(Block Island, RI)- The even year Block Island Race Week, running from
June 23rd to 27th, is an exciting event for racers who love competing in
a week long series in Block Island Sound in the years between the Storm
Trysail Club’s biennial event. This year’s modest event saw J/Teams
occupying over 50% of the registrants with several boats sailing in the
event for their first time. In fact, it marked the debut of the new
J/88 family-friendly offshore speedster. Teams were sailing in both IRC
and PHRF handicap divisions.In the IRC world, the J/109 RUSH skippered by Bill Sweetser too 3rd place, losing a tie-breaker for 2nd and were just 2 pts out of first. In fact, the last race determined the final standings since RUSH was in first after the 10th race and their 11th race 5th place, unfortunately, was their throwout! The J/109 SHEARWATER with Hugh McLean driving took 6th overall.
In the PHRF 1 Division, taking 1st was Doug Curtiss’s J/111 WICKED 2.0 counting six 1sts in their 11 race scorecard for a total of just 17 pts. Third was the J/88 DEVIATION sailed by Iris Vogel, winning the last race and losing 2nd by just one point. Sedgwick Ward’s J/111 BRAVO took 5th in class and John Forster’s J/92 SALTIRE took 6th.
As many had anticipated, the PHRF 2 Division was dominated by one boat— yes, just one boat. Believe it or not. First was the outrageously successful J/29 HUSTLER (John & Tony Esposito and Neil Caruso) nearly running the table with nine 1sts in eleven races sailed for a total of 11 pts. Second was Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE with 18 pts and scoring nearly as many 2nd places as HUSTLER had for 1sts! Fourth was Aleksander Tichter’s J/29 AKLUA with 37 pts, just missing out on a spot on the podium by one point.
For more Block Island Race Week sailing information
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