A new world record - 29 Boxsters at a Boxster event!  Add sixteen 911's, a dramatic clifftop setting overlooking the California coastline, and a restaurant where the spirits not only flow but also flit about - put it all together, and you have another great Boxsterfest.
 

	BoxsterFestMeister Randy Russell lined up this beautiful new site, with a large parking lot that filled with Boxsters (l).  An early arrival - and the object of much attention - was Ruth Shirkey's red and black combo.
	Lots of vanity plates were in evidence - here are just a few (l). The group was shocked and dismayed when Randy showed up in an unexpected conveyance.  Here he is trying to sneak past the paparazzi (r).  He has sold his well-customized black Boxster, but claimed to be on the list for a Boxster S, so we let him stay.
	This should settle any discussion about whether the Boxster has enough room inside.  Mark from Tiburon (l) claims to be "the largest living mammal to drive a Boxster."  His spotless black beauty has just about every aluminum accent available (r), and the nifty spoiler decal from Chris from Germany (l).
	Suddenly we heard a roar of engines, and here came the 911s (l).  Talk about making an entrance! So now we had a parking lot packed to the gills with forty-five Porsches (r).  Anyone want to calculate how many million dollars that comes to?  You almost had to be there to experience it - but fortunately for you, Trygve Isaacson took a panoramic photo (below).  There are also some movies on his Web page.
photo by Randy Russell	Then we all trooped in to lunch in the historic Moss Beach Distillery, which opened its doors in 1927 as Frank's Roadhouse.  Randy had reserved a large area in the main dining room, and a private room (r) with a spectacular view.  Food was pretty good too. Earlier we mentioned the flitting spirits.  The Distillery claims to be haunted by the Blue Lady, a lovely young woman who 70 years ago used to meet her lover at the hotel that used to be next door, until she was killed in an auto crash.  There have been many unexplained events in the building   Not long ago, the owner got a 1 a.m. phone call from a hysterical employee.  Closing up the place, he was doing a total on the computer, when he noticed that all the transactions were dated 1927.  No one could fix the date, and the computer company had to reset the thing.  Other strange happenings included unusal sounds and doors that repeatedly locked themselves.  Does all this sound eerily familiar to Boxster owners?
While waiting for food, your reporter (above) holds up the famous Porsche Welcome Package.  Just below it is a copy of the custom Boxsterfest menu Randy printed up for us.  And on the wall there are some pretty neat photos from the early days of the Distillery.		When Air Meets Water was nearly "when water meets Boxsters".   Rain threatened all day, but held off 'till well after lunch, even though several Boxsterowners tempted fate by leaving their tops down. After lunch, we organized for the group photograph (l).  Then it was off for the ride.
We pulled out of the parking lot, which took a while for twenty-odd Boxsters.  (The 911s had taken off to do their own thing.)  It was at the stop sign (r) by Route 1, the coast highway, that the trouble started.  We had to wait to make left turns across the brisk traffic, and got pretty well separated.		As a result of subsequent events (related below by others), I soon got separated from the group.  So I turn the narrative over to others and await better luck at BoxsterFest VI.  Nevertheless, a well worthwhile day.

Others posted their observations on Porsche Pete's Board:

AiRick said:

Debbie and I had a great time!  Would be nice if you could arrange it to be a little warmer next time, but you did great with no rain!  The    People-Cars-Food all great.  We enjoyed the whole day! Yes a few problems on the first turn that separated us, then hitting the traffic. We then saw a  flock of Boxsters heading the other way.  So we turned around possibly to regroup around the airport?  But after a couple of fast miles and after a long  night with the flight out from Hawaii we headed South for Carmel to a warm bed and an hour of "what ever your little heart desires" shopping left.  I still think I had the fastest highest performing Boxster there, with my P220 option! (P220 = $220 a day rental.)  We both had a great time, and our thanks to Randy for setting it all up.

The "drive was another story" refers to the fact the there really wasn't much of a drive as it turned out .... the accident on highway 1 north which caused about 7-8 boxsters to turn around halved the group right away .... then, the one lane, police-signalled area managed to break up the group even     further ... in the end there were a total of FOUR cars that made the round trip back to Moss Beach Distillery ... Randy in his Miata was one, Bernie in an OB, Robert in a black, and me in my girlfriend's OB ... the loop took about an hour ... no one opened it up, thinking in vain if we went slow, others would catch up ... we talked for a bit back the restaurant and laughed about how difficult it seems to get a drive to actually work out and that was it ...   maybe next time ... but, as posted before, the caravan out of the parking lot was pretty cool ...

Well, I will try to tell the story. Problems are:

1.  We should have let the 993 people go first, ssince most of them were going to HWY 1 South, while we were going North. This caused a line of cars consisting of 993, Boxster, 993, Boxster,etc ...  When we merged on to the highway, we had a problem keeping the Boxsters together.
2.  We need rules for the drive, such as keep with the plan route if something like this happens (traffic,etc..).
3.  We needed a driving map. These are my goals for BoxsterFest VI.

 On the way out of Moss Beach Distillery, I was in the middle of the pack in the white Mazda Miata behind several 993s. Taka Shioya (silver Boxster  w/ hardtop) was nice enough to let me him me get in front of him. At the stop sign trying to get on Hwy. 1, several 993s headed south bound. The one   in front of me (993 S4) was heading north also.  There were a lot of cars heading south (normal cars, not part of the group).  Finally we all managed to get on to Hwy. 1 north.  In the very front of the line, I could see Ruth's Ocean Blue with her red hardtop several cars ahead.

After driving a mile or less, just before the Chart House, the traffic stopped. There was a construction sign indicating one lane traffic control at 3:00; it was only 2:30.  In the  distance I could see a fire truck and serveral police cars. Two Boxsters in line in front of me pulled into the Chart House to do a U turn.  It was Robert Chung and guest in his Boxster and Rob and Gillian Sward in their white Boxster.  I gestured to Robert, why are you turning around? - he indicated the traffic.  From where I was at, it looked like a long wait.  But within a few minutes, we started to move along.  We passed the the fire truck and saw what was causing the accident: a Pontiac Grand Prix ran into a power pole. They had police waving us through.

Once we passed the service vehicles, it was slow for a few more miles.  Driving a little bit further, a copy of a 993 pulled off into a residential street with a black Boxster following (Robert Stagmier). This started to confuse me a little. I continued on with five Boxster or so still behind me: Taka Shioya and two others. Traffic started to pick up to highway speed. As we approachd the Skyline exit, a black Boxster exited. That confused me more. Why are people going their own way?  We approached the 280 exit to San Jose. I exited but Taka Shioya continued on.  Add more to my confusion. I  continue with 2 Boxsters behind me.  I try to go slow (highway speed) to allow any other Boxsters to catch up. After a few minutes on 280, I noticed a black Boxster from the rear approaching fast. It was Robert Stagmier playing catchup.

Now crusing down 280 with 3 Boxsters with a White Miata leading. We headed back to 92 to Halfmoon Bay. It was awesome driving, even though it aws raining off and on. I wished we had a big convoy. We got back to Moss Beach Distillery with 3 Boxsters behind. We sat around and chatted for a while and hoping that other Boxsters would show up. It was getting cold for me and I had to head home to Santa Cruz.  I said goodbye and went on my way.

 That's the whole story. The biggest questions that kept coming up during BoxsterFest V were WHY? WHY? HOW MUCH? Are you on the list for the S?  Yes, I sold my Boxster.

Text and  photos by Walt Bilofsky unless otherwise noted.  Page last modified December 28, 1998.

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