(Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada)- Perhaps one of the best “social/ party”
race weeks that anyone can imagine has to be the annual Chester Race
Week hosted in one of the prettiest bays in all of Nova Scotia, just a
hop, skip and a jump south of Halifax. The event has grown bigger and
more popular than ever and this year features 14 classes for both
one-design and PHRF handicap racing fleet. No question, the regatta is
an enormous attraction for the legions of J sailors in eastern Canada
and, in particular, Nova Scotia. Hosting the regatta from August 13th
to 16th is Chester YC.Starting with the one-designs, an excellent fleet of nine J/24s will be competing for class honors, including top teams like JUVENILE DELINQUENTS (Ted Murphy), BARELY LEGAL (Jono Reid), STICKY FINGERS (John Whynacht) and LIGHTNING McQUEEN (Ian Dawson). Has anyone ever asked J/24 sailors how they come up with such off-the-wall boat names?!?
In the past, J/29s have had their own one-design division, but this year are lumped into Bravo PHRF Class 99-120. Four J/29s will be up against a J/70 and J/80— good luck figuring out who-beats-who in this one! The 29s include FAVOURITE CHILD (Carlisle & Eric Norwood), PAINKILLER (Paul Dexter), PARADIGM SHIFT (Don Williams), and SILVER WOMAN (Andrew Childs). Egging them on will be the J/70 RE-DEMP-TION sailed by Bill Adams and the J/80 GOAT WHISPERER skippered by Dale Robertson.
In Bravo PHRF Class 121+ we find two J/30s taking on lots of other cruiser-type 30s. One is FLUX, sailed by Jordan MacNeil and other is Jesleine Baker’s JUST ADD WATER.
A
flock of J’s are sailing in the random-leg PHRF offshore course in
classes Distance A1, A2 and A3. In the A1 class you may be “better off
dead than red”, so to speak. Of fourteen boats, eleven are J/Teams!
Four J/120s are in the mix, including ADIOS (Dwayne Smithers), BLACK
PEARL (Ross Leighton), BRILLIANCE (Rick Calder) and GRAND CRU (Mike
Kennedy). Three J/88s will be looking to stretch their legs on some
fast reaches, including DOG PARTY (Terry McKenna), PLAYMATE (Jim Snair)
and CRAZY EIGHTS (Dave Connolly). These two groups will have to contend
Peter Bethune’s J/100 BABE, Sean McDermott’s J/105 McMAC, Paul Rafuse’s
J/109 WISC and Colin Mann’s J/92 POOHSTICKS.The A2 class has a cast of characters and classics as well, including three J/35s- Thane MacDonald’s J-HAWK, Gary Sullivan’s SUMROO and Peter Traves’ CRACKERJACK! Paul Conrod’s J/42 CATANEA will be hoping for a lot of jib-reaching against that three-some of gangsters!
Finally, the A3 class has Sam Lamey’s J/27 INCORRIGIBLE and Chris MacDonald’s SCOTCH MIST IV from Lunenberg hoping to over-power their bigger competition in the division. For more Chester Race Week sailing information
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