Windcheck october 2015

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October 2015

Sailing the Northeast

A Brilliant Adventure Trends in Chartering The Vineyard Race with Pleiad Racing

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1 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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Editor’s Log Absolutely Brilliant As I think back on sailing as a youth, it occurs to me that many of my most memorable experiences were not had in the heat of close fleet racing or heavy weather offshore battles, but rather during much more gentle times while cruising – and even at anchor.

Much of why I still love boats and being on the water is because I developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of it all at an early age. I love the lines of boats, the way a boat moves, the sights and sounds provided when one is well away from the grip of land or in the solitude of a great anchorage. OK, I also love all that close fleet racing and those heavy weather offshore battles, too! I appreciate all of it. And nearly everyone I know that shares a similar passion for sailing feels the same way.

I’ve read (and even written) numerous articles about junior sailor retention – keeping kids interested in the sport once they age out of junior programs – and what may be the answer to doing so. When discussing why kids leave, I mostly hear people complain that there are too many other distractions these days and too many other sports for kids to choose from to be able to stick with sailing, but I call B.S. on that. You needn’t campaign a dinghy at the Olympic level to ‘stick with the sport.’ One needs only a passion and appreciation for all that boats and being on the water can offer.

Although it’s been many years, I still remember the stories about the life-changing time my friend Jason had on an Outward Bound sailing trip on a boat in the Caribbean.

We were about to begin high school. I recall the confidence he exuded upon his return, his newfound ease in engaging with people, and the descriptions of the awesome, yet meaningful time he had. And he was only gone two weeks. What a life enhancer.

I’ve noticed in recent years that all the articles written, opportunities developed and the ‘marketing’ in use to keep sailors interested seems to be working. For example, in this issue you’ll read about the first high school regatta (The Great Oaks Qualifier) hosted

by SAIL BLACK ROCK (a relatively new foundation created to provide training and racing opportunities for schools that otherwise wouldn’t have programs), Midshipmen competing in the Newport Bermuda Race, junior teams participating in numerous regattas and even raising money for and competing in charity events, and most notably, an article written by high school student Emily Bullard about her experience aboard Mystic Seaport’s schooner Brilliant.

There is much going on for and among the ‘at-risk’ age bracket, and that makes me think maybe our sport isn’t necessarily doomed once the baby boomer generation leaves sailing for power. Emily, with an appreciation for every aspect of her voyage, uses words like “style,” “dignity” and “respect” in describing her experience on Brilliant. Moreover, she is not of the racing sect, nor is she being brought along (willingly or otherwise) aboard mom and dad’s boat.

I was moved by Emily’s description of her Brilliant Teen Program experience, and I think she has the makings of a lifelong sailor. Kids don’t need to have gone through a yacht club junior program or grown up on a boat to appreciate sailing, and the thrill of racing needn’t be your bag either.

I think Emily’s experience was similar to Jason’s, and perhaps that’s why it resonated with me. Emily talks about the opportunity to connect with her peers in the absence of the ever-present glowing screen, and in fact, her interaction took place under a canopy of stars and with little sound other than that of wind and waves. Whether young people favor opportunities to race, or sail train aboard a tall ship ultimately doesn’t really matter, but providing the appropriate channel for them to connect with the sport in their own way and discover their own passion is perhaps what matters most.

Meeting people, connecting and making new friends…Brilliant indeed.

Sailing the Northeast Issue 148 Publisher Anne Hannan anne@windcheckmagazine.com Editor in Chief Christopher Gill chris@windcheckmagazine.com Senior Editor Chris Szepessy zep@windcheckmagazine.com Contributing Editor Joe Cooper coop@windcheckmagazine.com Graphic Design Kerstin Fairbend kerstin@windcheckmagazine.com Contributors Jim Abernethy, Nicholas Alley, Charles Anderson, John Balletto, Roger Bauman, Debra Bell, Cate Brown, Emily Bullard, Chad Corning, Dave Coughlin, Captain Ed Cubanski, USCG, Tom Darling, Dave Foster, John K. Fulweiler, Guy Gurney, Jennifer Hayes, Jack Hornor, James Hunt, Tom Kenney, Julian Love, Matt Marciano, Howie McMichael, Mimi Merton, Jennifer R. Nolan, Ian Pedersen, PhotoBoat.com, Vin Pica, Richard Pisano, Jr., Andy Price, Geoffrey Ragatz, Colin Rath, John Rousmaniere, Karen Ryan, Steve Schwartz, Onne van der Wal, Barbara Veneri, Dave White, Talbot Wilson Ad Sales Erica Pagnam erica@windcheckmagazine.com Distribution Satu Lahti, Man in Motion, Chris Metivier, Prolo Services, Rare Sales, Jack Szepessy WindCheck is a monthly magazine. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the members. WindCheck encourages reader feedback and welcomes editorial contributions in the form of stories, anecdotes, photographs, and technical expertise. Copies are available for free at 1,000+ locations (yacht clubs, marinas, marine retailers, restaurants, sailing events & transportation centers) in the Northeast. Businesses or organizations wishing to distribute WindCheck should contact us at (203) 332-7639. While WindCheck is available free of charge, we will mail your copy each month for an annual mailing fee of $27.

Mail payment to: WindCheck Magazine P.O. Box 195, Stratford, CT 06615 Phone: (203) 332-7639 E-mail: contactus@windcheckmagazine.com On the web: windcheckmagazine.com WindCheck is printed on recycled paper.

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Contents

Editor’s Log 4

Letters 8

Checking In 10

From the Log of Persevere 2 0

Sound Environment 22

The Boating Barrister 24

Book Review: Casting Off 25

Book Review: Salty Dog Talk 25

Captain of the Port 2 6

Calendar of Events 28

Tide Tables 34

High School Sailing: 39 Great Oaks Qualifier

The Mids Race to the Onion Patch 40

Coop’s Corner 43

Local Boats in the Vineyard Race 46

Inaugural Governor’s Cup Regatta 50

Conanicut Yacht Club 88th Around 52

the Island Race

ECSA Leukemia Cup Regatta 54

Frostbiting at American Yacht Club 56

Comic 58

Stone Horse Builder’s Cup 59

Brokerage 61

Classifieds 64

Subscription Form 68

Classified Form 68

Advertisers Index 69

On Watch: A. J. Evans 70

16 Trends in the Charter Industry

With the escalating costs of ownership, the idea of chartering a sailboat is more attractive than ever. We spoke with Ian Pedersen, Marketing Manager at The Moorings - North America in Clearwater, FL about the options for creating the vacation of a lifetime.

36 A Brilliant Adventure

One of the most beautiful boats sailing the waters of the Northeast is the 61foot schooner Brilliant. Participants in Mystic Seaport’s Brilliant Teen Sailing Program learn about sail handling, teamwork, being a good shipmate, stewardship, navigation, and proper seamanship as they cruise the New England coastline. Emily Bullard describes an unforgettable experience.

44 The 2015 Vineyard Race Aboard Pleiad Racing

Co-skippers Ed Cesare and Chad Corning sailed Ed’s Class40 to second place overall in Stamford Yacht Club’s Labor Day weekend classic, winning the Jig Time Performance Trophy for the best corrected time in the PHRF Double-Handed Class. Chad describes a very rewarding race.

48 Team Dolphin Takes the Vintage Day Racer Prize in the Opera House Cup

One of Captain Nat Herreshoff’s finest, the 101-year-old Newport 29 Dolphin has collected more silverware than any other boat in American yacht racing history, and she continued her winning ways at Nantucket Race Week. Team Dolphin co-captain Tom Darling has the story of delivering the goods on the 40th anniversary of this classic beauty’s debut in the Opera House Cup. 69 On Watch: A. J. Evans

He’s a very active member of the Cruising Club of America, the Storm Trysail Club and the New York Yacht Club, an accomplished inshore and offshore racer, an award-winning navigator and a very busy race officer. Meet A. J. Evans, the youngest Race Chair in the history of the Newport Bermuda Race.

On the cover: Allen Clark captured Pleiad Racing co-skippers Ed Cesare and Chad Corning on their way to a class victory and second place overall in the 2015 Vineyard Race. We have a report from Chad on page 44, and photos of other class winners on page 46. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

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Letters Take a Vet Sailing!

