CYC dominated the “Top-25 Sailboats of 2010” rankings published this month by 48-Degrees North magazine, taking three of the top five slots and placing more than twice as many boats on the list as any other yacht club on Puget Sound.

Steve Travis' One-Design 48 Flash was named the top boat on Puget Sound as CYC dominated the annual "Top-25" rankings published in the January edition of 48 Degrees North magazine

Taking best-boat honors was Flash, a One-Design 48 owned by CYC member Steve Travis, who won his class in the Center Sound Series, the Tri-Island Series, Puget Sound Spring Regatta and at Swiftsure.

Tantivy, a J/109 owned by CYC’s Stuart Burnell, ranked second, and member Erik Kristen’s J/105 Jubilee was fifth.

Ten CYC Seattle Yachts Earn Recognition

A total of ten CYC boats made the rankings, compared to four by second-placing Sloop Tavern Yacht Club, and Shilshole Bay Yacht Club had three. Seattle Yacht Club, Tacoma Yacht Club and Port Madison Yacht Club had two each, and CYC Edmonds had one.

“It’s a tribute to our racing program that so many of our boats have been recognized in these rankings,” said CYC Commodore Wayne Balsiger. “CYC runs more races than any yacht club in the region and when our members sail in big regattas, their experience shows.”

Travis gave credit to his crew for Flash’s dominance of the big-boat group. He said he has the same group on the boat year-round and some of the people on the boat have been sailing with him for 30 years.

“Continuity and consistency in the crew are really important,” he said. “We don’t always do thiings right – in the best way – but we don’t seem to have major catastrophes. We know the plusses and minuses of everybody on the boat, and we know how long it takes to do the things we need to do.”

Unlike many boats, where a tactician makes all the calls, Travis said most of his crewmembers have so much experience sailing on Puget Sound that all are encouraged to speak up.

“Everyone is looking around at the race course to see what’s going on,” he said. “It becomes a committee.”

Key members of Travis’ crew were Rob Mitchell, Bill Heston, Doug Hansen, Scott Gilbert, Harry Dursch, Keith Whittemore, Joe Russell, Ken Blalock, Terry Clark, Josh May and Lauren Bucholz.

Beyond the top five, CYC members making the 48-North rankings were David MacLean, Illusionist (6), Lorenzo Migliorini,Allegro Vivace (tie 8), Mel Marshel, Rubicon (13), Dave Lynch and Steve Johnson, White Cloud (15), Charlie Macaulay,Absolutely (19), Charles Hill, Different Drummer (22) and Allen Johnson, Pegasus, 25.