Hamilton, Bermuda, June 21, 2012 – ‘Lilla’, the big red Briand 76 (IRL7600) owned by Simon and Nancy De Pietro of Cork, Ireland and Mattapoisett MA, sailed a fast straight-forward Newport Bermuda Race and won Class 13 in the Cruiser Division. ‘Lilla’ also took first place in the whole Cruiser Division and will be presented with the Carleton Mitchell Finesterre Trophy for first place.

True - USA 22 - J160 production yacht yacht skippered by Howard B Hodgson Jnr (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL)
‘Lilla’ led classmate ‘True’, a J-160 owned by Howard Hodgson of Ipswich MA by 1 hr 17 min on corrected time for the win in class and division. ‘True’ was second in both Class 13 and the division. Third place in the Cruiser division went to ‘Odyssey’ a Swan 55 sailed by Glenn Dexter from Halifax NS.
And there is Icing on the cake for ‘Lilla’. In 2011 she raced in the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and set the 645-mile course record from Marion MA to Bermuda at 68:58:45. That performance last year and her top finish in the Newport Bermuda Race earn her the Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy presented by SAIL Magazine. This special combined competition trophy goes to the captain who has the best performance in consecutive Newport Bermuda and Marion Bermuda races. ‘Lilla’ sailed from Newport this time— a 10-mile shorter course in 63:17:13, some 5 hours and 41 minutes faster.
“The only problem we had,” said navigator Nancy De Pietro, “was getting water to the forward head and shower. The water tank we were using was aft, on the port side [That was the high side on the long port tack all the way down from Newport] and the pump had trouble because it was sucking air up there.”
“The one great thing about sailing on this type of boat is that we get to shower after coming off of every watch,” said Simon De Pietro with a smile.
Not having water for showers would have been a crisis for this cruiser crew… all good friends and family. It was an international crew with sailors from Ireland, the Dutch West Indies, England, Canada, South Africa and the USA. ‘Lilla’ has a comfortable 3-cabin layout and is used for charter as well as offshore racing.
In addition to doing the Bermuda Races, she has also done the Caribbean 600. She is an aluminum yacht with just 8.5-foot draft. She does not go to weather well but on a reach her waterline works and she is good and fast. The De Pietros thought of entering the St. David’s Lighthouse Division but needed to be able to use the power winches.
‘True’ a 53 foot J-160— also in Class 13— finished an hour behind ‘Lilla’ Her navigator Richard Casner of Dedham MA said, “The conditions were perfect for ‘True’ we had entered as a non-spinnaker boat and we think that paid off. We were right next to the Swan 60 ‘Lady B’ when she set a chute and we were able to walk away from her. The double headsail rig we used was just right for this boat in this race.”
The Newport Bermuda Race had 6 divisions and 17 classes. The Cruiser division had 30 entries. More than 100 prizes will be awarded Saturday evening on the lawn of Bermuda’s Government House. His Excellency Mr. George Fergusson the Governor of Bermuda will present the prizes along with Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Commodore John Brewin and the Cruising Club of America Commodore Dan Dyer.

Carina -USA 315 - McCurdy & Rhodes 48 yacht skippered by A Rives Potts Jnr, making the most of the blustery conditions. Carina is the provisional winner of the principal St David's Lighthouse Trophy for the third time. (Photo by Barry Pickthall / PPL)
Going into Monday evening, LLwyd Ecclestone’s ‘Kodiak’ crew was hopeful of winning the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy, the most coveted of the three main Newport Bermuda Trophies awarded to the corrected time winner of the large amateur division. Then came ‘Carina’ to steal the show.
It looks as though, Based on provisional results, Rives Potts’ McCurdy and Rhodes 48-foot ‘Carina’ (Westbrook CT) won Class 3 and the silver scale model St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy for first in the Division and probably more loot to boot. ‘Carina’ with Potts at the helm won the same first place trophy in the 2010 race and in 1970 ‘Carina’ won it under Richard Nye. This ties ‘Carina’ with ‘Finisterre’ as the boat with the most lighthouses on her trophy rack. ‘Finisterre’ won three in a row under Carleton Mitchel 1956, 1958 and 1960.

Defiance - NA 23 - Navy 44 training yacht skippered by Bryan Weisberg (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL)
‘Carina’ finished at 6:16PM in Bermuda and had a corrected time of 45:08:16. The US Naval Academy’s new Navy 44 ‘Defiance’ was second in Class 3 behind ‘Carina’ and also second in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division. Her corrected time was 45:42:50. The US Naval Academy’s older Navy 44 Class 2 boat, ‘Swift’, was first in her class and third overall for the division with a corrected time of 46:09:04. It was a pretty tight race with just 26 corrected minutes between these top two boats in the division after a 635-mile sleigh-ride.
For Potts and crew, this is his second St. David’s Lighthouse win in a row. “We had a fantastic race,” Potts said. “ Pretty straight forward. We powered through the stream and then played two big shifts down the rhumbline further south. We gybed twice and then tacked twice for the finish when the wind got lighter and went forward. We finished under a light #1 headsail.” These gybes and tacks were more than most of the other boats in the race made and probably helped ‘Carina’ win overall.