Sail Ahead’s first annual event, “Let’s Take a Veteran Sailing,” was by far a great success! Generously hosted by Centerport Yacht Club in Centerport, NY and with the participation of 80 veterans and over 200 skippers/crews/guests, we had 31 sailboats, two RIBS, and one helicopter.

The USMMA Sailing Foundation and Oakcliff Sailing also supported our event by providing boats, cadets and skippers.

The youngest veteran was 25 years old and the oldest was 92. We were privileged to have five veterans over the age of 80! Everyone enjoyed the event!

Photos can be viewed on facebook.com/sailahead – Please like us on Facebook.

Veronica Duclay, via email Editor’s note: Veronica is the mother of Sail Ahead co-founders Kilian Duclay (age 18) and Sean Duclay (16). “Sail Ahead: Healing Wounded Veterans Through Sailing” appeared in our August issue and can be found online at windcheckmagazine.com. We applaud the efforts of everyone at Sail Ahead and their supporters, and look forward to the expansion of this amazing program. Keep up the great work, guys!

Searching for Ensign Hull # 158 I am trying to locate the sailboat I grew up with as a boy on the

Connecticut coast – a 1962 Ensign then known as Socrates. She was later known as Second Wind, and sailed out of Manhasset, NY until she was sold (circa 2000) to a buyer in Lloyd Harbor, NY. After that, the trail has gone cold for me in this nostalgic search (but it’s also a practical search: I’m interested in buying the boat back if I can find her). She is hull # 158 and (at least long ago) had 158 on her mainsail underneath the Ensign class logo.

Thank you, Mark Teitell, Pleasanton, CA Editor’s note: If you have any information on the whereabouts of Ensign # 158, please send an email to contactus@windcheckmagazine. com and we’ll forward your message to Mark.

Correction: We failed to include Tim Clark and Dave Perry on the list of contributors in our September issue. Tim wrote “Demystifying Sailing Protests Though Open Hearings” (it’s posted at windcheckmagazine.com in case you missed it), and Dave checked in with tips on running a successful open protest hearing. Thanks, guys!

Editor’s Note: There was some confusion surrounding the “Revitalized Stamford Waterfront Welcomes Boaters” article in our September issue. This piece was written to alert boaters to the amenities now available at newly renovated sections of Stamford’s Harbor, as well as mention additional initiatives proposed for further development in the future that may benefit boaters. This article was not political in nature. We aspire to provide information about sailing opportunities throughout the Northeast. F

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Checking In...

Offshore Boat Prep Seminar is November 7 Brewer Pilots Point Marina in Westbrook, CT will host an Offshore Boat Preparation Seminar for racers and cruisers on Saturday, November 7. This is the third in the series for the Brewer Yacht Yard Group, who has hosted two previous events that were well attended by offshore sailors and crews planning to participate in the 2016 Newport Bermuda Race or make an offshore voyage.

The seminar will focus on assisting racers and offshore sailors how to prepare their vessels for a safe and swift voyage. Speakers will include Rives Potts, owner/skipper of the 2010 and 2012 St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy winner Carina, Michael Keyworth, VP and GM of Brewer Cove Haven Marina, and Newport Bermuda Race Chief Inspector James Phyfe.

The team of Brewer experts will discuss the elements of the most commonly used offshore safety standards, including the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) and US Sailing Special Equipment Requirements (USSER). Using images and demonstrations, presenters will discuss the intent behind each requirement and straightforward methods of compliance that won’t break the bank.

Race-ready boats will be available for review and discussion.

mind that comes with hearing from the most experienced advisors in the industry. The cost of $125 per boat entitles all crewmembers to attend. For more information on the seminar and to register, visit www.byy.com/NBR or contact Lynn Oliver at loliver@byy.com. F

CPYC Commissions New Pavilion Hundreds of Cedar Point Yacht Club members gathered on Labor Day to commission the Westport, CT club’s first major expansion in 50 years, a beautiful open-air pavilion. Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe and Planning & Zoning member Catherine Walsh attended the festivities, and Marpe used oversize scissors to ceremonially cut a giant red ribbon to begin the festivities. CPYC Commodore Harrison Gill officiated at the historical gathering, which was attended by several past commodores and other town and club VIPs.

© Guy Gurney

Racers and Brewer staff will demonstrate some common methods of meeting the Newport Bermuda Race’s stringent inspection requirements. © Brewer Yacht Yard Group

While particular emphasis will be placed on the requirements for the 2016 Newport Bermuda Race, common provisions of all offshore racing requirements will be discussed and ample time will be allowed for questions and answers. Topics will include: hull construction and stability; rigging and sail selection (including storm sails); safety and emergency equipment; training and Safety at Sea credentials; and navigation and communication devices.

Of value to both racers and cruisers alike, this series will give anyone preparing their boat for extended voyaging the peace of

“Clearly the building is ideal to serve visiting sailors at signature events like the One-Design Regatta, National Championship Regattas, Junior Race Week and similar events, but it also provides a new focal point for dining, sunbathing, dancing, games, social events like weddings, office parties, Wednesday Night Dinners, not to mention utilitarian winter uses by the frostbite sailing program and covered storage for our significant powerboat flotilla and mast storage,” Harrison said.

Built to withstand 120-mile per hour winds, the roofed structure measures 50 feet wide and 64 feet long for a total covered area of 3,200 square feet. The patio surface extends out an additional 16 feet along the south and east sides, enhancing opportunities for sunbathing and flexible uses. The club plans to fit the building with removable acrylic side panels for additional weather protection, and has ordered teak furniture for use in the Pavilion and the surrounding sun deck. F

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Checking In...

City Island Nautical Museum Ship Building Exhibit

By the turn of the 20th century, City Island, New York had become a major center for wooden boat building with a worldwide reputation for the highest quality. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, the City Island Nautical Museum has mounted an exhibition of photographs and commentary on the extraordinary period in City Island’s Commissioned by tobacco heir R. J. history when yacht and Reynolds, the Sparkman & Stephens shipbuilding were at sloop Blitzen was built by Henry B. their peak.

Nevins Incorporated in City Island, NY in 1937.

Curated by trustee Barbara Harrison, the exhibition will be on view through December 20, 2015, and from March through June 2016. Featured are all the old yards, the

brilliant craftsmen who worked there, the methods of construction they used, and the famous sailing and motor yachts they produced. Also highlighted are the military vessels that were built during the war years and the 12 Metre sloops that successfully defended the America’s Cup seven times.

The City Island Nautical Museum is located in a former school building, now a landmark, at 190 Fordham Street. There is no admission charge, but donations are gratefully accepted.

The museum is operated by the City Island Historical Society, a non-profit organization chartered by the State of New York’s Department of Education. Regular hours are Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. Special tours available by appointment. For more information and directions, visit cityislandmuseum.org. F

Dyer Dhow Derby Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT is holding its 66th Annual Dyer Dhow Derby on Saturday, October 17. The classic 9-foot Dyer Dhows are a mainstay of the Museum’s sail training fleet, and are used in both the Joseph Conrad Overnight Sailing Camp and the community sailing programs. The Derby is a day of racing on the Mystic River held in honor of the yacht clubs, sailing associations, and individuals who have donated to, or supported, the fleet of more than 50 boats at Mystic, the largest fleet of Dyer Dhows in North America. Each Dhow, built by The Anchorage in Warren, RI, is named after its donor.

© Mystic Seaport

This event is free and open to all who would like to race.

There will be Women’s, Men’s, Pairs, and “Quarter Ton” races.

There will also be a junior race early in the day for sailors under the age of 14. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to create teams, and prizes will be given to the teams with the most team swag, most decorated boat, and most spirit. All races will be held on the Mystic River across from the dock at the north end of the Museum grounds closest to Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern. Interested parties can register online at mysticseaport. org/event/dyer-dhow-derby/. The 2015 Dyer Dhow Derby is made possible by Gowrie Group. F 12 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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Checking In...

