AYC SPRING SERIES CLOSES WITH DOZEN RACES

 

(Rye, New York)- The second half of the 2021 American Yacht Club Spring Regatta held on April 30 – May 2 had over 50 boats entered in the One Design, PHRF, and ORC classes to compete off Rye, NY on Long Island Sound. The AYC Race Committee was able to complete races for the Short Course ORC and J/44 classes, and one distance race for the Coastal Racing course, which included PHRF, Doublehanded, and Mixed Doublehanded classes.

The weekend began with a gale warning holding teams shoreside Friday. The wind subsided Saturday afternoon to a more manageable 15-18 knots across the Long Island Sound allowing just enough time for three races. Sunday started off light and shifty with the rain looming over the New York City skyline, before giving way to sunshine and a little more pressure for three more races rounding out the series.

Continuing where they had started on the first weekend of racing, Bill Ketcham's MAXINE sailed a very consistent series to win the J/44 one-design class with 17 pts after eleven races, counting all podium finishes. Frequently giving them a run-for-the-money was Don & Dick Rave's RESOLUTE, finishing just three points back to take the silver. Rounding out the podium was Tom Blackwell's BREAKAWAY with a total of 29 pts.


Winning the J/105 one-design class was Paul Beaudin's LOU LOU, winning seven races enroute to a somewhat dominating win in the highly competitive class with 18 pts total. Second was Dave Willis' SOLUTION, counting nine podium finishes for a total of 25 pts. Taking the bronze in his first known podium finish in the J/105 class was Greth Lester's ECHO, showing flashes of brilliance, like winning the first race, but getting "unglued" and inconsistent in other races to fall behind the leaders. 

The J/88 one-design class was a tale of two weekends and two protagonists "flip-flopping" their roles in the fleet. On the first weekend, it seemed Iris Vogel's DEVIATION team could do no wrong and was winning by a good margin in the light to moderate conditions and flat water. Then, the second weekend saw a dramatic change in wind/ wave conditions which proved to be the undoing of the DEVIATION crew, but also much to the liking of the dynamic duo of Lawrence Cutler & Andrew Weiss on ONE TOO MANY. After closing with four straight bullets, the ONE TOO MANY boys finished tied with DEVIATION, winning the tie-breaker on countback. Watching the battle unfold from the bleacher seats on both weekends was another fun-loving duo on ALBONDIGAS, Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price, taking home the bronze for their second successive major event of the season. 

The J/70 one-design class saw Jean Marc Papin's PEN SEGAL take the class win with nearly all bullets, followed by Ben Hunt's NO NAME in second, with Gibbons Sinclair's HALF MINE II taking the bronze. 

In the Coastal PHRF Division, it was Steven Levy's J/121 EAGLE that won class with consistent sailing. Just two points back, Robert Schwartz's J/109 NORDLYS took the bronze. In the Coastal ORC Mixed Doublehanded, it was Todd Aven & Barbara Karpinska's J/99 THIN MAN that took the silver!

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

HUDSON RIVER COMMUNITY SAILING J/80S FEATURED ON NBC-TV 3RD HOUR SHOW!

 

(New York, NY)- The NBC Today Show 3rd Hour ran a piece on Sadia Zaman- a 4th year student at the Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) program, located at Chelsea Piers (near Hudson Yards) on the west side of New York city.  

See how this after school program in New York City teaches S.T.E.M. principles of science, technology, engineering, math and life skills through the sport of sailing! An enjoyable and insightful video of the HRCS program and how it has had life-changing impacts on kids lives in the greater NYC area.  For more J/80 one-design class sailboat information.  Watch NBC's Today Show 3rd Hour feature here.

EMOTICON Triumphs in J/109 Fall Classic

 

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(Stamford, CT)- In a year of regatta cancellations, the Long Island Sound J/109 Fleet kept October 17-18 on the calendar with the hopes that they could finally do some one-design racing in 2020. For eight dedicated crews, the Stamford Yacht Club delivered an excellent event for the second annual Fleet 10 Fall Classic!

Saturday’s racing was in a shifty northwest breeze of 10-18 knots. All day, the game was to connect the puffs and minimize the damage when a shift did not go your way, or you were hit with an auto-tack (or auto-gybe).  JR Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON leveraged its local knowledge from a summer of sailing in Stamford and started strong with a 1-1 in the first two races. With four races in the books, EMOTICON held the Day 1 lead with Bud Rogers’ BIG BOAT and Trevor Roach’s INCENDIARY right behind. After racing, the warmer weather permitted the fleet to have a socially distanced lawn party, a rarity for 2020.


On Sunday, the wind shifted to the east, then southeast. The Race Committee kept the fleet on time and completed another three races in 8-14 knots of breeze. What was forecast to be a consistent breeze turned out to have huge oscillations that kept the fleet on its toes. Several boats went from hero-to-zero, or zero-to-hero, in a matter of minutes. EMOTICON worked hard to overcome a missed shift (or four) and pulled out a 1-2-3 on the final day, and with 14 total points, won the regatta. BIG BOAT and INCENDIARY tied with 16 total points, with BIG BOAT winning the tie-breaker on countback. Rounding out the top five were John Greifzu's GROWTH SPURT and Greg Imbruce's JOYRIDE in 4th and 5th, respectively.   Sailing photo credits- Rick Bannerot/ Ontheflyphoto.netAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

CHIBOUGANAU Crowned Northeast J/22 Champion!