“The boat just got back from a circumnavigation and racing in the world’s top races three weeks ago. My son and nephew did a great job of getting ‘Carina’ ready for Bermuda. In a race like this, preparation is one key to winning. Crew work is another and we had a family based crew working together.” Potts added.
The crew of ‘Carina’ is made up of four fathers and five sons. One of the fathers, Bud Sutherland, is Rives Potts’ brother-in-law and his son Rives Sutherland is the Captain of ‘Carina’ who took her on her global trek.
Change happened overnight in the Double-Handed Division, too. Perennial double-handed winner Hewitt Gaynor (Fairfield CT) slipped his J120 Mireille into first in Class 15 and first in the division. Joe Harris (South Hamilton MA) who sailed such a fast race in his Class 40 ‘Gryphon Solo2’ was alone on the leader board Monday. Harris had an elapsed time of 60:20:26 while Gaynor’s was 74:12:34. On corrected time, ‘Mireille’ beat ‘Gryphon Solo2’ by roughly 4 hours.

Shockwave - USA 60272 - a mini maxi yacht skippered by George Sakellaris (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL)
The provisional Gibbs Hill Division winner is ‘Shockwave’ a Reichel/Pugh 72 skippered by George Sakellaris of Farmington MA. Sakellaris will win the silver replica of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, a top prize along with the St. David’s Light. ‘Shockwave’ took double silver snatching the North Rock Beacon Trophy, the third important prize for the IRC corrected time winner, which is a silver replica of the 1960-1990 North Rock Light Tower that once warned mariners of the rocky approach to Bermuda from the North.

Med Spirit - FRA 1575 - Welbourn 92 maxi skippered by Michael D'Amelio. (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL)
‘Med Spirit’ sailed by Michael D’Amelio (Boston, MA) in the Open Division is the other winner that seems clear under the provisional results for the Royal Mail trophy. Six boats started in this division that featured boats from 40 feet to 100 feet in length. Their common denominator was moveable ballast, either canting keels or water ballast. The 3 Class 40 boats all had water ballast and were fully crewed so they did not qualify to sail against the 3 Class 40’s that went double-handed in Class 15.
The Wally 100 ‘Indio’ under Mark Fliegner (Monaco) came second. ‘Donnybrook’, in her maiden race skippered by Jim Muldoon (Washington DC) had to retire with damage to her daggerboard and daggerboard trunk. Under corrected time only about 5 hours separated the winning 100-footer and the bottom Class 40.
‘Spirit of Bermuda’, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation sail-training vessel, was the sole entry in the new Spirit of Tradition Division. She finished Monday night at 11:20 ADT.

Shockwave - USA 60272 - a mini maxi yacht skippered by George Sakellaris (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL))
By John Rousmaniere
As of 1800 Sunday, six boats have finished the race, each of them breaking an elapsed time course record. In finishing order, they are Rambler (Class 10), Bella Mente (Class 10), Shockwave (Class 10), Team Tiburon (Class 10), Med Spirit (Class 16), and Kodiak (Class 8). Shockwave and Kodiak are the current corrected time leaders in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division and St. David’s Lighthouse Division, respectively. Med Spirit is the current corrected time leader in the Open Division.
First to finish Rambler, a 90-foot Reichel/Pugh sloop owned by George David (Hartford, Conn.), broke the course record decisively, averaging 16.06 knots down the 635-mle course in a time of 39 hours, 39 minutes, 18 seconds. She clipped 9 hours off the previous course record set in 2004 by Morning Glory, which averaged 13.06 knots for Open Division boats and 14 hours from the ‘Official’ Record. Med Spirit set the new Open Division record of 45 hours, 26 minutes, 28 minutes… three hours faster than the previous record.
Sailors had vivid descriptions of high-speed, extremely rough conditions on the long, fast reach that prevailed from start to finish. Scott King, Team Tiburon, reported that after starting under a spinnaker, once the boat cleared the Narragansett Bay entrance buoys the crew set a double-headsail rig with a topsail over a jib. They then took in and shook out reefs in the mainsail as the conditions warranted, with one or two sailors always working the mainsheet.
Team Tiburon sailed Wizard a 74-foot sloop designed by Reichel/Pugh and chartered by Mark E. Watson III, a Bermuda business CEO. They covered 385 miles in her first 24 hours in the race, averaging almost 17 knots. “She felt slow when the speed dropped to 11,” King said. “I’ve been in boats where 11 knots was not even part of the plan.”
King said the water was always rough, with some waves 8 feet or higher and water constantly on deck, pushing sailors around. The Gulf Stream crossing was not as rough as he expected, he said, but it was spectacularly beautiful.
“Just before we entered the Stream we saw a long streak of phosphorescence in the water, as though a full moon was out and shining right down on it.” The phosphorescence disappeared when the boat charged into the main body of the Gulf Stream, but reappeared. “Dolphins were torpedoing through all this, right in front of us,” King said.
As they neared Bermuda on Sunday morning, Team Tiburon sailed into a series of rain-squalls with stronger winds that pushed the boat to over 20 knots as she crossed the finish line off St. David’s Head.

