Road To The Cup – Week 9
Top 10 as of 7/23/23
What You Need To Know
- No Twilight race this week.
- Annual Race Week Party on Thursday Night – The heart of our social calendar – Jennifer & Steve Uhl’s Annual Race Week Party – will be Thursday evening. Please RSVP and let the Uhls know what you plan to bring. A reminder evite went out last Thursday.
Last Week’s Racing
Eight boats showed up for this week’s Twilight, which by the way, was the last one until August 10th (RW this week and Townie event on Thursday August 3rd). It proved notable for two reasons. First is that it was a drifter (shocking), and second is that Steve Uhl was not there. Here is our summary form old friend John Casler.
“The wind at game time was SSE at 3, gusting to 3 1/2. But iffy. Eight Rhodes showed up for an evening that was perfect other than the dubious wind. The course was to ‘21’, the mid-channel can, then over to ‘22’, the red nun off the fort, and back to ‘O’. Twice around was posted, but that turned out to be wildly optimistic.
“In these conditions, the first leg out to ‘21’ was a reach. The boats were spread out at the start, with Mike Lane working out an early lead and Walter Colsman close behind. As the fleet rounded ‘21’, the air died with gusts to ¼ knot. Somehow, Mike and Walter wound up in a luffing match that drove them and others back toward the harbor, allowing others sailing the direct course to catch up, such that the lead six boats were overlapped as they drifted down on ’22.’ It was somehow a quiet, peaceful rounding.
“From the outside of the six-boat scrum, I could not see how he managed it, but Mike oozed out of that mess with his lead intact, and held it down to the shortened-course finish. The breeze improved back to 3 to 3½ on the beat back into the harbor. Mike was first at the finish, followed by the Martinis and Walter.”
Thanks John. So, taking 1st was Team Lane, who clearly had their light-air mojo going. John’s description of “oozing out of the mess” recalled for me a bunch of vintage Star Trek episodes, particularly the ‘black slime’ episode (pictured below).
But I digress. Finishing 2nd was Team Martini, and taking 3rd was Walter Colsman. Honorable mentions go to Jay Wager in 4th and Team Sheldon / Sousa in 5th. Congratulations to all.
Out on the MRA line, as you know, we held our clinic in place of MRA so there was no MRA racing this week. Saturday, however, closed out Series 2, the final results of which you will find here.
Twelve boats showed up for a very thoughtfully conceived and well-run summer clinic. Twelve isn’t bad considering how hectic things can get this time of year (MJRW, RW, CYC Commodore’s Ball, etc.). Included among teams participating was Team Fava / Nash, making it out for the first time this year, Doug Morgan at the helm of 1210 with Peter Frisch, the incomparable Joan Thayer with Ann Sousa, and Jim Gabriel, sailing Adam’s Rib with brother Dan Gabriel. Quite a formidable team there. In case you hadn’t heard, after several decades of ownership, the Family Adam is selling their Rhodes, and our hope is that Team Gabriel takes the plunge.
Conditions were forecast to be light, and the forecasters nailed it. The breeze was all over the place early on but settled into a very workable easterly. We held a few practice-starts before launching into multiple short-course races of about 5-minute weather legs. Coaches Stan Schreyer and Fran Charles worked to keep it interesting by mixing things up. We sailed with chutes all day, but were asked to sail without poles for the first 4-5 races. Starting lines were short. One race, the boat was favored. In the next they hauled the pin upwind so that it was wildly favored. We even had one downwind start under i-flag. And throughout, the coaches trailed boats, offering tips and suggestions. It was great. Of course, as you know, this was unscored, so everyone who showed up was a winner. Congratulations to all.
All-and-all, this was a great event and hopefully we’ll do it again next year. Thanks to Stan Schreyer, Franny Charles, Seamus Kraft and Alec MacMaster for making it a fun and productive day. And huge thanks to Joe Fava for organizing and doing the heavy lifting.
So, in Cup competition, Team Uhl / Lane remains at the top and in front of 2nd place Team P. by the same comfortable 31-point margin as last week, as neither sailed Twilights and there was no MRA. On the strength of his Twilight win, Team Lane nudges out Team Frisch / Hourihan and takes sole possession of 3rd, just 9 points out of 2nd. The top-10 are listed below.
Worth mentioning is that, up until today, scoring moves have been relatively minor, changing weekly by 8 points here or 10 points there. Race Week is not just the centerpiece of our season, but also the most impactful event from a scoring perspective. With 20-25 boats racing 10-12 races, there is ample opportunity for big point moves in both directions. So, strap in.