 

(Lake George, New York)- The Lake George Club cordially hosted the 2020 Northeast J/22 Championship last weekend as part of their annual Lake George Open Regatta. The regatta on picturesque Lake George, the “Queen of American Lakes,” in the southern Adirondack Mountains of New York State, features great hospitality, a beautiful setting, and lots of competitive racing, and usually favorable winds in the early fall.

Answering the siren call of the sea were a happy and enthusiastic eight-boat fleet; eager to get out on what became nice sailing conditions, flat water, and fall foliage in full bloom!  The racing was insanely close for the top of the leaderboard, as well as it was for the bronze step on the podium.


In what became a closely-fought two-boat duel, Richard Hallagan's CHIBOUGANAU and Alfie Merchant's FAMILY FEUD exchanged winning races all weekend long. After six races completed, Hallagan's four bullets and two 2nd was enough to win the regatta by a mere 2 pts. Second was the FAMILY FEUD'ers, also counting all 1sts and 2nds, not as many as the winner!  

The bronze was settled on a tie-breaker at 22 pts each.  Russ Merchants "III" counted 3-8-2-4-5 while Rik Alexanderson's BRASS RING posted a 6-5-4-4-3, losing the countback to take fourth. The next two places to round out the top five were also determined on a tiebreaker.  Joe Favero's KNOT ON CALL and Doug Brandow's JOIA were knotted together on 24 pts each, with Favero getting the nod on the tiebreaker. For more Lake George J/22 Open Regatta information

J/Crews Dominant @ Vineyard Race

 

(Stamford, CT)- Hosted by Stamford YC, Labor Day weekend's Vineyard Race is a classic American yachting event. This 238-mile course stretches from Shippan Point through the swirling currents of Plum Gut past Block Island, and on to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay. Once reached, sailors return by leaving Block Island to starboard en route to the finish in Stamford Harbor.

In the pandemic version of the race, crews had to sail with fewer people to satisfy the multiple constituencies governing the waters the fleet would be sailing through- including New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. This year's race was a fast one for most boats, with the fleet starting off in fast reaching spinnaker conditions. In the end, the race was a good test of all-around sailing boats, the strength of the J/Boats design team. With a good mix of beating, reaching and running, a number of J/Teams simply dominated their respective divisions. And for many crews, it was also their first outing of the year to go racing! As a result, all the more impressive to have such great outcomes in their first overnight race of the year!

VINEYARD RACE (longest distance)
Doublehanded J/Crews reveled in the conditions and gathered a lot of silverware. Winning the PHRF 7 Doublehanded Class was the Young American AYC team on their J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN. They were followed by David Rosow's J/109 LOKI settling for the bronze medal, having just missed the silver by six minutes on handicap time. In the PHRF 8 Doublehanded Mixed Class, Sara & Josh Reisberg's J/120 ABILYN handily took the silver medal.  

The dozen-boat PHRF 11 Class was dominated by J/Crews, taking 5 of the top 6 spots. Second was Dan Nash's J/109 MISTRAL, third was Arthur Hanlon's J/112E DAUNTLESS just 3 minutes behind MISTRAL, fourth was Brian Spears' J/120 MADISON a mere 1.5 minutes arrears of MISTRAL, fifth was Don Dwyer's J/109 GUARDIAN J, and sixth was Charles Murphy's J/120 TRUANT. 

In another J/Boats-laden class, the nine-boat PHRF 12 division, Bill & Jackie Baxter's J/111 FIREBALL took home the silver, with Kevin Kelley's J/122 SUMMER GRACE in fourth and Pito Chickering's J/111 THE ROOST in sixth place. 


The ORC Class 10 saw John Greifzu's J/109 GROWTH SPURT continue their hot streak, taking the silver in this hotly contested division. Then, in ORC 13 Class, it was Len Sitar's maiden voyage/ race on his beautifully reconditioned J/160 COUGAR, loving the conditions to take home the silver medal! Also, enjoying the conditions was Steve Levy's J/121 EAGLE, taking the bronze step on the podium.  

SEAFLOWER REEF RACE (medium distance)
Winning their PHRF 4 Doublehanded Class by a substantial margin was Robert Pogue's J/92 NEVER SETTLE. They traversed the course in just over 28 hours. Then, in the eight-boat PHRF 5 Class a number of J/Teams sailed quite well. Frank Conway's J/105 RAPTOR took the silver, followed by Todd Aven's J/99 THIN MAN taking the bronze, and Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price's J/88 ALBONDIGAS taking fourth position.  