George David"s 90ft maxi Rambler has smashed the 635 mile Newport Bermuda race record, clipping a massive 14 hours off the previous best time set 10 years ago by Roy Disneyâs Pyewacket. The new record now stands at 39hr, 39 minutes, 18 seconds (subject to ratification) - an average speed of 16knots(Photo by Barry Pickthall/PPL)
Dateline: 07:09:18 ADT Bermuda: George David’s 90ft maxi Rambler has smashed the 635 mile Newport Bermuda race record, clipping a massive 14 hours off the previous best time set 10 years ago by Roy Disney’s Pyewacket. The new record now stands at 39hr, 39 minutes, 18 seconds (subject to ratification) – an average speed of 16knots.
A delighted George David said. “These were perfect conditions. The most exciting moment was when we hit 26 knots. I’m so pleased with our performance. We have reduced the record by 25% – Not bad for a boat that is now 10 years old. This Rambler is the best boat I have ever owned!”
Rambler not only slashed the race record, her crew also spanked their rivals, with Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente crossing the lighthouse line 1 hour 43 minutes behind, followed 3 minutes later by Shockwave skippered by George Sakellaris.
On corrected time however, Shockwave beat Rambler by 33 minutes, followed by Belle Mente in 3rd and Team Tiburon 4th. Two yachts in class 10 are still racing.
There are 166 entries competing in the race, including four Bermuda boats.American entry, Ragana, withdrew from the race at the weekend after experiencing mechanical breakdown en route to Newport.Mr Osmond, a veteran of 15 Newport Bermuda Races, said preparations for this year’s race have so far gone as planned.
“Everything is going along quite smoothly fortunately for the committee which consists of 46 people who have been working for two years on this event,” he said. “All the pieces have come together and everybody has been working very hard.”
Bermuda Race vice-chairman and past RBYC Commodore Les Crane added: “I think registration is going very smoothly and John Osmond who is the race chairman has done a fabulous job putting all this together.“We’re registering the boats ensuring all the paperwork is complete and that everyone is in compliance with the rules that allow them to race.“The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club work closely with the Cruising Club of America who are partners in this race and we’re up here to ensure everyone understand what to expect when they get to Bermuda.”There are a number of social events that will take place in the final lead up to the start of the race, not the least of which is the ever popular Gosling’s Rum Newport Shipyard Crew Party.“We will have a great Bermudian party sponsored by Gosling’s at Newport Shipyard on Wednesday night,” Mr Crane said. “There will be Dark & Stormies and music and it will be a lot of fun.”The 2012 Newport Bermuda Race commences June 15 and concludes several days later in St David’s. The RBYC Anniversary Regatta presented by Butterfield Group will be sailed in the Great Sound on Friday, June 22nd.

Newport Bermuda Race 2010 Start (Photo by George Bekris)
Entry List for Newport to Bermuda 2012
| Yacht | Yacht Type | Division | Captain |
| ANGEL | Ctm 84 | CD | Edward T. Anderson |
| ATTITUDE | Beneteau 423 | CD | Shawn Dahlen |
| BLUE | C&C 51xl | CD | Daniel Epstein |
| CALUSA | Sabre 386 | CD | Peter H. Holmes |
| CAPELLA | Sabre 452 | CD | David Millet |
| CETACEA | Hinckley SW 59 | CD | Christopher J. Culver |
| CHASSEUR | Little Harbor 54 | CD | Gregory G. Smith |
| CHECKMATE | Alden 44 | CD | Frank J. Flores, Jr. |
| CONTINGENCY | Oyster 53 | CD | Christopher C. Darby |
| CRACKERJACK | Cambria 40 | CD | Alan H. Krulisch |
| DEFIANCE | Swan 56 | CD | Peter B. Noonan |
| FEO | Joshua Ketch | CD | Eric P. Best |
| GLORY | Tartan 4700 | CD | William Slattery |
| GRACE | First 40.7 | CD | Jack Ives |
| HAERLEM | Swan 55 | CD | Hendrikus PLM Wisker |
| INISHARON | F&C 44 | CD | James D’A. Murphy |
| ISOLA | Baltic 52 | CD | Howard Eisenberg |
| KANGAROO IV | Sabre 425 | CD | Harvey E. Cohen |
| LADY B | Swan 60 | CD | John P. Madden Jr. |
