The 66^th Outlook Trophy Race for multi-hulled and centerboard sailboats under 20 feet in length was conducted in light winds and calm seas on Saturday, August 17^th, by South Coast Corinthian Yacht Club.  The 12.8-mile-long race by small boats on the open ocean is the oldest, continuously conducted sailing race on Santa Monica Bay.This year, the start was delayed because the wind was so light.  The competitors, all centerboard boats this year, had difficulty reaching the starting point at “S” mark of the Marina del Rey racing buoy complex, one and one-quarter miles outside the MdR breakwater.After the inverted start, where the handicaps are applied at the start of the race by giving the higher handicaps a “head start,” the wind still did not increase in its usual manner.  In fact, as the boats proceeded out to “D” mark on the first leg of the up-and-down and back-and-forth course, the wind became even lighter.  Since the Portsmouth time-on-time handicapping system used had anticipated a three-hour race, it became necessary to shorten the course to stay within the time estimate.  As the boats approached “SS” mark for the first time, the course was changed to eliminate 5.4 miles of beating and reaching legs.

The wind finally filled as the boats turned at “S” mark and headed to “Q” mark on the now final 3.4 miles.  The special interest in the inverted start type race now began to increase as the later starters were catching up to the early starts.  The finish span was only nine minutes (starts were separated by 18 minutes), and close enough to the original time estimate that no post-race corrections were necessary.