The FIGAWI Race Preview

(Hyannisport, MA)- The other annual right of spring for sailors in the northeast is the amazingly fabulous and fun-loving pursuit race called “the FIGAWI”.  It is serious fun, camaraderie, sailing, and most of all, charity… that is what FIGAWI is all about.

The Race attracts over 150 boats each year. Thousands of sailors convene for the New England’s first major regatta to kickoff summer. The Figawi Charity Race is recognized as a premier sailing event not only on the east coast but is known nationally as well as internationally. The Charity Ball is held the weekend before the race. A premier event featuring a live band, great DJ, a sampling from eleven local restaurants, and a fabulous silent auction and raffle.

The race starts on Saturday morning, May 26th, just outside of Hyannis Port harbor mouth.   The fleet of 180 sailboats (of which 20 are J/teams’s) will all have a pursuit-style start, meaning the first boat (with the slowest rated PHRF handicap) takes off promptly at 0900 hrs and about three hours after that, the last and fastest boat starts.  In years past, J/Crews have had more than their fair share of silverware in this race.  It often can be a wild and woolly fast 23.5nm reach (~ 155 deg heading) across Vineyard Sound to the finish line at the picturesque lighthouse at the opening of Nantucket Harbor.

Eight of the ten boats in PHRF S1 Division are J/crews.  Four J/120s will be taking on their J/colleagues- Dave Follett’s GLORY, Rich Pierce’s MOOSE, Mark Verville’s ISURUS, and Coleman Brown’s RUCKUS.  Their three larger, faster members of the J/sable include Jimmy Maseiro’s J/122 URSUS MARITIMUS, Dave Southwell’s brand new J/121 ALCHEMY (her inaugural race!), and Chris Lund’s J/133 JUMP.

The same scenario holds true for PHRF S2 Division, with six of seven boats being J/crews!  Five J/105s will be going across the starting line at the same time (!), including Joe Lloyd’s Nantucket High School Sailing Team on PRIMA, Andrew Reservitz’s DARK’N’STORMY, Mary Schmitt’s HARDTACK, Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF, and Francis Dougherty’s LYRIC.  Fighting them off from crossing before them will be Andrew Meincke’s J/97 ADRENALINE (they will start with only a 4.75 minutes advantage).

In the “big boat” PHRF A Division will be Dick Egan’s beautiful (and successful) J/46 WINGS.  In PHRF B Division is Mike Hersey’s J/35 RESILIENCE.  PHRF Division C will have to contend with the classic offshore speedster- Ira Perry’s J/29 masthead called SEEFEST (a past race winner).  Racing a bunch of other cruisers in PHRF G Division will be Bill Jones’ J/40 SMITTEN from Eastern YC in Marblehead, MA. Tom Ellis’ J/34C COVERAGE will be cruising fast in PHRF H Division.  Mark Barrett’s J/30 MOJO is hoping to terrorize PHRF M Division.  For more Figawi Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Bring the Family! Tips for an Unforgettable Annual Cruise

(Newport, RI)- Brad Read, owner of the J/40 NEPENTHE (and Executive Director of SAIL NEWPORT), wrote an awesome article for Windcheck Magazine about the fun and amazing times their family have had for decades cruising in company with friends.  Here is his story.

“To paraphrase Lt. Jonathan Kendrick from A Few Good Men, “I have two books on my bedside table: the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book and The 12 Volt Bible. The only proper cruising authorities I’m aware of are George W. Eldridge, Donald J. Street, and Robert W. Read.” With that in mind, here are a few things my wife Cara and I have learned over many years of family cruising.

