DOUBLE TRIPLE WITH ICING ON THE TOP

Robert Oatley’s Wild Oats XI was announced this morning as the Overall Winner of the 68th Rolex Sydney Hobart. It had become clear overnight that none of the yachts still at sea could better the corrected time established by the 30.48m (100 foot) maxi skippered by Mark Richards. Wild Oats XI has repeated its historic performance of 2005, when it secured the treble of Line Honours, Overall Winner and Race Record.   Aside from Rani, in the very first race, Wild Oats XI is the only yacht ever to have achieved this impressive display of dominance. She has now done it twice. Bob Oatley was understandably impressed: “The main aim was the fastest time. To get the handicap too was fantastic, a real bonus. Getting the record trip was really the icing on the cake.” By 15:00 AEDT on 29 December, 13 yachts had finished the 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart including two of the international entries: KLC Bengal from Japan and Ambersail from Lithuania. Last year’s winner, Loki, has so far come closest to unseating Wild Oats XI. Finishing last night at just before 21:00 even she was two hours adrift on corrected time. Black Jack, which arrived an hour before Loki, lies in third overall. Chris Bull’s Jazz holds fourth. Victorian yacht Calm had appeared to have the best opportunity of the yachts destined to arrive before dawn today. Needing to finish before 01:31, she was behind schedule yesterday afternoon. Owner Jason Van der Slot believed they would pick up pace but had not counted on stalling close to the finish: “We parked for two hours off Tasman Island and for an hour in the Derwent. We were aiming to finish in time to win and up to Tasman Island we were on track. It had all gone according to plan until then.” She eventually finished at 06:06 this morning and holds fifth place. Five yachts have retired so far and, for the 58 yachts still racing, a difficult evening lies ahead. In the lee of northeastern Tasmania there is a substantial wind shadow. From midway down the eastern seaboard to Tasman Island spindrift is flying off 3 metre waves in a 26 – 36 knot west-southwesterly. These conditions are forecast to prevail through much of 30 December too.

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On the morning of 28 December 2012, Wild Oats XI once again stamped her name in the Rolex Sydney Hobart history books. From the moment the start gun fired on Boxing Day the silver wraith seemed intent on condemning her rivals for line honours to the position of also-rans. Wild Oats XI’s finish time of 1 day 18 hours 23 minutes and 12 seconds sliced 16 minutes 58 seconds off her own record. Another commanding performance in a race she has begun to treat as her own.   Without doubt skipper Mark Richard’s crew of thoroughbred racers had some luck, but their race was not without problems. The first night saw the wind drop in the scheduled transition and her opponents close down the lead she had worked to establish during the afternoon. The crew held their nerve and once the northeasterly settled in they were off. Ragamuffin-Loyal’s endeavours to stay in touch with Wild Oats XI were hampered by a headsail gear failure from which the 100-foot maxi never recovered; Syd Fischer’s equally accomplished crew forced to accept the unwelcome role of bridesmaid. Ragamuffin-Loyal finished almost five hours behind Wild Oats XI. Had the apparent error of starting the race too early been converted to a penalty, her crew’s sense of disappointment would have been complete. Fortunately, the International Jury found that race officials failed to notify Ragamuffin-Loyal after five minutes that they had jumped the start, leaving the crew unaware that they should have returned and restarted. By 20:30 AEDT only four yachts had completed the 628 nm course. Lahana rounded out the maxi contingent just before 19:00, while Black Jack was the first mini maxi some 40 minutes later. Loki and Ichi Ban will be next home. None have so far been capable of posting a time that knocks Wild Oats XI off the overall podium position. The door may be open for a smaller yacht if the weather obliges. Calm, Jazz, Quest and Shogun look best placed to foil a second triple crown. They need the wind to shift substantially in their favour, something it has singularly failed to do so far. Wild Oats XI near finish (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster)

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The 68th Rolex Sydney Hobart got underway in exceptional conditions. The forecast southerly breeze providing the perfect angle for a spinnaker start and run down the harbour. The angle would prove less kind as the yachts exited the Sydney Heads and made their turn towards Hobart, finding the 20 – 25 knots now firmly on the nose. Mark Richards and Wild Oats XI looked to be in no mood to be interrupted in her bid to claim a sixth line honours, blasting off the line and showing Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin Loyal a clean pair of heels before popping out of the Heads comfortably in the lead.

 
 
An interesting night lies ahead. The decision how far to head out to sea was the first conundrum facing the crews. So far the bulk of yachts appear firm in the belief that staying inshore, and inside the rhumb line will pay better. Only, one or two boats have shown a determination to head offshore for any length of time. Mike Broughton, navigator on Chris Bull’s Jazz, felt ahead of the start that the fleet would do well to stay inshore for the initial section of the race, certainly until the major swing in wind direction expected during the night. This transition should see the wind back to the northeast and will have the yachts running under spinnaker for an extended period.

 
Start of the 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart
Earlier this morning, Gordon Maguire, tactician on Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki, indicated some of their pre-race routing suggested the bigger yachts could profit enormously from the predicted northeasterly. If it arrives on cue, they could bite a huge chunk out of the course during the hours of darkness and be lying off Green Cape by mid-morning on the second day, 27 December. The small boats, meanwhile, such as race veteran Roger Hickman’s Wild Rose, might only find themselves parallel with Jervis Bay as dawn breaks. The difference in power between segments of the fleet will be all too apparent at this juncture.

 

WILD OATS XI, after the start
At 17:30 AEDT Wild Oats XI was 8 nautical miles north east of Kiama travelling at 12 knots, with some 50 nm under her belt after 4.5 hours of sailing. Any thought of setting a new record seemed to be on hold as navigator Adrienne Cahalan called in to report the wind speed dropping as evening arrives. Ragamuffin Loyal lies within striking distance just astern. Lahana, Ichi Ban and Black Jack round out the top five on the water. Conditions have been wet and hard on crews during these first few hours and the measure of performance differential between front-runners and back markers is clearly demonstrated by Charlie’s Dream. Averaging just 3.4 knots, Peter Lewis and crew were parallel with Botany Bay having knocked a mere 13 nm off the 628nm course distance.

The start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart is like few other yacht races. The natural amphitheatre formed by the deep-water harbour offers great viewing potential from the water, at water level from the beaches and coves, and grandstand opportunities from higher ground. Every Sydney-sider has a favourite location, and South Head must be one of the most popular and dramatic. A huge crowd always assembles to watch the fleet barrel down the harbour and make the sharp out into open water. This year’s spectacle was worth the effort involved. After a dreadful Christmas Day, when rain and wind battered Sydney, Boxing Day has been a joy. Blue sky and reasonably warm temperatures brought the locals out in their thousands to cheer the determined and enthusiastic crews off on their compelling adventure.