| LIBERTY CALL | Hallberg Rassy 43 | CD | Matthew G, Pilon |
| LILLA | CNB Briand76 | CD | Simon De Pietro |
| MOONDANCE | Swan 56 | CD | Michael V, Johnson |
| OCEAN WANDERER 1 | Montevideo 43 | CD | Erwin Wanderer |
| ODYSSEY | Swan 55/57 | CD | Glen V Dexter |
| PILGRIM | Alden 44 | CD | Mark Rice |
| POESKE | Beneteau First42 | CD | Richard Donn |
| SHINDIG | Pea39 | CD | Kevin G, Flannery |
| SKY | Swan 53 | CD | Barrett Raymond |
| TRUE | J/160 | CD | Howard B. Hodgson, Jr. |
| WISCHBONE | Oyster 53 | CD | Jeffrey S. Wisch |
| ALIBI | J120 | DH | Gardner L. Grant, Jr. |
| AMHAS | Class 40 | DH | MacKenzie Davis |
| AVATAR | Ranger 37 | DH | John Kedzierski |
| CHOUCAS | Sunfast 36 | DH | Frederic Cosandey |
| DRAGON | Class 40 | DH | Michael Hennessy |
| EAGLE | J40 | DH | Dana Oviatt |
| GRYPHONSOLO2 | Akilaria RC2 | DH | Joseph S. Harris |
| KIVA | Hinckley SW 51CB | DH | Mark Stevens |
| MIREILLE | J120 | DH | E. Hewitt Gaynor |
| NEXT BOAT | Morris 45 | DH | Mark Ellman |
| OAKCLIFF RACING | Ker 11.3 | DH | Jeffrey A. MacFarlane |
| PALADIN | J35 | DH | Jason Richter |
| PENGUIN | Pearson 35 | DH | Steven H. Dane |
| RESOLUTE | J122 | DH | D. Scott Miller |
| RUSE | Swan 44mkII | DH | William Marsh |
| SAILOR BANDIDO | Quest 33 | DH | Christopher A. Palabrica |
| SEABISCUIT | J46 | DH | Nathan C, Owen |
| VALOUR | Peterson 37 | DH | Ernie Messer |
| WHISPER | Hinckley 48 | DH | Thomas J. Vander Salm |
| AVRA | Ctm 40 | GHL | George Petrides |
| BELLA MENTE | 72′ Mini Maxi | GHL | Hap Fauth |
| CLEM | Swan 56 | GHL | Jaime Olazabal |
| DEFIANCE | Marten 49 | GHL | Hamnett P. Hill |
| DRAGONFLY | J/130 | GHL | Colin A. McGranahan |
| MEANIE | R/P 52 | GHL | Thomas Akin |
| PANDORA | C&C 115 | GHL | Peter J. Bromley |
| PTARMIGAN | Ker 43 | GHL | Lawrence F, Dickie |
| RAMBLER | Ctm 90 | GHL | George David |
| RIMA2 | RP 55 | GHL | John G. Brim |
| SHOCKWAVE | Mini Maxi | GHL | George Sakellaris |
| SNOW LION | Ker 50 | GHL | Lawrence S, Huntington |
| STARK RAVING MAD | Swan 601 | GHL | James C. Madden |
| TEAM TIBURON | R/P 74 | GHL | Mark E. Watson III (USMMA) |
| TEMPTATION-OAKCLIFF | Ker 50 | GHL | Oakcliff Sailing Santry Arthur |
| UXORIOUS IV | Swan 62 | GHL | Colin J. Buffin |
| DONNYBROOK | Andrews 80 | Open | James P. Muldoon |
| ICARUS | Class 40 | Open | Amanda Mochrie |
| INDIO | Wally 100 | Open | Mark Fliegner |
| MED SPIRIT | Welbourn 92 | Open | Michael DAmelio |
| TOOTHFACE | Akilaria Class40 | Open | Mike Dreese |
| TRANSPORT COHÉRENCE | Class40 | Open | Benoit Jouandet |
| ACTAEA | Hinckley B40 | SDL | Michael M, Cone |
| AIRBORNE IV | Beneteau 50 | SDL | William B. Greenwood III |
| AKELA III | Swan 43 | SDL | Djoerd Hoekstra |
| ARROWHEAD | J42 | SDL | Steve Berlack |
| AURELIUS | Bestevaer 76 | SDL | Daniel van Starrenburg |
| AURORA | Tartan 41 | SDL | Andrew F. Kallfelz |
| AVENIR | C&C 41 | SDL | Joseph Murray |
| BACCHANAL | J133 | SDL | Jan Smeets |
| BACCI | Swan 53 | SDL | Lorenzo Vascotto |
| BANDANA | Swan 47 | SDL | Charles F. Benson |
| BARLEYCORN | NYYC Swan 42 | SDL | Brendan J Brownyard |
| BARRA | Morris 486 | SDL | Bruce M. MacNeil |
| BEAGLE | J/44 | SDL | Philip H. Gutin |
| BELLE AURORE | Cal 40 | SDL | Doug Jurrius |
| BLACK WATCH | Ctm 68 Yawl | SDL | Joseph C. Robillard |
| BOMBARDINO | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | James and Macrae Sykes |
| BRETWALDA 3 | Rogers 46 | SDL | Bob Pethick |
| BRIGAND | Ctm 50 | SDL | Sean D. Saslo |
| CANNONBALL | Swan 68 | SDL | Charles A. Robertson |
| CARINA | Ctm 48 | SDL | A. Rives Potts, Jr. |
| CHARLIE V | J/44 | SDL | Norman H. Schulman, MD |
| CHRISTOPHER DRAGON | J/122 | SDL | Andrew Weiss |
| CONVICTION | TP52 | SDL | Ralf Steitz |
| CONVICTUS MAXIMUS | Farr IRC 42 | SDL | Donald W. Nicholson |
| CRAZY HORSE | Frers Comp 45 | SDL | Patrick T. Walker |
| CYBELE | IMX-45 | SDL | Rick Burnes |
| CYGNETTE | Swan 441 | SDL | William J. Mayer |
| DAWN STAR | Baltic 46 | SDL | William N. Hubbard III |
| DECISION | Carkeek HP 40 | SDL | Stephen Murray |
| DEFIANCE | NAVY 44 | SDL | Bryan Weisberg |
| DOGSLED | Kaufman 47 | SDL | Todd Forrest Barnard |