CORNFIELD POINT RACE (shortest distance)
Sailing in the PHRF 1 Class was James Weil's J/92 VIXEN. Weil and team sailed a very quick race, covering the race track in 19 hrs 12 min to win their class by an impressive 3.5 hours.  Similarly, Blaine Davis's J/30 BOUREE in PHRF 2 Class also took the gold in their class. For overall honors, VIXEN took the silver while BOUREE took the bronze.  For more Vineyard Race sailing information   Sailing photo credits- PHOTOBOAT.COM. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Navigating through the restrictions

(Manhasset, NY)- Sailboat racing is about dealing with variables, and despite health guidelines now to limit the COVID-19 spread, event formats can safely navigate through the restrictions. This is occurring on New York’s Long Island Sound as 20 entrants signed up for an informal “pick-up” race on May 16 organized by Adam Loory. Here’s his report:

"To observe social distancing, all boats were doublehanded. There was no race committee, no trophies, and no party, but there was a lot of fun as sailors pushed their boats as best as possible considering that most boats are rigged for full-crewed racing.

While the weather was beautiful for sun-bathing, it was a little difficult for sailing. An all-too-common mid-summer weather pattern made sailing challenging. A light northerly was in a battle to the death with a southerly sea breeze. Neither won, but both made their scant presence known at times.

Third place finisher Richard du Moulin called the conditions, “About as ‘Long Island Sound’ as it could be, but at least it was fun racing in close proximity with friends, except PHANTOM, which missed all the fun and won by a mile!”

To sail without a race committee, the pursuit format was used. The slowest boat in the fleet started first and rest of the boats started later based on how much time they owed the slowest boat. This way, the finish order is the results.

With a scratch sheet having start times for a long, medium and short course (click here), I announce on the radio which course we are sailing, and everyone can then see their starting time. Given the conditions, the call was for the short, 9.25nm course.

The race started with 8-12 knots out of the N-NE, and then did exactly what the weather forecast called for – it died. Most of the fleet set off on a close reach heading straight at the one turning mark a little over four miles away, but soon the boats on the rhumbline got headed and then the wind died.

For most of the fleet, the wind died away for nearly an hour just as the boats were reaching the turning mark at Matinecock Point. The fleet struggled to change sails, jibe and tack multiple times to eke out some forward progress; some jibed to the north and others worked their way south.

For a while, each looked good, until they weren’t..."

Enjoying a nice sunny day on the water was the J/88 ONE TOO MANY, the new J/99 THIN MAN, and others like the gorgeous J/42 ATALANTA. Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Captain Islands Challenge on Long Island Sound

(Greenwich, CT)- Over the years, racing on Long Island Sound has been very popular in western Connecticut. The competition is typically casual, particularly mid-week evening racing. And as important as the racing is, for many, the social aspect is equally critical. Following the racing, the Greenwich area clubs organize post-race gatherings so competitors can share stories of triumph and defeat.

Yet in the age of COVID-19, activities such as sailing have had to be curtailed, but with restrictions starting to loosen, it is appropriate to ask if competitive sailing can be held in a way that does not jeopardize the community. Indian Harbor Yacht Club (IHYC) has responded by creating the Captain Islands Challenge.

This event is unique in that instead of racing against other boats on the same course at the same time, competitors race against the clock around a fixed course. This makes the competition more akin to a time trial. Competitors pick when to race. All they need is a boat and a watch.

The series consists of three races starting in mid-June and ending in late-September. Racing dates are chosen by the sailor subject to certain restrictions. Competitors also choose whether to race in the double-handed class or fully crewed class subject to any social distancing rules. Both classes are main and jib only – spinnakers are prohibited.

The course has a fixed starting and finishing location and the race is around Captain Islands (twice in one direction, once in the opposite direction). Boats record how long it took them and report that time to IHYC. The club then takes those times and adjusts them for each boat’s handicap and publishes the results. At the end of the season, each boat’s times are summed and the boats with the lowest handicap-adjusted times from each class are the winners.

IHYC will monitor official health and governmental regulations and guidelines and will not hesitate to suspend or cancel the series if conditions warrant. In the meantime, the Captain Islands Challenge offers the opportunity to get on the water and sail with a purpose. Contact information- regatta@indianharboryc.com. Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt.   For more Captain Islands Challenge sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hudson River Community Sailing- Sailing for Scholars Regatta

Saturday was the perfect day for our 10th Annual Sailing for Scholars Regatta! What was forecast to be a no-wind day ended up being a perfect 10-15 kts. We got in 4 races each for the J/24 and J/80 classes, and wrapped up the day with an awards ceremony with Oysters donated by Grey Lady and dinner from Peter Callahan Catering!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who attended the gala, raced in the regatta, cheered from the pier, or donated to a team bid at the auction-- you rock! It was all hands on deck, and your generosity and spirit makes the HRCS community unique.

HRCS serves 200+ middle and high school students in our year-round program Sail Academy, which uses sailing and boatbuilding as a foundation for STEM and leadership education, along with college access and job readiness training.

On Thursday, we had our “Gala” event at the New York Yacht Club. HRCS honored Jay Cross, President of Related Hudson Yards. Cross touched on the transformative nature of sailing in his remarks, likening the challenges and joys of sailing to life. Sail Academy students MC'd the event, which included a Silent Auction and tour of the Model Room.

Friday- Practice Race Day
Teams met at Pier 66 on Friday morning for professional coaching with Kristen Berry of Gale Force Sailing and National Hall of Fame Member Betsy Allison.

Saturday- Regatta at Pier 66
A record 10 J/80s and 8 J/24s raced this year! Together, the sailing teams crowd-funded over $175K to support Sail Academy.