 

Entries

Abracadabra	5612	New South Wales	Tripp 47
AFR Midnight Rambler	8338	New South Wales	Ker 40
Akatea	NZL8710	New Zealand	Cookson 50
Ambersail	LTU1000	Lithuania	Volvo 60
Ariel	A140	New South Wales	Beneteau First 40
Asylum	YC10	South Australia	Sydney 38
Aurora	N3	New South Wales	Farr 40 – One Off
Black Jack	52566	Queensland	Reichel Pugh 66
Blunderbuss	RQ4000	Queensland	Beneteau First 40
Brannew	9988	New South Wales	Beneteau First 40 Cr
Breakthrough	6834	New South Wales	Beneteau First 40
Brindabella	10000	New South Wales	Jutson 79
Calm	SM5252	Victoria	TP52
Carbon Credits	6669	Queensland	Beneteau First 45
Celestial-Assistance Dogs	421	New South Wales	Rogers 46
Charlie’s Dream	RQ1920	Queensland	Bluewater 450
Chutzpah	R33	Victoria	IRC 40
CIC Technology Inca	F111	Aust Capital Territory	Vickers 41
Copernicus	6689	New South Wales	Radford 12
Corporate Initiatives	7407	New South Wales	Beneteau First 40.7
Cougar II	5200	Tasmania	TP52
Dekadence	S20	Victoria	DK46
Duende	ESP6100	New South Wales	JV52
Dump Truck	A6	Tasmania	Ker 11.3
Enchantress	SA346	South Australia	Muirhead 11
Eressea	6590	Queensland	Hanse 415
Finistere	F108	Western Australia	Davidson 50
Flying Fish Arctos	7551	New South Wales	McIntyre 55
Frantic	GBR5211	New South Wales	TP52
Geomatic	M495	Victoria	Hanse 495
Halcyon	R75	Victoria	Beneteau First 40
Helsal III	262	Tasmania	Adams 20
Holdens Secret Mens Business	YC3300	South Australia	Reichel Pugh 51
Icefire	R6572	New South Wales	Mummery 45
Ichi Ban	AUS 03	New South Wales	Jones 70
Illusion	5356	New South Wales	Davidson 34
INSX	SM5985	Victoria	NSX 38
Jazz Player	S390	Victoria	Bakewell – White 39
Jazz	5299	New South Wales	Cookson 50
Kioni	6146	New South Wales	Beneteau First 47.7
KLC Bengal 7	JPN4321	Japan	Humphreys 54
Lahana	10081	New South Wales	30m Maxi
Living Doll	R55	Victoria	Farr 55
Local Hero	1236	New South Wales	BH 36
Loki	AUS 60000	New South Wales	Reichel Pugh 63
Love & War	294	New South Wales	S & S 47
Luna Sea	8339	New South Wales	Hick 35
Lunchtime Legend	RQ14	Queensland	Beneteau First 40
Maluka of Kermandie	A19	Tasmania	Ranger
Martela	7075	Tasmania	IMX 38
Merit	8679	Queensland	Volvo 60
Occasional Coarse Language Too	8008	New South Wales	Sydney GTS 43
Ocean Affinity	RQ64	Queensland	Marten 49
Papillon	6841	New South Wales	Archambault 40RC
Patrice Six	360	New South Wales	X41
Peugeot Surfrider	7771	New South Wales	Beneteau 45
Primitive Cool	S777	Victoria	Farr 40 Mod
Quest	52002	New South Wales	TP 52
Ragamuffin Loyal	SYD100	New South Wales	Elliott 100
Rikki	NZL8008	New Zealand	Reichel Pugh 42
Rush	B45	Victoria	Corel 45
Sailors with disAbilities	6953	New South Wales	Nelson Marek 52
She	4924	New South Wales	Olsen 40
Shogun	6952	Victoria	JV 52
Southern Excellence	NOR2	New South Wales	Volvo 60
St Jude	6686	New South Wales	Sydney 47
This Way Up	RF360	Western Australia	Sydney 36CR
Toybox 2	MH4	New South Wales	XP 44
TSA Management	MH60	New South Wales	Sydney 38
Tusitala	SAM1	Samoa	Goss 60
Two True	YC400	South Australia	Beneteau First 40
Veloce	SM602	Victoria	Elliott 44CR
Wicked	SM4	Victoria	Beneteau First 40
Wild Oats XI	10001	New South Wales	RP100
Wild Rose	4343	New South Wales	Farr 43
Zen	3838	New South Wales	Sydney 38

