Road To The Cup – Week 9 – Race Week Preview Edition

Road
To The Cup – Week 9 – Race Week Preview Edition

7/21/24

What You Need To Know

• There will be no twilight racing this week because…
• It’s race week!  Race week starts Thursday July 25^th and runs through Sunday.  You’ll find everything you need
  here.
• The fleet’s annual Race Week party will again be at the home of
  Jennifer & Steve Uhl at 160 Front Street on Thursday evening after sailing.  The event is potluck and the fleet bar will be in-the-house.

Last Week’s Racing

Our prospects for the first Twilight race of Series 2 weren’t looking great at about 6pm Thursday.  The harbor was glassy, and the moored boats were all pointing in different directions.  But a gentle westerly filled in by game time, which
built over the course of the race, resulting in picture-perfect conditions.  Nine teams made it out, which is a high-water mark for the 2024 Twilight season.  The nine included
Sarah Sheldon, making her 2024 debut, as well as last week’s winner Bill Colehower, though this time sporting his correct sail number (1341).  Our report this week is from
Steve Uhl.

“Nine boats showed up for a beautiful twilight race in a nice westerly that was up and down but overall solid.  The course was a run to the bell buoy, followed by a nice beat to the Fort Sewall nun, and then back.  Everyone converged
at the bell buoy, making for lots of maneuvering for mark room.  Anne Marije Veenland rounded first, followed by
Mike & Kathleen Lane and Steve Uhl.  The beat back was nice – I think left paid a little due to getting closer to harbor which generated more puffs and also incoming tide.  At the finish, it was Steve, then the Lanes, and then Anne-Marije, sailing
with her dad.”

So for the record, finishing 1^st was Steve Uhl, sailing solo I might add.  I watched from shore as he flexed those Laser abbs, keeping his boat flatter in the building breeze than many of the teams racing with two.  Impressive! 
Taking 2^nd was Team Lane, and finish 3^rd was Anne Marije Veenland.  Honorable mentions go to
Team Martini in 4^th and Bill Colehower in 5^th.  Congrats to all.

Out on the MRA line, the forecast was for stupendous with a little awesome thrown in.  It proved to be just a tad light, but doubtful that many people quibbled.  It was a Chamber of Commerce postcard day.  Despite that, only nine boats
showed up, which is shocking for a final warmup prior to RW.  Regrettably, Team P. was one of those who couldn’t be there, so this week’s report comes from
Steve Uhl. 

“Last race day before the big event, Race Week.  Beautiful summer day and light southwesterly breeze.  The only question was the amount of pressure but forecast to be high single digits, so looked promising.  At 1pm we had a light but
solid southerly.  Beautiful conditions (sorry Kim 🙂

In the first race, left side paid due to more pressure, but everyone stayed close.  By the second beat
Team Lane / Heffernan had a very small lead over Team Uhl / Lane, but a significant lefty on the final beat let
Mike & Renee walk away with it, and Team Denton to catch up and finish 2^nd, followed by
Uhl / Lane.

In the second race, it was more of the same, though the breeze started to fade.  This time,
Team Uhl / Lane hung onto their first mark lead, with Mike & Renee in 2^nd and
Team Denton in 3^rd.  So Mike & Renee won the day, I’m sure are feeling good coming into race week.  There wasn’t enough breeze for a third race, but all in all, a nice day on the water.”

Thanks Steve.  So for the record, taking 1^st on the day was
Team Lane / Heffernan with a 1-2 for 3 points.  Taking 2^nd was
Team Uhl / Lane with a 3-1 for 4 points, and taking 3^rd was Team Denton, who rolled a 2-3 for 5 points.  Honorable mentions go to
Team Noble in 4^th with a 4-6 for 10 points, and Eric Thornton in 5^th with a 7-4 for 11 points.  Congrats to all.

So with that, MRA Series 2 is in the books.  Despite just three race days, we still got in ten races, which is enough to trigger a second throw-out.  So finishing 1^st with 14 net points was
Team Lane / Heffernan, whose line included an impressive five bullets.  Well done.  Taking 2^nd was
Team Uhl / Lane with 16 points, and finishing 3^rd was Team P. with 22 points.  Honorable mentions to
Team Rubin in 4^th with 47 points, and Team Denton in 5^th with 50 points.  Congratulations to all. 

Worth mentioning is that with regard to the MRA overall, going into the RW break with one series to go,
Team Uhl / Lane with 39 points opens up a 4 point lead over the idle Team P. for with 43 points. 
Team Lane / Heffernan is just 3 points back with 46 points.

So, in Cup competition, slight movement at the top.  Steve Uhl’s 13-point lead heading into Race Week drops to 12.  Also this reminder that Race Week always has the potential to turn the standings on their head.  That’s because we
adopt the final scores as posted, and with 25+ boats, the numbers are just bigger.  A bad day can translate into 60 points, and a podium finish can catapult you to the top of the standings.  Stay tuned. 

This week’s racing will the four days of Race Week, Thursday through Sunday.  An important reminder that, in contrast to MRA,
first gun will be an hour earlier at noon.

Race Week Preview

Well, here we are again, perched on the precipice of yet another edition of Marblehead Race Week, aka the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta.  By whatever name, it’s the big kahuna.  Long the centerpiece of our season, Race Week is generally
regarded as more fun than you should be allowed to have with your pants on.  But it’s also our toughest, most competitive contest.  The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, soaring highs, gut-wrenching lows, tattered emotions laid bare, dreams trampled
– it’s all there.  Race Week is our Everest, and winning it is our holy grail.  The Spittoon is our most coveted prize. 

