Liz Baylis and Todd Hedin did not name E.T.
- their Antrim 27 - after a homesick extra terrestrial. Nor does E.T. stand for Elizabeth
and Todd. E.T. is a display of a parent's appreciation: it is short for Eric's Tuition.
Skillfully sailed by just Liz, Todd and Jim
Antrim, the boat's designer, E.T. won division D in this year's Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to
Kaneohe, Hawaii.
Racing a 27-foot sport boat with a crew of
three across 2000 mile of open ocean presents some special demands – of the people, the boat and the
sails – and provides some extra thrills. The asymmetric spinnakers especially must be fast, but
also easily trimmed and well behaved.
It was the full-sized Pineapple sail that sped the Antrim over the most miles per day. And the smaller,
flatter Pineapple reacher that was the sail of choice when the wind came up, allowing two crew to sleep with
only a driver on deck. |