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It was an unseasonably wet, dreary day in Newport, but at least somewhere, someone was having fun.  That somewhere was Rhode Island Sound where nearly 100 teams are competing in the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex on the second day of the split-format event’s final four days of buoy racing.  And that someone was Dawn Riley (Oyster Bay, N.Y.), who along with eight Oakcliff Sailing Center trainees, helped guide Art Santry’s (Oyster Bay) Ker 50 Temptation-Oakcliff to the top of the scoreboard in IRC Class 3after two victories in two races today.”We’re sailors; we get wet all the time,” said Riley, a veteran of America’s Cup and Whitbread Round the World Races who serves as executive director of Oakcliff in Oyster Bay.  She explained that the Center’s mission of raising the level of sailors and sailing in the U.S. was on artful display today, as the trainees worked side-by-side with Riley, on mid-bow, and six other seasoned sailors, including Santry, who skippers and sponsors the boat. According to Santry, the team played the shifts extremely well on three of the four upwind legs. “Our crew work was flawless, and the gybes and tacks were perfect,” he said, noting that yesterday Temptation-Oakcliff had been in third overall after finishing third in the opening race of the series.  “I’m exceedingly impressed with the Oakcliff program; these kids are great. They have been working together with us all season, and they are tough, enthusiastic and dedicated to the program. If the crew work maintains, we’re going to be tough to beat.” Class IRC 4 Start Pendragon ( Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster) One race circle hosted four IRC classes, while another hosted one-design racing for J/109, J/111, Beneteau 36.7 and Swan 42 classes.  Due to a light-wind forecast, the Swan 42s elected to resume buoy racing today rather than compete in their originally scheduled distance race, but in the end, they—like the other classes—were met with a hearty 12-15 knots by mid-morning, when the heaviest rain showers had moved on. Large swells also figured in as the winds tapered off to 8-10 during the course of the afternoon. Another who had no problem making the most of the conditions was Craig Albrecht (Sea Cliff, N.Y.), skipper of the Farr 395 Avalanche in IRC Class 4.  His team defended its first-place position from yesterday by finishing 3-4 today to stay two points ahead of Greg Manning’s (Warwick, R.I.) X-41 Sarah. “Staying in the pressure was key, and changing gears up and down was important,” said Albrecht, whose team won the American Yacht Club Spring Series Regatta earlier this year. “The racing has been very close, and it has been exciting, especially at the mark roundings where many of the boats have overlapped.” John Hele’s (Toronto, CAN/Newport) Daring won both races today in the Swan 42 class, propelling him to first overall from third yesterday and giving him a better shot at taking the national crown that is being determined here. Following a general recall, an individual recall after the start of the first race brought Z-flag penalties against the teams of Arethusa, Barleycorn, Impetuous and Conspiracy.  Having not gone back to exonerate themselves from jumping the start gun cost the teams three positions on their scoring for that race. Defending national champion Ken Colburn (Dover, Mass.), helming Apparition, finished 4-4 today to drop to second from first yesterday. Swan 42 Fleet (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster) The J/109s, which are sailing their North Americans, also had individual recalls in their first race that saw yesterday’s leader Storm, skippered by Rick Lyall (Wilton, Conn.), return to the start line to successfully clear. The team fought back to eighth and finished first in the second race, but the performance was only good enough for a third in overall scoring. It left the proverbial door open for Ted Herlihy’s (S. Dartmouth, Mass.) Gut Feeling to take the top spot after that team finished 4-2 today.  With nine points, Gut Feeling’s overall score is shared with Skoot, skippered by Jim Vos (New Canaan, Conn.), which sits in second overall, so both teams are a slim one point ahead of Storm. The J/111 Class’s first day of competition went well for Henry Brauer’s (Marblehead, Mass.) Fleetwing, which took bullets in each of two races. “The first race was great, because it was good breeze; the second race was a bit more challenging because of the lighter wind and the lumpy seas,” said Brauer, who is new to the J/111 Class this year after having sold the J/105 Scimitar that he co-owned with Stewart Neff (serving as his tactician here) and with which he won the 2011 J/105 North American Championship.  “We got good starts, Stewart put us in the right place, and the team did a great job trimming the sails and keeping us going the whole time. The important thing to racing well is having a good team, so there are a lot of the same people onboard that I’ve sailed with in the past. Having that nucleus is very important.” In the Beneteau 36.7 Class, William Purdy’s (New York, N.Y) Whirlwind displaced John Hammel’s (Arlington, Mass.) Elan at the top of the scoreboard after winning both races today.  Elan finished 2-3 to take second overall, just one point behind Elan, and David Powers’s (Boston, Mass.) Agora is only one more point behind in third, on the merit of a 3-2 today. Yesterday, in the second of two races for IRC Class 1, Bob and Farley Towse’s (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel Pugh 66 Blue Yankee could not finish within the time limit and posted five points to the two posted by George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Reichel Pugh 90 Rambler. Today the two teams split the victories in two races, so Rambler still holds a three-point lead in the two-boat series thus far. In IRC 2, Jim Swartz’s (Park City, Utah) IRC 52 Vesper still leads after finishing 1-5 today, while Austin and Gwen Fragomen’s (Newport, R.I.) IRC 52 Interlodge has moved into second place overall. Three more new classes will join the action tomorrow: Melges 32, J/105 and PHRF, the latter of which is sailing “navigator courses” instead of around the buoys. For complete results, daily video and blog for the 2012 New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, visit www.nyyc.org. (end) (Top-five Results Follow) New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex Results, July 20, 2012 J/111 (One Design – 6 Boats) 1. Fleetwing, J/111, Henry Brauer, Marblehead, Mass., 1, 1 (2) 2. Wicked 2.0, J/111, Douglas Curtiss, South Dartmouth, Mass., 3,2 (5) 3. Jazz, J/111, Rodney Johnstone, Stonington, Conn., 2, 3 (5) 4. Andiamo, J/111, Paul Strauch, Manhasset, N.Y., 4, 4 (8) 5. Partnership, J/111, David and Mary Ellen Tortorello, Bridgeport, Conn., 5, 5 (10) Beneteau 36.7 (One Design – 8 Boats) 1. Whirlwind, Beneteau 36.7, William Purdy, New York, N.Y., 3,1,1 (5) 2. Elan, Beneteau 36.7, John Hammel, Arlington, Mass., 1,2,3 (6) 3. Agora, Beneteau 36.7, David Powers, Boston, Mass., 2,3,2 (7) 4. Resolute, Beneteau 36.7, Junius Brown, Ridgefield, Conn., 4,7,4 (15) 5. Surface Tension, Beneteau 36.7, Lou Melillo, Middletown, N.J., 5,5,5 (15) Swan 42 (One Design – 15 Boats) 1. Daring, Swan 42, John Hele, Newport, R.I., 3,1,1 (5) 2. Apparition, Swan 42, Ken Colburn, Dover, Mass., 1,4,4 (9) 3. Stark Raving Mad VI, Swan 42, James Madden, Newport Beach, Calif., 6, 3, 8 (17) 4. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert, Dallas, Texas, 2,7,9 (18) 5. Arethusa, Swan 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, R.I., 5, 13/ZFP, 2 (20) J/109 (One Design – 17 Boats) 1.Gut Feeling, J 109, Ted Herlihy, South Dartmouth, Mass., 3, 4, 2 (9) 2.Skoot, J 109, Jim Vos, New Canaan, Conn., 4,2,3 (9) 3.Storm, J 109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, Conn., 1,8,1 (10) 4.Rush, J 109, Bill Sweetser, Annapolis, Md., 5, 1, 4 (10) 5.Caminos, J 109, Donald Filippelli, Amagansett, N.Y., 6, 3, 6 (15) IRC 1 (IRC – 2 Boats) 1. Rambler, RP 90, George David, Hartford, Conn., 1,1,1,2 (5) 2. Blue Yankee, Reichel Pugh 66, Bob and Farley Towse, Stamford, Conn., 2, 3/TLE, 2,1 (8) IRC 2 (IRC – 5 Boats) 1.Vesper, IRC 52, Jim Swartz, Park City, Utah, 1,1,1,5 (2) 2.Interlodge, IRC 52, Austin and Gwen Fragomen, Newport, R.I., 2,5,2,2 (11) 3.Privateer, Cookson 50, Ron O’Hanley, Newport, R.I., 5,3,4,1 (13) 4.Flying Jenny 7, IRC 52, David & Sandra Askew, Annapolis, Md., 4,2,5,3 (14) 5.SLED, IRC 52, Takashi Okura, Tokyo, Japan, 3,4,3,4 (14) IRC 3 (IRC – 8 Boats) 1.Temptation-Oakcliff, Ker 50, Art Santry, Oyster Bay, N.Y., 3,1,1 (5) 2.Decision, HPR Carkeek 40, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, La., 2,3,4 (9) 3.White Gold, J 44, James D. Bishop, Jamestown, R.I., 5.5,2,2 (9.5) 4.Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom 43, John Cooper, Cane Hill, Mo., 1,4,5 (10) 5.High Noon, CTM 41, Steve and Heidi Benjamin, Norwalk, Conn., 5.5,6,3 (14.5) IRC 4 (IRC – 14 Boats) 1.Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, N.Y., 1,3,4 (8) 2.Sarah, X-41, Greg Manning , Warwick, R.I., 7,1,2 (10) 3.White Witch, King 40, Larry Landry, Newport, R.I., 3,10,1 (14) 4.DownTime, Summit 40, Ed and Molly Freitag, Annapolis, Md, USA – 6,7, 3 (16) 5.Settler, Peterson 42, Tom Rich , Middletown, R.I., 8, 2, 7 (17)

