Road To The Cup – Week 7

 

Road To The Cup – Week 7

Top-10 as of 7/9/17

 

Eight boats showed up for the final race of Twilight Series 1, which is a pretty solid turnout.  In addition to the usual suspects, the eight included old friends Kim & Phil Rotner, who apparently finally got around to putting their boat in the water, Walter & Christy Colsman with their 6-year old daughter, and CYC member Jay Wager, sailing his very first Twilight Race in one of Rob Ferro’s California rescue boats.  Welcome.  Conditions sound a little spirited, at least based on capsized Townies and broken Sonar masts (see Other News below), but I let you hear it from our man on the scene, John Casler, along with an assist this week from Bill Heffernan.

 

“The wind was out of the south at 10-12, with stronger gusts and large seas running outside.  The RC gave us a course of 28 (Williams Rock) to 20 (Archer Rock), twice around; the second time around, it was just out to 28 and back.  

 

“By the first leg back into the harbor, two boats had separated from the pack – Joe Fava and Ann Sousa, but with Team Heffernan in 2692 closing relentlessly by dint of skilled jib work in particular.  Joe Fava started the fourth leg down with a 5-boat length lead, but Ann Sousa and Team Heffernan started to roll down the waves as the wind filled in from behind, sailing wing on wing, both crews perilously hanging overboard they closed the gap.  (During this run, the RC announced that Town Class 00 had capsized at the mouth of the harbor.)  

 

Joe rounded 1st with Ann on his heels and the Hef’s close behind.  On the final beat to the finish, Joe Fava tacked to port, ducking Team Heffernan and heading for the shore hoping for a lift to the finish, while Teams Heffernan and Sousa continued on starboard to Marblehead light.  Ann Sousa tacked, ducking the Hefs who continued 3-4 more boat lengths further before tacking.  Ann’s early tack left her unable to fetch, forcing her to tack back to starboard just ahead of Team Heffernan, who ducked but was able to cross 3 feet ahead of Ann and two boats ahead of Joe.  Wow, what a finish!  Once again, there was a very large Rhodes party/dinner in the Harbor Room following the race.  Clearly the big event on the CYC social calendar each week.”

 

So, if I have this straight, congratulations go to Team Heffernan for a nail-biter bullet, Ann Sousa finishing 2nd and Joe Fava taking 3rd.  Honorable mentions go to Team Martini in 4th and Team Casler in 5th.  Congratulations to all.

 

Here is a shot of the start sent in by Mike Lane.

 

 

 

Believe it or not, that wraps up Twilight Series 1.  How on earth did that happen so fast?  In the end, we completed just three races, which constitutes a series and earns a throw-out.  So, congratulations to Team Martini who took 1st with 7 points.  Well done.  Finishing 2nd on a tiebreaker just one point back was Team Heffernan with 8 points, and taking 3rd was Team Colsman, also with 8 points.  Honorable mentions go to John Casler in 4th with 15 points, and Ann Sousa in 5th, also with 15 points.

 

Out on the MRA line, 15 boats showed up for a picture-perfect, made-to-order summer day.  That’s a bit better turnout than last week, and not unexpected as we’re in the ramp-up to Race Week.  For the most part, it was the usual suspect, though we were pleased once again to welcome Tomas Hornos for the second straight week (and fourth of the season).  This week he was back in Jim Ouelette’s 1217.

 

Conditions were great, at least at first, with sunshine, relatively flat seas and a gentle, shifty southerly in the range of 7-10.  Despite the forecasted persistent righty and outgoing current on the nose, left paid.  In fact it paid so big that several boats found themselves well-over stood and wishing they had installed that barber haul.  But all-in-all, a fun race.  Unfortunately, those pleasant conditions didn’t last.  With a cold front bearing down on us from the west, the RC chose to send us in after Race 1, which was definitely the right thing to do (though worth mentioning that after two days of Series 2, we have just three races to show for it).  

 

Anyway, congratulations to Bill Heffernan & Yati Harsono, who launched themselves at the very favored pin and never looked back.  And with just one race, that bullet earns them day honors.  In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that Bill won the week.  Taking 2nd was Team Felton and finishing 3rd was Team Fava / Nash.  Honorable mentions go to Team Lane / Heffernan in 4th and Dave Nelson in 5th.  Congratulations to all.  

 

While Marblehead was spared the full wrath of the storm system, the southern tip of it hit with a fury just as the last CYC dry sail boat was settling onto its trailer.  The blast lasted only a minute or two, but that was enough to swamp Tim McCaffrey’s R19 on the mooring.  The anemometer of the CYC pier said the gust topped out at about 60 knots.  Good thing there wasn’t a boat hanging from the crane.  Here is a shot, courtesy of Nat Taylor.

 

 

 

So, in Cup competition, Team Frisch / Hourihan drop into 2nd a point behind Team Lane / Heffernan.  The top-10 are listed below.