| DORADE | S&S Custom | SDL | James A. Hilton |
| DREAMCATCHER | Swan 48 S&S | SDL | Stephen Kylander |
| FEARLESS | Farr 395 | SDL | Shaun J. Ensor |
| FINESSE | J42 | SDL | Newton P.S. Merrill |
| FLYING LADY | Swan 46 | SDL | Phillip S. Dickey MD |
| GLIDE | J42 | SDL | C.Tanner Rose, Jr |
| GLORY | J/44 | SDL | Jason LeBlanc |
| GOLD DIGGER | J/44 | SDL | James D. Bishop |
| GRACIE | McCurdy & Rhodes | SDL | Stephan A & Simon W Frank |
| GREAT SCOT | J35 | SDL | Darren Garnier |
| GREY GHOST | Zaal 38 | SDL | Philip P. Parish |
| GRUNDOON | Columbia 50 | SDL | James A. Grundy |
| HAKUNA MATATA | Cal 39 TM 1-147 | SDL | Christopher J. Andrews |
| HIRO MARU | Swan 43 Classic | SDL | Hiroshi Nakajima |
| HOT TICKET | King 40 | SDL | James E. Hightower |
| ILLUSION | Grand Soleil 45 | SDL | Ralph F. Racca |
| INVICTUS | TP52 | SDL | Ralph Duffett |
| ISLA | New York 32 | SDL | Henry S. May, Jr. |
| JACKKNIFE | J133 | SDL | Andrew Hall |
| JACQUELINE IV | Hinckley SW 42 | SDL | Robert Forman |
| KODIAK | Ctm 65 | SDL | Edwin Llwyd Ecclestone |
| LAPIN | Beneteau First 4 | SDL | Christopher J. Clark |
| LINDY | Peterson 38 | SDL | David G. Dickerson |
| LIR | Swan 45 | SDL | John A. McNamara |
| LORA ANN | Express 37 | SDL | Richard T. du Moulin |
| MAGIC | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | Kenneth Laudon |
| MATADOR | J133 | SDL | Dale E. McIvor |
| MISCHIEVOUS | Ctm 65 | SDL | Albert J. Fitzgibbons III |
| MISTY | J40 WK | SDL | Fred Allardyce |
| MOLTO BENE | Beneteau First 4 | SDL | Richard Ewing |
| MOONSHINE | Tartan 4100 | SDL | Dennis J. Ziemba |
| MORGAN OF MARIETTA | Centurion 42 | SDL | Colin G. Golder |
| MORPHEUS | Schumacher 50 | SDL | James D. Gregory |
| MUSICA | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Cliff T. Haddox |
| NASTY MEDICINE | Corby 41.5 | SDL | Dr Stephen J. Sherwin |
| NICOLE | Cal 40 | SDL | Thomas C. duPont |
| OLD SCHOOL | Farr 395 | SDL | J Ganson Evans |
| PASSION4C | Bill Tripp 56 | SDL | Stefan Lehnert |
| PATRIOT | Nautor Swan | SDL | Richard J. Isted |
| QUEST | Cambria 40 | SDL | Dennis W. Powers |
| RAGANA | Cape Fear 38R | SDL | Darius Peleda |
| REGATTA | Carter 41 | SDL | Constantine G. Koste |
| RELATIVITY | First 50 | SDL | Hall Palmer |
| ROCKET J. SQUIRREL | Swan 39 | SDL | L, Otorowski |
| ROCKET SCIENCE | J120 | SDL | Rick F. Oricchio |
| RUNAWAY | J/44 | SDL | Lawrence R. Glenn |
| SELKIE | McCurdy & Rhodes 38 | SDL | Sheila McCurdy |
| SHAZAAM | J42 | SDL | Roger B. Gatewood |
| SHINNECOCK | J120 | SDL | James C. Praley |
| SINN FEIN | Cal 40 | SDL | Peter S. Rebovich, Sr. |
| SLIDE RULE | First 44.7 | SDL | Scott Bearse |
| STAMPEDE | J/44 | SDL | Jimmie Sundstrom |
| STORMY PETREL | Leadership 44 | SDL | Jack Neades |
| SWIFT | NAVY 44 | SDL | Steve Jaenke |
| TEMPTRESS | IMX-45 | SDL | Robert W. Kits Heyningen |
| TRIPLE LINDY | Swan 44 MKll | SDL | Joseph Mele |
| VAMP | J/44 | SDL | Leonard J. Sitar |
| WANDRIAN | Taylor 41 | SDL | D. William Tucker |
| WAZIMO | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Barrett Holby |
| WHITE RHINO | Swan 56 | SDL | Collin J. Marshall |
| WIDOW MAKER | C&C 44 | SDL | George Bauer |
| WINDBORN | J120 | SDL | Richard W. Born |
| ZEST | Hinckley SW42 | SDL | Brian E. Swiggett |
| ZION | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Timothy P. Maney |
| ZOE II | First 40 | SDL | Francois Brassard |
| SPIRIT OF BERMUDA | Ctm 86 | SPIRIT | Scott Jackson |

VENTO SOLARE , Sail N¡ USA 266, Owner: Paul Milo, City: Leesburg, VA, Model: J/109, Skipper: Paul Milo, Tactitian: Ted Steeble , Helmsman: Paul Milo , Navigator: tbc, One Design Division: J-109 ( Photo by Rolex / Dan Nerney )
The first half of the biennial New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, which finished up yesterday for seven classes, has also now concluded for five more one-design classes that have been racing since Saturday. The catch, however, was that today’s first race had to be abandoned and then competition cancelled when severe thunderstorms passed over Rhode Island Sound, leaving winners to be determined by cumulative standings posted yesterday.