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New York Yacht Club 158th Annual Regatta Presented by Rolex

 
After a rousing 19-mile Around the Island Race on Friday, sailors at the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) 158th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex had to face light winds on Saturday and Sunday and a subsequently abbreviated race schedule where every move counted as critical to final results.  With 104 boats entered in Friday’s race (separately scored and optional) and 133 entered in weekend racing, this 2012 edition of what is revered as America’s oldest regatta will go down in sailing history as having its biggest fleet ever…and, for some, the most intriguing last-minute victories.
 
One for the record is Alex Jackson’s (Riverside, Conn.) trumping of the nine-boat Melges 32 class with Leenabarca in the second of two races today.  Two of the class’s world champions (Doug Douglass on Goombay Smash and Pieter Taselaar on Bliksem) were tied for first going into that race, which was the last of three in the regatta series, and Jackson trailed in scoring by one point.  According to Douglass, who exchanged friendly banter with Jackson back onshore, “We both went right, and Alex schooled us by going left and winning—he stole (the series) from us!”  Jackson joked that while the competition was incredible, “we were just better,” but in all seriousness, the stakes are high for this class as it prepares for its world championships here later this summer.  “More teams will be showing up as we get closer to that event,” said Jackson, who finished sixth two years ago at the worlds, “so I wouldn’t say that this was the biggest fleet of Melges 32s we’ve ever had, but it sure included some of the toughest teams.”
 
Also winning on the final note today was defending champion Mike McCaffrey (Newport, R.I.) aboard Osprey in the Herreshoff S class.  Stephan Sloan’s (East Greenwich, R.I.) Argument was leading the regatta until it was forced over the start line prematurely in today’s second race and had to restart. “That gave us the opportunity to salvage a first out of what was looking to be a second or third,” said McCaffrey.
 
Andrew Fisher (Greenwich, Conn.), winner of the Swan 42 class with Bandit, said his team also had an “incredibly bad start” in today’s first race, but it battled back to finish fifth.  “Luckily, we were very much in phase in the second race,” said Fisher, “and we picked more of the right wind shifts than the wrong ones and won.  It was a little bit of luck, a little bit of skill.”  His closest competition was John Hele’s Daring, which represented the Royal Canadian Yacht Club to win last year’s New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex and is helmed by Canada’s Terry McLaughlin, an America’s Cup veteran and 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the Flying Dutchman class.
 
Among the largest boats in the fleet was George Sakellaris’s (Framingham, Mass.) Mini Maxi 72 Shockwave, which won IRC 1. “We had a conservative day,” said the boat’s captain and crew member Reggie Cole (Newport) after today’s single race. “We just wanted to beat (George David’s) Rambler today, because that’s what we had to do to win, but it was just by happenstance that we also beat (Hap Fauth’s) Bella Mente.  She  blew out a spinnaker and we passed them to finish first.”
 
Ptarmigan, Larry Dickie’s (Greenwich, Conn.) Ker 43, came from behind to win today in IRC 3.  Skipper Bill Lynn (Marblehead, Mass) said that Saturday it had been hard to get out of the shadow of James Madden’s (Newport Beach, Calif.) Swan 601 Stark Raving Mad, which won the day on the merit of posting victory in a single race. “There was massive wind sheer and shifts to deal with,” he said, explaining that on the first beat his team had looked good, but “after that, we were struggling” and finished third.  Though today proved more manageable, playing shifts was still the name of the game and Ptarmigan made the most out of them to finish first to Stark Raving Mad’s fourth and post four points to its five (for second place).
 
Steered by Lexi Gahagan, Dennis Williams’s (Hobe Sound, Fla.) Victory 83 dominated the 12 Metre class, posting three victories in as many races, while in IRC 5 class, Leonard Sitar’s (Holmdel, NJ) J/44 Vamp took class honors with a 2-1 in his series.
 
Past J/122 North American champion Mike Bruno and Tom Boyle (Irvington, N.Y.) finished 2-1 in the regatta’s two races to take IRC 6 on his J/122 Wings, while past J/109 North American champion Bill Sweetser (Annapolis, Md.) on the J/109 Rush topped IRC 7.
 
David and Sandra Askew’s (Annapolis, Md.) IRC 52 Flying Jenny 2 won IRC 2, while winning IRC 4 was the Taylor 45 Africa, skippered by Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Jud Smith (Marblehead, Mass.).  Peter Kellogg’s (Short Hills, N.J.) Catboat 33′ Silent Maid won CRF 2 Non-Spinnaker, and Lars Forsberg’s (Greenwich, Conn.) S&S Yawl Black Watch took CRF 1 Non-Spinnaker.
 
In PHRF Navigator’s class, 22 boats competed, proving that this relatively new concept (begun last year) is popular for those who prefer a classic government buoy course to the more prevalent short-course racing on Saturday and Sunday.  Defending champions Ben Hall and Bill Berges (Tiverton, R.I.) won Class 5 on their Evelyn 32 Bluto, while Paul Koch’s (East Greenwich, R.I.) Freedom 35 Jazz Fish took Class 6.
 
