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Chairman Simon Davidson: “Opportunity is Unique for Trying Offshore Racing”

NEWPORT, RI (February 4, 2013) — The ninth edition of the Ida Lewis Distance Race challenges sailors of all ages and experience levels to try offshore racing by competing in the popular overnighter that starts and finishes at Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, R.I.  Scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Friday, August 16, 2013, the race is open to IRC, PHRF, One Design, Double-Handed and Multihull boats and features four coastal courses–between 104nm and 177nm—that incorporate such scenic waypoints as Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha’s Vineyard and Buzzards Bay.

Bringing a fresh perspective to the August tradition is newly appointed Race Chairman Simon Davidson (Newport, R.I.) who co-founded the inaugural event in 2004.

“We started with the intention of having a biennial event,” said Davidson, “but by our second running in 2006 it was clear that we had the enthusiasm from grand prix racers as well as double-handed and cruising sailors to make this event happen annually.  It now is an August tradition, perfectly timed for the end of summer when activity on Narragansett Bay has quieted down somewhat.”

Davidson added that his committee’s goals this year are to expand the race’s reach to surrounding areas and “encourage more sailors to try offshore racing in some of the most beautiful and storied cruising grounds in the country, if not the world.”   To that end, the event’s Youth Challenge, added in 2010, will be more heavily promoted to New England area yacht clubs, and an emphasis will be given to the Collegiate Challenge that was inaugurated last year at the 2012 event.

“There are sailors who have sat on a couch to eagerly watch the Volvo Ocean Race, but they’ve rarely, if ever, had the chance to actually compete in a distance race,” said Davidson.  “With the Ida Lewis Distance Race, the opportunity is unique for trying offshore racing. It’s a medium-distance offshore commitment that requires a minimal amount of logistics, since the race is not point-to-point but rather begins and ends in the same place.  It’s the chance for an owner to take his or her around-the-buoys crew on a new adventure or to integrate youth or college sailors into the team for a different kind of rewarding experience.  Then, of course, for veteran big-boat crews, the race is ideal for practice and training before they move on to other distance races around the world. Rambler,  Bella Mente and Decision are just a few of the high-profile teams that have competed here in the past.”

 

The race is also a qualifier for the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF); the Northern and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophies (IRC); and the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series.

The Youth Challenge

To qualify for the Youth Challenge,  more than 40% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not turn 20 prior to August 16, 2013. Teams may have junior crew members outside of those parameters; however, they will not count towards the youth component. Teams are encouraged to register under the burgee of a US SAILING yacht club or community sailing program.

All youth sailors will be required to attend a brief informational meeting the evening before the race (participants of all ages welcome) and will be strongly encouraged to attend the Storm Trysail Junior Safety at Sea Seminar, which will be held in Newport, R.I. in August.

The Collegiate Challenge

For the second year, the Ida Lewis Distance Race is incorporating a Collegiate Challenge for the William Tuthill Trophy. The Trophy honors Tuthill, an avid sailor and member of the SUNY Maritime College, class of 1973, who met with accidental death at sea on the school’s summer cruise in 1972.  SUNY Maritime College reinstated the trophy, which was last presented in 1978 to the winner of the Eastern Inter-Collegiate Overnight Race, at the Ida Lewis Distance Race 2012, where Massachusetts Maritime Academy (on Crazy Horse) beat out SUNY (on American Girl) to win.

To qualify for the Collegiate Challenge, more than 40% of the crew must not have reached the age of 26 by August 16, 2013.  Teams are encouraged to register under the burgee of a college sailing program, a US SAILING yacht club or community sailing program.

For more information and to register, visit www.ildistancerace.org,  follow the race’s Facebook Page,  or contact info@ildistancerace.org.

 

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The 38th Annual Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race official results are in!  A determined Osita crossed the finish line at 7:15 am. The race started in 10+ knots of SE breeze, then lightened up and got shifty.  Finally, for the second half of the fleet, a cold front rolled through with 30+ knot out of the N seen by several of the competitors.  Thirty two boats started the race, while twenty six sailed to the finish. Bella Mente, Hap Fauth’s Mini Maxi was first across the line for an IRC class win and sailed only 160.9nm on a 160nm course, which earned them the “Best Overall Performance” Award as well. See all the final race results here.

SPOT tracking is officially part of all SORC events. It allows the friends and family to keep track of the race with real time position updates. Click here to watch the tracking replay from the start of this race.

There is one more SORC event this season: the 2013 Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race starting February 8, 2013.

Want to be a sponsor? Levels of sponsorship are available. Contact sponsorship@sorcsailing.org for more info.

