Road To The Cup – Week 15

 

Road To The Cup – Week 15

Top-10 as of 9/3/17

 

Before we get to the sailing, huge thanks to Sloan & Charlie Pendleton, who hosted our 1st annual Labor Day joint R19/J70 social.  It was a beautiful evening (provided you brought your ski jacket), but even the chilly temps couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm.  It was kind of funny at first as Fleet 5ers and J70 folks stood clumped in groups like a high school dance with the girls on one side and the boys on the other, but that didn’t last long.  All and all, a huge success, and I hope we try it again next year.  Thanks also to Elise & Mike Nash for bringing the bar and helping to get things put together.

 

Out on the MRA line, it was a tale of two cities.  Saturday was light and sunny and Sunday featured a blasting southeasterly with big seas and intermittent rain.  It didn’t take the RC long to fire off three, leaving this year’s Labor Day Regatta (aka MRA Series 4) a one-day affair.  

 

Saturday conditions couldn’t have been nicer if you like it light, though under sunny skies and comfortable temps in the low 70s.  The day started as a drifter after the westerly finally died but before the sea breeze ramped up, which it eventually did.  12 boats showed, which while not the biggest turnout in the world was 3x our friends in the J70s.  What’s up with that?  After a short postponement while the RC waited for boats to get there, things got under way.  Despite the AP, the RC got off three.  I was forced to sit this one out, but watched a bit of the first race.  From what I saw, the wind shifted hard left just before the sequence, leaving the pin and left favored.  At least on the first beat, getting left early paid.  Sorry, but can’t speak to the rest of the day.

 

So congratulations to Team Frisch / Hourihan, who sailed to a 1-6-1 for 8 points to win the day on a tie breaker.  And because Sunday was a washout, they also won the series.  Well done.  Finishing 2nd was Matt Hooks who rolled a 2-1-5, also for 8 points.  And taking 3rd was Team Heffernan / Harsono with a line of 6-2-3 for 11 points.  Honorable mentions go to Larry Ehrhardt in 4th with 5-7-2 for 14 points and Dave Nelson in 5th with a 4-3-7, also for 14 points.  Congratulations to all.

 

With Sunday’s washout comes the end of our 2017 MRA racing, which included the four MRA series (but not Spring Series, Fall Series Twilights or RW).  Taking 1st in MRA overall was Team Frisch / Hourihan, who finished with a 25-28-6-8 for 67 total points and bragging rights as our 2017 MRA champs.  Congratulations.  Taking 2nd was Team Lane / Heffernan, who put up a 34-29-13-16 for 92 points.  And taking 3rd was Team Heffernan / Harsono, with a line 47-29-15-11, vaulting past the idle Team Pandapas on the very last day!  Honorable mentions go to Team Pandapas in 4th with a 37-27-10-38 for 112 points and Dave Nelson in 5th with a 30-54-42-14 for 140 points.  Congratulations to all.

 

So, in Cup competition, Team Frisch / Hourihan earned themselves a little breathing room by virtue of beating Team Lane / Heffernan on the day and Team Pandapas’ 38 point DNC.  Several other teams swapped positions as the teams who sailed on Saturday moved up while those that didn’t moved down.  The top 10 are listed below.  

 

 

Week 16 racing will include the first day of Fall Series.  Believe it or not, racing doesn’t end on Labor Day.  Fall sailing can be spectacular so do try to make it out.  

 

Other News, Notices & Miscellaneous Scuttlebutt

The 2017 America’s Cup – Trials Tribulations & Lessons” Don’t forget that Sail Salem is presenting Gary Jobson & JB Braun to talk all things America’s cup.  The notice is below.

 

 

 

Another Winter Storage Option – Seacoast Specialty Marine in Newburyport is offering winter storage.  If you would like to reserve a spot email or call 978-255-2769.”

 

Donate Your Sails  The Nahant Sailing Program (NSP) has 6 Rhodes 19s that are used to teach kids and a twilight program for adults.  The majority of funding comes from an annual fund raiser by The Friends of Nahant Sailing.  The Rhodes sails need replacement, so if you have or are purchasing new sails, please consider donating your old ones to “The Friends of Nahant Sailing.”  Not only will it help the program grow, but the donation is tax deductible.  Please contact Bob Cusack at (781) 581-1159 or rjcusack@verizon.net if you are interested.

 

Mail Bag

Welcome to new skipper Jocelyn Cook, who just bought herself a Rhodes 19.  Jocelyn has been sailing for the last couple of seasons with Ann Sousa and Sarah Sheldon, and just pulled the trigger on a boat of her own.  I’ll let her tell you in her own words.  “I ended up purchasing Rick Saunders boat, 1686.  I am so excited.  Kept looping by last night (at the party) to tell you in person but didn’t want to interrupt.  Talked for a good bit with Mike Lane, Charlie P, Peter Frisch and Matt Hooks – all suggested just taking the boat straight from Reading to Chris to have him do a once over, repair the two small things that we know have to be done – make a couple preference changes to the rigging and make a punch list of nice to haves over next couple years.  Then like you said, don’t do anything major until I get comfortable in her and see what needs to be tweaked.  I’m sooooo excited and over the moon to be joining such a friendly, fun and knowledgeable fleet!  Thank you for your support along the way.”  Now that’s one excited lady.  Huge welcome to her and let any of us know what we can do to help.

 

Sail Salem board member Conway Felton wrote about the America’s Cup event planned for September 26th.  “Many thanks for including the invite for this Sept 26th event in your weekly–road to the cup.  Sallie and I head back to Wyoming on the 9th, so we will miss it, but it should be quite something.”

 

Lots of emails this week about sail donation to NSP.  We got this from Bob Cusack who is spearheading the sail drive in Nahant.  “With the Townies dead in Nahant and six older R19s I’ve been saying they are the perfect boat for a new adult racing class.  Many thanks to all the R19s in Marblehead.  Kim again and again, THANKS!”  Ben Richardson was the first to pony up with this, “Unless you have been completely inundated, I should be able to spare a jib and main.”  How about that – thanks Ben.  Who’s next?  

 

Stefan Thibodeaux wrote in to let us know that his wife “Julianna wrote a short piece about living in Marblehead which was published in Orion mag.”  If you’re interested, you’ll find it here.

 

Finally, for the 2nd or 3rd time, Rob Ferro has stepped in to solve the mystery of Twilight Ghost Boat 3021.  “His name is Jay Wager.  Daughters swims for CYC.  Sold him my old boat.  It has new ribs and rigging.  3021 is my old Spindrift from years ago.  He needs to choose a new sail #. Something in the 700’s.  Got that boat in Petaluma on the side of the road.  No sail number.  Nice guy.”  Well there you have it.  Rob, try to get him to show up at party or two.  Come to think of it, maybe you should make it from time to time yourself.  

 

–kp (kpandapas@comcast.net)