J/Teams Sweep Double-handers, J/44s Crush IRC 2(Stamford, CT)- For once, the forecasters were not very wrong. With a powerful frontal system of Biblical proportions sweeping North America, spawning horrific tornados, overwhelming floods, massive thunderstorms and thousands of lightning strikes, the navigators and strategists on Storm Trysail's 189nm Block Island Race knew they were going to be in for one condition- wet, wild, cold (45 degrees), rainy & drizzly and windy (20-30 kts from the Northwest). In short, the 2013 version of the BI Race became the fastest on record for the entire fleet.
Past J/24 sailors George David (and navigator Peter "Pedro" Isler) took the 90 ft RAMBLER down around Block Island and back in just over 13 hours, rounding Block Island at midnight, and setting a new course elapsed time record. A port gybe all the way down Long Island Sound, gybe around Block Island and starboard tack virtually all the way home to the Stamford finish line. RAMBLER's time also was improved by the navigational choice of exiting and entering the Sound through “the Sluice,” a narrow passage rarely used as an alternative to Plum Gut and The Race, two current-ridden passages notorious for making or breaking a team’s performance in the Block Island Race.
Gary Grant, skipper of the J/120 ALIBI, won the IRC Double-Handed Class and the award for Best Overall Performance, leading a "J" sweep of the IRC Double-Handed fleet. “This is the second time we’ve won both our division and overall for this race,” said Grant, whose crew was Steve Fisk (Westport). “The last time was 2006, when it was the slowest race on record, and we won because we were the most stubborn and didn’t drop out. This was probably the fastest Block Island Race on record, so we’ve proven ourselves now in both fast and slow conditions. We are very honored to have won.” Amazingly, this was the second time that J/Teams won both IRC Double and Best Overall Performance in the race, the previous double winner was Peter Rugg's J/105 JADED.
Though the temperature “felt like it was freezing,” it hovered around 45 degrees and incessant light rain with occasional showers added to what most called “miserable” conditions. “I purchased ALIBI when I lived in London and sailed it in the English Channel,” said Grant. “This race was much like it was there— cold, windy, rainy. But I guess you could say we were well prepared for that kind of race.” As predicted, various J/Teams have learned to master the course better than most-- one where keeping your "eyes wide open" and thinking "outside of the box" is an enormous help as the weather and current changes across the course.
The
largest contingent of J's sailed the IRC Double-Handed class, also the
largest class in the race. With eight of thirteen boats, it's not
surprising the talented and experienced "J" double-handed sailors swept
their class and took home all the silverware. With tough conditions both
down the track and back, there's no question the sailors appreciated
having solid, all-around sailboats that can perform in challenging
conditions. Behind the J/120 ALIBI were a few Bermuda Race veterans
(class winners, no less), with Hewitt Gaynor's J/120 MIREILLE taking
second and Jason Richter's J/35 PALADIN in third. Newcomer to the BIR
2H fleet was Andrew Berdon's J/109 STRIDER taking fourth. Just missing
out on making a clean sweep of the top five was also first time BIR 2H
sailor Andrian Begley on his J/109 MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN. Eighth
was Todd Aven's J/92 THIN MAN.Sailing as a one-design class, the five J/109s basically had a 189nm shoot-out. Tough racing made even more challenging with your closest competitors working hard on every puff and every wave to gain a foot on you, especially from midnight to the dawn patrol when the biggest gains are often made by top crews. Leading the fleet home was SKOOT (Jim Vos) taking the J/109 crown by only six minutes! Just behind was LOKI (David Rosow) in second and in third was PAX 3 (Bob Siegel).
While the J/44s were not sailing as a class, their veteran offshore sailors certainly left their stamp on the IRC 2 Division. Len Sitar's J/44 VAMP took class honors while "offshore newbies" Joerg Esdorn and Duncan Hennes sailing their J/44 KINCSEM quickly dispelled any notions they were still in training mode, sailing a solid race to take second overall. In fact, the two J/44s might as well have been tethered to each other on a rope they were so close around the entire track for 24 hours! Kudos to the KINCSEM gang for winning on elapsed time by four minutes, therefore bragging rights for being top J/44 on the water; they lost by 70 seconds to VAMP on corrected time (go figure!). The real question on the line may be "who bought who what" at the bar afterwards at American YC between these two boats? For more Storm Trysail Block Island Race sailing information
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