The SORC is a Florida non-profit organization driven by a select group of volunteers that bring professional event management, sailing , racing and other skills to the organization. The SORC mission is to lead the expansion of offshore competitive sailing in South Florida by providing the highest level of race organization, management and promotions for those that enjoy the sport of ocean sailing. Learn more at www.sorcsailing.org.

Place, Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country, Results, Total Points

Ft. Lauderdale-Key West – IRC Course

IRC (IRC – 8 Boats)
1. Bella Mente, Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA, 1; 1
2. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 2; 2
3. Decision, HPR Carkeek 40, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, USA, 3; 3
4. Rebecca, J 120, Glenn Gault , League City, TX, USA, 4; 4
5. Thin Ice, Aerodyne 38, Stuart Hebb / John Vincent , Coral Gables, FL, USA, 5; 5
6. Arethusa, Swan 42, Phil Lotz , Newport, RI, USA, 6; 6
7. Rim Shot, Beneteau First 36.7, Russell Dunn , Hollywood, FL, USA, 7; 7
8. Dragon, Class 40, Michael Hennessy , New York, NY, USA, 8; 8

Ft. Lauderdale-Key West – PHRF Course

PHRF A (PHRF – 7 Boats)
1. Different Drummer, Cape Bay Fast 40, Frank Atkinson , West Palm Beach, FL, USA, 1; 1
2. Teamwork, J 122, Robin Team , Lexington, NC, USA, 2; 2
3. Loki, J 105, David Bond , Miami, FL, USA, 3; 3
4. Main Squeeze, Tripp 33, Eamonn deLisser / James Bill , Coral Gables, FL, USA, 4; 4
5. Constellation, Nautor Swan 48-1, Greg Petrat , Sarasota, FL, USA, 5; 5
6. Batucada, Schock 35, Cornelius Sanders , Miami, FL, USA, 6; 6
7. Ace, Cutter 65, Frank Pingitore , Miami , FL, USA, 8/DNF; 8

PHRF B (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. Mirage, Hobie 33, Christian Schaumloffel , Virginia Beach, VA, USA, 1; 1
2. Bandana, Oyster 48, David Wallace , Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, 2; 2
3. Commotion, Beneteau 461, Ross Hunton , Coral Springs, FL, USA, 3; 3
4. Walloon, C&C 35 Mark I, Com. Richard D. Grow , Palm Beach , FL, USA, 7/DNF; 7
5. Sempre Amantes, Hunter Pasage 42, Colin Whittaker , Margate, FL, USA, 7/DNF; 7
6. Soap Opera, Hobie 33, Scott Self , Rockwall, TX, USA, 7/DNS; 7

PHRF C (PHRF – 7 Boats)
1. Sunquest, Sloop, Wilfredo Paredes , Miami, FL, USA, 1; 1
2. Susimi, Sweden 370, Michael Carrington , Lighthouse Point, FL, USA, 2; 2
3. Grand Cru, Beneteau 393, Danny Escobar , Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 3; 3
4. Vendaval, Dufour 34, Oscar Valdes , Miami Lakes, FL, USA, 4; 4
5. Osita, Tartan 40, Becky Lyons , Miami, FL, USA, 5; 5
6. Passion, Catalina 34, Brett Grover , Jesup, GA, USA, 8/DNS; 8
7. Kokomo, Swan 36, Brad Lonstein , Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 8/DNS; 8

Ft. Lauderdale-Key West – PHRF Multihull Course

Multihull A (PHRF – 7 Boats)
1. Elvis, Gunboat, Jason Carroll , New York, NY, USA, 1; 1
2. Sundog, Seacart 30, Paul Parks , Shady Side, MD, USA, 2; 2
3. Flight Simulator, Corsair 28R, Tom Reese , Youngstown, NY, USA, 3; 3
4. Tri-Vector, Dragonfly 35, David Otto , Miami Beach, FL, USA, 4; 4
5. Double Trouble, Catana 58, Don Balthaser , Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, 8/DNF; 8
6. Brake Aweigh, Trimaran, Richard VandeBrake , Lowell, MI, USA, 8/DNF; 8
7. CatNip, Catamaran 35, Victor Mendelsohn , Miami, FL, USA, 8/DNF; 8

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Ideal sailing conditions, perfect starts and a 16-18 knot southwesterly breeze allowed the 26 boats competing in the 2012 Ida Lewis Distance Race (ILDR) to power up on Friday, August 17, and provide a great show for the spectators who turned out to see them off on their offshore adventure.  The IRC, PHRF and PHRF Doublehanded fleets were sent on the 122 nautical mile Nomans course, while the two boats racing in the PHRF Cruising Spinnaker class took on the 103 nautical mile Buzzards Tower course.

