Chesapeake Racing Beat Annapolis Race Week 2011 Solid Breeze, Keen Competition
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hree days of wind on Labor Day Weekend, two years in a row. This in itself stands out as exceptional for veteran Chesapeake Bay sailors, and this is the luck that has befallen the Chesapeake Bay YRA (CBYRA) during its signature annual regatta, Annapolis Race Week (ARW). The 2011 event, contested off Annapolis September 3-5, was memorable for good sailing conditions as well as well-run races and lively parties at race central, the Susan C. Campbell Park at City Dock. Following a three-day, eightrace regatta, at the final awards party when the skies opened up for downpours heavy enough to make
even the heartiest sailor say, “Wow,” there remained a festive, summer vibe in the gear-clad crowd. Marty Roesch, owner of the J/111 Velocity that topped the six-boat PHRF A1 division, with Ken Comerford at the helm, had an excellent experience at ARW. His crew traded places at the top of the fleet with Bob Moran’s J/111 Ragin’ over the course of the weekend and proved victorious by a seven-point margin in the end; although both boats posted four bullets each. Roesch, who is in his first full season of racing, comments on what how his crew contributed to their success: “We really got into a good
##Peter Scheidt’s Maggie crew took top honors in the J/35 Fleet. Photo by Dan Phelps
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rhythm on the boat and applied lessons that we’ve learned over the season successfully to get the most performance from her. The J/111 is a new design. We’re still finding the sweet spots where she performs best. I think we reached a new level at ARW!” A sponsor of the event, North Point Yacht Sales, docked the J/111 Ragin’ at City Dock to showcase the high-tech boat to the public. Moran tells ARW Daily News reporter Bill Wagner, “I can’t tell you how many people stopped by to ask about the boat or to ask about racing.” Craig and Dotty Saunders, who captured first place in the 21-boat PHRF A2 fleet on Monkey Dust, also worked hard for their victory, with the second-place scoring team, John Eyring’s Hero Squad, having won three races and taken second in three. On the topic of “miraculous recoveries,” Craig says, “Going into the last race with a 12-point lead, we were being so overly cautious at the start that we wound up crossing the line 30 seconds late and in last place. With 21 boats entered, we could have easily lost our lead and the regatta. Fortunately, it was a six-leg course and with the crew staying calm, we were able to claw our way up to sixth place for that last race and maintain our lead po-
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