The rookies on Team YOLO! won the J/24 class, and George Comfort & Sons took first in the J/80 class. Gorgeous conditions HRCS to run four races off Pier 66, where spectators cheered their teams on!

Finally, a special thanks to our event sponsors: Con Edison, Hudson Yards, Robins Kaplan, and Polar Seltzer.

Thank you to Bottino for donating lunch, The Right to Shower for tote bags and gifts, Dean's Beans for coffee, Peter Callahan Catering for an amazing awards dinner, and the Grey Lady for a fabulous oyster bar and libations.  Learn more about Hudson River Community Sailing on Facebook here

Fall Classic Delivers Great J/109 Racing

(Stamford, CT)- Long Island Sound J/109s assembled one more time in 2019 for the inaugural Fleet 10 Fall Classic at Stamford Yacht Club over the weekend of October 19-20.  Thankfully, the forecast for each day was incorrect and the Sound delivered great conditions for October racing.

On Saturday, a light westerly breeze built into a consistent 7-10-knot southwesterly over the course of the afternoon.  The Race Committee rolled the 9-boat fleet through four windward/leeward races with four legs each.  The fleet was tight throughout the day with mark roundings providing tactical challenges and some interesting passing lanes.

On Sunday, the breeze shifted to the east and remained in the 7-11-knot range.  With three races run about a mile offshore, the top boats had to balance pressure with the incoming tide to stay on top.

The regatta came down to the last race, when Trevor Roach’s INCENDIARY posted a 2ND and won the event with 13 points.  JR Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON led after the first day, but finished second with 15 points.  Bengt & Marie Johansson’s ZIG ZAG held onto third Place with a bullet in the final race and resisted the second-day charge from Julia O’Dowd’s TBD and John Greifzu Jr.’s GROWTH SPURT (both of which finished with 22 points).  In addition, GROWTH SPURT was the top boat fulfilling the Class's Corinthian requirements.

The Stamford YC provided an excellent venue for post-race camaraderie among the fleet and the J/109 Fleet 10 is already  looking forward to building the Fall Classic in the future.  Learn more about the J/109 Class here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

CLOUD 9 Triumphs at J/88 North Americans

(Larchmont, New York)- Fourteen J/88s competed in the 2019 North American Championship held at Larchmont Yacht Club in New York from October 16-20. Teams came from San Francisco, Canada, Youngstown, Rochester, Shelter Island and Long Island Sound.

The regatta started with a coastal storm on Thursday, with steady winds of 35 knots and gusts exceeding 45 knots, leading to an abandonment of all racing for the day. Four races were held on day two in a shifty NW wind of 20 knots, gusting to 28. Laura Weyler and the team of HIJINKS, winners of two previous North American Championships, took an early lead with 6 points, ahead of John Sommi’s CLOUD 9 (15 points) and Elizabeth Barry’s ESCAPE (17 points). Boat handling and consistency paid off, as even the smallest mistake could lead to a deep finish. This was evidenced by Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s team on OH JEE, who sailed three spectacular races with two bullets and one fourth but had to retire from race 3 because of a broach at the finish line, leading to a scrape with another boat.

Day three started with 6-8 knots out of the West, testing everyone’s light air skills. Four races were held in flat water and sunny skies. Keeping the boats moving and finding lanes of clear air paid off. At the end of the day, CLOUD 9 was leading the pack with 28 points, while second to fifth place were only points apart, with HIJINKS in second (32 points), Andrew Weiss’s team of ONE TOO MANY moving into third (38 points), OH JEE in fourth (39 points) and ESCAPE in fifth (40 points).

Day four brought an Easterly breeze of 8-12 knots with lumpy seas. Three races were held, and Sommi’s CLOUD 9 finished the day winning the 2019 North American Championship with a total of 36 points (11 races, no throw outs). His crew included Victor Diaz de Leon, Edward Kiaer, John King, Hugh MacGillivray and Carlos Lorente Robles. Second went to Weyler’s HIJINKS (41 points), third to Stone’s OH JEE (47 points), fourth place Barry’s ESCAPE (51 points) and fifth to Weiss’ ONE TOO MANY (55 points). The Corinthian Trophy was awarded to Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault, who placed third in the Overall Division.

Said OH JEE boat owner Nicolas Delcourt, who handled the pit for the Corinthians winners Stone & Breault, “I loved the on-board choreography and team work, roll-tacking the boat in the light stuff and planing during the big breezes. OH JEE has never been so fast, and lending out my boat turned out to be a wonderful experience!”  For more J/88 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 USA Nationals Preview

(Rochester, NY)- From August 21st to 25th, Rochester Yacht Club will be hosting the 2019 USA J/24 National Championship on Lake Ontario for an enormous fleet of forty-nine J/24 teams from across the USA, Canada, Trinidad, and Japan. That is easily one of the largest class turnouts in recent history!

There are many top boats participating as this will be one of the few events all top J/24 teams can race against each other before sailing their J/24 World Championship in the fall in Miami, Florida, hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club.