Weather conditions led to a prediction that the leaders in IRC would be at the finish line off the historic Ida Lewis Yacht Club sometime after sunrise on Saturday morning, where they would receive the traditional champagne welcome.  That prophecy came true for the Ker 40 Catapult owned by Marc Glimcher (New York, N.Y.), which had passed the first mark of the course with about a minute lead on the rest of the IRC fleet and held on to take line honors just before 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

 

“This race was fantastic,” said Geoff Ewenson (Annapolis, Md.) who was the navigator on Catapult.  “They made a very good decision in shortening the course to a 122 miler.  It really allowed all of the IRC boats to race reasonably tightly and there was everything to the race without the extra 25 or 30 or 40 miles.  In the end everybody on our team, and I’m sure on the 42s, felt like it was the perfect length race.  We got all the conditions, all the angles, we had a bit of everything and we didn’t feel that the race drug on at all.  For us it ended at the right time.“

 

Ewenson sailed the inaugural Ida Lewis Distance Race in 2004 and recalled that they finished that race in the wee hours of Sunday morning with the race taking what seemed like forever.  This year after finishing the race in under 17 hours he explained that the challenge was whether to get into a watch system or tough it out and sail everybody up.  “We realized there would be short bits during the race when it wouldn’t be stability conditions and so we had to steal little naps then.  The most anybody slept on our boat was probably an hour.”

 

For their efforts, Catapult collected the Ida Lewis Distance Race Commodore’s Trophy for the IRC class win, along with the perpetual Russell L. Hoyt Memorial Trophy for best elapsed time. For Ewenson, winning the Hoyt award had special meaning.

 

“When I was 10 years old I sailed home from Bermuda on Russell Hoyt’s boat Destination.  I grew up in Newport and knew Russell and I considered him to be a friend even though he was quite a bit older than me.  It really is quite nice to be able to be on the boat that comes back and wins the trophy that’s named after him.”
The 56’ Swan White Rhino captured the glory in the 14-strong PHRF class.  Owner Todd Stuart (Key West, Fla.) almost pulled out of the race when he thought he wouldn’t have enough crew.  It all came together with a number of his regular crew, including sailors he has twice done the Bermuda Race with, forming the core of this race’s team.  “We had a great race; it was a lot of fun,” said Stuart after collecting the Lime Rock Trophy for the class win.  “We started out fast and the wind held up for us and when it’s windy our boat’s pretty quick, and I think we got lucky.  When we turned around, I think the winds were changing behind us a little bit.  I think some of the slower boats that could have caught us on corrected time, if the winds had held up, I think the door just closed on them.  For a brief period we were down to about four knots of breeze during the thunderstorms; we barely got wet and then the winds came back to being favorable for us.  We made good time the whole way.  We made a decision to leave Block Island to starboard and I think that was the right choice because a boat that was pretty much neck-and-neck with us left it to port and when we both got on the back side we had definitely gained a couple miles on them.”

Stuart raced the 2011 ILDR in the IRC class, and because he expected to have fewer crew kept White Rhino in PHRF for this year’s race.  “This was perfect as we had a bunch of new people on the boat so we thought we’d play it safe and make the boat a little less dramatic.  Until the storms came through it was a perfect starlit night with little meteorites here and there.  Nobody complained this year about the distance.  It was a fast race and we finished in 17 hours.  Seems perfect to me.  We had an awesome time.  This is actually our first win in a real race so my wife Lisa [the cook on all of White Rhino’s distance races] and I, we’re very excited about it.”

 

 

The win in the PHRF Doublehanded class was taken by Paul Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) and Jim Anderson on the Quest 30 Kincora, with the PHRF Cruising Spinnaker prize going to the Nautor Swan 55 Haerlemowned by Hendrikus Wisker (Round Hill, Va.).  Four boats had met the requirement that more than 40% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not turn 20 prior to August 17, to compete for the Youth Challenge, and Chris Bjerregaard’s (Bristol, R.I.) Bashford Howlson 36 Shearwater earned that honor.

 

Spearheading a new challenge for college teams to compete in this late-summer distance race, SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, N.Y.) reinstated the William E. Tuthill Trophy which was last presented in 1978 to the winner of the Eastern Inter-Collegiate Overnight Race.  The trophy honors Tuthill, an avid sailor and member of the class of 1973, who met with accidental death at sea on the summer cruise in 1972.  Massachusetts Maritime College (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) bested SUNY Maritime to receive the trophy in what is planned to be a continuing challenge.