A Rolex timepiece was awarded on Friday evening to the overall IRC winner in that day’s Around the Island Race.  Accepting the Rolex was Takashi Okura (Tokyo, Japan), owner and skipper of the IRC 52 Sled, which also won its IRC 2 class
 
Rolex also will award a timepiece to the overall winner (determined by the organizers) of Saturday’s and Sunday’s combined series of races, which officially constitutes the NYYC 158th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex. This special prize, as well as engraved overall trophies in each class and the Great Corinthian Trophy for yacht club teams of three or more boats posting the best class finishes, will be announced and awarded at the November 8 Annual Awards Dinner at the NYYC’s main clubhouse in New York City.
 

Known for attracting a diverse range of boats, NYYC’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex is the first major sailing contest of the season in historic Newport, Rhode Island.  In even-numbered years, the regatta draws a large number of competitors who compete a week later in the Newport Bermuda Race and who use the Annual Regatta to gear up prior to the start of that distance race.  Part of the 2012 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, NYYC’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex is the first event in the NYYC Classic Yacht Series.  Additionally, IRC yachts are eligible to enter the Onion Patch Series which consists of the Annual Regatta, the Newport Bermuda Race and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta.  The first race completed on Saturday and Sunday during NYYC’s Annual Regatta counts toward the Onion Patch Series. 
 
For daily results, releases, photos and video by T2p.tv, please visit the New York Yacht Club’s website at nyyc.org. 
 

 

Final Results
NYYC 158th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex
June 9-10, 2012
 
Blue Class 1 – IRC 1 (IRC – 3 Boats)
1. Shockwave, Mini Maxi 72, George Sakellaris , Framingham, MA, USA – 1, 1, ; 2
2. Bella Mente, J-V Mini Maxi 72′, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA – 3, 2, ; 5
3. Rambler, RP 90 W B 90, George David , Hartford, CT, USA – 2, 3, ; 5
 
Blue Class 2 – IRC 2 (IRC – 5 Boats)
1. Flying Jenny 7, IRC 52 52, David and Sandra Askew , Annapolis, MD, USA – 1, 2, ; 3
2. Vesper, TP 52 52, Jim Swartz , Park City, UT, USA – 3, 1, ; 4
3. Interlodge, IRC 52 52, Austin and Gwen Fragomen , Newport, RI, USA – 2, 4, ; 6
 
Blue Class 3 – IRC 3 (IRC – 9 Boats)
1. Ptarmigan, Ker 43 43, Lawrence Dickie , Greenwich, CT, USA – 3, 1, ; 4
2. Stark Raving Mad, Swan 601 60, James Madden , Newport Beach, CA, USA – 1, 4, ; 5
3. Defiance, Marten 49 49, Hamnett Hill , Montreal, Que, CAN – 4, 2, ; 6
 
Blue Class 4 – IRC 4 (IRC – 13 Boats)
1. Africa, Taylor 45 45, Jud Smith , Marblehead, MA, USA – 1, 2.5, ; 3.5
2. Nasty Medicine, Corby 41 41.5, Stephen Sherwin , Hamilton, BER – 2, 2.5/Protest, ; 4.5
3. After Midnight, CTM 41 41, Paul Jeka , Atlantic Highlands, NJ, USA – 4, 1, ; 5
 
Blue Class 5 – IRC 5 (IRC – 9 Boats)
1. Vamp, J 44 44.9, Leonard Sitar , Holmdel, NJ, USA – 2, 1, ; 3
2. Carina, Custom 48 48′, Rives Potts , Essex, CT, USA – 1, 2, ; 3
3. Cygnette, Swan 441 44.36, William Mayer , Dover, DE, USA – 5, 3, ; 8
 
White Class 6 – IRC 6 (IRC – 12 Boats)
1. Wings, J 122 40, Mike Bruno & Tom Boyle , Irvington, NY, USA – 2, 1, ; 3
2. Christopher Dragon, J/122 40, Andrew Weiss , Mamaroneck, NY, USA – 1, 5, ; 6
3. Old School, Farr 395 39.5, Ganson Evans , Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA – 3, 6, ; 9
 
White Class 7 – IRC 7 (IRC – 10 Boats)
1. Rush, J 109 35.25, Bill Sweetser , Annapolis, MD, USA – 1, 1, ; 2
2. Dorade, S&S Yawl 52.5, Matt Brooks , Fremont, CA, USA – 5, 2, ; 7
3. Picante, J 109 36, Rober Salk & John Sahagian , Jamestown, RI, USA – 4, 3, ; 7
 
White Class 8 – Swan 42 (One Design – 10 Boats)
1. Bandit, Swan 42 42, Andrew Fisher , Greenwich, CT, USA – 3, 5, 1, ; 9
2. Daring, Swan 42 42, John Hele , Newport, RI, USA – 1, 3, 9, ; 13
3. Vitesse, Swan 42 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA – 6, 1, 6, ; 13
 
White Class 9 – Melges 32 (One Design – 9 Boats)
1. Leenabarca, Melges 32 32, Alex Jackson , Riverside, Conn., USA – 5, 1, 1, ; 7
2. Bliksem, Melges 32 32, Pieter Taselaar , Newport, RI, USA – 2, 3, 4, ; 9
3. hedgehog, Melges 32 32, Alec Cutler , Pembroke, BER – 4, 5, 2, ; 11
 
Green Class 1 – 12 Metres (One Design – 8 Boats)
1. Victory 83, 12 Metre 65, Dennis Williams , Hobe Sound, FL, USA – 1, 1, 1, ; 3
2. Courageous, 12 Meter 68, Ralph Isham / Alexander Auersperg , New York, NY, USA – 2, 4, 2, ; 8
3. USA, 12 Metre 65′, Guy Heckman , Newport, RI, USA – 4, 2, 4/Protest, ; 10
 
Green Class 4 – Herreshoff S Class (One Design – 9 Boats)
1. Osprey, Herreshoff S Class 27.6, Michael McCaffrey , Newport, RI, USA – 2, 2, 3, ; 7
2. Argument, Herreshoff S Class 27.5, Stephan Sloan , East Greenwich, RI, USA – 1, 1, 7, ; 9
3. Swallow , Herreshoff S Class 27.5, Leeds Mitchell IV , Providence, RI, USA – 3, 4, 2, ; 9
 
Green Class 2 – CRF 1 Non-Spinnaker (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. Black Watch, S&S Yawl 67.86, Lars Forsberg , Greenwich, CT, USA – 3, 1/Protest, 1, ; 5
2. Angelita, 8 Metre 50.33′, Samuel Croll , Greenwich, CT, USA – 1, 5/Protest, 2, ; 8
3. Sonny, S&S Custom 53 53, Joseph Dockery , Newport, RI, USA – 2, 2, 4, ; 8
 