Some of the top crews include John Mollicone’s HELLY HANSEN from Newport, RI (a 3x past J/24 World Champion with Tim Healy); Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER from the host club; Will Welles’ BUCKAROO (a 2x past J/24 World Champion); Robby Brown’s ANGEL OF HARLEM from Davis Island YC in Tampa, FL; Al Constants’ BLITZ from Long Island, NY; Rossi Milev’s CLEAR AIR from Port Credit YC in Ontario; top woman helm Lee Ann Zaretsky’s LADY MINX from the host club; Mike Ingham’s NAUTALYTICS (past J/24 World Champ from the Rochester Canoe Club); top woman helm Erica Beck Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM from Portland, ME; and Carter White’s YOUREGATTA.COM also from Portland, ME. That should be tough, and very close racing amongst the top five boats on the leaderboard!  For more USA J/24 Nationals Sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

SEA BAGS Women's Sailing Team Takes on Manhattan!

(New York, NY)- Sometimes, when least expected, an extraordinary opportunity presents itself and leads you to something grand.

Our 2019 regatta schedule was already in motion when we received news of the revival of J/24 competition in New York Harbor, June 8th and 9th, for the top amateur female sailors in the U.S. Thrilled to hear of the opportunity to race against other women’s sailing teams and compete under the watchful eyes of the Statue of Liberty, we signed up immediately despite our busy season. We knew we needed to be there to support women’s sailing. We didn’t just want to compete—we wanted to win and were really close to making that happen. In the end we brought home the second-place trophy.

The Sea Bags Women’s Sailing Team was one of twelve teams that participated in the Lady Liberty Regatta hosted by the Manhattan Yacht Club in Jersey City. The first Lady Liberty Regatta was organized in 1989. Thirty years later, the relaunched regatta brought together an amazing group of female sailors passionate about racing, including our crew Hillary Noble, Jess Harris, Erica Beck Spencer, Karen Renzulli Fallon, Barbara Gold, and Kim Calnan

Our team had never sailed in New York Harbor before but knew that the current of the Hudson River would make racing quite intense. We did our homework and studied the Eldridge report and the tide charts posted at the Stevens Institute of Technology. On Friday, we went out on the course to learn as much as we could about where to get current relief and how to use it to our advantage. We spent a ton of time on Friday practicing timed approaches to the starting line with current.

We have learned from experience that winds can shift abruptly on rivers in cities with tall buildings. At the Lady Liberty Regatta, we didn’t experience many crazy wind shifts, but we did have current shifts. The winning team would know the current the best and be able to adjust faster than everyone else, regardless of wind conditions and unpredictable boat traffic.

Another unique facet of the event was that the Manhattan Yacht Club provided J/24s we raced. All we needed to bring was a crew and our spinnaker. The shrouds and the backstay were fixed and could not be adjusted. We could adjust the traveler, but it was rigged differently than our J/24. Every boat was slightly different and had its own quirks. To make it fair for all we’d rotate after each race, so every team got to race each boat.

We started the regatta strong by winning race one by half a leg. We learned quickly to stay clear of the Staten Island Ferries crossing the Harbor. The second race was a very mentally challenging race for all of us but served as a good reminder that we needed to work hard, adjust quickly, and fight for every point. We had a hard time getting off the line with speed and the wind shifted in the middle of the race, giving us back-to-back downwind legs. The competition was close at the end of the first racing day.

We started day two with a pep talk about our team goals for the day. We focused on the positive things we did and talked about the things we all needed to improve. We started the day off with a sizable lead but were late to the start in race five. On shore before the final race we did the math; we would need to win race six and the local team in first place would need to come in fourth place in order for us to win the regatta. We led the pack and I’m very proud to say that under significant pressure, we focused on the job at hand. At the end of the regatta, we were proud to place second overall.

Racing against all female sailors is something we hope to do again and again, and we’re so grateful to the organizers of the event, and the amazing teams that came to race. We will forever remember racing in the Big Apple, surrounded by gorgeous high rises, dodging fast moving commercial vessels, navigating the tricky current patterns, and taking in the breathtaking Statue of Liberty. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Challenging Cedar Point One-Design Regatta

(Cedar Point, CT)- No question, sailors from the northeast enjoyed that awesome and elusive combination of fun, serious sailing, and great camaraderie ashore. The Cedar Point Yacht Club’s One-Design Regatta provided up to seven races for most of the J/Classes participating- the J/70s, J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s- that represented 82% of the event.

Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE, counting three bullets in their five-race record eclipsed the eleven-boat J/70 class.  Second was Josh Goldman’s BUILDING A and third was John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES. Rounding out the top five were John & Marisa Koten’s PLANET CLAIRE and Eddie Keller’s KEY PLAYER, finishing 4th & 5th, respectively.

It was a duel by two long-time class stalwarts in the eight-boat J/88 class.  In a regatta that came down to the wire, it was Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION edging out Mike Bruno’s WINGS by just one point to take the class win. Third was Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY.

An epic struggle evolved in the eight-boat J/105 class for the top five teams, with all of them finishing within one point of each other and having to survive TWO tie-breakers. After six races, three teams were tied on 14 pts each for the podium, a near mathematical improbability. That trio of boats were Harald Edegran & Jeremy Henderson’s CONUNDRUM, Frank Latawiec’s ATARAXIS, and Max Kalehoff’s LAURA BEA; on countback, they finished in that order on the podium! The balance of the top five was also a tie-breaker on 15 pts each; Randy Bourne’s STRANGE BREW and Gardner Horan’s CUSH, finishing in that order for 4th & 5th.