No-Cost “Boater’s Guide To Winterizing” Offered by BoatUS Water expands in volume by about nine percent when it freezes, creating a staggering force that can crack a boat’s engine block, damage fiberglass, split hoses, or destroy a refrigeration system overnight. As cold weather approaches, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) dug into its claims data and found that more than three-quarters of winter-related claims involved cracks in the engine block or exhaust manifolds. Now, the national boating services, safety and advocacy group is offering a free 15-page “Boater’s Guide to Winterizing” that can ensure boaters don’t miss a step for any type of boat.

The downloadable brochure addresses the reasons for more than 95 percent of the freeze claims handled by the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program in the past decade. Included are chapters on Storing your boat – the options and the tradeoffs; a Winterizing Checklist to use as the starting point for creating your own boat’s winterizing list; Engines and Drives – The dos and don’ts; and Plumbing – Getting the water out. Additional information includes tips on choosing antifreeze, lessons learned from BoatUS Consumer Affairs about protecting yourself with a winterization contract, and green winterizing information. The checklist is available at BoatUS.com/winterizingguide. F

Unlike this vessel, boats that are properly winterized are most likely to enter next year’s boating season without damage and ready to hit the water. © Jack Hornor

Please send your news, events and waterfront opportunities to contactus@windcheckmagazine.com 14 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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Trends in the Charter Industry

The options for an unforgettable sailing vacation are greater than ever.

To learn about what’s new in chartering, we spoke with Ian Pedersen, Marketing Manager at The Moorings - North America in Clearwater, FL.

WindCheck: What changes are you seeing in the charter industry?

Ian Pedersen: The power catamaran and crewed yacht products are where I see the future of the charter industry. Historically, yacht chartering has been reserved for avid sailors; those adventurers looking to try their hand at sailing in new, exotic destinations on a traditional monohull sailboat. The lure of bareboat sailing certainly has its place and will continue to prosper for years to come. However, increasingly we are seeing the non-sailor market discovering and falling in love with vacationing on the water, and power catamarans and all-inclusive crewed yachts open this world to those who cannot sail themselves but want to experience the lifestyle just the same.

In addition, catamaran sailing has grown exponentially over the past decade. Devoted sailors and beginners alike have fallen in love with this more spacious, relaxed form of sailing. To be sure, some hardcore sailors are monohull purists, but for many charterers on vacation a premium is put on space, comfort, and amenities that make you feel right at home; and modern-day catamarans offer all of the above. Most monohulls are based on performance. Space is limited on deck, in the cockpit, at the helm, and in the galley. By comparison, a catamaran’s sole purpose is to maximize space on board. There is twice as much deck space, and the galley, the cabins and cockpit areas are expansive.

One can easily accommodate up to eight

© Julian Love

guests on a 45-foot catamaran. In addition, new Moorings catamarans come equipped with a generator which powers all the comforts of home: air conditioning, a microwave, hair dryers, stereos with MP3 connections, flatscreen TVs, DVD players, and of course the all-important coffee maker! In short, catamarans these days have become floating hotel rooms.

The only disadvantage (which can be considered an advantage to some) is that a catamaran is not a performance-based vessel. It will not heel over in high winds, and is much heavier in the water.

Therefore it is much more stable. In the Caribbean in general, a catamaran’s shallow keel means you can sail almost completely worry-free. You can get much closer to shallow shorelines, most notably in the Bahamas, and still have a few feet of water to work with. When you’re looking for great snorkeling holes or trying to reduce the distance of your dinghy ride to shore, that extra 50 meters to shore can seem like a long way off. For those looking to truly harness the winds, however, a monohull is still the way to go.

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For those seeking a more luxurious sailing experience, allinclusive crewed yachts are gaining popularity as well. There is certainly a majesty to sailing your own boat with just your friends and family on board. You can do what you want, when you want to do it. If you enjoy sailing yourself, obviously a private charter would be preferable. However, if you’re an inexperienced sailor or just looking for a more exclusive vacation, consider a crewed yacht charter complete with a captain and gourmet chef. Imagine waking up to breakfast already made, and drinking your morning coffee on deck while looking out over the horizon as your crew steers you to your next destination. You then decide to go snorkeling for a few hours, and when you return lunch and cocktails are served. Don’t know which islands to visit each day? No problem; your crew knows all the best spots to take you. It is sailing in its most serene state.

WC: What are the most popular charter locations?

IP: For U.S. and Canadian-based vacationers, most charterers visit the Caribbean due to its proximity and year-round tropical climate, however we also offer charters in the Mediterranean and South Pacific. The most popular destinations we

offer are the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and Miami, specifically because they are perfect for beginners and seasoned cruisers alike. They are easy to travel to, the waters are calm, navigation is easy, and there is ample opportunity to hop ashore and visit a new beach bar or local marina or restaurant. At the same time, there are lots of opportunities to escape and simply anchor off your own pristine beach for the night. More experienced boaters will enjoy more exotic locations such as St. Martin and St. Lucia, or perhaps the Greek isles or Tahiti where the sails are longer each day, but you are rewarded with some of the most beautiful vistas in the world.

WC: For sailors who want to race, what are some of the regattas for which you charter?

IP: If the thrill of racing beckons, why not try it out in warmer climates? The Caribbean racing circuit is healthier than ever, featuring fun regattas in a range of yacht classes to suit racers of every caliber. After the races, there is nothing like dancing the night away with your toes in the sand. For members of the airline industry, The Moorings hosts the annual Interline Regatta each October in the British Virgin Islands. Effectively kicking

© Julian Love

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off the sailing season each fall, the Interline Regatta has been a BVI institution for the past 34 years, and is an exclusive Moorings event. In addition to this event, The Moorings also participates in the BVI Spring Regatta, the Heineken Regatta in St. Martin, Antigua Sailing Week, the Tahiti Pearl Regatta, Grenada Sailing Festival, and Regatta Time in Abaco.

WC: Which islands do you recommend for sailors with young children?

IP: I wouldn’t venture to say that particular regions are not ideal for travelers with young children, however a few do stand out as being a little easier to manage while on charter. I would recommend the Abacos, Bahamas, and the British Virgin Islands. In both of these regions the waters are nicely sheltered, and the winds fairly consistent. Only in © Geoffrey Ragatz rare instances will the conditions pick up and be IP: For those vacationers seeking a little more adventure, the cruisconsidered “rough” sailing. There are also plenty of ing grounds of St. Martin, St. Lucia and Grenada offer lots of explaces ashore to go shopping, visit a pristine white-sand beach, go citing activities on shore, ranging from the world-famous shopping to restaurants and museums, and truly experience everything the on St. Barth, the world’s only “drive-in” volcano and the majestic destination has to offer. It is the perfect family vacation.

Pitons of St. Lucia, to the ruins of colonial forts and the colorful,

cultural melting-pot of St. George’s, Grenada.

WC: Which islands are the best choices for sailors

To learn more about The Moorings, log onto seeking shoreside activities like hiking, sightseeing moorings.com. F and shopping?

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From the Log of Persevere: Sail On, Aspen

By Colin Rath Editor’s note: This is the ninth installment in a series of dispatches from the Rath family (Colin & Pam, daughters Breana, Meriel and Nerina), who departed Stamford, CT in October 2014 for a worldwide cruise aboard their Hanse 545 Persevere. You’ll find previous articles at windcheckmagazine.com.

After finishing the Transatlantic Race 2015, we had a week in Cowes, Isle of Wight to readjust to land and restore Persevere to racing status again before our next regatta, the Bicentenary Royal Yacht Squadron Race Week. The RYS happens to be the yacht club that came up with the starboard right of way rule – that’s how established the club is. The other wild thing is the clubhouse is the race committee boat and they use their flagstaff as the starting line and for race signals.

The RYS clubhouse is basically a castle filled with oil paintings and sailing artifacts that are 200 years old – quite a sight. The town of Cowes is busy in the summer with a race week almost every week, ending with Cowes Race Week. This year’s 200th anniversary of RYS brought even more boats out on the water, including three J Class boats. RYS had races around marks all week, but we didn’t want to beat ourselves up with the Rolex Fastnet Race coming up.

So, we only did the Around the Island Race, which was a beautiful day sail around the Isle of Wight, with 5-knot currents, shifting breeze and a course right through heavy commercial traffic. Racing doesn’t get more brilliant than that, the Brits would say. Once the race was over, it was time to do some family travel. I hadn’t seen them for a while and kids needed some daddy time.