The circumstances left J/105 skipper Damian Emery (Shoreham, N.Y.), sailing his J/105 Eclipse in the largest class here (20 boats), very happy. He is now the 2010 J/105 East Coast Champion, a title he also won in 2008 at this regatta, coincidentally under similar circumstances when a storm aborted racing on the last day. “The difference was that then, we shredded all of our sails because we didn’t get them down fast enough,” said Emery at the early afternoon Rolex Awards Ceremony where the sky had returned to sunny blue. “This time, we could see the front coming through and we were the first to drop our sails.”
According to Robin Wallace, the principal race officer for the White Course, where the J/105s and the Beneteau First 36.7s sailed, “It had looked as if the initial storm cell would track north of the course, but then a knuckle developed right across the sailing area, with heavy, heavy rain and winds up to 27 knots.” Since the Race Committee had forewarned everyone to keep their radios on, both fleets–which by then were approaching the first leeward mark on a twice-around course–knew to change course for home.
Eclipse’s tactician Dan Neff (Manhasset, N.Y.) explained that his team only needed an eighth or better in both races to win. “Based on our previous performance (victories in four of six races), we felt reasonably comfortable that we’d do that,” said Neff, “but the stress was still on.” Joerg Esdorn’s (Katonah, N.Y.) Kincsem, which finished second overall, “was capable of posting two bullets if we weren’t there.”
In a similar situation but with less of a winning margin was Ted Herlihy (South Dartmouth, Mass.), skipper of Gut Feeling in the 13-boat J/109 Class, which was sailing for its North Americans. Second-place Caminos, owned by Don Filippelli (Amagansett, N.Y.) and skippered by Ryan Dempsey, had only four points to make up, and Herlihy was “worried about what could happen.” In fact, in the pre-start time frame, the 10-12 knot breezes dropped to almost nothing, and Gut Feeling had a hard time getting to the line. “After the first mark we weren’t looking good,” said Herlihy, “and then the thunder storms roared in.” Caminos bow woman Kristen Robinson (Annapolis, Md.) said her team accepted that Gut Feeling out-sailed them over six races, “but we really wanted to battle it out today; I wish Mother Nature would have given us just 30 more minutes….”
Phil Lotz (Newport, R.I.), skippering Arethusa, seemingly trounced the competition in the 15-boat NYYC Swan 42 class to become that class’s National Champion for a second consecutive year. His team posted four victories in six races to lead Glen Darden/Phillip Williamson’s (Fort Worth, Texas) Hoss by 16 points in overall scoring. Lotz, however, was philosophically proud of his third- and fourth-place finishes in races four and six, respectively. He had had to fight back for the fourth from deeper in the fleet, and about the third, he said, “We all finished within a few feet of each other, and that sums up how racing went the entire weekend.”
Emery, Herlihy and Lotz all won Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariners for their performances.

CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, Sail n¡ 12204, Owner: Andrew Weiss, City:Mamaronick, NY, Model J109 ( Photo by Rolex / Dan Nerney )
Two more teams won their classes by never losing their early leads. Thomas Boyle’s Wings (Irvington, N.Y.) topped the seven-boat J/122 class and took the North American title home after a hotly contested battle with second-place finisher Pugwash, owned and skippered by David Murphy (Westport, Conn.), while John Hammel’s (Arlington, Mass.) Elan won in the eight-boat Beneteau First 36.7 class, winning all but one of six races.
The second half for the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex officially starts Wednesday and serves as the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. Over all days, the event will have catered to 145 boats and 1200 sailors over seven days of competition.
