Here is the information from the Lizzie B Website at the end of the 2004 Sunset Series. The current year's Website is here

2004 Crew

Pre-Sunset Series Preparation - After a lot of preparation before the 2003 season we haven't had to do as much for 2004. As always, the boat was out of the water for six months in the back of Dick's warehouse and we have a new bottom (a smooth bottom is critical to boatspeed in the light airs that are typical in Marina del Rey in mid- and late-summer). The knotmeter was acting up at the end of last year so we replaced it with an identical unit. We have ordered a new North 3DL #1 Genoa but there was a mix-up and it won't be available until the third or fourth race. Finally, after having the headstay break due to corrosion during the 2002 season Dick decided that it would be playing it safe to replace the mast before it fails. A new spar of the same dimensions will be ready in early May. Our biggest change for 2004 may be that Dick, Art and Demitri are trying to lose weight and as of the first race have lost 45 lbs between them.

Description of Individual Sunset Races

      April 21st       May 5th       May 19th       June 9th

The Competition - Our biggest rival for the Marylyn Ritchie Trophy in 2003 was Bandit, a Santana 20. You can find out more about Bandit at Bruce Fleck's website here.

So far in 2004 (through race #16) the top boats for the Marylyn Ritchie Trophy are Cuvee Caliente (Mumm 30), Bandit, 9 Lives (Martin 242), Patience (Martin 242) and Lizzie B. A table showing approximate total points for all boats is available from the CYC website here. Also available on this website are tables showing the same race points but reflecting two discards and three discards.

In our class (PHRF C), Avet, a J/80, Creeper, a custom Santana 30/30, and Superstar, a Catalina 38, are all tough competitors. Avet has a really good rating in Marina del Rey (it rates 111-114 in the rest of the country and 114 in Dana Point, another SoCal light air area, but 123 here in MDR) so it is tough. And, the crew has been doing a much better job of sailing the boat this year - they have increased the crew from 3 to 4 and are much faster both upwind and downwind in all wind conditions. They won the first mini-series and have 4 wins so far this year. Creeper was new to Marina del Rey in 2003 and won a few races even though they were still figuring the boat out. This year they got 6 seconds of rating benefit and are pretty hard to beat if they go the right way (which fortunately doesn't happen every race). They have won two races so far this year. Superstar was especially tough in 2003 after doing a partial blister-elimination job before the season started. They have consistently finished well in every race and have won three races so far this year. Of course, there are a number of other boats that can win on any given Wednesday, such as Spirit, a Santana 30/30PC, (they have won one race so far this year) and Crimson Star, a Santana 30/30GP. One traditionally well-sailed boat, Teaser, a Santana 30/30RC, hasn't been out much this year but that could change.

Through race #16 Lizzie B has done so-so; we have 5 wins but also have three 5ths and one 6th. That means we haven't been able to keep up with the competition for the Marylyn Ritchie Trophy (after 16 races and with two discards, we had 131.018 points last year compared to 113.250 points this year). Right now (after 16 races) it looks like Cuvee Caliente has the inside track for the Marylyn Ritchie Trophy in 2004 but there are still four races to go so it is still too early to count Bandit and the other boats out.