The Santana 22 is one of the most popular classes on the Bay. Considering
it was designed in 1966 and sails as a one-design fleet without spinnakers,
that is saying something. It's a great first boat for a family; Dad and
Mom and one or two little ones can daysail it with ease, cruise if desired
and even race if they want. Many couples compete in the 2700-pound sloop,
including frequent fleet champion Jim Lindsey and his wife Sally.
Women take the helm, too, as in the case of Shirley Bates and fleet
communications officer Marge Watson. "It's a good starting-out boat," says
Marge, "And some people never want to go any further!"
The Santana 22 was born in the mind of Oakland naval architect Gary
Mull and Southern California boatbuilder Bill Schock. The story goes that
they were sharing some spaghetti one day when Schock asked what could be
done to improve on the popular Cal 20. Mull outlined some ideas and they
went on to other topics. By the end of the meal, Gary thought the subject
had been dropped. After returning from a business trip east, however, he
found Schock extremely upset that no drawings had been sent yet. The UC
Berkeley graduate got to work and the result was a boat well suited for
the Bay, although it has enjoyed success in other areas, such as Santa
Cruz, Huntington Lake, Southern California, and even Oklahoma. The National
Championship currently rotates between the first three, with 1984's
venue being at Huntington Lake.
For several years the Santana 22 had the distinction of racing as a one design class on the Bay in both the Yacht Racing Association (YRA) and the Small Yacht Racing Association (SYRA). In the first case, spinnakers were used, while the SYRA group sails with only main and overlapping jib. The latter has become so popular, that the class recently dropped out of the YRA, although there is a movement to get reinstated according to fleet captain Charles Brochard.
Brochard bought his Tacky Lady five years ago. He has borrowed
a boat to compete in the Little Lipton race, which at the time was held
in Santana 22's. The high degree of competition in the class appealed to
him. "The top ten boats are very tough," he says. The large turnouts
- between 25 and 35 boats show up on the starting line regularly - makes
it even more difficult to do well. Boat speed differences are relatively
small,
putting a premium on tactics. The top sailors such Lindsey, Vern Neff,
Dave Hankel and Scott Owens are sought after by skippers of many other
types of racing boats for their expertise.
Dave Hankel used to crew on Santana 22's before he got his Espresso
five years ago. He refers to the Santana as "a stout little boat",
saying that years ago there used to be problems with the lower shrouds
being too weak. That problem has been solved. General thinking is that
it's also a good idea to have a support below the deck stepped mast to
prevent pushing the cabin top down. Fore and aft mast bending for better
sail shape has become popular in the fleet, although not everyone wants
to get too high tech.
The lessons learned in fleet racing are often put to good use when the
Santana 22's take on other classes. They frequently compete and do well
in Friday night Oakland Estuary races, Tuesday night races and
midwinters.In the late 1960's, Larry Wright fared very well in the
Midget Ocean Racing Association (MORA), placing first overall in 1968.
Hankel, with crew Gary Paxton and Peter Truman, won the 1982 MORA
Long Distance race to San Diego. He was pressed hard all the way by second
place Pagan Baby, Scott Owen's boat. Blessed with a generous PHRF
rating in the low 200's, a well sailed Santana 22 in any handicap fleet
is a serious threat.
Accommodations are spartan, yet there are those who have cruised the boat successfully. Marge Watson kept her boat in the Delta this summer, enjoying weekend outings for fishing and cruising. She reports that more than two adults becomes a crowd, although a couple of toddlers can fit in as well. Ocean passages aren't recommended, but several have occurred. Jack Woida, who has had his Mai Sai since 1966, recalls a couple of boats being sailed on a delivery from the Schock factory in Southern California to Hawaii.
One of the biggest draws of the Santana is economy. The boats are no
longer being produced, and used ones range from $5,000 to $7,000. Their
popularity keeps up resale value. Maintenance and sail inventory are
minimal; they can be wet or dry sailed. "They really can be sailed
on a shoestring," says Luther Conover, owner of Diamond Sky.
The Santana 22 is very much of a "people's boat" too. Shirley Bates
has owner her Inshallah (her translation from Arabic meaning "Nothing
but God can stop me") since 1974. She had sailed some before that and found
the Santana combined the maneuverability of a dinghy with the power of
a keelboat. "At first it was like a bucking bronco," says the sixth grade
schoolteacher. "But now I have control over it." She's raced Inshallah
actively, learning through the years and now places in the upper half
regularly. In handicap racing, she does even better. "I like the competition,"
she adds, "and that's what makes the boat so attractive. All
of us who sail the boat are pretty excited about it."
For more information about the boat, call Charles Brochard at (415)
799-1889 or Marge Watson, (415) 881-0518.