Next Week’s Racing
Week 10 racing will include the big enchilada – Race Week, which will run Thursday through Sunday. Please note that first gun is at 1200, versus the 1230 warning we’re used to for MRA, so don’t be late! There will be no Twilight race this week.
Other News, Notices & Miscellaneous Scuttlebutt
Fleet 5’s Race Week Party – Fleet 5’s annual Race Week party will be Thursday evening July 27th, hosted (yet again) by Jennifer & Steve Uhl. The event will be potluck and, as usual, will include the freshly restocked fleet bar. The evite went out again last Thursday. Please RSVP and mention what you plan to bring.
Race Week Preview – We’ve gotten several requests for a Race Week preview, which shamelessly speculates as to who might win the big event. We’ve obliged from time to time in years past with mixed results. This year is even tougher as many of the big guns have spent more time minding young kids than going sailing, so not a lot of numbers to crunch. That said, I’d have a hard time betting against reigning RW champs Team Taylor, or for for that matter, Teams Hooks / Pascal, Cooke / Kasnoski, Shoreman / Reynolds, Fava / Nash, Ehrhardt, Frisch / Hourihan, Lane, and of course this seasons Twilight star Steve Uhl. I also understand Team Gabriel may be joining us for RW, and they looked pretty quick at the clinic. You’ll recall that Dan Gabriel took 2nd last year crewing with Joe Fava (who has podiumed in each of the last two years). It’s a deep field. Place your bets.
Friday Night EYC Pursuit Race – Two R19 teams participated in last Friday evenings EYC pursuit race. Here is a report from Anne Marije Veenland. “Marine Regnault-Stoel and I started two Rhodes 19’s in Friday’s July 21st EYC pursuit race. The weather held up and it turned out to be an evening with nice waves, decent wind and spectacular skies. We were glad the thunder and rain waited until we were inside for the social portion of fun afterwards. Showing that Rhodes 19’s can compete against bigger boats, as Kim & Christina showed us last year, both Rhodes 19s – 2651 (Loki) sailed by Anne Marije and her dad Frits and 1316 (Dinner Out) sailed by Marine and her crew Celia Dressel – finished top 5 out of 21 boats. Pretty impressive, and fun! Great to have first timer Celia joining us! Kudos to both be able to make time for racing as Marine and Celia are swamped with MJRW preparations.”
“Invite is extended to all Rhodes 19 sailors to join the next upcoming Friday evening EYC pursuit race, which will be held on August 11th, first boat is at 6pm, registration is free (!), food is also free!, and drinks afterwards in EYC sailing center. You can sign up through Regattaman.”
Thanks AMV! So if you’re planning to launch for Twilights on Thursday August 10th, leave your boat in Thursday night and do the pursuit race on Friday night.
Race Week Crew Available – If you’re looking for Race Week Crew, Jim Revkin is available (cell 203-619-2247 or james.revkin@gmail.com).
If You Spin, Send It In (aka Road to the Pie) – We heard of one exonerated foul committed at the clinic involving Team Lane on a port tack approach. They of course did their circle(s?) which is recorded below. Thanks Team Lane for leaving it on the course! Porch scuttlebutt suggests that at least 2-3 additional fouls were committed over the course of the day, but we have no confirmation and observed no additional spins.
Remember if you spin, email kpandapas@comcast.net and let me know how many fouls you committed for which you exonerated yourself.
2023 Nationals in New Orleans – The 2023 Nationals will be held October 4-8 in New Orleans, hosted by Fleet 7 and the Southern Yacht Club. It’s never too early to register. You’ll find more details here.
Sweet Boat For Sale – Steve Feeney is selling 1842, an O’Day built in 1968. The boat had keel and ribs done 3 years ago. Package includes a new Lewanda rudder and tiller, new sails and trailer. The boat is semi-race ready. The boat is located on 17 Ridge Road in Marblehead. Contact Steve at stevef21090@gmail.com, or call 781-631-2326. I have looked it over as well, so feel free to contact kpandapas@comcast.net if you want a second opinion.
Mail Bag
We got a couple of 11th hour emails this week, both about the clinic and both from Team Taylor. This from Jim Taylor. “Racing much closer to the harbor drastically increases the Racing/Total Time Spent ratio. We need to do more of that.”
And this from Nat Taylor, “I was a huge fan of today’s short sail out and short courses. I left my house around noon and was back on the mooring by 3, having gotten in what felt like 10 races. Plus, had I thought ahead, Amanda and Ellis could have watched from the lighthouse. What’s not to like about that?! We should do it every other weekend.”
Complaints Department
Got Gripes? Don’t be shy. Unload at kpandapas@comcast.net. The buck stops here.
–kp