The enormous eighteen-boat J/109 class was treated to a good-old-fashioned butt whipping by a cast of characters from the Chesapeake Bay. Known by many for their past heroics, Bill Sweetser’s RUSH lived up to her reputation, sailing nearly lights out all weekend long, never finishing below 4th in this incredibly competitive class! In the end, they won with just 13 pts net.

Behind the RUSH crew, it was a tough duel to the finish, with the outcome for the balance of the podium determined by the last race.  Jonathan Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON and Julia O’Dowd’s TBD were tied at 20 pts each, with the nod on countback going to the elated EMOTICON crew.  Rounding out the top five were Will Rogers’ BIG BOAT in 4th and Bengt & Marie Johansson’s ZIF ZAG in 5th position.  For more Cedar Point One-Design Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Lady Liberty Cup Regatta Preview

(New York Harbor, NY)- The first Lady Liberty Regatta was held at Manhattan Yacht Club in 1989. The original event name was the “Betsy Ross Bowl” and it was held in conjunction with the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Week. In 2019, Manhattan YC has relaunched this great tradition of women’s teams racing in front of one of the world’s most famous icons, the Statue of Liberty.

There are a total of a dozen teams sailing in the regatta in Manhattan YC’s fleet of matched one-design J/24s. Those teams include a range of top women sailors that have National, North American, and World Championship credentials. Here are the extraordinary women’s teams that will be lining up this weekend:

1. Danielle Gallo, Jennifer Taylor, Sandy Krasovec, Amy Elliott, Jeanine McHugh from Manhattan YC
2. Katie Morgan, Linda Kaiser, Andrea Sengara, Deiane Abajos, Tricia Lynch, Lainey Battiston from Manhattan YC
3. Michele Cimon, Cathy Shaw, Amanda Bolle, Emma Mendenhall, Anna Huebschmann from Nepean Sailing Club- Ottawa, Canada
4. Jess Harris & Erica Beck Spencer, Karen Renzulli Fallon, Hillary Noble, Kim Calnan, Barbara Gold from Portland YC- Portland, ME
5. Natalie Harden, Rachel Loziuk, Molly MacMillan White, Sally Lloyd, Chandler Self, Eliza Price from Austin YC- Austin, TX
6. Lee Ann Zaretsky, Lois Breen, Linda Bowen, Leah Bourne, Emily Fisher, Shelly Strachen from Rochester YC- Rochester, NY
7. Ginjer Yachechak, Kaci Yachechak, Valerie Bucholtz, Melanie Edwards, Ashli Slawter from CYC Seattle- Seattle, WA
8. Florence Rodriguez, Rebekah Holmes, Brigette Croke, Megan Roach, Cay Rose from Houston, TX
9. Casey Firth, Lyzz Schwegler, Colleen Roney, Molly Houston from Tred Avon Yacht Club- Washington, DC
10. MacKenzie McGuckin, Kara Troxler, Lisa Kennedy, Robyn Philip-Norton, Sophie Delacourt from Seawanhaka Corinthian YC- Oyster Bay, NY
11. Robin Van Vliet, Jennifer McKenna, Melissa Litwicke, Lisa Kitchin, Diedre Collins from Richmond Yacht Club- Pt Richmond, CA
12. Katie White, Bethanie Maples, Laura Levy, Gaby Ververs, Kathleya Afanador from St. Francis YC- San Francisco, CA

For more Lady Liberty Cup Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Blustery American YC Spring Series Finale

(Rye, NY)- The second and final weekend of the 40th Annual American Yacht Club Spring Series Regatta concluded this past weekend in the same way it started on April 27-28; with challenging weather that included little wind on Saturday and heavy rain and 30 kt gusts on Sunday.

However, this didn’t prevent excellent performances, as determined sailors on over 70 boats in nine separate boat classes – IRC, PHRF, J/44, J/109, J/88, J/105, J/70, and J/80- toughed it out and got in good racing on western Long Island Sound.

With two races on Sunday, Mike Bruno’s WINGS placed first in the J/88 division and continued building on a hot streak that dates back to January with a win at the J/88 Midwinter Championship in St. Petersburg, FL. Elizabeth Barry’s team on ESCAPE had sailed strongly the previous weekend, but had a rough time in the rough weather and her 4th place finish in her last race dropped her into a tie with WINGS with 6 pts each, but lost the tie-breaker on most 1sts.  Taking third was Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY.

WINGS skipper Mike Bruno commented, “it was pretty brutal, rain, low 50s air temp, 44 degree water temp, gusting to 25 kts plus or more in the last race was tough on everyone. One of our competitors pulled their jib cars off the deck, and the Canadians just called it a day, not surprised. We were happy, grateful, to get around the track in the last race to win and also get the series win.”

In the J/109 Class, Rosow’s LOKI continued their dominating performance, posting a 2nd on the last day to win with just 4 pts net!  By winning the last race, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT leapt into the silver spot, while Robert Schwartz’s NORDLYS placed 4th in the finale to drop into third place. .

