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Neglect puts Transpac
in trouble

In last week's column, I pointed out that a yacht race could often encourage boat owners to voyage to far-flung destinations they might not go to otherwise. It's partly about safety in numbers.

But, I also noted there's usually some sort of profit motive behind the race organizers' efforts as well, as the destinations normally benefit from the increased tourism and notoriety.

Take, for example, the Transpacific Yacht Race, or Transpac, as it is more familiarly called.

King David Kalakaua, one of Hawaii's last monarchs, originally proposed the idea of a yacht race from California to Hawaii in 1886. In a letter to the members of San Francisco's Pacific Yacht Club, he invited them to race the following year, with the finish to coincide with his 50th birthday celebration.

For unknown reasons, those yachtsmen failed to accept the King's invitation, but 20 years later -- and after the overthrow of the monarchy -- Honolulu businessman Clarence Macfarlane decided the time was right to try again.

After sailing his schooner La Paloma to San Francisco, only to discover the city had recently been decimated by the great earthquake and fire of 1906, he continued south to Los Angeles harbor where he found the competition he needed.

On June 11, 1906, Macfarlane's 48-foot yacht, along with the 112-foot yawl Anemone and the 86-foot schooner Lurline (the eventual winner), crossed the starting line on that first 2,225-mile Transpac race.

With few exceptions, Transpac has been raced biennially ever since, and after 42 contests, its stories fill a special nautical chapter in our state's maritime history.

The size of Transpac's fleets over the years has often been a barometer of the world's economy. The smallest fleet -- two boats -- raced in 1932, during the Great Depression, while the largest -- 80 boats -- raced in 1979, a particularly prosperous year.

Over the past 100 years, it's safe to say that many thousands of boat owners, crewmembers and their families have visited Hawaii as a direct result of their involvement in Transpac. And millions of readers and viewers are likely influenced by Transpac media reports.

So when a recent article in Sail Magazine states: "Even more striking than the mismanagement of the (Ala Wai Yacht Harbor) is the fact that it's been getting worse for years," I believe our bureaucrats and politicians should be extremely concerned.

"How bad can it get?" it continues. "Transpacific Yacht Club commodore Jerry Montgomery has notified members looking forward to the 2005 centennial race that Transpac Row is kaput. Here Transpac champs like Windward Passage, Merlin, Pegasus -- and that's the short list -- tied up in order of finish for more than a generation.

"Workable alternatives are in the planning, of course, but what about the state of Hawaii? Hello out there?" it asks.

And the question is valid. Is the plan to eventually hang a "closed for business" sign on every state-run marina? What about it, Hawaii?