1. Start planning early. (It’s your one big “event” for the summer.)
Each Christmas as far back as I can remember, my Dad has given my brother Kenny and me an “Eldridge” (George W. Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book). It is literally my cruising bible for Southeastern New England. As the turkey hangover is setting in, I grab a pencil and start figuring out the prospective weeks of the cruise and how the raging river of current in Vineyard Sound will affect our daily planning. I know, that sounds weird. And it is… My kids laugh at me, my wife sprains her eyeballs rolling them back in her head watching me curled up in the big chair with my readers on, diligently going through the tables and determining the right day and tide cycles when we can get into (and out of) a certain harbor on the eastern shoulder of East Chop. (Can you guess which?)

We have, for the last six years, scheduled our “Kiddie Cruise” to coincide with several other families’ summer plans (as well as Eldridge’s guidelines!). This is a Read family tradition that goes back to when I was a boy. Our parents teamed up with six or seven other families and we “went east” as a group. I seem to remember those days more than I remember any other time during my childhood, thanks to the Pearson, Boss, Hazelhurst, Walls, Barney and Mulervy families, and so many other families we cruised with! We are so fortunate to have cruised with a great group of families over the years: The Burkes, the Marstons, the MacGillivrays, the Hoods, and other families that we have met up with along the way. Usually by February, we have chosen “the week” so that one of our team can arrange their charter.

2. Prioritize proper provisioning.
For the boys, we plan on how to adequately balance the weight of the “adult beverages” offset by the food and water tanks! The girls have been the masters of the food planning and have it down. We tend to eat on the boats whenever possible, grilling on the stern pulpits of two or three boats with pastas and vegetables cooked down below. We set up a kids boat and an adult boat. The food is always amazing…everything is better when you are floating in a harbor!

3. Keep the kids psyched.
Cara and I both grew up cruising, so it was natural for us to bring our kids cruising when they were little. We’ve been cruising with the kids since they were 5 and 7. We didn’t do much of the ‘toddler cruising’ when they were younger, opting instead for more day trips to secret beaches in our outboard.

Although kids of all ages enjoy adventure outings to find new secret beaches, we’ve learned that toys are key. Board games, water toys, beach toys, sailing dinghies, paddleboards, rope swings off the spinnaker pole, dinghy rides…got to make it fun or they won’t want to come!

The best thing we ever purchased was an inflatable paddleboard. It is a constant source of entertainment for the kids. We also bring regular paddleboards, kneeboards, surfboards, tow rope, etc., and of course the 11-foot inflatable dinghy. We also tow a small sailing dinghy.

Perhaps most importantly, games keep the kids unplugged from the devices!
When we are cruising, there are many harbors (coincidentally? conveniently?) that have no cell service! Perfect! I can’t tell you how many games of Bananagrams, go fish, gin rummy, Monopoly and other board games they’ve played! For the most part, the kids unplug from their phones and simply enjoy being in the company of the other kids. 

Then there is fishing. Thanks to our good friend Nate Burke, we’ve found the secret to keeping the kids occupied on the anchor. Literally before the anchor is set, in whatever harbor we enter, the fishing rods are out. While there are a variety of techniques, we’ve discovered the magic of the “sabiki” rig! We never leave Newport without a stash of Sabiki rigs. Comprising six to ten small hooks on individual dropper lines, they are perfect for small scup that are prevalent in southeastern New England, and also for smaller bluefish, schoolie bass, and the dreaded sea robin. We are a catch and release family, so we don’t do much trolling from harbor to harbor.

4. Go cruising in company.
Being with just the family is great for a three-day weekend, but cruising with other families is a huge advantage! From pre-cruise provisioning and who is bringing what toys to dealing with any issues we have with the boats, we are a team, and having other kids, friends and boats around makes it so much fun.

On our cruises, there are seldom times where just one family is on one boat. The kids (and adults) are everywhere. We set up a ‘kids’ boat’ and an ‘adult boat’ for dinners and breakfasts. Coffee in the morning often turns into a full comedy show among the parents, and everyone loves blowing off the cannon at dusk. From dinghy adventures into town to poring over the Eldridge and the weather to find the next night’s anchorage, it’s so fun going with other families!

