A special message to RAY TOSTADO

[Livingbridge]

On March 28, 2008, you posted a message regarding an Alden yawl, known as 'Estrella', describing a splendid night tour you'd made around Catalina Island.

See: [sorry as a first time poster I can't include an url]

I grew up on a 36' Alden yawl, built in 1937, called Estrella. My father bought the boat in Annapolis before I was born. It was a decommissioned vessel from the US Navy, bearing reg. '72' on its mainsail.

In the late 1960s my father sailed it through the Panama Canal, from Annapolis, to San Diego.

With a heavy heart the family was forced to sell Estrella, in the mid-late 1970s, ceding her to a Los Angeles TV anchor, who, according to the last eyewitness with whom I was in contact, let her rot at dock.

I'd so like to know what became of her, whether someone stepped in to save the beauty.

Your description of Estrella corresponds to the boat I know, which shaped my entire childhood and subsequent thoughts.

You wrote:

"I recall one night rounding Catalina Island to port on my Alden yawl, Estrella. [...] This was evidence enough of the beautiful lines she possessed. To the natural elements of the environment we, trespassed we were but a swift sword passing in the night.

What a great moment of understanding".

Beautiful lines is right. 10 knots, swift sword.

Do you suppose yours is the same Estrella I knew? I suspect it is.

I'd be so pleased / relieved to know that she's in good hands.

Any news would be very welcome.

Dana

[RAYTOSTADO]

Yes, there is a possibility. I bought Estrella around 1975 and campaigned her when such boats were carrying proper ratings to be competative. But the more modern builders on the west coast were very jelous as to our, (wodden boat fleet) performance when on a reach that they had PHRF keep increasing our rating until we could no longer remain competative. I was able to retain my rating of PHRF 164 due to my honest contact with the head of the local rating board Tom Leweck

My Esltrella was listed at 44' (TOL) and was single planked. She was registered as hull #6, design 536?, as how she had 5 sister ships built prior to her, East Coast builder.. The hull design must have been very successful for to have so many sister ships was very uncommon back then, 1937. But Estrella being single planked was some 2k# lighter and a complete lightening rod in speed. And she could sail to weather rather well for a full keel design.

Her racing record after some moderization to her running rigging and additional winches was admirable. I did 3 consecutive 1st OA in the annual Marina del Rey single handed series. Any open course race was a wide open battlefield to win or place high. Only super light winds slowed her down.

Her greatest fete was to place 16th in line honors and 1st OA in the 1977 Marina del Rey to San Diego race. She was beaten to the line, 110 mile course, by only 34 boats. IOR Maxis, and multihulls. So in effect she beat
all the PHRF fleet, all 305 of them. She took 1st in Wooden Hull class; split rig class, PHRF fleet, C Class PHRF.

Michael O'Herlihy, the famous TV director chased me down when he saw her one Sunday on a beam reach reentering the harbor after a day sail. The broker he hired took 10 days to find where Estrella was berthed. After a 30 minute sea trial O'Herlihy extended his hand and said, "Raymond, you have a sale." I went on to commission a 41' IOR two-tonner named Juarez.

Michaael treated Estrella with love and respect. He had the interior restored, and new teak decks. After about 4 years his health took a bad turn and the boat went unused for years until Micheael decided to return to his native Ireland for his remaining days. He gave the boat to the sons of a close friend. The last I heard she was moored at King Harbor marina.

Contact Scott at King Harbor Marine center. he might know of her whereabouts.

After having raced successfully both an Alden design, and then a Choate/Andrews design, my feeling is that Alsen was an absolute genius of design. Were he to have had the modern day buuilding materials allowing for such radical hull forms he would have ruled the world. Much less test tanks and computer generated performace curves.

You can see her under sail in a ABC TV movie titled, "Desperate Voyage", or later re-released as "Voyage of the Valhalla."

Cheers,

Ray 213/250-2893