Ragtime’s Race Record Is Riding on Wind in Gulf

Winds across the Gulf of California today will determine whether there will be an elapsed-time record in the 1,125-mile yacht race from Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

At the noon roll call Wednesday, it appeared that Joss, a MacGregor-65 skippered by Dick Daniels of the Long Beach Yacht Club, would beat the record time of 5 days 8 hours set by Daniels in 1979 with Ragtime, a 67-foot sloop.

Despite decreasing winds off Cabo San Lucas, Joss was 234 miles from the finish, and Daniels was estimating arrival at 4:30 p.m. today. That would give him a time of 5 days 3 1/2 hours.

Joss was 14 miles ahead of another MacGregor-65, Cheval, and was reported moving well in the five-knot winds off the Cape. Christine, the early leader, was 252 miles from port.

On the handicap scale, the fleet leaders were Crazy Horse, skippered by Larry Harvey of San Diego, in the International Offshore Rule ratings, and Rocket, Mark Bleiweis’ Santa Cruz-50, in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet. Rocket had 282 miles to go, and Crazy Horse was 320 miles out.

Eclipse,out of San Diego, left the race Tuesday with a broken rudder and was towed to Turtle Bay by one of the escort vessels.