5. Secret spots
It has been great having all of our boats draw less than 5.25 feet. We can get into some really skinny spots and anchor where there are not a lot of boats. I have been cruising southeastern New England for nearly all my life. I absolutely love sailing on Narragansett Bay, and encourage everyone to explore its nooks and crannies and many wonderful harbors.

When we travel outside Narragansett Bay, we tend to head east, with Cuttyhunk being the natural first night/last night harbor. It’s quaint but busy, with great little beaches where you can watch the world go by coming in and out of the harbor. (Editors Note: They gotta wicked awesome fish dip there too, Pally) We also enjoy visiting Quick’s Hole, Tarpaulin Cove or West Beach along the Elizabeth Islands chain for lunch and swimming. Depending on weather and tide, we might also hop over to Menemsha or maybe Tashmoo on Martha’s Vineyard for an overnight.

We always go to Edgartown, rent a mooring and do a trip to Katama and South Shore beaches of the Vineyard. A personal favorite is Cotuit, which we can (barely) fit into. The channel leading in is amazing and while we don’t go there each year, it is a treat to make it through that amazing waterway and into Cotuit Harbor.

And then there is Hadley’s Harbor, which is simply one of the most idyllic harbors in the world. With deer and horses roaming the hills above the anchorage and gorgeous shallow rivers to explore in the dinghies and paddleboards, it is my favorite harbor, bar none.

6. Sail and power?
We have been (mostly) an all-sail squadron, but one of our families has just gone the lobster boat route, refurbishing a beautiful Holland 32. This will be the first year of that boat, which will allow for a bit more range on day trips: Cape Poge Bay, and maybe a jaunt to Tuckernuck. Can’t wait to see the dynamic of all the kids wanting to go on the powerboat to get to the next harbor quicker!

7. Success!
In 2017, we scheduled our cruise and the kids all dropped everything to join us. Brendan, our 20-year-old (he celebrates his birthday on the cruise almost every year) qualified for the J/70 Youth Nationals, and after his team received their silver medal he hopped on the ferry from New Bedford to the Vineyard and walked the three miles to the town dock in Tashmoo to join the cruise. There was no way he was going to miss “the cruise.”

That night, while the “kids’ boat” was deep in the 50th game of Rummy Cube in a row, one of the parents overheard a conversation about what kind of boats they would all have when they were older to start their own cruise. It’s unclear if the parents will be invited…

Brad Read is the Executive Director of Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center. “I love being on the water, being around the water, cruising, racing – anything that involves boats,” he enthuses. “That is probably why I am in the business of sharing that experience through Sail Newport!”
Thanks to Ben Cesare and Windcheck Magazine Add to Flipboard Magazine.

THE Easter J/24 Regatta Preview

(Columbia, SC)- Sailed in J/24s since 1987, THE Easter Regatta has been one of the world’s most popular and enduring J/24 events. It offers an excellent mix of shore side events and world-class competition. Whether yours is an amateur team attending your first regatta or a professional team contending for the top prize, you will find something here that impels you to return year after year!

The Columbia Sailing Club offers first-class facilities. Everyone appreciates the awesome Bath House at the beach and camping area, especially the campers! Their never-leave-the-club option offers FREE camping (first-come, first-served), meals every day, and parties GALORE!! The beautiful peninsula and gorgeous beach provide an unparalleled camping experience.

Most importantly, the down-home southern hospitality ties everything together.  That is the tradition that competitors have come to know and love.

Answering that “call to duty” for J/24 sailors are at least twenty-three teams from across the cosmos of the J/24 universe.  Notable characters include such teams like Dan Borrer’s JESUS LIZARD form St Augustine, FL; Mike Palazzo’s JO MAMMA from Charleston YC; Chip Till’s MURDER INC from Charleston YC; Steve Wood’s TASMANIAN DEVIL from Sail Newport, RI; Chris Stone’s VELOCIDAD from Atlantic Highlands YC; and Paul Abdullah’s TEAM TARHEEL from Jacksonville, FL.  For more J/24 Easter Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

FIGAWI Fun & Frolic to Nantucket!