Green Class 3 – CRF 2 Non-Spinnaker (PHRF – 7 Boats)
1. Silent Maid, Catboat 33′, Peter Kellogg , Short Hills, NJ, USA – 1, 4, 1, ; 6
2. Belle, Luders 24 38.25, Jonathan Loughborough , Newport, RI, USA – 2, 2, 2, ; 6
3. SYCE, 6 Metre 34, Bob and Farley Towse , Stamford, CT, USA – 3, 5, 3, ; 11
 
Green Class 5 – PHRF Navigators Race (PHRF – 14 Boats)
1. Bluto, Evelyn 32-2 32, Benjamin Hall , Tiverton, RI, USA – 2, 2, ; 4
2. Tonto, J 105 34.5, Fred Darlington , Cumberland, RI, USA – 6, 1, ; 7
3. Blockade Runner, Farr 30 30, Bruce Bingman / Taran Teague , Annapolis, MD, USA – 1, 8.5, ; 9.5
 
Green Class 6 – PHRF NS Navigators Race (PHRF – 8 Boats)
1. Jazz Fish, Freedom 35 35, Paul Koch , East Greenwich, RI, USA – 1, 3, ; 4
2. Duck Soup, C&C 40 39’6, Bill Clavin , Warwick, RI, USA – 2, 2, ; 4
3. True, J 160 52, Howard Hodgson , Ipswich, MA, USA – 5, 1, ; 6
 

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Sailors on over 100 boats enjoyed classic Newport weather for today’s 19-mile Around the (Conanicut) Island Race, a traditional prelude to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, which will mark its 158th edition this weekend. The oldest regatta in America is enjoying a record number of 146 entries, with 133 of those signed up for weekend racing. (Today’s Around the Island Race was separately scored and optional.)

“It was southwest 8-12 knots, building to Beavertail,” said Tom Erskine (Marblehead, Mass), main trimmer on Ken Colburn’s Swan 42 class winner Apparition, explaining that with that much horsepower to the wind, the race committee had no problems sticking to a scheduled noon start for a clockwise course that started just south of the iconic Newport (Pell) Bridge. “Then it was 12-15 on the backside of the island and 15-16 on the nose coming home — just great conditions.” It didn’t hurt, either, that the sun shone all day after several days of relentless rain.

“The Race Committee started the smaller boats first,” added Erskine, “which made it fun to see all those classics like Black Watch and Dorade sailing near us, and then at the top of the island Rambler (the largest boat in the fleet at 90 feet) came ripping by us at 17 knots!”

Though Rambler was first to finish in just under two hours, but it was the IRC 52 Sled’s performance that earned owner Takashi Okura (Tokyo, Japan) a class win in IRC 2 and the overall victory in IRC class, which meant he goes home with the coveted Rolex watch as prize for his efforts today. Sled circumnavigated the island in just over two hours.

 

“I am still jet lagged,” said Okura, who arrived only yesterday to join his mostly-Japanese team on a charter boat that bears the name Interlodge. (Austin and Gwen Fragomen also sailed their newly built IRC 52 named Interlodge and finished third in the class behind Jim Swartz’s IRC 52 Vesper.) “We tried to sail calmly and quietly and just think about the wind and the tide.” Okura added that for ten minutes after the start, Vesper was leading, but the Sled team was able to play the current to its advantage and succeed at a takeover. Okura also won a Rolex watch here in 2006 when he sailed the Farr 40 North Americans as part of the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex and he has every intention of adding an Annual Regatta victory to his resume after he competes this weekend. (Rolex also will award a timepiece to the overall winner of Saturday’s and Sunday’s combined series of races.)

Fourteen class winners today included Hap Fauth (Minneapolis, Minn./Newport, R.I.) with his newly built Judel-Vrolijk 72’ mini maxi Bella Mente in IRC 1 and Annual Regatta defending champions Rives Potts (Westbrook, Conn.) in IRC 6 aboard his custom 48 Carina; Michael McCaffrey (Newport) in the Herreshoff S class with Osprey; Dennis Williams (Hobe Sound, Fla.) in the 12 Metre class with Victory 83; and Joseph Dockery (Newport) in CRF 1 (classics) with his custom S&S 53 Sonny. (Ken Colburn’s Swan 42 Apparition is also a defending champion.)

Since 1845, the tradition of the Annual Regatta, first hosted at the New York Yacht Club’s original clubhouse in Hoboken, N.J., has been interrupted only by war. The event – in even years — is part of the Onion Patch Series, which also includes the Newport Bermuda Race and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta.

Racing for the NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex takes place on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound for all classes, with a PHRF Navigator Class — for those who prefer a classic government buoy course to the more prevalent short-course racing on Saturday and Sunday — having the option of racing either one or both of the weekend days. Live music, refreshments and daily prizes greet the sailors as they come ashore after racing each day to the rolling lawn at NYYC’s Harbour Court clubhouse.

For daily results, releases, photos and video, please visit the New York Yacht Club’s website at nyyc.org.

Results New York Yacht Club Around the Island Race

Friday, June 8, 2012

Place, Sail, Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country, Finish Date-Time, Elapsed, Corrected, Class Finish/Fleet Finish

Class 1 – IRC 1 (IRC – 4 Boats)
1. USA 45 Bella Mente, Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA — 08Jun12-02:56:37PM / 0:01:56:37 / 0:03:06:07 — 1 / 3
2. USA 60272 Shockwave, Mini Maxi, George Sakellaris , Framingham, MA, USA — 08Jun12-02:58:22PM / 0:01:58:22 / 0:03:07:22 — 2 / 6
3. USA 4511 Team Tiburon (Wizard), R/P 74, Mark E. Watson III , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-02:59:16PM / 0:01:59:16 / 0:03:08:47 — 3 / 9

Class 2 – IRC 2 (IRC – 6 Boats)
1. USA 5206 SLED, IRC 52, Takashi Okura , Tokyo, JPN — 08Jun12-03:07:54PM / 0:02:12:54 / 0:03:03:00 — 1 / 1
2. USA 52007 Vesper, TP 52, Jim Swartz , Park City, UT, USA — 08Jun12-03:09:09PM / 0:02:14:09 / 0:03:05:15 — 2 / 2
3. USA 5210 Interlodge, IRC 52, Austin and Gwen Fragomen , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:10:45PM / 0:02:15:45 / 0:03:08:41 — 3 / 8