Heading out to the start of the Fastnet

© persevere60545.com

My family went to London for a week and then to Wilderness Fest (wildernessfestival.com) outside Oxford. We had a new crewmember, who joined us in London to help out with home schooling. We flew in Arianna, who just graduated with a teaching degree. She agreed to travel with us for six months and help out. The kids loved her right away, and with a non-family member teaching them, they excelled in school, especially the twins. We had spent six months recruiting Arianna to make sure she was compatible. Now the six of us toured London, doing all the usual London

Aspen was a friend to all who sailed on Persevere. © persevere60545.com

Bridge, Tower of London, and endless wandering the streets of London. Beautiful city, but you need a navigator to use the tube to get around.

After a few days, we drove out to the Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire, and rented a teepee for four days of the fest. This was not your usual rave. They had eight stages, comedy tents, wilderness crafts tents, empowerment discussions and wood-burning redwood hot tubs, and some of the top restaurants in London had long table dining banquets that we reserved. The kids had a blast making crafts, dancing and we saw an Alice in Wonderland opera.

We had nice meals, great music, healthy discussions with locals and enjoyed cricket matches with a sharp wit commentary and multiple streaking interruptions. We found the British quite humorous and enjoyed ourselves. It was an adventure we shall never forget. I would recommend the Wilderness Festival to anyone.

We proceeded to go back to Cowes and prepare for the Fastnet. The crew was returning from travels abroad; some stayed and raced in Cowes Race Week and new crew members were flying in from the states for the race. All would be amassing on the boat, and needed direction to prepare for the Fastnet. The forecast was for light winds, and with the strong tides meant a long race, but it was to pick up later in the week. There were over 350 boats on the starting line. It was quite a sight, with the whole channel filled with sailboats from around the world. The navigation screen was just a mass of boat names from AIS positions until you zoomed to the 100-foot screen to actually see anybody. It was nice to see everybody was in the same weather (or lack of it), and we compared our SOG with everyone to see if they had wind or tide advantages.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club takes safety seriously, and requires all entrants to go through a gate prior to starting with their storm trysail and storm jib up…not a bad idea considering the Fastnet’s history. Once the masses cleared out through the Needles, after being carried mostly by the outgoing tide, the fleet began to spread out. Locals kept to shore, and everyone else was scattered about. The first three days were a search for wind, to straight doldrums of making one knot with 35 boats around us.

As we approached the Irish Coast the wind started to pick up, and rounding Fastnet Rock lived up to all it could be. Gray skies, raining, cold and building winds, just as you pictured it, and the

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Royal Ocean Racing Club has a boat there taking your picture for nostalgia…or proof. We had good winds until the end and placed 39th in our division of 53. Not bad for a first Fastnet. We had a final crew dinner and motored back to Cowes for Pam’s Birthday and to start putting the boat to back into cruising mode.

My family had been living out of air BNBs for over 90 days, and were looking forward to moving back aboard. It took me six days to rebuild the boat, put down carpet and move 27 boxes of my family’s possessions back aboard. Plus all the repairs that were needed from the races. All looked good to leave for Honfleur, France and we were all set to go when a series of unfortunate events unfolded.

The night before departure, Arianna, informed me that she was going home, for personal and family reasons. I told her that was not acceptable, that she had made a commitment, especially since we had paid to fly her over and she had spent a month enjoying England at my expense. Unknown to us, she had made up her mind several days before. She left without saying goodbye to the kids, who were devastated, crying for three days with a deep feeling of betrayal.

The kids were coming out of that disappointment when trag-

Don’t Miss This Limited-Time Exhibition at Mystic Seaport

No LONGER LOST at SEA. For millennia, no one could accurately determine longitude at sea. Ships that went off course could be forever lost at sea. Then John Harrison invented the H4 watch and changed sea navigation forever.

Today, his innovative breakthrough is part of an astonishing exhibit at Mystic Seaport that tells the story of the race to find longitude.

Wilderness Festival teepee village © persevere60545.com

edy struck. Aspen, our Alaskan Malamute, began having stomach pains the second night in Honfleur We thought it was just gas and gave him a laxative. We walked him around all night until he fell asleep. In the morning he was bloated and in pain, so we brought him to a local vet. At this point he couldn’t even walk. I had to carry him. The vet told us that his stomach had turned and that we must get him to the animal hospital in Le Harve immediately or he would die. We spent a half hour trying to get a cab, but French cabs don’t carry dogs and he died in my arms.

Aspen was my first dog. We had visited many vets in several states in the USA to get vaccines for international travel, and never did I hear about the possibility of Aspen turning his stomach. It turns out that there is an operation in which a dog’s stomach is sewn to the inside of the body that would have prevented this. We were never told. Aspen was a great dog. He sailed to many countries with us and befriended many people worldwide. He will be missed.

Aspen was one of a kind. F

Next up for Persevere is the RORC Transatlantic Race (Lanzarote to Grenada) in November. Look for updates on the Rath family’s journey in future issues of WindCheck, and track their progress at Persevere60545.com and their Facebook page, “Persevere60545.” windcheckmagazine.com

Exhibition produced by the National Maritime Museum, London

EXHIBIT NOW OPEN

www.mysticseaport.org

Principal Media Sponsor

WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 21

Sound Environment...

Liquid Gold

By Jennifer R. Nolan

What is more precious than gold?

The correct answer just might be seawater. Our oceans are rich in biodiversity, provide 50% percent of the oxygen we breathe and sustain billions of people with fish as their primary source of protein – it’s virtually priceless. The noble Dr. Sylvia Earle points out, “The ocean is our life support system.” And while it may be hard for anyone to comWhen you get to spend time at sea, and watch the sun set over an prehend that this exceptionally endless horizon, you can get a glimpse of liquid gold. vast body of water, and its marine ecosystem, are in jeopardy, © Jim Abernethy/jimabernethyimagery.com it is.

Some still wonder if we’re actually capable of altering something so much larger than ourselves – but we are, and What’s at risk? Everything. we have, and we’ve managed to do so in a remarkably short Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich put it best when he said, “In amount of time. If we keep in mind that life on Earth began pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy saw3.5 billion years ago, we start to recognize that humans, which ing off the limb on which it perches.” If phytoplankton can’t arrived 500,000 years ago, are the new kids on the block, and survive in the acidic seawater we have created, we stand to responsible for a lot of destruction to the neighborhood over lose 50% of our oxygen supply and the very foundation of the the past 150 years. ocean’s food chain.

With major advances in marine sciences available since the 1980s, compelling data now reveals a “sea of science” proving A Basic Fact that pollution in the form of carbon dioxide emissions delivers When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels go up, ocean pH levels collateral damage to the planet. After nearly two centuries of go down. To elaborate on how ocean acidification occurs, imagcarelessly emitting this pollution, ocean acidification is one of ine the following. When seawater (naturally alkaline) interacts the outcomes. Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction, with the CO2 molecule, it immediately forms carbonic acid states, “Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, humans by binding to the carbonate molecules. Why is this a problem? have burned enough fossil fuels – coal, oil, natural gas – to add For two reasons: seawater becomes too acidic when pH levels 365 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere…Each drop, and those same carbonate molecules, that are essentially year, we throw up another nine billion tons or so.” Time has kidnapped by CO2, are then not available to the wide assortproven that what we dump into the atmosphere does not magi- ment of creatures that make shells and skeletons of calcium cally disappear – it basically comes back full circle. carbonate (coral, clams, snails, various plankton, etc.). The

While waiting for effective global environmental ethics and presence of carbonate molecules is essential for even the most regulations to be instituted, the dumping of massive amounts microscopic, single-celled organisms that exist at the base of the of carbon dioxide (CO2) into Earth’s atmosphere continues. food chain – pteropods, foraminifera and coccolithophorids, to Severe weather patterns, drought, wildfires, flooding and list a few. If these microorganisms don’t thrive and survive, the melting icebergs continue to make headlines, but it’s perhaps entire marine ecosystem is at risk. our oceans that are taking the biggest hit – they absorb up to

In an effort to recognize the importance of our oceans, an one-third of all CO2 emissions. Seawater is naturally alkaline, executive order was established in 2010 entitled: Stewardship with a pH balance of 8.2, but due to excess carbon dioxide of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. This led to the emissions, ocean acidity has increased by 30%, a spike in recent creation of the National Ocean Council, and recognized that: decades. From dead zones to oyster hatcheries collapsing and “The ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, seashells dissolving (due to low pH levels), the ocean is maxed energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism out. opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transporta22 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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tion, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security.” This was a strong movement forward in protecting our nation’s waterways, however, it can be said this was akin to finally installing smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and new safety protocol while others in the neighborhood are still allowed to play with matches around gasoline.