So why is RW so tough?  For starters, it’s four straight days, which is both physically and mentally exhausting, so very much a marathon versus a sprint.  Most of us can win a race, or occasionally even win the day.  But winning RW requires
consistently strong performance sustained over four days.  Sure, you can have a bad race, or maybe even two, and still win.  But it’s super hard to recover from a bad day. 

Second, Fleet 5 is deeper than you think.  It’s easy to lose sight of how deep we are because not everyone is out every Saturday.  Not the case, of course for Race Week, which is a priority for everyone.  Also worth mentioning is that some
of our best teams happen to be hall pass-constrained, and they keep their powder dry precisely so they can sail RW.  So not just more competition, but
better competition. 

Finally, for Race Week everyone brings their A-game.  Sure, we all sail hard all the time, but Race Week is different.  The game faces come out early.  Every start is contested, and you need every ounce of boat speed to hold your lane. 
Forget about the usual port crossing generosity.  Push it and you’ll hear the P-word.  Weather mark roundings are crowded and merciless, and don’t expect an inch if you port approach in the zone.  Leeward roundings are worse, and someone is always looking
to pick your pocket.  You get the idea.  This is the big one.  We all want it, we all fight for it, and no one concedes an inch. 

I’ve been asked many times to preview the possible contenders.  Of course, I hesitate to go down this road, both because I don’t want to jinx those I mention or offend those I don’t – a delicate balance.  That said, I’d not be surprised
to see any of these teams on the podium.  I’d also not be surprised to see many of the teams not mentioned.

• 722 – Team Shoreman / Reynolds – No one is faster than these guys.  They are meticulous about boat prep, sail smart and execute well.  They haven’t been out much this season
  but have sailed together for years and bring it every time they take the field.
• 1683 – Team Hooks / Pascal – Reigning RW champs, sailed just once last year before crushing everyone to win the Spittoon and Cressy Trophy.  And they’ve sailed just once again
  this year (uh-oh…).
• 1926 – Team Taylor – With just one leg of one race under their belts this season, these former national champs dominated the field to win the 2024 East Coasts.  Always a threat,
  watch out for them.
• 2435 – Larry Ehrhardt – Smart, fast and well prepared.  He’s a master of racecourse positioning, always finding a way to get away from the crowd and put his speed to work. 
  He’s in every race he sails and more than capable of stringing together a regatta.
• 2485 –
  Team Fava / Nash – They haven’t been out much, but are dangerous every time they are.  They’re quick, their savvy, have exceptional boat-on-boat tactics, and have sailed together for decades.  Finished 2^nd in 2021 RW.
• 2585 – Team Uhl / Lane – Probably the most consistent performers out there.  They took 2^nd last year in New Orleans nationals, and would have won the Cup last year
  had it not been for a breakdown.  They win the day often, and currently hold 1^st in MRA.
• 2623 – Team Lane / Heffernan – They are the reigning national champs.  What more do you need to say?  Currently 3^rd in MRA where they’re stacking up bullets like
  cord wood.
• 2648 – Team Cooke / Kaznoski
  – Haven’t been out much, but sail smart and are scary quick – now probably more so sporting a new mast.  Among the best teams on the field.  They’ve won RW before and are due for their next one.

If for some inexplicable reason you haven’t yet registered, do it
here now.

Other News, Notices & Miscellaneous Scuttlebutt

Ted Hood Regatta – Rhodes 19s have been offered a start at the Ted Hood Regatta, which will be held in Marblehead on Aug 16-18.  You can grab the NOR and register
here.  It will take a minimum of five boats for us get a start.

Nationals Registration –Nationals will be held this August 22-25 in Hingham Bay, sponsored by Fleet 46 and the Hingham and Hull Yacht Clubs.  Register and pick up the NOR
here.  Late fee kicks in on July 27^th. 

Need Mast – Manchester Yacht Club is looking for a Rhodes mast.  Contact
Alex Felton at afelton@comcast.net. 

If You Spin, Send It In (aka Road to the Pie) – We heard of no infractions this past Thursday or Saturday, so the standings remain unchanged.

Mail Bag

Alert readers might notice that Team Cooke / Kaznoski weren’t out on Saturday.  That’s because Pete is wringing every possible drop of enjoyment out of his retirement.  To illustrate, take a look at the shot below he sent from somewhere
in the pacific northwest.

EYC Starburst Raft Up – Old friend Jeremy Bloxham sent in this shot of the EYC cruisers showing off.  And rightly so.  I’m sure there is a trick to this, but trick or no, it’s an impressive bit of teamwork and
maneuvering, particularly if there is no crushed fiberglass involved. 

Speaking of Jeremy Bloxham, last week he challenged us to name the class of this boat.  I thought it was a Soling, but apparently that’s wrong. 
Alex Felton wrote in guessing it was a Tempest, to which Jeremy responded “Nope!”  So no winners yet.  I imagine that
Jim Taylor might have an educated guess.

Finally, old friend Karen Finnochio was kind enough to send in these two shots with the caption,
“Commodore’s Ball mayhem.”  Fleet 5ers dress up pretty good, right? 

And isn’t it great to see my brother Jim Raisides enjoying his final go-round as Commodore.  CYC has been fortunate to have had some great commodores over the years, and with no disrespect to them, in my view Jim tops the list. 
He’s been outstanding.  And now that he’s almost done with that, maybe it’s time for Jim and sailing partner
Charlie Pendleton to rediscover what real fun is all about.  Lots of boats available right now – just saying. 

Complaints Department

Got Gripes?Don’t be shy.  Unload at
kpandapas@comcast.net.  The buck stops here.

-kp