(New York, NY)- The idea for a regatta in New York Harbor had been fomenting for some time among several J-105 owners in New York City. “The waterways around Manhattan see a lot of racing, but this is the first one-design regatta in some time actually in New York Harbor,” said David Spence, one of the organizers behind the event, and a member of both Fleet 10 and Manhattan Sailing Club.
And who wouldn’t love the chance to race in the shadow of the burgeoning Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island? Not to mention the thrill of navigating alongside barges, the Staten Island Ferry, and the occasional cruise ship; add to that a two knot current on the Hudson and you have the makings for some interesting starts and mark roundings. As Paul Zajac, Fleet 10 president and skipper of Skal, said, “There’s just so much geometry to racing in these waters!”
Seven
J-105s hailing from Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay, and New York Harbor
took up the challenge and were at the start for the inaugural Manhattan
Regatta held May 14 and 15, one of the few relatively rain-free
weekends the region has seen this Spring. Never far from the shores of
either New York or New Jersey, the race provided spectators, tourists,
and ordinary New Yorkers alike with the sight of big-boat racing. The
first day had winds of 10-12 kts, enough to slice through the strong
river current. Second day not so much luck, under 8kts of breeze.
Nevertheless, the competitors all had a great time and the sailing made
for some pretty surreal photos, as you can see here.
In
the end, Kevin Grainger's well-traveled, successful GUMPTION 3 was the
overall winner, posting finishes of 1-1-1-2 in the four-race series.
FAIRHOPE, skippered by Gareth Gaston, gave Kevin and crew a serious run
for the roses, but just came up short, scoring a 2-2-2-1 to take second
in the event. Third was Dave Spence skippering SYNERGY to a 3-4-4-3.“I think we showed that through the cooperation of the New York/New Jersey sailing community, we can bring J-105 racing to the Harbor,” said Spence, adding, “Our goal was to begin a tradition of offering challenging racing against the backdrop of the City, with all of the amenities it has to offer both on and off the water.”
Celebrating after the racing on Sunday in Manhattan Sailing Club’s North Cove marina, participants were already looking forward to Manhattan Regatta 2012, offering suggestions as to how to grow the event for next year. Sailing photo credits- Pim Van Hemen For more Manhattan Yacht Club sailing information.
