Reports From Rich Roberts
 

Barney Flam and his son Steve have won many sailboat races over many years, but probably none with more purpose than on Saturday’s first day of their Alamitos Bay Yacht Club’s annual Turkey Day Regatta, featuring 261 boats in 20 classes from San Diego to San Francisco.

 

Evelyn Flam, Barney’s wife of 61 years, passed away only eight days earlier at age 82, leading to a difficult decision about whether her survivors would participate in the regatta, a local tradition that started the year Evelyn and Barney were married.

 

“Steve and I talked about it,” Barney said afterward, “and we decided that it was something she would have wanted us to do. Steve said at the start, ‘Let’s sail this one for mom.’ “

 

They did … and they won, first among 19 boats in the Cal 20 class that Evelyn once sailed with Barney.

 

Steve Flam said, “Near the end of the race when we saw we were going to win we were both sailing with tears running down our faces.”

 

Then they finished sixth and second to close the day in first place with a two-point lead, with three races remaining Sunday. 

 

At the end of day the only departure with their routine was that Barney didn’t pull out his cell phone to tell Evelyn how they’d done.

 

“But she knew,” Steve said. “It wouldn’t have done anybody any good just sitting home and moping around the house. [Instead] it was a beautiful day.”

 

Some 400 sailors enjoyed a turkey dinner Saturday night. Winners will receive holiday birds instead of trophies when racing concludes Sunday. 

 

After the first day, sailed in light southerly breeze that faded from 7 knots at mid-day to bare wisps later, husband and wife Jay and Pease Glaser are in position to repeat their two-bird sweep of last year when the Olympic silver medalists won the A-Cat and Formula 18 classes, respectively.

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