Continuing their amazing string of 2nds was Paul Beaudin’s J/105 LOU LOU. With yet another two 2nds, LOU LOU won with just 7 pts net. John Koten’s GRAY MATTER posted a 6-1 to jump up the leaderboard to grab the silver medal.  Meanwhile, “the kids” on YOUNG AMERICAN dropped off the pace, posting an 11-3 to fall to fifth in the challenging conditions.  Then, David Greenhouse’s SKIPPERDEE had an outstanding day with a 3-4 to grab the bronze position.  Rounding out the top five was David Willis’ SOLUTION in 4th and YOUNG AMERICAN 5th.

In the J/70s, Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA barely held on to their lead to win by a point.  It was the hard-charging duo of Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK that posted double bullets to nearly pull off a surprise win on Sunday.  Third was J-RHINO.

The East Course saw Commodore Ketcham maintain their lead in the J/44 fleet to take the class win with 8 pts net. Reveling in the rough conditions was Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE, firing on all cylinders to post a 1-2-1 scoreline Sunday and grab the silver. Just behind them was Len Sitar’s VAMP in third position.

In the PHRF Racing division, Scott Devine’s brand new J/112E REVIVER closed with a smoking hot 2-2 as they prepared for their summer season of racing.  Meanwhile, Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE closed the regatta in fourth place. Finally, in the PHRF Plus One division, Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE took second place.  For more American YC Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Edlu Distance Race Preview

(Larchmont, NY)- This coming weekend marks the start of the summer offshore racing program for Larchmont Yacht Club.  The Edlu Race, first sailed in 1956, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, it is one the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound.

The Spinnaker course is 32.0nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton's Neck and back. The Non-Spinnaker course is approximately 20.0nm.

The start times are set for slower boats to start first and enable everyone to get back to Larchmont YC in time for the “Sailors Welcome” with lots of camaraderie, hot dogs, chili, beer, dark‘n’stormies and live music!

In the nine-boat IRC Class is Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE from Indian Harbor YC and Len Sitar’s J/44 VAMP from Storm Trysail Club.

The eight-boat PHRF Doublehanded Division includes Jon Yoder & Bill Gassman’s J/100 BLACKCOMB from Larchmont YC, Josh Burack’s J/105 PEREGRINA from Huguenot YC, Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA from New York YC, and Mike Greene’s J/35 LOBLOLLY from Cedar Point YC.

At thirty-two boats, the PHRF Spinnaker Division is shaping up to be a battle by fourteen J/crews!  Participants include William Komaroff’s J/100 TEXAS ROSE, two J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN teams, Carl Olsson’s J/109 MORNING GLORY, Bill & Julie Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, Paul Zinger’s J/30 ZINGER, and Iris Vogel’s J/88 DEVIATION.

The eleven-boat PHRF Plus-One Spinnaker Division includes Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG EZ, Arthur Hanlon’s J/112E DAUNTLESS, Sara & Josh Reisberg’s J/120 ABILYN, Todd Aven’s J/92 THIN MAN, and Tim Mount’s J/97E VESPER.

Finally, in the Edlu Short Course PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class will be Kurt Locher’s J/42 ATALANTA from host Larchmont YC.  For more Larchmont YC Edlu Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Flying J/88 Sailing video!

(Rye, New York)- Enjoy this sailing video of a J/88 flying across Long Island Sound. The American Yacht Club was hosting the first weekend of its annual AYC Spring Series. 

However, on a sunny day blowing 20-30 kts-plus from the West/ Northwest, and temps hovering in the high 40s/ lows 50s (water temp at 45 deg!), racing was canceled for the day. 

Instead of heading home or to the bar, as most teams did, Bruno’s crew on WINGS “sent it” down the Sound; hoisting the A3 black spinnaker and pushing the boat up to 20.8 kts in a 28 kt gust! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

American YC Spring Series- Weekend I

(Rye, NY)- American Yacht Club hosted the first weekend of the 2019 Spring Series, a two-weekend regatta, which included competitors from across the East Coast with over seventy boats. Competing in this year's regatta were nine separate boat classes-- IRC, PHRF, J/44, J/109, J/88, J/105, J/70 and J/80. The J/105s featured the largest fleet with 14 boats. Three races were held in all divisions.

Sunday racing brought a light to moderate 5 to 15 kts breeze from the north/ northeast that made for a great day of sailing after heavy winds prevented racing on Saturday. Both courses started races on time and, despite the cool and drizzly conditions, the gentle breezes helped make for a great day of sailing.

David Rosow’s J/109 LOKI, Daniel Goldberg’s J/70 BAZINGA and Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER all mastered the South Course with three first-place finishes each and wrapped up the weekend atop their Class standings. Past AYC Commodore Mike Bruno sailed steadily on his J/88 WINGS and ended the weekend in second place following a first-place finish in Race 3.

In the J/109 Class, behind Rosow’s LOKI is Robert Schwartz’s NORDLYS in second place and John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT in third.

Elizabeth Barry’s team on the J/88 ESCAPE has sailed strongly and her 1-1-2 tally leads the J/88s by a good margin.  Second is Bruno’s WINGS, tied on points with Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY.

