaica capped four times in a row and quit, leaving only the US and Canada still going, though the US was so far ahead, they didn't even know Canada was still racing.

As the US rounded the weather mark for the second time, the wind built up to its maximum of 32 knots, gusting to 40. The extremely short distance between wave crests would not allow running directly down-Wind or even very broad reaching and US 700 capsized to windward. Bentsen pulled himself in on his shock cord, took the jib completely down (it had not furled properly on the last beat) and they were up and off, staying in the small wave troughs as much as possible and coming about rather than jibing. Meanwhile, Canada had her mast sprung backwards by the heavy seas as her spreaders had not been wired to prevent their swinging forward. They sailed for awhile on jib alone, switching to main alone on the next beat. The final run was too much as they broached and then couldn't get their boat to do anything but head upwind without capsizing. So, only Melges and Bentsen finished the race, and they did so on main only and by using the jib sheet to help their broken mast support on port tacks.

The other classes had similar, though not so disastrous, problems. Five Snipes had broken rudders and only three fmished (Bermuda, Brazil, Canada). The US's Levinson brothers capped to weather on the reaching leg while leading the fleet. Only 4 Finns finished. The US capsized twice, only half as many times as Brazil. Puerto Rico's 200 pounder was having the time of his life and leading by half a leg when his rudder broke. He was so surprised he fell overboard and could have drowned as he had on five sweaters but no life jacket. He was picked up and deposited on a committee boat by Carl van Duyne who went on to win the race for the US and the gratitude of all competitors. The Lightnings, built by Tom Allen who was uS Alternate, fared the best with only one broken rudder. However, Columbia took so much water she capped and filled and only 4 Lightnings were able to tough it out, mostly under luffmg main alone (Brazil, USA, Canada, Trinidad).

Peter Byrne and Vancouver sailor Doug Helmer.

Seventh Race: August 2nd; Wind-not so strong and with the course further inshore, only normal seas. This time the Race Committee delayed the race until 6:00 P.M. to avoid predicted 50-60 knot thunderstorm winds which did not materialize. Melges-Bentsen sewed up the race and the series when they crossed the line at full speed, on port tack, at the favored end, "at the gun" (except that it didn't fire), -a perfect start. The US had 100 yards at the weather mark on Brazil and increased their lead tremendously on the reaching spi legs. Canada rounded fourth, but couldn't get their spi to reach and were soon 6th and last where they stayed. This still gave them third overall, behind Brazil and the US, and the Bronze medal position. Brazil was 2nd in this race with the Virgin Islands 3rd.