Class 3 – IRC 3 (IRC – 8 Boats)
1. USA 79 Ptarmigan, Ker 43, Lawrence Dickie , Greenwich, CT, USA — 08Jun12-03:19:12PM / 0:02:29:12 / 0:03:07:14 — 1 / 5
2. IVB 4915 Defiance, Marten 49, Hamnett Hill , Montreal, Que, CAN — 08Jun12-03:25:27PM / 0:02:35:27 / 0:03:13:04 — 2 / 21
3. USA 50069 Temptation – Oakcliff, Custom Ker 50, Arthur Santry – Oakcliff Sailing , Arlington, VA, USA — 08Jun12-03:24:52PM / 0:02:34:52 / 0:03:15:17 — 3 / 31

Class 4 – IRC 4 (IRC – 9 Boats)
1. USA 52915 White Witch, King 40, Larry Landry , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:32:39PM / 0:02:47:39 / 0:03:08:36 — 1 / 7
2. USA 52830 Barra, Morris 486, Bruce MacNeil , Lincoln, Ma., USA — 08Jun12-03:35:41PM / 0:02:50:41 / 0:03:12:52 — 2 / 17
3. BER 1000 Nasty Medicine, Corby 41, Stephen Sherwin , Hamilton, BER — 08Jun12-03:31:00PM / 0:02:46:00 / 0:03:13:53 — 3 / 25

Class 5 – IRC 5 (IRC – 10 Boats)
1. USA 49 Gold Digger, J 44, James D. Bishop , Jamestown, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:31:33PM / 0:02:51:33 / 0:03:07:09 — 1 / 4
2. USA 43600 Vamp, J 44, Leonard Sitar , Holmdel, NJ, USA — 08Jun12-03:34:32PM / 0:02:54:32 / 0:03:10:04 — 2 / 14
3. USA 60003 Pugwash, J 122, David Murphy , westport, CT, USA — 08Jun12-03:36:51PM / 0:02:56:51 / 0:03:12:35 — 3 / 16

Class 6 – IRC 6 (IRC – 11 Boats)
1. USA 315 Carina, Custom 48, Rives Potts , Essex, CT, USA — 08Jun12-03:35:16PM / 0:03:00:16 / 0:03:08:55 — 1 / 10
2. USA 16 Dorade, S&S Yawl, Matt Brooks , Fremont, CA, USA — 08Jun12-03:44:10PM / 0:03:09:10 / 0:03:09:09 — 2 / 12
3. USA 1976 Mischief, Lyman-Morse 40, David Schwartz , Smithfield, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:44:19PM / 0:03:09:19 / 0:03:10:04 — 3 / 13

Class 7 – 12 Metre GP/M (One Design – 5 Boats)
1. K 22 Victory 83, 12 Metre, Dennis Williams , Hobe Sound, FL, USA — 08Jun12-03:02:22PM / 0:02:32:22 / 0:02:32:22 — 1 /
2. USA 61 USA, 12 Metre, Guy Heckman , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:08:57PM / 0:02:38:57 / 0:02:38:57 — 2 /
3. KZ5 Laura, 12 Metre, Kip Curren , Warwick, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:10:30PM / 0:02:40:30 / 0:02:40:30 — 3 /

Class 8 – 12 Metre Traditional (One Design – 3 Boats)
1. USA US 21 American Eagle, 12 Metre, Cynthia Alten-DeLotto , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:15:50PM / 0:02:45:50 / 0:02:45:50 — 1 /
2. USA 16 Columbia, 12 Metre, Alain Hanover , Weston, MA, USA — 08Jun12-03:16:10PM / 0:02:46:10 / 0:02:46:10 — 2 /
3. USA 19 Nefertiti, 12 Metre, Jon Wullschleger , Sarasota, FL, USA — 08Jun12-03:16:24PM / 0:02:46:24 / 0:02:46:24 — 3 /

Class 9 – Swan 42 (One Design – 8 Boats)
1. USA 4235 Apparition, Swan 42, Ken Colburn , Dover, MA, USA — 08Jun12-03:07:25PM / 0:02:42:25 / 0:02:42:25 — 1 /
2. USA 4227 Hoss, swan 42, Glenn Darden & Paul Williamson , Fort Worth, Texas, USA — 08Jun12-03:10:46PM / 0:02:45:46 / 0:02:45:46 — 2 /
3. USA 4214 Daring, Swan 42, John Hele , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:10:57PM / 0:02:45:57 / 0:02:45:57 — 3 /

Class 10 – CRF 1 Non-Spinnaker (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. USA 50 Sonny, S&S Custom 53, Joseph Dockery , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:32:59PM / 0:03:12:59 / 0:02:38:07 — 1 / 1
2. USA NY 6 Spartan, NY 50, Charlie Ryan , Providence, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:20:07PM / 0:03:00:07 / 0:02:43:09 — 2 / 2
3. US 71 Black Watch, S&S Yawl, Sam Earle , USA — 08Jun12-03:26:38PM / 0:03:06:38 / 0:02:43:36 — 3 / 3

Class 11 – PHRF 1 spin (PHRF – 9 Boats)
1. USA 34 Blockade Runner, Farr 30, Bruce Bingman / Taran Teague , Annapolis, MD, USA — 08Jun12-03:19:48PM / 0:03:04:48 / 0:02:48:29 — 1 / 7
2. USA 51109 Capella, Sabre 452, David Millet , Needham, MA, USA — 08Jun12-03:24:41PM / 0:03:09:41 / 0:02:53:03 — 2 / 16
3. USA 56 Spirit, J 92S, EC Helme , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:40:29PM / 0:03:25:29 / 0:02:54:46 — 3 / 17

Class 12 – PHRF 2 spin (PHRF – 3 Boats)
1. USA 8 Osprey, Herreshoff S Class, Michael McCaffrey , Newport, USA — 08Jun12-04:02:48PM / 0:03:52:48 / 0:02:47:33 — 1 / 6
2. USA 22 Argument, Herreshoff S Class, Stephan Sloan , East Greenwich, RI, USA — 08Jun12-04:04:59PM / 0:03:54:59 / 0:02:49:44 — 2 / 10
3. USA 5 Surprise, Herreshoff S Class, Fred Roy , Newport, RI, USA — 08Jun12-04:08:17PM / 0:03:58:17 / 0:02:53:02 — 3 / 15

