Road To The Cup – Week 16
Top-10 as of 9/10/23
The Fleet is saddened to lose one of its own. Joni Lane, wife of Kevin Lane, mother to Mike, Sean & Shannon Lane and grandmother to Sophie & Molly Lane, Mathew Adam and Finn & Eva Doane, passed peacefully on Sunday August 3rd after a long illness. More than a strong woman, Joni was a force who defined what it means to be a matriarch. Joni raced R19s with husband Kevin for years, first in Marblehead and later in Rockport. She stopped racing years ago after an injury, but her impact on both the Marblehead and Rockport fleets will be felt for years to come through two generations of her progeny. Our thoughts go out to the entire Lane family.
What You Need To Know
- Reminder that there will be another ‘Around Misery Island’ race on Sunday September 10th. Warning will be at 1PM.
- The 2023 Nationals will be held October 4-8 in New Orleans, hosted by Fleet 7 and the Southern Yacht Club. Register here.
- Fleet 5’s 2023 Awards banquet will be Saturday November 4th at the home of Christina & Kim Pandapas.
Last Week’s Racing
As you know, our scored Twilights are over, but unscored Thursday night booth racing continues for a couple more weeks. Two boats made it out for Thursday’s festivities, and uncharacteristically, it was blowing hard enough to incline PRO David Graham to hoist the Y-flag to require life jackets. Shortly before the start, the wind moderated significantly, and during the first leg, it died completely, inclining David to abandon. A dicey business, this.
Out on the MRA line, just 4-5 teams indicated their intent to sail Day 1 of the Fall Series, which though a modest turnout, is consistent with recent history as so many must turn the page after Labor day weekend. After last week’s wash out, all were hoping for a better outcome, though the forecast provided little optimism – variable winds less than 5 knots, becoming SE 6 to 11 in the afternoon, with scattered showers and possible thunderstorms. PRO Rick Hamill surveyed the situation at about 10:30 am from the CYC float, and seeing absolutely no wind, made the decision to keep us on shore for a while, hoisting AP at 11am. And after sending out a patrol to survey the broader situation, he put a stake in it at 11:30. A very light easterly filled in by about 1:30, but that would have been too long to wait and it’s debatable if it was even enough to race. And of course, the thunderstorms came rolling through about 4pm, so tip-of-the-cap to Rick for the quick and decisive call. Two washouts in a row!
Of course, some made out better than others on this day. In my view, two boats tied to win the day. First was Team Frisch / Hourihan, who made the tactical decision to hold their launch pending the outcome of Rick’s decision. Had Rick chosen to give it a try, they would have launched. As it happened, they didn’t, so they never lifted a finger and their boat didn’t move an inch. By comparison, some of us launched and rigged, only to reverse the process without ever leaving the float. Those two always seem to find a way to beat you. Congrats to them.
The second winner was Team Uhl, who despite the availability of borrowed boats and the 2023 Cup still within reach, appears to have decided not to sail (see his email in the Mailbag below). Of course, had we sailed either last Sunday or this week, the cup would have fallen out of his reach. But because we didn’t race, no points were added, leaving him still in a position to go out and claim what he worked so hard all season to earn. It’s almost as though the sailing gods were telling him to get off his butt, get out there and get it done. So, congrats to Steve for staying alive one more week, with the hope that he avails himself of the opportunity. What will he do? I’m pretty sure our whole fleet is rooting for him.
So, in Cup competition, there is no change. The top 10 are listed below.
Week 17 racing will include Day 2 of the Fall series on Saturday.
Other News, Notices & Miscellaneous Scuttlebutt
Greg Hefler On The Mend – As you may recall, old friend Greg Hefler was to have sailed this season with his daughter Hannah Hefler, but was sidelined while continuing to wait for a heart transplant. Turns out he finally got it this past June and is at home recuperating. We ran into Greg on the CYC porch over Labor Day weekend as he was enjoying a quiet moment with his family. He was in great spirits and is looking forward to joining us in 2024.
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. Register here.
If You Spin, Send It In (aka Road to the Pie) – No racing, no incidents, so no changes.
Mail Bag
Steve Uhl wrote in this week regarding his boat situation and the generous offers he’s received. “Kim, not sure if I’ll be out next Saturday or not – but a tip o’ the hat to our great Fleet 5 spirit. No less than four different teams have reached out to me, offering their boats up for use. Really something special.” I couldn’t agree more.
Timmy Dittrich sent this in. “Excellent job on RTTC all season. I hadn’t noticed that you use ‘The buck stops here.’ until this week. Truman fan? I was a guest on the aircraft carrier and have my coffee out of a coffee mug I got on board. One side is the seal for the USS Truman and the other side is emblazoned with a great battle flag stating ‘The Buck Stops Here!’” Thanks Tim, and yes, I’m a Truman fan. While running this fleet truly does take a village, anything and everything that goes wrong is on me.
Photographer extraordinaire Bruce Durkee generously sent in these shots he took on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Enjoy.
While Bruce was at it, he also sent in this picture “from the archives.” This very serious moment was captured a few years back at the BYC at a surprise party for Joe Fava, brilliantly orchestrated by Marisa Fava. From left to right – your fleet captain, Bruce Durkee on the helm, Charlie Pendleton, CYC Commodore Brother Jim Raisides and the birthday boy, Joe.
So potentially embarrassing is this shot, that I attempted to extort the participants in return for not publishing it. Joe Fava immediately (and appropriately) replied, “What’s your Venmo!?!?” Ever the negotiator, Brother Jim shot back, “You should be paying us.”
Complaints Department
Got Gripes?Don’t be shy. Unload at kpandapas@comcast.net. The buck stops here.