 

The Ida Lewis Distance Race is a qualifier for the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF); the Northern and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophies (IRC); and the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series.
Starting Line sponsors for the 2012 Ida Lewis Distance Race are the City of Newport, New England Boatworks, Newport Shipyard and North Sails.  Contributing sponsors are Blue Water Technologies,Dockwise Yacht Transport, Flint Audio Video, Goslings Rum, Mac Designs, Sea Gear Uniforms, Stella Artois, Rig Pro Southern Spars and Zblok.
Find more information online at www.ildistancerace.org – including the ability to relive the race viaKattack LIVE ; or “Like” ILDR on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ILYCDistanceRace

Ida Lewis Distance Race – Top-three Results

Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner/Skipper, Hometown

Class 1 – IRC (6 Boats)

1. Catapult, Ker 40, Mark Glimcher, New York, N.Y.

2. Barleycorn, Swan 42, Brendan Brownyard, Bay Shore, N.Y.

3. Blazer, Swan 42, Christopher Culver, Stamford, Conn.

 

Class 2 – PHRF (14 Boats)

1. White Rhino, Swan, Todd Stuart, Key West, Fla.

2. Samba, Quest 30, Tristan Mouligne, Newport, R.I.

3. Wazimo, Aerodyne 37.66, Bob Manchester, Barrington, R.I.

 

Class 3 – PHRF Double-Handed (4 Boats)

1. Kincora, Quest 30, Paul Cronin, Jamestown, R.I.

2. Oronoco, Sabre 426, Adrian Ravenscroft, Cohasset, Mass.

3. Breakaway, J/35, Paul Grimes, Portsmouth, R.I.

 

Class 4 – PHRF Cruising Spinnaker (2 Boats)

1. Haerlem, Nautor Swan 55, Hendrikus Wisker, Round Hill, Va.

2. Gigi, Gulfstar 50, Joe Cleverdon, Newport, R.I.

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“All-Inside” Course Option Added

Some new faces are expected at this year’s Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race with the announcement of a short course addition — the Plum Island Course (126 nautical miles all in Long Island Sound) –  as a PHRF-class option to the event’s traditional 186 nautical mile course for both IRC and PHRF.  The change for the Memorial Weekend event means starting at The Cows off Stamford, Conn. and rounding Red and White Whistle “PI” northwest of Plum Island before heading back while the rest of the Block Island Race fleet continues farther afield to circumnavigate Block Island.

 

“In 2007, we had created an option to shorten the race to the Plum Island Whistle and back in case the weather was bad,” said Storm Trysail Club Rear Commodore Lee Reichart.  “This year, we thought that there just might be a significant number of new-to-ocean-racing boats and crews who might like to sail that course anyway, because it keeps them from having to go out in the ocean and consequently eliminates the need to carry a life raft, which is a safety requirement for all others in this race.”

 

With over 50 entries to date, the Block Island Race is easily on target to top last year’s fleet of 59 (in six IRC and two PHRF classes), and with the race preceding the biennial Newport Bermuda Race, organizers are expecting to host many of that distance race’s entrants who are preparing.

 

The Block Island Race, which has been held annually for 67 years, is a staple on the calendar of many New England competitors and starts on Friday May 25 at 1400.  It is notorious for the “fork in the road” decision that Plum Island forces after 60 miles of sailing:  competitors must decide to take either Plum Gut, “The Race” or even Fishers Island Sound while leaving Long Island Sound. This decision often determines the outcome of the race.

The Block Island Race was first held in 1946 and is a qualifier for the North Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF), and the Gulf Stream Series (IRC). The Block Island Race is also a qualifier for the Caper, Sagola, and Windigo trophies awarded by the YRA of Long Island Sound and the ‘Tuna” Trophy for the best combined IRC scores in the Edlu (40%) and the Block Island Race (60%).

 

For more information on the Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race or the Plum Island Course (Notice of Race Amendment #1), visit www.stormtrysail.org or contact The Storm Trysail Club (914) 834-8857.

 

About the Storm Trysail Club

The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors must shorten when facing severe adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors. In addition to hosting Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex in odd-numbered years, the club holds various prestigious offshore racing events (among them the annual Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race); annual junior safety-at-sea seminars; and Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta for college sailors using big boats.

 

For more information on the Storm Trysail Club and its events, including the Block Island Race, visit the official website www.stormtrysail.org.

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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.

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

 

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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

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