Class 13 – CRF 2 Non-Spinnaker (PHRF – 2 Boats)
1. T 82 Silent Maid, Catboat, Peter Kellogg , Short Hills, NJ, USA — 08Jun12-03:54:12PM / 0:03:44:12 / 0:02:52:42 — 1 / 13
2. USA US 53 Cherokee, 6 Metre, Molly Savard , Middletown, CT, USA — 08Jun12-04:07:22PM / 0:03:57:22 / 0:03:08:06 — 2 / 23

Class 14 – PHRF Non-Spinnaker (PHRF – 9 Boats)
1. USA 1968 Hermie, Columbia 50, Gerald Harris , Rowayton, CT, USA — 08Jun12-03:36:02PM / 0:03:26:02 / 0:02:46:03 — 1 / 4
2. USA 414 Coup d’ Etat, McCurdy Rhodes 46, Michael Shea , Farmington, CT, USA — 08Jun12-03:34:26PM / 0:03:24:26 / 0:02:47:19 — 2 / 5
3. USA 42700 Duck Soup, C&C 40, Bill Clavin , Warwick, RI, USA — 08Jun12-03:32:51PM / 0:03:22:51 / 0:02:48:37 — 3 / 8

For More Images Of the NYYC Around- the- Island Race 2012 by George Bekris click HERE

 

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With three races conducted in strong winds, there was opportunity for boats to make a significant move in the standings on the second day of Quantum Key West 2012. Or in some cases it was a chance to further increase leads taken on Day 1. Pisces fit into the former category, moving into the overall lead in Melges 32 class by winning two of three races on Tuesday. Skipper Benjamin Schwartz and company showed superb boat speed and made some sound tactical decisions and now lead the 19-boat fleet by tiebreaker over John Kilroy and the Samba Pa Ti team. “We are a new program so it is a tremendous feeling to be doing well in a big-time regatta like Key West. Hopefully, we can keep it going,” said Schwartz, who joined the class last summer and promptly placed fourth at U.S. Nationals. Schwartz has America’s Cup veteran Ed Baird calling tactics and Quantum professional Scott Nixon trimming the jib and spinnaker. “You have to give Ed and Scott a lot of credit for getting our boat up to speed,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have a great crew. Today was very challenging because the wind velocity was up and down and the sea state was not very forgiving, but the guys never stopped working and we were able to change gears pretty well.” Race committees on all three courses completed three races in 8-14 knot easterly winds.

With five races in the bag, organizers with Premiere Racing are already halfway to the stated goal of holding 10 races during the five-day regatta. There was a lead change in the Farr 40 class as well with Charisma (Nico Poons, Monaco) and Struntje Light (Wolfgang Schaefer, Germany) overtaking Groovederci (John Demourkas, Santa Barbara, Cal.). Struntje Light has posted a pair of seconds and finished no lower than fourth in the seven-boat fleet, but Charisma holds the overall lead via tiebreaker by virtue of winning Race 5. “We had a very good day on the water and are happy with where we stand at the moment,” Schaefer said. “We have nice boat speed upwind and our crew work has been excellent. We have a very good tactician and he’s made some fantastic calls that have kept me in phase.” Renowned Italian professional and America’s Cup veteran Vasco Vascotta is calling tactics aboard Struntje Light, which has competed in Farr 40 class at Key West ever since 2002 with a top finish of third. “Wolfgang is doing a good job of driving and is getting better every day. The guys onboard have a great attitude and are ready to fight to the end. The good news is that we can still improve our performance.” PowerPlay lived up to its name by making a strong move in IRC 2 class with a strong line of 1-3-4 on Tuesday. Owner Peter Cunningham, a resident of Georgetown in the Cayman Islands, has a nice mix of amateur and professional crew with tactician Tony Rey, trimmer Dave Scott and bowman Geordie Shaver among the superstars aboard. “We’ve only had the boat for six months and we’ve made a lot of modifications during that time,” Cunningham said. “We’re pretty happy with our performance so far. We’re sailing fairly well and having a lot of fun.” Quantum Racing, skippered by Doug DeVos, continues to set the pace in the 52-foot class and leads PowerPlay by six points. Terry Hutchinson, helmsman for the Swedish syndicate Artemis Racing that is Challenge of Record for the America’s Cup, has made strong tactical calls in leading Quantum to victory in three races and second in the two others. “Today was far from straightforward. The wind was very shifty and there are some tricky current patches to deal with,” Hutchinson said. In other classes, the three-race day merely served as an opportunity for the early leaders to extend on the competition.

Ran, a Judel-Vrolijk 72-footer, continues to sail impressively in the Mini Maxi class (IRC 1), winning all five races so far. Red, skippered by Joe Woods of Great Britain with Paul Goodison aboard as tactician, has accomplished the same feat in the inaugural Farr 400 class. “I guess we’ve just figured the boat out a little faster than the other teams,” said Woods, who has previously sailed a Melges 32 at Key West. “We’re winning, but not by much. The racing has been awfully close.” West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes has posted straight bullets in Melges 24 class and built a commanding 10-point lead over Alan Field and the WTF team. Detroit resident Bora Gulari is steering and getting tactical advice from Australian native and North Sails pro Jeremy Wilmot as West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes seeks to follow up on its 2011 national championship. Groovederci, skippered by Deneen Demourkas of Santa Barbara, Cal., has won all five races in Farr 30 class. Teamwork, a J/122 owned by Robin Team of Lexington, N.C., has posted two bullets and a pair of seconds in grabbing a narrow one-point lead over the 1D35 Tres Hombres in PHRF 1. “We’re having a great time because the conditions have been terrific and the competition has been spectacular,” said Team, who has his brother and two sons in the crew. “We’ve been mixing it up with Tres Hombres and finished overlapped with them in the first two races today. Rush is also tough so I think it will be a dogfight the whole way.” Rush, a J/109 skippered by Bill Sweetser of Annapolis, was named Lewmar / Navtec Boat of the Day after posting a superb score line of 3-2-1. Tom Babel is calling tactics while Quantum pro Tad Hutchins is calling tactics on Rush, which is currently third in PHRF 1 and second in the J/Boats Subclass. “The conditions were very good for us today. When the wind is 14 knots or less we can fly our big jib, which is kind of like our secret weapon,” Sweetser said. “We pay for that jib in our rating so it’s good whenever we can use it.” It’s been close but no cigar for Rush at Key West as Sweetser’s boat has finished first or second in class several times, but never come away as overall winner at week’s end. “One of these years we’re going to finally break through and it’s going to be wonderful,” he said. Regatta dates are January 15 – 20, 2012.

 

For more Key West Race Week photos by  Tim Wilkes check out Tim Wilkes Photography

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