As the BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico becomes a distant memory, our nation continues to debate the controversial expansion of offshore drilling and the Keystone pipeline.

Even if we could access millions of barrels of oil without the threat of a spill, our strategy for the future can’t be a reliance on fossil fuels. We’ve spent our carbon allowance; the signs are now everywhere we turn. Scientists estimate that unless drastic measures are taken to curb carbon dioxide emissions, concentrations in the atmosphere could reach as high as 500 parts per million by 2050 – anything over 350 ppm is considered the danger zone, and we are currently at 400 ppm and climbing annually at a rate of 2 ppm. Due to these changes, extinction rates are soaring worldwide. A new film, Racing Extinction, by Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos, examines this time sensitive issue closely, getting to the heart of the problem (human activity), and offers solutions. Discovery channel will release the film this fall.

Your Actions Matter The good news, there are many ways to tackle this carbon dioxide problem. Start by making your home more energy efficient with better insulation, efficient air conditioners, LED lights, solar panels, and energy audits. Change your transportation method by driving an electric car or hybrid, walk more, bike, carpool and use public transportation; you’ll be healthier and so will the planet. Taking action means signing petitions and voting for public officials that support environmental policies.

Lastly, help spread the word that actions matter, ignite advocacy for the oceans and planet at large. What we do to the planet, we do to ourselves.

In Pete Seeger’s song, “The World’s Last Whale,” he sings, “Down in the Antarctic the harpoons wait, but it’s up on land you decide my fate.” Today, we’ve managed to create the most threatening “harpoon” of all – ocean acidification; it’s aimed at billions of microorganisms and countless species. But the irony, that same “harpoon” we now aim at ourselves. If we want to make peace with the planet, we surely know where to start. F Jennifer R. Nolan is an author, lecturer and Senior Partner of LegaSeas, a non-profit organization with a mission of inspiring people to help protect oceans. Her latest book, a collaboration with marine life photographer Jim Abernethy, is Sea Turtles Up Close.

This Sailors for the Sea Ocean Watch Essay is reprinted with permission. To learn more about Sailors for the Sea’s programs and how you can be the change you want to sea, visit sailorsforthesea.org.

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WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 23

The Boating Barrister What A Sailor Needs to Know About Arbitration

By John K. Fulweiler As a lawyer, my stage is crowded with both victories and losses.

That’s the nature of the beast and the best I can hope is my victories continue to outnumber my losses. Most claims in the maritime sector that aren’t settled are resolved in litigation or arbitration. However, and like the occasional court decision, not every arbitration award will be an example of prosaic reasoning, but unlike a court decision, there’s rarely a meaningful appeal process by which to seek relief from being caught behind a shipwreck of an arbitration award. This circumstance, along with others, makes it important a party understand the pros and cons of agreeing to arbitration.

An arbitration is a private forum the parties agree to use to decide a dispute. Unlike mediation, the decision issued by the arbitrators (often referred to as an “arbitration award”) is typically binding on the parties absent a narrow set of circumstances such as when it can be shown the arbitrators exceeded their powers or where there was a manifest disregard of the law or if you can establish bias. From a practical perspective, because the threshold to overturn an arbitration award is so high, a party considering arbitration is probably best served by simply realizing an arbitration award is usually final and binding. End of story.

How the arbitration process will unfold is driven by the rules of the arbitration forum. In some instances, the arbitration will only involve written submissions which the arbitrators will use to base their decision. Sometimes, the parties submit written submissions and the arbitrators convene hearings at which to accept live testimony from various witnesses. In general, the rules of evidence are very relaxed in an arbitration forum, meaning what you believe is unreliable evidence may be considered by the arbitrators whereas it would not have been in a judicial setting. Likewise, the conduct of attorneys, in my personal opinion, is not as strictly regulated in an arbitration as it would be in a courtroom setting, which may allow for arguments and insinuations that could never be raised before a judge or jury.

Another consideration in electing to use arbitration is the arbitrators may be known and have involvement in the industry.

This is particularly the case in maritime arbitration, where some of the maritime arbitration programs require the arbitrators possess maritime experience. One or both parties may find this is a positive factor as the conflict or circumstance may be better understood from someone, in the lexicon of the wordsmith L.L. Cool J, who is from ‘round the way.’ Still, they’re probably good and convincing arguments against allowing someone from ‘round the way’ to rule on your maritime dispute when you hail

from a different neighborhood.

The appellate process forces the trial court to explain its reasoning and get its facts right. Thus, while it’s easy to lose in grand form at the trial court level, it won’t likely be at the fickle whim of the judge. In not finding your witnesses credible and disagreeing with your law, the trial court judge will likely issue some form of explanation that, at a minimum, will give a party some measure of understanding as to where the claim got off the rails and may, sometimes, provide a basis by which to appeal. In my experience, not all arbitration outcomes are based on a fully formed opinion that would withstand the traditional appellate process.

Lots of times you’ll hear arbitration championed because it’s quicker and cheaper than the judicial process. Indeed, that may be the case. However, consideration should be given to fully understanding the time frame and costs of arbitration before pulling the trigger. Arbitration will always be good for certain claims and will always be able to trumpet certain inherent advantages over litigation, but after having paddled around in the arbitration waters for a long time, I’m increasingly circumspect.

I query whether the ultimate costs of arbitration (both monetarily and otherwise) are, in fact, less than the judicial process.

The bottom line is before you elect to pursue arbitration, sit down with your admiralty attorney and have a real chat about the arbitration process and the arbitrators that may rule on your claim. You may decide the arbitration forum is a good fit, you may have good prior experiences with arbitration, and you may favor its streamlined approach to decision making.

Whatever the case, the point is you should take the time to understand the pros and cons of arbitration before you toss the trial court over the side rail.

This article is provided for your general information, is not legal opinion and should not be relied upon. Always seek legal counsel to understand your rights and remedies.

Underway and making way.

24 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

Admiralty attorney John K. Fulweiler, Esq. practices maritime law on the East and Gulf Coasts. As a former partner of a Manhattan maritime firm, John now helms his own practice located in Newport, Rhode Island where he helps individuals and businesses navigate the choppy waters of the maritime law. John can be reached anytime at 1-800-383-MAYDAY (6293) or via e-mail at john@fulweilerlaw.com.

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Book Reviews...

Casting Off

How a city girl found happiness on the high seas

By Emma Bamford Published by Adlard Coles Nautical, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing 346 pages paperback $16 Although she had aspired to become a journalist since age 16 and currently worked as a reporter and news editor at a national newspaper, Emma Bamford was feeling a growing sense of ennui. While her friends were getting married and having babies she was struggling to get to a fourth date, and a highlight of her career was asking Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button about his favorite toasted sandwich filling.

Resolving to reclaim her freedom and live life on her terms, Emma answered a “crew wanted” ad on the Internet. She soon found herself selling her car and packing her bags, bound for the jungles of Borneo to join a complete stranger (and his cat) on a boat. Her journey takes her from hidden jungle rivers to farflung island beaches. With self-deprecating humor, she describes an encounter with pygmy elephants, a terrifying near-miss with pirates, meeting fun-loving folks from around the world, and fending off romantic propositions from a Moldovan pig farmer and a Sri Lankan village chief. In the author’s words, “It is possible to break free and find happiness – and love – in the most unlikely places.”