Paul Beaudin’s J/105 LOU LOU has a commanding lead in the J/105 class with a 2-1-2.  Second is David Willis’ SOLUTION with a 7-2-6 while “the kids” on the YOUNG AMERICAN Team won the first race and closed with a 7-10 to sit in third in a three-way tie.  Tied with “the kids” is Jeremy Henderson & Harald Edegran’s CONUNDRUM with a 9-8-1 and John Koten’s GRAY MATTER with a 5-10-3.

In the J/70s, behind BAZINGA is Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK with a 2-2-4 record in second and White Rhino Racing sailing J-RHINO to a 3-5-2 to hold on to third place.

The East Course saw Commodore Ketcham take a commanding lead in the J/44 fleet, while enjoying beautiful big boat sailing conditions and stable wind from the north and northeast. Behind them are Len Sitar’s VAMP in second and Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE in third place.

In the PHRF Racing division, Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE is sitting in second place. And, in the PHRF Plus One division, Steve Levy’s J/121 EAGLE took a second place.

Sunday also featured many junior sailors on a variety of big boats. On one J/70, four 13-year-old girls enjoyed their first J-sailing racing experience aboard Marshall Saffer's LET IT RIP.

Overall, it was a successful and fun day on the water. A big thank you to the AYC Race Committee for running excellent races and the safety and rescue teams for helping keep everyone safe on the water. Racing will continue next weekend and AYC looks forward to seeing sailors back for more racing, great food and cold beer!  For more American YC Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

American YC Spring Series Preview

(Rye, NY)- Spring sailing in the northeast of America is always a fickle thing; just ask those Solent sailors in the U.K. that are on the receiving end of the goofy weather patterns experienced over North America that happen to make their way across the North Atlantic in due course and slam into Scotland, Ireland, and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Remarkably, the forecast for the first of two weekend’s of sailing in American Yacht Club’s annual Spring Series Regatta looks reasonably good for two solid days of sailing.

There are a total of seventy-five entries overall in the event in One-Design and PHRF fleets. Six boats are racing IRC (obviously, not popular in the USA). Eighteen boats are racing PHRF; not exactly a ringing endorsement of YRA Long Island Sound PHRF is it?

What is remarkable, is that fifty-six participants in the AYC Spring Series are J/Crews- 75% of the fleet are racing one-design! Those classes include One-Design classes for J/70s, J/80s, J/88s, J/105s, J/109s, and J/44s.

Starting with the “big boat” J/44 One-Design Class, we find New York Yacht Club Commodore Bill Ketcham racing MAXINE with his family crew.  They are hoping to lead some old familiar names, as well as new ones, in what could be called the “Gold Digger Division” (in honor of the late Jim Bishop whom pioneered the development of the J/44 class). Chasing Bill will be none other than Len Sitar’s VAMP, Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE, and class newcomers like Bill Mooney’s KATANA, June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5, and Tom Blackwell’s BREAKAWAY.

The ten-boat J/109 class will see their usual suspects of class leaders on a national level participating in their first major regatta of the season. The real question will be “who’s showing up on first base” with a well-oiled machine? Likely, no one.  However, all will be focused on fine-tuning their teamwork and boatspeed for their J/109 North Americans later in the year. Notable leading teams should include Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY, Jon Rechtshaffer’s EMOTICON, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, David Rosow’s LOKI, and Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS. OK, well that is half the fleet! Well, that is often the case in the J/109 class; anyone can win given that magic combination of starts, speed, and crew work!

As the largest class in the regatta, the fourteen J/105s are certain to see great competition as the event will mark the first regatta on the road to the J/105 North American Championship to be held by Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA this coming September 2019. Watch for an eclectic selection of crews to be amongst the leaderboard; such as Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU, John Koten’s GRAY MATTER, Jeremy Henderson & Harald Edegran’s CONUNDRUM, the kids on the YOUNG AMERICAN, and Max Kalehoff’s LAURA BEA.

The seven-boat J/88 class will be HOT off the trails of the recent Charleston Race Week that took place two weeks ago in Charleston, SC.  There, Mike Bruno’s team on WINGS won a very closely fought battle over Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, with Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION just off the pace in fourth.  Watch for the same trio to have another dust-up over the next two weekends on Long Island Sound.

The octet of J/70s will be enjoying fun, fast racing on their near-shore race course. Familiar names that will factor into the leaderboard will be Marshall Saffer’s LET IT RIP, Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK, Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA, Alex Meleney’s TRUCKIN, and the White Rhino Racing team on J-RHINO!

A half-dozen J/80s will be participating with various crews from the Hudson River Community Sailing program. The lone private boat will be Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER from Huguenot YC.

In the world of PHRF handicap racing, there are three divisions.  In PHRF A Class, the Kings Point US Merchant Marine Academy is sailing the J/111 BLACK DIAMOND; Scott Devine is skippering the J/112E REVIVER, and Ron Richman will be helming the J/133 ANTIDOTE. Then, in the PHRF Cruising division, Charles Taus is sailing his J/33 SIRIUS. And, in the PHRF Plus-ONE Division is Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE from Indian Harbor Yacht Club.  For more American YC Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.