New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
July 17-24, 2010
Final Results for First Half – Monday, July 19, 2010 | Top three in each class
Position, Boat Name, Skipper, Hometown, Finishes, Total points
Blue Fleet – 6 races completed
Class 1 – NYYC Swan 42 (15 boats)
1. Arethusa, Phillip Lotz, Newport, R.I., 1-1-1-3-1-4, 11
2. Hoss, Darden /Phillip Williamson, Fort Worth, Texas, 2-6-5-4-5-6, 28
3. Daring, John Hele Newport, R.I., 5-8-3-5-7-2, 30
Class 2 – J/122 (7 boats)
1. Wings, Thomas Boyle, Irvington, N.Y., 1-1-1-2-1-1, 7 points
2. Pugwash, David Murphy, Westport, Conn., 4(SCP)-2-2-1-2-2, 13
3. Christopher Dragon, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 3-4-3-3-3-3, 19
Class 3 – J/109 (13 boats)
1. Gut Feeling, Ted Herlihy, South Dartmouth, Mass., 2-1-1-1-2-4, 11
2. Caminos, Dan Filippelli, Amagansett, N.Y., 3-2-2-3-3-2, 15
3. Gossip, Steve Kenny & Greg Ames, Wainscott, N.Y., 1-3-4-2-3, 17
White Fleet – 6 races completed
Class 1 – PHRF 1 (10 boats)
1. Good Girl, J/100, Robert Armstrong, St. Croix, 1-1-1-2-2-1, 8 points
2. Settler, Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, R.I., 2-3-2-1-1-2, 11
3. Act One, Summit 354, Charlie Milligan & Tom Roche, Newport, R.I., 2-3-3-3-3, 18
Class 2 – Beneteau First 36.7 (8 boats)
1. Elan, John Hammel, Arlington, Mass., 1-1-1-2-1-1, 7 points
2. Whirlwind, William Purdy, New York, N.Y., 4-4-1-2-6, 21
3. Kea/Slipstream, Chick Pyle, San Diego, Calif., 3-3-5-6-4-2, 23
Class 3 – J/105 (20 boats)
1. Eclipse, Damian Emery, Shoreham, N.Y., 1-1-4-1-3-1, 11 points
2. Kincsem, Joerg Esdorn, Katonah, N.Y., 6-2-1-4-5-7, 25
3. Savasana, Brian Keane, Weston, Mass., 3-3-5-12-1-5, 29
Green Fleet – All classes completed two races today
Class 1 – CRF 1 (3 boats)
1. Black Watch, Trevor Fetter, Dallas, Texas, 2-1-1, 4 points
2. Bolero, Edward Kane, Concord, Mass., 1-2-2, 5
3. Sumurun, Robert Towbin, Camden, Maine, 3-3-3, 9
Class 2 – 12 Metre (5 boats, Two races)
1. Courageous, Ralph Isham, New York, N.Y., 2-4-1-1-, 8 points
2. Victory 83, Dennis Williams, Hobe Sound, Fla., 1-1-2-4, 8
3. USA 61, Guy Heckman, Newport, R.I., 3-3-4-2, 12
Class 3 – CRF 2 (5 boats, Two races)
1. Chips, Jed Pearsall, Newport, R.I., 1-1-2, 4 points
2. Sonny, Joseph Dockery, Newport, R.I., 2-2-1, 5
3. Fortune, Don Glassie, Newport, R.I., 3-3-4, 10
Class 4 – 6 Metre (6 boats; two races)
1. Ranger, Thomas Rodes, Cambridge, Mass., 1-4-1-1, 7 points
2. Syce, Bob & FarleyTowse, Stamford, Conn., 2-1-2-2, 7
3. Madcap, Thomas Fair, N. Kingstown, R.I., 6(DNC)-2-3-3, 14
Class 5 –S Class (10 boats, two races)
1. Firefly, Alan Silken, Newton, Mass., 1-1-1-4, 7 points
2. Osprey, Mike McCaffrey, Newport, R.I., 2- 4-3-3, 12
3. Argument, Stephan Sloan, E.Greenwich, Conn., 3-5-8-1, 17
Class 6 – PHRF 2 (5 boats, Two races)
1. Park Place, O’Day 34, Richard Mentelos, Guilford, Conn., 1-1-1-4, 7 points
2. Wolverine, Frers 33, David Nauber, Higganum, Mass., 2-2-3-1, 8
3. Showdown, Bijan Rasadi, Groton, Conn., 3-3-2-3, 11

PICANTE , Sail N¡ 126, Owner: Robert Salk, City: jamestown, RI, Model: J 109, Skipper: robert salk , Tactitian: neal oconnell , Helmsman: robert salk , Navigator: tbc, One Design Division: J-109 ( Photo by Rolex / Dan Nerney )
It was a busy day on Narragansett Bay when hundreds of athletes swam across it in the early morning, then 1200 more plied its waters from mid-morning to afternoon, sailing the first day of the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. While the annual early-morning “Save the Bay” swim finished, 107 boats left their berths in Newport Harbor to converge on three race circles: two “outside” on Rhode Island Sound and one “up the Bay,” or north of the iconic Pell Bridge, which serves as gateway to historic Newport and frames the sweeping view of the city from Harbour Court, where host New York Yacht Club has its on-water clubhouse.
“It was everything you could hope for in a day of sailing,” said NYYC Race Committee Chair John “Tinker” Miles, noting sunshine and warm temperatures cooled by manageable 12-15 knot breezes from the Southwest.
For leaders in seven of the 12 classes, when it was good it was very good. The conditions enabled them to post nothing but first-place finishes in multiple races. Phil Lotz (Newport, R.I.) posted three bullets in as many races in the 15-boat NYYC Swan 42 class, further attributing his stellar performance to “essentially good starts and speed, and conservative plays, which were more or less up the middle of the course.” Sailing with Lotz for the class’s National Championship were his wife Wendy and son Doug (age 23), while another Newporter Martha Parker, who worked the bow, also enjoyed having family aboard–her 13-year-old son Frasier. “There was enough variation in the wind velocity and seaway, however, that we were changing gears and sail trim constantly,” said Lotz, who is the 2009 national champion in this class and also represented the New York Yacht Club last year in its victory at the first-ever NYYC Invitational Cup, which hosted yacht club teams from around the world.
Thomas Boyle’s (Irvington, N.Y.) Wings was also three-for-three in the tight J/122 fleet, but it was only because it had the “slightest edge” on speed over David Murphy’s (Westport, Conn.) Pugwash, which finished right behind it on every account. “We’d come off the starting line and two miles later we were only two boat lengths ahead, “ said Mark Ploch (City Island, N.Y.) whose job it is to concentrate on boat speed. “With the boats all stacked together, I’d say it was a combination of things that kept us ahead, including Tom’s incredible ability to concentrate on the long beats.”