An author, journalist and sailor, Emma Bamford has worked at The Independent and the Daily Express. She lives in Derbyshire, England. You’ll find her entertaining blog at emmabamford.com. Casting Off is Emma’s first book. Whether you choose the paperback or the eBook, it’s a great read. F

windcheckmagazine.com

Salty Dog Talk

The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions

By Bill Beavis & Richard McCloskey Published by Adlard Coles Nautical, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing 96 pages paperback $16 A remarkable number of commonly used words and phrases in the English language have their origins in nautical history. Richard McCloskey, an American maritime historian, and Bill Beavis, a seaman turned journalist who had a longtime interest in nautical etymology, compiled more than 200 of these everyday sayings for this book, which was originally published in 1983 and is now back by popular demand.

While most of these terms originated in the British Navy, a few have roots in French (“mayonnaise” – coined after a French victory in a battle in Minorca in 1756) or Latin (“junk,” from the word “juncus,” meaning to join). Most sailors will be familiar with such maritime phrases as “coast is clear,” “leeway” or “scuppered,” although some may be surprised to learn the origins of “son of a gun” or “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” It’s also interesting to note the language of the sea that has found its way into song lyrics, including “money for rope” (John Lennon), “sold down the river” (Ian Hunter), and “I’m alright, Jack” (Pink Floyd).

Illustrated with a collection of amusing cartoons, Salty Dog Talk is also available as an eBook. So, when the sun is over the yardarm and you’re ready to splice the main brace, this charming and witty seafarer’s favorite will put a new slant on things.F

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October 2015 25

From the Captain of the Port Mal de Mer – Oh, My Aching Stomach!

By Vincent Pica Commodore, First District, Southern Region (D1SR) United States Coast Guard Auxiliary As an avid student of the sea, I am always amazed when I read that even some of the ‘round the world sailors get “mal de mer” – seasickness. While they get over it in a few days, which everyone will if they are just out there long enough, I wonder how they can put to sea knowing with certainty that they will be sick as dogs for two or three days.

What Is/What Causes Seasickness?

Seasickness starts in your inner ear. It is caused by the rocking of the boat at sea and, from my own observations, I believe that each boat has a certain rocking motion that is unique to itself and that each sailor has a unique tendency versus that. I have seen sailors on multiple configurations of boats, multiple sizes and various sea-states who get seasick without any predictability versus these mixes. Of course, there is the person who gets seasick at the dock as they get out of the car. While they are genuinely sick, they are not sick from the motion. They are sick from “e-motion.” They are convinced that

they will get sick; they fear that; they get sick as soon as they slam the car door shut. I know of one sailor who only gets seasick in the English Channel. Of course, the first time he was there was during the Normandy Invasion and he crossed it sitting with plenty of other soldiers also getting seasick all over each other… To the sailor who gets chronic seasickness, it is like being in a cold, wet, rolling jail cell – plus the chance of drowning is never too far away, at least in their minds.

How Can I Stop It? First, don’t get seasick. This means keeping your eye on the horizon as best you can. Watching the boat itself rock around is like reading in a car. It is going to cause problems because your mind and inner ear can’t process all those rapid little motions. If you start to get the least bit queasy, stand up or lie down – but get out of that chair.

Having your innards pressing on your stomach, which is reacting to the signals from your inner ear, is a recipe for projectile emissions.

Second, if someone around you starts to turn green, get away “at speed.” If it is your wife, throw her a bucket and your best wishes.* You will rapidly follow the leader if you don’t. Resist the temptation to have them or yourself avail yourself of the “puke deck,” i.e. evacuating overboard. Your internal balance system is shot. One bad jibe and you will be following your lunch into the drink. But be aware of this. If you have gotten seasick, and you haven’t started preventative measures the night before you set sail, pray that you

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can fall asleep. There is nothing you can do if you haven’t started preventative measures well prior, other than letting nature take its course. See above about those ‘round the world sailors.

How Do I Prevent It? There are plenty of over-the-counter remedies (and I use remedies with a small ‘r’ because, for some people, they are just palliatives, not fixes) that come in pill or patch form - Dramamine, Marezine, Bonine, Scapolamine (behind the ear patches), etc. If you are going to try one, you might want to start with Marezine, since it is the least likely to cause drowsiness. Scapolamine is probably the most effective and its effects also last the longest, about 72 hours. It can have some strange side effects, however, and requires a doctor’s prescription. Phenergan, a suppository, can also be purchased over the counter.

A natural aid is ginger. You can stock up at the Japanese restaurant or just buy the tablets (or the cookies). Many people swear by ginger, and I have seen it work with my kids. But start the night before… One of the more “esoteric” types of remedy is the wristbands. They are supposed to work on your acupuncture point that is about an inch and a half above your inner wrist. Hey, if it works for you, use it.

I am not a doctor. I am a sailor and a keen observer of the obvious – if it works for you, use it because seasickness is really a malady…

Oh, the asterisk (*) above… One day a few years back, when transiting through the Montauk Rips with a goodly number of friends and family aboard, everyone (‘cept me of course) got seasick, including my wife, Jo, and my young daughter, Mariel. My wife got the bucket and a “Here, use this.” Mariel got a bucket, a warm towel and me holding her hand. My wife said, “Sure. It figures!” between gasps. I said, “Of course it does. She’s only 9!” T’was a cold night for me that night…Aargh!

If you are interested in being part of the USCG Forces, email me at JoinUSCGAux@aol.com or go direct to the D1SR Human Resources department, who are in charge of new members matters, at d1south.org/StaffPages/DSO-HR.php and we will help you “get in this thing.” F Captain Ed Cubanski is the Captain of the Port and Sector Commander for US Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. Captain Cubanski is responsible for all active-duty, reservist and auxiliary Coast Guard personnel within the Sector. As Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary First District, Southern Region, Vin Pica works closely with Captain Cubanski and his staff to promote boating safety in the waters between Connecticut, Long Island and 200 nautical miles offshore.

Sector Long Island Sound Command Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 203-468-4401.

Editor’s note: Weekly updates for the waters from Eastport, ME to Shrewsbury, NJ including discrepancies in Aids to Navigation, chart corrections and waterway projects are listed in the USCG Local Notice to Mariners. Log onto navcen.uscg.gov, scroll to “Current Operational/ Safety Information,” click on “Local Notice to Mariners” then “LNMs

by CG District,” and click on “First District.” windcheckmagazine.com

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October 2015 27

Calendar 2015 OCTOBER Daily through October River Cruises Aboard Schooner Mary E - Enjoy a river excursion (1.5 hours) or a sunset cruise (2 hours) aboard a 108-year-old, 75-foot gaff-rigged schooner. Fee includes museum admission. Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT; Reservations: 860-767-8269; schoonermarye.com; ctrivermuseum.org

© valleynewsnow.com 1 Shoreline Sailing Club meeting - If you’re an active single over 35, this club’s activities include sailing, fishing, kayaking, dances, dockside parties, golfing, skiing and more. Meetings are held the first & third Thursdays of each month (lite bites/cash bar available); 7:30pm; Westbrook Elks Lodge, Westbrook, CT; shorelinesailingclub.com 1 Singles Under Sail meeting - SUS is a sailing club for adults who are also single. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at various locations in Fairfield County, CT; 203-847-3456; visit SinglesUnderSail.org for cruises, lectures and other special events.

1, 8, 15 & 22 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour, 4-session U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general informa-

tion about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 7:30pm; Williamsburg Yacht Club, College Point, NY; Sean Donohoe: 718-565-7952; padraic95@aol. com; usps.org 3 15th Annual Sail For Hope - Founded after the events of September 11, 2001 and hosted by Sail Newport, this event includes an 18-mile race around Conanicut Island and ‘round-the-buoys racing for J/22s and other one-designs. To date, Sail For Hope has raised nearly $1,000,000 for various charities. Newport, RI; sailnewport.org/regattas.html 3 Whitebread 22 - Organized by the Peconic Bay Sailing Association and sponsored by Gosling’s Rum, New Suffolk Shipyard, Preston’s Chandlery, Legends restaurant and Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., this race “Around the Whirl” is open to monohulls 22 feet LOA and up and multihulls 16 feet LOA and up. Cutchogue, NY; pbsa.us 3 The Thomas S. Willets Race - This race honors the memory of EYC Past Commodore Thomas S. Willets, Jr. and his dedication to sailing, racing and the Connecticut River. Essex Yacht Club, Essex, CT; essexyc.com 3 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations.

