Edlu Distance Race Preview

  

(Larchmont, NY)- The classic spring opener for offshore races has been Larchmont Yacht Club's annual Edlu Distance Race. For many sailors, it provides the incentive to clear off the cobwebs accumulated from over a year of not sailing, make sure the winches and blocks spin properly, the wheel/ rudder bearings didn't lock up, and sails actually go up and down. Having been starved of going down to sea and dreaming about it for over a year, there must be more than a few sailors that recall that yearning in John Masefield's famous poem- SEA FEVER:

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking....."

With one of the best turnouts in years, the sixty-boat fleet will be looking forward to one of two courses the Larchmont YC Race Committee can select: Course #1 – from the start around Eaton’s Neck Point Lighted Gong Buoy and return for about 32.0nm or Course #2 – from the start around Twenty-Six Foot Spot Lighted Bell Buoy mid-sound off Lloyd’s Neck and return for about 18.0nm. 

Looking forward to this offshore "sprint" are twenty-four J/Teams (40.0% of the fleet!). Sailing in the eleven-boat ORC Division is Steven Levy's J/121 EAGLE, John Greifzu's J/109 GROWTH SPURT, Bill Ingraham's J/124 TENEBRAE, and Len Sitar's big blue J/160 COUGAR. 

In the PHRF Doublehanded divisions is Josh Burack's J/105 PEREGRINA and Glenn Marck's J/109 WATERDOG.  In the 28-boat PHRF Spinnaker division are two J/111s (Ken Luczynski's USMMA team on BLACK DIAMOND and Bill & Jackie Baxter's FIREBALL), Cory Eaves' J/109 FREEDOM, Arthur Hanlon's J/112E DAUNTLESS, Chuck Taus' J/33 SIRIUS, Kurt Locher's J/42 ATALANTA, Neeko Helbich's USMMA team on the J/44 VAMP, Jason Viseltear's J/80 UPSETTER, and Jim Weil & EJ Haskell's J/92 VIXEN.  In PHRF Plus-One division is Ron Richman's J/133 ANTIDOTE and Richie Palmer's J/105 TOLO. PHRF Non-spinnaker class has Erick Blanc's J/112E REBELLE.

Finally, the J/88s are sailing as a one-design class with six teams ready to do battle for 32 miles straight! The usual suspects may be at the top of the leaderboard; such as Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price's ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel's DEVIATION, Larry Cutler & Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY, and Kevin Marks' VELOCITY.  For more Edlu Distance Race sailing information