(Nantucket, MA)- The 45th Annual Figawi Race Weekend is one of the top sailing events that takes place on the northeast coast over the bank holiday Memorial day weekend and ranks as one of the largest “pursuit-style” races in the world.  The Figawi Race Weekend kicks off the Cape Cod and Nantucket summer season. Sailors from several states crewed the massive fleet of 220+ sailboats, with over 3,000 sailors and visitors enjoying the sailing and fabulous festivities all weekend long.

After the famous Kickoff Party at Hyannis Yacht Club on Friday evening, the competitors gathered early Saturday morning to head out to the start line. The first boat officially began at 10 am off the Hyannis Port Jetty after the parade of sailboats that took place at 0800 hrs sharp!

Depending on the various conditions, the theory of the Pursuit Race format is that all competitors should reach the Nantucket MO(A) Buoy at around the same time. They finish at the entrance of Nantucket Harbor and parade into Nantucket Boat Basin, bowing and waving to the wildly cheering throngs that have gathered together on the beach at Brant Point Light.

As Stan Grossfeld at the Boston Globe commented, “the Figawi is a salty summer tradition that will always sail onwards.  For local sailors, Figawi is sacred, like Opening Day at Fenway Park. Sailboats trimmed oh-so-tightly seem to float across the water, kicking up a cool, salty spray.

The race’s name has a salty origin. ‘From what I’ve been told,’ said one sailor with a laugh, ‘Figawi is a reference to [someone with a] Bostonian accent... coming out here in the fog and landing in Nantucket and going, ‘Where the [expletive] are we?!’

At times, the sailboats were bunched close enough for the participants to share a sandwich.

‘It was very close,’ said one crew from Duxbury. ‘It was not a day to enjoy a lot of cocktails when you were out on the water. I understand there was a boat that lost a mast. There was a collision right behind us. It gets hairy every once in a while.  But, it’s a blast, and it is a LOT of fun! Especially the partaaays!!’

This year, the headlines went to a couple of fun-loving landlubbers named Gronk and Edelman, who didn’t even race but partied in the Figawi tent. They weren’t alone. After the race, all across the Nantucket Boat Basin, blenders purred and beers popped in a symphony of celebration. On Saturday night, there was a blood-red sunset; by Sunday morning, there were bloodshot eyes, but there was still plenty of laughter.

What’s the best part of the weekend? ‘The friendship, the people,’ said another salty-dog. ‘I mean, come on. I always say, how many summers do we have left?’” And so it goes.

Reveling in the fun and madness were several J/crews that have enjoyed all that Figawi has to offer; especially in the nice breezy passage they had this year.  In PHRF B Division, Ira Perry’s crew on the J/29 SEEFEST took second in class while Kirk Brown’s J/40 JAZZ finished fourth.  Another J/40 took class honors in PHRF E Division, Bill Jones’ SMITTEN.  Then, in PHRF M Division, Brad Butman’s J/28 SHADOWFAX took home the bronze.

In the racing PHRF Spinnaker 1 division, the J’s took three of the top five.  Jimmy Masiero’s J/122 URSUS MARITIMUS placed third, with David Follett’s J/120 GLORY in fourth and Jon Lacks’ J/105 VIVA fifth.  In PHRF Spinnaker 2 division, it was a clean sweep of the top five by the J/105s, with the trio of Joyce & Reservitz & Wagner sailing DARK’N’STORMY (appropriately named for Figawi, eh??) onto the top of the podium, followed by Art Cox’s LYRIC in second, Chris Lund’s WHOMPER in third, Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF in fourth and Nick Aswad’s CLIO in fifth.  For more FIGAWI Race sailing information

J/105 For Nantucket Community Sailing

(Nantucket, MA)- While Nantucket is a wonderful vacation resort, the families who live on the remote island struggle to make ends meet.   According to Diana Brown, President of Nantucket Community Sailing, “our organization was founded to help island children have access to the water that they would otherwise not be able to afford.  We are honored to serve that mission.  Nantucket Community Sailing has dozens of enrollments in our youth programs each summer, 30% of whom are local island children and we give them scholarships to make it affordable to sail.  A third J/105 would be a huge improvement to our youth sailing programs, and also give more Nantucket kids access to the waters surrounding our beautiful island.”