All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 9am; St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Northport, NY;Vincent Gerretz: 631-824-

7128; BoatEd.NeptuneUSPS@ gmail.com; usps.org 3&4 12th Jesuit Open - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by Fordham University and sailed in 420s. City Island, NY; collegesailing.org

© downunderct.com

© storm.cis.fordham.edu

3&4 25th Annual AYC Fall Series Regatta (second weekend) - IRC, PHRF & One-Design; American Yacht Club, Rye, NY; yachtscoring.com 3&4 Danmark Trophy - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and sailed in FJs and 420s. New London, CT; collegesailing.org 3&4 Celestial Navigation: 19th-Century Methods Students who complete this course will have the basic celestial navigation skills to cross any ocean using the sun, a sextant, and a few other simple tools.

10am - 4pm; $110 ($90 for museum members); Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; 860-572-5322; mysticseaport.org 4 Pink Paddle - Proceeds from this SUP and kayak event support Pink Aid’s mission is to help underserved local women survive breast cancer treatment with support and dignity, to provide screening to women in financial need, and to empower breast cancer survivors to heal by helping and inspiring others.

3 - 4pm; $30; Downunder, Westport, CT; downunderct.com; pinkaid.org

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6, 13, 20 & 27 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour, 4-session U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 7:30pm; Port Washington Yacht Club, Port Washington, NY; Bob Miller: 516-625-0347; rfschreit@aol. com; usps.org 7, 14, 21 & 28 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour, 4-session U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 7pm; Hampton Bays Public Library, Hampton Bays, NY; Debby Tennyson: 631-653-5300; debbytennyson@hotmail.com; usps.org 8 35th Annual Salute to the United States Coast Guard - Presented by the Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families, this event honors brave USCG personnel from around the country. Cocktail Reception 6:30 pm; Dinner & Program 7:30; Times Square Marriott Marquis, New York, NY; coastguardfoundation.org 8 On the Bay: Bay Houses and Maritime Culture on Long Island’s Marshlands windcheckmagazine.com

OCTOBER Continued In this Book & Bottle presentation, author Nancy Solomon will discuss and sign copies of her book about the historical significance of bay houses, how they were used by baymen, and the process of building and maintaining the unique structures. 6pm; free for SCHS members ($5 non-members); includes wine & cheese; Suffolk County Historical Society, Riverhead, NY; RSVP requested: 631-727-2881 ext.

106; schs-museum.org 8 A Look at Superstorm Sandy and NOAA Marine Weather Forecasting - In this Mystic Seaport Adventure Series event, Joseph Sienkiewicz of the National Weather Service will demonstrate the prediction capabilities of the NWS and discuss the complex evolution of Sandy and the implications to forecasts, warnings, and communicating the hazards.1:30 & 7:30 pm; $15 ($20 non-members); students are admitted free;

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The River Room, Latitude 41° Restaurant, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org 8 - 12 46th Annual United States Sailboat Show The nation’s oldest and largest in-water boat show features the biggest multihull collection in the world. Annapolis, MD; annapolisboatshows.com 8, 15, 22 & 29 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour, 4-session U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 7:30pm; Seaford Public Library, Seaford, NY; Skip Glander: 516-946-4339; seaturtle1@optonline.net; usps.org 9 - 12 32nd Annual Mitchell Columbus Day Regatta - This PHRF non-spinnaker pursuit

race from Newport to Block Island is hosted by Newport Yacht Club. Newport, RI; newportyachtclub.org 9 - 12 U.S. Match Racing Championship - This ISAF Grade 3 event will be sailed in Match 40s.

Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, NY; Bill Simon: bsimon@oakcliffsailing.org; oakcliffsailing.org 10 The Gearbuster - IHYC’s 60th Annual Stratford Shoal Race has PHRF, IRC & Doublehanded divisions and two courses: Greenwich, CT around Stratford Shoal and back and a shorter course to Eaton’s Neck and back for Non-Spinnaker boats. Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Greenwich, CT; indianharboryc.com 10 The Greenport Ocean Race & The Greenport Bay Race - In addition to a course around Block Island, this popular event now has two shorter courses to Block and

back without rounding it, as well as a bay race around Robins and Shelter Islands. In addition to the best food at a post-race party, your entry puts you in a drawing for a 7-day charter of a Marine Max 443 sailboat in the BVI. Greenport, NY; register at yachtscoring.com; greenportoceanrace.org 10 LHYC Fall Series at Target Rock - Huntington, NY; Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club, Huntington, NY; lhyc.org 10 Thomas Clark Memorial Race - Essex Corinthian Yacht Club, Essex, CT; essexcyc.org 10 About Boating Safety Completion of this 8-hour class, presented by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 24-3, satisfies the Connecticut licensing requirements for a Safe Boating Certificate and PWC Certificate. Family participation is encouraged. 8am; Flotilla 24-3 Training Center, Milford, CT;

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OCTOBER Continued

860-663-5505; skperrone@ hotmail.com; cgaux.org *All students will need to get a State of CT Conservation ID number before taking the course.Visit ct.outdoorcentral.net/InternetSales/Sales to register for a free ID number.

10 & 11 12th Annual American Yacht Club High Performance Dinghy Open presented by Heineken - Open to 5O5s,Viper 640s, RS K6s, 49ers 49erFXs, F18s, Fireballs, International Canoes, Wetas and other classes and with the sponsor’s fine product in abundance, this event is a perennial favorite.

American Yacht Club, Rye, NY; register at yachtscoring.com 10 & 11 Moody Trophy - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by the University of Rhode Island and sailed in FJs. Kingston, RI; collegesailing.org

10 & 11 Storm Trysail Foundation Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta - More than 40 college teams will race big boats in North America’s largest collegiate regatta. Larchmont Yacht Club, Larchmont, NY; stormtrysailfoundation.org/intercollegiate.htm

10 - 12 Chowder Days - Taste delectable chowder and seafood specialties, seasonal desserts and beer, wine and apple cider, and enjoy live music, horse & carriage rides, games, a scarecrow activity, face painting and crafts in the Children’s Museum.

Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org 11 Columbus Day Regatta Co-hosted by Windjammers Sailing Club, Milford Yacht Club and Housatonic Boat Club, this is an ECSA points event. Milford, CT; milfordyachtclub.com; windjammers.org

© Howie McMichael

10 - 12 US Sailing Match Racing Championship - (Practice day is 10/9) Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, NY; Bill Simon: 516-8020368; bsimon@oakcliffsailing. org; oakcliffsailing.org

11 11th Annual Dogs on the Docks - Dog owners and dog lovers alike are invited to participate in this parade and competition, which is held rain or shine. Registration starts at 1pm followed by a lawn parade at 2pm and then individual canine competitions in categories such as best costume, best nautical costume, best owner

Been Thinking About It? We Can Do It!

look-alike, best small dog, best big dog, best trick and best dock jumping. Dock jumping dogs must wear a harness. Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT; 860-767-8269; ctrivermuseum.org

© Jennifer Hayes

11 & 12 New York Classic Week New York, NY; Michael Fortenbaugh: mike@myc.org; nyharborsailing.com 12 - 18 26th Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race This 127-mile sprint from Baltimore, MD to Portsmouth, VA supports the Chesapeake

Be s t ra i n t h e a te s re a !

Repower gas/ diesel, Awlgrip & Alexseal, Gelcoat & Fiberglass Repair, Electrical, Mechanical, Mercury & Mercruiser, Teak & Varnish, Bottom Paint & Stripping, Racing Bottoms, Rigging, Yacht Brokerage, Mast Up or Down Storage, Inside Storage, Shrinkwrap

203-301-2222 Milford Harbor, Milford, CT.

