(Larchmont, NY)- On this year’s Edlu Distance Race, sailors had the
pleasure of sailing amongst a massive fleet of 18 J’s (nearly 50% of the
total of 39 boats that started). Ranging in size from the J/92s up to
the classic J/44s, three of the four divisions saw J/crews on the podium
or taking the top prize. The format of the Edlu Race has been made very “user-friendly”. Back in 2005, the event was transformed into a day race. In fact, the starts have been made much earlier and the distance is set so that all boats can finish before sunset. The course for this year was 32 nm from Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton's Neck and back.
Riding the old horse hard and fast was Phil Gutin’s team on the J/44 BEAGLE, taking top honors in the IRC Class over some well-known rocketships like Steve & Heidi Benjamin’s custom HPR 40 footer. Also putting in a good performance was John Pearson’s J/122 RED SKY, snagging fourth overall. George Petrides modified J/120 AVRA took 6th.
It must’ve been “good karma” for J/105s this past weekend, like their colleagues in the Oregon Offshore Race, the J/105s took the top two spots in the Edlu as well in the PHRF Class (a class that had nine J/Boats registered). Winner was George & Alex Wilbanks’s J/105 REVELATION and in second was the American YC Junior Big Boat team with coach Peter Becker aboard the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN! Good show mates! Awesome to see the junior sailors place yet again in a major offshore race on Long Island Sound. Just behind them in fourth was Paul Strauch’s black-hulled beauty, the J/111 ANDIAMO. The balance of the top ten included Bob Siegel’s J/109 PAX 3 in 8th, Carl Olsson’s J/105 MORNING GLORY IN 9th and Ken Hall’s J/100 NEVERMORE in 10th.
In the PHRF Double-handed class, the J/105s did it again, with Charlie Cannam’s ENGARDE taking third place behind the J/133 ANTIDOTE skippered by Ron Richman. Fifth was Arthur Hanlon’s J/100 LIBERTY, sixth was Todd Aven’s J/92 THIN MAN and eighth was Marc Berkowitz’s J/105 CLEAN SLATE.
Finally, in PHRF Non-spinnaker class, the gang aboard Chris Roe’s J/32 ECLIPSE sailed a comfortable day on the water to place fourth. For more Edlu Distance Race sailing information
|
