Good old days on the Bay

It will come as a shock to learn that several of our more dashing social figures are already on an emeritus list.

But it was their own choice. Barnaby Conrad Jr., Charles O’Gara and Roger Towne are among those who decided to retire from the American Bullship Racing Association, which sponsors the spring El Toro race from Sausalito to San Francisco.

A new group is taking over, more serious, perhaps, than the crew that founded “El Gran Concurso BarcoToro” in 1954. The 11th annual concurso will be April 11, starting at 7:30 a.m.. from the Ondine in Sausalito. The St. Francis Yacht Harbor breakwater is the finish line.

The racing has always been the real thing. A limit of 150 entries had to be put on the contest because the response was so great from sailors — both men and women — who were willing to cross the bay in the tiny boats.

But the originators of the contest added a lot of fun to the race. For the 1955 event, Mrs. Wendell Howell introduced Irish coffee, which was served chilled to contestants as they scrambled ashore at the yacht club.

At first there were only a few spectators on shore to watch the race and share the coffee, but interest grew to the point that it was necessary to issue “Irish coffee credentials” to invited guests.

Wendy, incidentally, has long since moved to Ireland, where only tourists drink Irish coffee, but she is still on the roster of the ABRA committee. Her duties now are as liaison to the Irish distilleries.

Tempest Storm used to figure in early El Toro races. She was selected as honorary navigator, and although she was never here for a race, she did show up one year in time to present the awards at Barnaby Conrad’s Matador bar.

Tempest, too, is on the list of “oficiales emeritus,” as this group is called in the halfSpanish, half-English announcements of the 1964 race.

In a way, Tempest may have convinced the old guard of El Toro that it was time to retire.

“When I heard Tempest had had a baby last year,” commented Charles O’Gara, “that was the handwriting on the wall.”

Charles, who lives in Monterey and does a lot of El Toro racing at Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach, will be up for the race with his wife, Nancy.

“Emeritus” status won’t keep Mary and Scott Cauchois from coming over from Piedmont for the contest, and Roger Towne may be here, too. He has been in Mexico and is currently entering business in Southern California.

Roger had charge of the fleet of sailboats that accompanies the Toros across the bay, and Dan London is chief of the motorboat skippers. Dan will be back in his old role, and a substitute will be found for Roger.

There will be a novel kind of escort ship this year.

The Charles Ackermans are completing the refurbishing of their 33-foot houseboat, the Tule Belle, which has been in service on the Sacramento River. She is being done in nautical navy and white, and will be ready for duty on the bay by April 11.

This column originally appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle on March 29, 1964.

Tempest Storm used to figure in early El Toro races. She was selected as honorary navigator.