Saturday, July 19, 2014

New York YC Race Week Preview

J/109 Rush sailing offshoreFeaturing the J/109 North Americans
(Newport, RI)- This year’s New York YC Race Week, running from July 15-19 and hosted by the club in Newport, RI will be featuring the J/109 North American Championships.  In addition, they will also conduct racing for other one-design classes, like the J/44s, as well as IRC and PHRF handicap classes.

J/44 Gold Digger sailing off NewportThe J/109 class has responded with tremendous enthusiasm for the 2014 NA’s, with seventeen boats registered from across the Northeast. Past NA Champion Bill Sweetser from Annapolis YC will again be sailing RUSH against many of the top teams from the region, including Jim Vos’s SKOOT, Don Fillipelli’s CAMINOS, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING (also a past NA Champion), Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE, Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN, Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE.

After a successful outing in this year’s Newport Bermuda Race, the J/44 crews are back in force with another good showing of leading teams.  Past NYYC Race Week champions and podium finishers are all in the mix, including class cheerleader Jim Bishop’s GOLD DIGGER, Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE, Len Sitar’s VAMP, Jeff Willis’s CHALLENGE IV and Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE.

J/111 sailing in New York YC regattaThe IRC handicap classes have a number of J/Teams sailing in the IRC 3 Division.  The duel of the J/122s continue with the US Naval Academy Sailing team sailing DOLPHIN (with skipper John Tyler Martenstein) against multiple class winner WINGS led by Mike Bruno from Long Island Sound.  The “sleeper” could easily be Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE that hails from Houston, TX.

The PHRF handicap division will be scored based on both handicap and one-design results for the J/105s and J/111s.  Amongst the J/111s registered is Dave Brodsky & Fred Van Liew’s ODYSSEY, Dave & Maryellen Tortorello’s PARTNERSHIP and Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO.  The J/105 fleet features Mark Lindquist’s STERLING, Fred Darlington’s TONTO, Mark & Jolene Masur’s TWO FEATHERS and Jordan Mindich’s SHAKEDOWN.   For more New York YC Race Week sailing information