Other leaders with perfect scores over three races were Robert Armstrong (St. Croix) on Good Girl in the PHRF 1 class; defending Race Week champion John Hammel (Arlington, Mass.) on Elan in the Beneteau First 36.7 class; Dennis Williams (Hobe Sound, Fla.) on Victory 83 in the 12 Metre class; Alan Silken (Newton, Mass.) on Firefly in the S Class; and Richard Mentelos (Guilford, Conn.) on Park Place in PHRF 2.
Defending Race Week champion Damian Emery (Shoreham, N.Y.) won two of three races on Eclipse in the J/105 class, sailing for its East Coast championship and the largest here with 20 boats. The J/109s, which are fighting for their North American title, were led today by defending Race Week champion Ted Herlihy (South Darmouth, Mass.) after he posted a 2-1-1 with Gut Feeling.
Racing for the first half of Race Week continues through Monday for the five One-Design classes and concludes tomorrow for Classics, Herreshoff S Class, 12 Metre, 6 Metre, and PHRF. The second half is scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday when the Rolex US-IRC National Championship will take center stage. To date, 38 IRC-rated racers are registered for the fourth annual competition.
New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
July 17-24, 2010
Preliminary Results – Saturday, July 17, 2010
Top three in each class
Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Hometown, Finish Positions, Total Points
Blue Fleet – 3 races completed
Class 1 – NYYC Swan 42 (15 boats)
1. Arethusa, Phillip Lotz, Newport, R.I., 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Hoss, Glen Darden & Williamson, Fort Worth, Texas, 2-6-5, 13
3. Apparition, Kenneth Colburn, Dover, Mass., 4-2-9, 15
Class 2 – J/122 (7 boats)
1. Wings Thomas Boyle, Irvington, N.Y., 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Pugwash, David Murphy, Westport, Conn., 2-2-2, 6
3. Christopher Dragon, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 3-4-3, 10
Class 3 – J/109 (13 boats)
1. Gut Feeling, Ted Herlihy, South Dartmouth, Mass., 2-1-1, 4 points
2. Caminos, David Filippelli, Amagansett, N.Y.., 3-2-2, 7
3. Gossip, Steve Kenny & Greg Ames, Wainscott, N.Y., 1-3-4, 8
White Fleet – 3 races completed
Class 1 – PHRF 1 (10 boats)
1. Good Girl, J/100, Robert Armstrong, St. Croix, 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Settler, Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, R.I., 2-3-2, 7
3. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan & Tom Roche, Newport, R.I., 4-2-3, 9
Class 2 – Beneteau First 36.7 (8 boats)
1. Elan, John Hammel, Arlington, Mass., 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Resolute, Junius Brown Ridgefield, Conn., 2-2-3, 7
3. Kea/Slipstream, Chick Pyle, San Diego, Calif., 3-3-5, 11
Class 3 – J/105 (20 boats)
1. Eclipse, Damian Emery, Shoreham, N.Y., 1-1-4, 6 points
3. Kincsem, Joerg Esdorn, Katonah, N.Y., 6-2-1, 9
2. Savasana, Brian Keane, Weston, Mass., 3-3-5, 11
Green Fleet – 2 races completed; CRF 1 and CRF 2 completed one distance race
Class 1 – CRF 1 (3 boats)
1. Bolero, Edward Kane, Concord, Mass., 02:43:35
2. Black Watch, Trevor Fetter, Dallas, Texas, 02:46:25
3. Sumurun, Robert Towbin, Camden, Maine, 03:06:10
Class 2 – 12 Metre (5 boats)
1. Victory 83, Dennis Williams, Hobe Sound, Fla., 1-1, 2 points
2. American Eagle, Carol Swift, Hoboken, N.J., 4-2, 6
3. Courageous, Ralph Isham, New York, N.Y., 2-4, 6
Class 3 – CRF 2 (5 boats)
1. Chips, Jed Pearsall, Newport, R.I., 03:08:04
2. Sonny, Joseph Dockery, Newport, R.I., 03:11:05
3. Fortune, Don Glassie, New York, N.Y., 03:18:00
Class 4 – 6 Metre (6 boats)
1. Syce, Bob & FarleyTowse, Stamford, Conn., 2-1, 3 points
2. Ranger, Thomas Rodes, Cambridge, Mass., 1-4, 5
3. Cherokee, Jerry Goldlust, Concord, Mass., 4-3, 7
Class 5 –S Class (10 boats)
1. Firefly, Alan Silken, Newton, Mass., 1-1, 2 points
2. Aquila, Geoffrey Davis, Providence, R.I., 4- 2, 6
3. Osprey, Mike McCaffrey, Newport, R.I. , 2- 4, 6
Class 6 – PHRF 2 (5 boats)
1. Park Place, O’Day 34, Richard Mentelos, Guilford, Conn., 1-1, 2 points
2, Wolverine, Frers 33, David Nauber, Higganum, Mass., 2-2, 4
3. Dirty Harry, J/29, John Lavin, East Greenwich, R.I., 3-3, 6




















