Orange Coast College's sailing school has set a course for the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
The nationally renowned School of Sailing and Seamanship, which already boasts its own island off Vancouver, British Columbia, has landed Roy E. Disney's cutting-edge $7-million sailboat, Pyewacket.
The 86-foot championship boat comes with a grant underwritten by the former Walt Disney Co. board member to help pay for a full-time racing sailor and cover other operational costs.
"Unless you are a professional sailor or a multimillionaire or billionaire, you'd never have the chance to sail on a boat like this," said Brad Avery, the school's director.
Disney, a competitive sailor for about 30 years who has won some of the world's best-known races, retired from the sport last month.
"I had this ... crucial birthday, No. 75," said Disney, whose uncle was Walt Disney. "And I decided to quit this yacht racing game."
Disney said he didn't seriously consider selling the boat because Orange Coast College could put it to good use.
"It's an exciting boat to sail," Disney said. "It's astonishing. It just goes through the water so fast. You don't even know how fast you're going until you look at the [knot meter]. A couple times, I've been thinking, 'Oh boy. There's no wind.' And I look down and we're doing 21 knots. It's an amazing machine.' "
Pyewacket, launched in 2004, is a MaxZ86 class custom-built, carbon fiber racing yacht with a mast towering 120 feet and a revolutionary canting keel, which moves from one side of the boat to the other for greater speed.
When Pyewacket was built, it was the largest boat to feature a canting keel. It remains one of only a half-dozen like it in the world, Avery said.
It was named after a witch's cat in "Bell, Book and Candle."
"These boats are something special -- going into that new evolutionary class," said Rich Roberts, sailing columnist for the Log, a boating and fishing newspaper. "They can sail faster than the wind in very light wind or moderate wind.... It requires a little bit more sailing skill. You can't just put a bunch of weekend sailors on this boat and expect to do much."
Avery said his sailing students are excited by the prospect of testing their skills on the big boat after training.
He's already fielding calls from students clamoring for a spot on the yet-to-be-formed sailing team.
It will have 40 members in all, with a crew of 24.
