STEELAWAY Wins J/105s
(Marblehead, MA)- The three clubs in Marblehead Harbor (Boston, Corinthian and Eastern) combined to put on yet another good event on their notoriously fickle summer sailing conditions. While two good days of racing provided great competition, the last day proved to be a burn-out-- too much sun and no wind. Nevertheless, the Sperry Topsider Marblehead NOOD event was lots of fun, especially because the local clubs roll-out the red carpet and ensure that all competitors in all fleets enjoy their social festivities after the racing.On the “Outside Line”, the race committee attempted a J/105 start on Sunday in the early stages of the sea breeze but had to abandon mid-way through, leaving the standings as they were on Saturday. The no-race day left Peter and Doug Morgan’s J/105 STEELAWAY as the class winner over twenty-two other J/105s, a finish they were perfectly happy to take after having won four straight NOOD regattas before failing to do so last year. “It’s good to be back,” says Doug Morgan. “These were not typical conditions this week, and local knowledge really helped. We are very fortunate to win, but the truth is we’ve got a great crew with five great guys that have sailed together now for a long time.” Finishing second was Fred DeNapoli's ALLEGRO SIMPLICITA, just edging out by one point Kevin Colcord's CERCES CUP team for third.
In the J/30s, Luke Buxton's EVELYN won with four firsts and a second, dominating their class. Ken Deyett's JEROBOAM was second with four seconds and a first. Third was John McArthur's SMILES. The J/30 class are warming up for their J/30 North American Championship coming up later this summer.
J/24s as usual had a very competitive class with fourteen boats dueling it out with some of the top sailors in the J/24 class. In the end, Tim Healy's WATERLINE SYSTEMS managed to pull off just three firsts and undoubtedly would've had more had they not been OCS's in the first race, winning by three points. Second winning on a tie-breaker was John Denman sailing AIRODOODLE, they started off strongly with a 1-2-3 record, but fell off the cliff later in the series. In third losing the tie-breaker was John Surguy sailing VANISHING ACT.
There was some interesting video shot at the event, you can check some of them out at the YouTube links below.
- A J/24 and Sonar sail into each other?
- J/30s at a breezy gybe mark.
- The J/105 Dark Horse celebrates winning a race.