 

 

Week 8 racing will include the Twilight race on Thursday night and the 2-3 races of MRA Series 2, Day 2 this Saturday.

 

Other News

Women’s Harbor Challenge  The Rhodes and Townies weren’t the only folks out sailing on Thursday night.  Christina Pandapas provides this recap.

 

“On Thursday night, the EYC turned the regular Harbor Challenge team racing into Ladies’ Night and of course Fleet 5 was well represented.  Debbie Noble, Elise Nash, Christina Pandapas, Beannie Eisner, Karen Lubeck, Dru Slattery, Marisa Fava, Lisa Adam and Judy Adam were all out to do battle in the 3v3 team-racing that ended up with a couple of 2v2 rounds when a turnbuckle failure on one of the CYC Sonars caused the mast to break in half.  Hey – it wouldn’t have been a true Ladies’ Night without a little drama.

 

“In addition to CYC, EYC and BYC, Pleon also participates in the Harbor Challenge and Pleon skippers did their club proud as several of them took the helm and kicked butt.  Lest anyone think that the all-women teams would be forgiving on the race course, let me assure you that was not the case.  There were collisions, circles, doors slammed on the starts, and port tack approaches with inches to spare at the marks.  (Club Sonars with bow bumpers are such a great idea.)  

 

“All in all, it was a fantastic night of on-the-water competition and off-the-water camaraderie fueled by a very nice post-race spread put out by the Eastern.  Kudos to former EYC Commodore Martha Altreuter and CYC’s Karen Lubeck for spearheading this event and to Greg Wilkinson for running the races in shifty breeze.  There will be more of these mix-it-up events, so jump in and do them if you can.”

 

 

 

Notices

Nationals Update  The regatta committee could still use a boat or two for charter.  If you’re not sailing, please email Matt Hooks at mhooks@gmail.com.  If you are sailing, registration remains open here – do it now.  Finally the committee also still needs hosts for sailors from out-of-town.  Contact Yati Harsono at yati_harsono@yahoo.com.

 

Race Week Party The Race Week party will be on Thursday evening July 27th at the home of Jennifer & Steve Uhl.  Elise Nash will supply the bar.  Expect an evite in the next week or two.

 

NOOD Registration Fleet 5 is now up to 20 boats registered, but a bunch of you are still procrastinating.  Here are the links. Info, Online Entry, Current Entries.  A reminder that MRA registered boats don’t have to pay but do have to register.  

 

NOOD Check In – We’ve been lobbying the folks at NOOD to allow us to check in on Wednesday evening instead of having to wait until Thursday Morning.  Unfortunately, no luck.  This from Kelly Ferro at NOOD, “As of right now we are not planning a scheduled registration on Wednesday night.  If that changes, I will let you know asap and it will be publicized.  Thanks again for your help.  We look forward to seeing you in Marblehead.”

 

Upcoming Measurements  The Fleet is holding a measurement day today (Sunday July 9th and has two more planned for Sunday August 13 and Tuesday August 15.  Measurer Peter Sorlien will start at 9AM each day.  Contact Peter at psorlien@gmail.com / 781-631-5956 to reserve your spot.  

 

For Sale  O’Day #1194 Great racing boat or daysailer.  Hull completely rebuilt in 2008. Professionally upgraded and race-readied in 2012 by Small/Harvey.  Rigid, ready to sail.  Reduced to $11,900!  More information at www.dropbox.com/s/rw6njlalg7sg1w0/Rhodes19_1194_forsale.pdf?dl=0 or contact Peter at weisep@mit.edu.

 

Other Boats For Sale – There are still several excellent boat on the market.  For info, either see the May Newsletter or email the fleet captain at kpandapas@comcast.net.  

 

Mail Bag

We heard from last week’s MRA winner Elise Nash (who crewed for Tomas Hornos), commenting on our observation that 1316 seems fast enough to us.  “Our boat does need some work, but you are right, she’s pretty fast.  Now you’re just taking away my excuses for bad tactical calls :)”

 

Ken Cormier weighed in with this.  “Do you like the new name I registered with at Race Week?  Persistent ‘Header?  Thumb up or down?”  In the words of your very thoughtful partner Bill Dalton, hunh!  I mean, far be it from me to comment on something as personal as a boat name, but you may want to reconsider that one.

 

More on last week’s Team Taylor hiking discourse from Nat Taylor.  “I sheepishly admit, that R2 of Week 5 was the hardest I’ve hiked in literally years.  We banged the left and borderline overstood, so had to sail slightly bow down in the fresh breeze and needed to go FAST to make sure we beat you (Team Pandapas), Bill Heffernan, Evan Cooke, Dave Nelson and others to avoid any layline issues.  Those are the type of conditions where it’s fun to a FatBoy.”

 

Also from Nat Taylor, “Here’s a few pics from last week’s fog that I meant to send.  I like the tips of rigs of the tuning J70s best.”  Here is his favorite (cue the Jaws music).

 

 

–kp  kpandapas@comcast.net