(Newport, RI)- After a successful winter Bacardi Miami Sailing Week held
at Coconut Grove, Florida, the Bacardi marketing team created a new
regatta for the summer based in Newport, Rhode Island and co-hosted the
event with Newport Yacht Club and Sail Newport. The new Bacardi Newport
Sailing Week took place last weekend with four classes, including a
fleet of eleven J/70s.Blessed with more than enough winds forecast for the weekend, the NYC/ Sail Newport PRO decided to get in as many races as possible on Saturday in a strong 10-18 kts easterly. A massive Low was working in from the Midwest with wind forecasts exceeding gale force (30-45 kts) on Sunday morning. As it turned out, it was a prophetic call since the J/70s enjoyed five fast windward-leeward courses traversing Narragansett Bay from Potter Cove on the western side over to a windward mark tucked under the Naval War College on the eastern side of the Bay. The course layout made for crazy tactics and strategies as massive wind streaks would form under the center span of Newport Bridge and roll down the course from a southeasterly direction, but rarely far enough or wide enough to cover the windward mark or make it down the the starting area/ leeward gates. Simultaneously, enormous left-handers would swing down off the Navy base along the shoreline, providing huge port tack lifts going into the weather mark. And, once in awhile, large enough puffs would produce planing-modes for J/70s while others were stuck in 8-10 kts winds diving into soak mode.
It
was close racing for the J/70s and some teams were using it for
“practice mode” just prior to next week’s J/70 World Championship in La
Rochelle, France. Winning with three straight bullets was Tim Healy’s
crew (including Will Welles) on HELLY HANSEN with a record of 3-2-1-1-1
for 5 pts net. In a close match for the regatta was Bruno Pasquinelli’s
STAMPEDE from Houston, Texas and Heather Gregg’s MUSE team from
Newport, Rhode Island. The final race determined the outcome for this
duel with MUSE posting a 1-4-3-2-3 for 9 pts to win the tie-breaker.
STAMPEDE had a 2-5-2-3-2 for 9 pts net to lose the tie-breaker and place
third overall. Showing newfound speed and sharp tactics was John
Brim’s RIMETTE, winning a race on their way to taking fourth in the
regatta 13 pts. Fifth was Duncan Swain’s CLOWN CAR with 17 pts. Sailing photo credits- Cory Silken.com For more Bacardi Newport Sailing Week information
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