Saturday, September 6, 2008

J/44 wins NORT honors

After finishing 2nd in class and 6th in fleet in the Stamford Vineyard Race last week, Lenny Sitar’s J-44 VAMP was named the overall winner of the 2008 Northern Ocean Racing Trophy presented by Stamford Yacht Club. VAMP is the first J Boat to win this prestigious trophy, based on a series of grueling races that has historically been dominated by larger boats with names like BLUE YANKEE, BRIGHT STAR, CARRERA, etc.

For 2008, the NOR Trophy was based on combined results under IRC in the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race, Newport-Bermuda Race, Around Long Island Race, Ida Lewis Distance Race and the Stamford Yacht Club’s Vineyard Race. VAMP won her class in the Block Island Race and Newport to Bermuda and was 2nd in class in each of the other events. With 20 years experience racing in the competitive J/44 class and the 2007 Long Island Sound Distance Racing trophy (Windigo Cup) under her belt, VAMP and her seasoned team were dialed in!

VAMP tactician A.J. Evans attributed their success to great crew chemistry as well as little things, like “no freeze dried meals….breakfast served all day!”

We’re pleased to congratulate the entire VAMP team of: Lenny Sitar, A. J. Evans, Skip Smith, Lynden Kibler, Tom Colucci, Doug Lanthier, Brian Purdy, Jason Braunstein, Neil McLaughlin, Nate Fast, Bill Sitar as well as Bjorn Johnson, Adolf Haffenreffer, Kit Will, Gary Martin, and Alex DeWitt for a job well done!