One of the NCS members, Susan Farm, comments that, “NCS currently has two donated J/105s in our keelboat program. Both boats are used for youth sailing programs and this past summer we experienced demand higher than we could support for the program. We also race the boats in a local PHRF series and travel to local regattas. The kids race one boat, and I  leased the second boat with an all female crew (Diane is on the crew). This summer, the kids program took precedence over our use, and we were out of a boat!  But what a nice problem to have. (The boats are also used to take seniors out for leisurely cruises).”


Susan continues to say that, “we had 128 kids enrolled in the one-week J/105 programs on the two NCS J/105s, ranging in age from 9–18.  The programs are at capacity, so the addition of a third boat would allow more children to experience the thrill of big boat sailing. The older children were able to participate in Wednesday night PHRF racing and in three days of PHRF racing during Nantucket Race Week.  The J/105s also compete in the famous FIGAWI Race in the beginning of the summer; they are crewed by members of the Nantucket High School sailing team. Finally, NCS also uses the J/105s for community outreach, specifically with the “Old Salts” program (seniors from the Salt Marsh Center) and the patients and caregivers from PASCON (Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket).

Please contact Diana Brown for further information about the Nantucket Community Sailing program- work ph. 508-228-6600 or email- diana@nantucketsailing.org.  Learn more here on their NCS website

J/105s Sweep FIGAWI

(Nantucket, MA)- It would be safe to say the FIGAWI Race organizers must pray every year for relatively benign, easy-going conditions for their classic 36nm pursuit race from Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod to Nantucket Harbor.  Their prayers were answered this year, as it will go down in memory as one of the prettiest ever.  Dawning with a gorgeous sunrise and a fresh breeze from the WNW, the day simply got better and better.  It was a spectacular race.  Sunny day, with plenty of wind all day to fill brightly colored spinnakers that stretched across the horizon.

For those standing on the beach next to Brant Point Lighthouse that marks the entrance to the Nantucket Boat Basin, it was glorious sight as the parade of boats effortlessly glided by on sunlit seas.

In PHRF A class, Richard Egan’s J/46 WINGS enjoyed the race but conditions were a bit too reachy for them to haul in the lighter weight boats in front of them surfing down the waves, taking 7th in their class.  In PHRF B, Kirk Brown’s J/40 JAZZ managed to take home some silverware with a 2nd in their class.

In the sprit divisions, the Daniel Heun’s J/122 MOXIE pulled off a 3rd in class in PHRF S1 division.  The other J/122, Jimmy Masiero’s URSUS MARITIMUS took 6th and Dave Follett’s J/120 GLORY ended up 9th.  In PHRF S2 division, the J/105s swept the top four spots, led by the Joyce/ Reservitz/ Wagner trio on DARK’N’STORMY.  Their classmates that followed were Matt & Lisa Schmidt’s HARDTACK in 2nd, Steve Widdis’ PRIMA in 3rd and Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF in 4th.  Taking 5th in class was Alex Kraus’ J/80 COOL J.

In Division 2 Racing, the PHRF C class saw Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST yet again take silverware in this race, taking a 3rd overall.  In PHRF F class, Bill Jones’ J/40 SMITTEN surfed home to a 3rd in their class, too.

The Division 5 racing fleet saw Brad Butman’s pretty little J/28 SHADOWFAX take 3rd in PHRF N class.
For more Figawi Race sailing information