30 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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Bay Foundation. gcbsr.org

Seaport, Mystic, CT; 860-5725322; mysticseaport.org

15 - 18 44th Annual United States Powerboat Show Annapolis, MD; annapolisboatshows.com 15, 22, 29 & 11/5 America’s Boating Course This 8-hour, 4-session U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 7:30pm; Roslyn High School, Roslyn, NY; Thomas Peltier: 516-987-9715; TJP98@optonline.net; usps.org 17 66th Annual Dyer Dhow Derby - This regatta is held in appreciation for the yacht clubs, organizations, and individuals who have donated and maintained a Dyer Dhow in support of the Joseph Conrad and community sailing programs at Mystic Seaport. 11am; Mystic

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© mysticseaport.org

and personal watercraft, safety, boating laws and regulations. All graduates will be eligible to obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. 9am; Acampora Recreation Center, Blue Point, NY; Richard Jost: 631-929-6272; ricahrdj2@ optonline.net; usps.org 17 & 18 Oakcliff Melges 24 Regatta - Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, NY; Bill Simon: 516-802-0368; bsimon@oakcliffsailing.org; oakcliffsailing.org

17 Thundermug Regatta This ESCA points event is hosted by Duck Island Yacht Club. Westbrook, CT; diyc.com

17 & 18 Halloween Howl - Typically dominated by breezy New England fall weather, the Howl promises scary good fun for Optimist (Red, White & Blue fleets) & C420 sailors. Sail Newport, Newport, RI; Kim Cooper: kim.cooper@sailnewport.org; sailnewport.org

17 America’s Boating Course - This 8-hour U.S Power Squadron class covers the basics of recreational boating including general information about boats

17 & 18 Fontelieu Fall Classic - This event is open to Thistles, Lightnings and Flying Scots. Cedar Point Yacht Club, Westport, CT; cedarpointyc.org

17 Charles Birch Memorial Race - Pettipaug Yacht Club, Essex, CT; pettipaug.com

17 & 18 Yale Women’s Interconference - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by Yale University and sailed in Z420s and FJs. Branford, CT; collegesailing.org 17 & 18 Lunars: Finding Longitude

by Observing the Moon Students in this intermediatelevel class will learn the details of adjusting a sextant properly for shooting lunars, tricks for taking accurate sights, and easy methods for clearing these famously difficult observations.

10am - 4pm; $110 ($90 for museum members); Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; 860-572-5322; mysticseaport.org 17 & 18 32nd Annual Oyster Festival - Attractions at Long Island’s largest waterfront festival include tall ships, pirate shows, live bands, arts & crafts, midway rides and oyster shucking and eating contests. Oyster Bay, NY; theoysterfestival.org

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October 2015 31

OCTOBER Continued 17, 18 and 24 37th Annual Manhasset Bay Fall Series - Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, Port Washington, NY; manhassetbayyc.org 17 & 18 24th Annual Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival At this free fall tradition on the Newport waterfront, vendors and restaurants offer their culinary take on the bounty of the Ocean State. SSV Oliver Hazard Perry (pictured) will be dockside and open for tours for a small fee.

Newport, RI; bowenswharf.com

© Onne van der Wal/vanderwal.com

24 Haunted Whale Ship - An evening of frightful family fun.

5:30 - 8pm; New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, MA; whalingmuseum.org 24 & 25 Hoyt Trophy - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by Brown University and sailed in 420s. Providence, RI; collegesailing.org 31 Halloween Race - Point Lookout Yacht Club, Point Lookout, NY; pointlookoutyachtclub.org 31 & 11/1 Oakcliff Halloween Invitational - This Grade 3 Match Race Regatta is sailed in Match 40s (practice day 10/30). Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, NY; Bill Simon: 516-802-0368; bsimon@oakcliffsailing.org; oakcliffsailing.org 10/31 & 11/1 Freshman Interconference Regatta/Nickerson

Trophy - This intercollegiate regatta is hosted by Tufts University and sailed in Larks.

Medford, MA; collegesailing.org

NOVEMBER 1 Daylight Saving Time Ends 1 (*or the best weather window near that date) 16th Annual NARC Rally start - The North American Rally to the Caribbean departs from Newport, RI, bound for Bermuda and then St. Maarten.

Hank Schmitt: 631-423-4988; sailopo.com 6 US Sailing Regional Symposium - This event provides an open forum for sharing ideas and concerns about sailing education and programming.

Hudson River Community Sailing, New York, NY; ussailing.org/ events/symposium-and-meetings/regional-symposiums

32 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

7 Offshore Boat Preparation Seminar - In this Brewer Yacht Yard Group seminar, a team of experts will discuss the elements of the most commonly used offshore safety standards, and straightforward methods of compliance that won’t break the bank. Although the emphasis is on the requirements for the 2016 Newport Bermuda Race, this presentation is for racers and cruisers alike. The cost of $125 per boat entitles all crewmembers to attend. Brewer Pilots Point Marina, Westbrook, CT; register at byy.com/NBR or contact Lynn Oliver at loliver@byy.com

© bermudarace.com

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19 The Thrash to the Onion Patch: A Century of Racing to Bermuda In this Mystic Seaport Adventure Series event, world-renowned sailor and author John Rousmaniere, who has completed the challenging Newport Bermuda Race nine times, shares his insight on the race’s history and exciting sea stories from his decades of competition.1:30 & 7:30 pm; $15 ($20 non-members); students are admitted free; The River Room, Latitude 41° Restaurant, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org

19 - 2/15/16 22nd Annual Holiday Train Show - This familyfriendly locomotive extravaganza is a fully operational HO scale layout designed by train artist Steve Cryan. Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT; 860-7678269; ctrivermuseum.org

of the harbor. Newport Yacht Club is open to the public that evening, and spectators can watch the parade from Bowen’s Wharf, Bannister’s Wharf and other waterfront points. 6:15 pm; Newport, RI; Tim Mills: 401-845-5815; tmills@cityofnewport.com

21 - 1/3/16 Christmas at the Newport Mansions - In this annual presentation by the Preservation Society of Newport County, The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House decked out in yuletide finery. Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI; for a schedule of live music and tours, visit newportmansions.org.

27 5th Annual Huntington Harbor Parade of Lights - This fundraiser for the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society is open to all boats. Lighted boats will parade through Huntington Harbor, with prizes awarded for first, second & third place. 6pm; all boats must register in advance.

Huntington, NY; 631-421-1985; huntingtonboatparade.com

27 Wild Turkey Regatta - Fayerweather Yacht Club, Bridgeport, CT; fycct.org

© Richard Pisano, Jr.

27 Holiday Harbor Lights Boat Parade - Kick off the Newport holiday season by decorating your boat for a tour

27 & 28 19th Annual Vineyard Artisans Thanksgiving Day Festival - Shop for holiday gifts and enjoy a hayride. 10am - 4pm; free ($2 parking fee); Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury, MA; vineyardartisans.com

28 13th Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade and Toy Drive - Following the tree lighting at Mystic River Park, decorated vessels will parade down the Mystic River. Boats of all types and sizes are welcome, and prizes will be awarded. 6 9pm; Mystic, CT; 860-572-9578; mysticchamber.org

Add your event to our print and online calendar by emailing to contactus@windcheckmagazine.com

by the 7th of the month.

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WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 33

October 2015

These tide tables are predictions and are to be used as a reference only. The times of high and low are approximations and are affected, in part by onshore and offshore winds, full and new moons as well as changes in currents. Always use caution when entering or leaving any harbor and navigate in areas that are well marked. WindCheck assumes no liability due to the use of these tables.

Source: noaa.gov

The Battery, NY Port Washington, NY 10/1 5:14 AM 10/1 11:23 AM 10/1 5:55 PM 10/1 11:58 PM 10/2 6:04 AM 10/2 12:22 PM 10/2 6:52 PM 10/3 12:58 AM 10/3 6:59 AM 10/3 1:21 PM 10/3 7:53 PM 10/4 1:58 AM 10/4 8:02 AM 10/4 2:19 PM 10/4 8:59 PM 10/5 2:57 AM 10/5 9:08 AM 10/5 3:17 PM 10/5 10:01 PM 10/6 3:56 AM 10/6 10:11 AM 10/6 4:17 PM 10/6 10:56 PM 10/7 4:55 AM 10/7 11:06 AM 10/7 5:16 PM 10/7 11:45 PM 10/8 5:51 AM 10/8 11:57 AM 10/8 6:09 PM 10/9 12:29 AM 10/9 6:40 AM 10/9 12:43 PM 10/9 6:55 PM 10/10 1:11 AM 10/10 7:23 AM 10/10 1:28 PM 10/10 7:36 PM 10/11 1:52 AM 10/11 8:02 AM 10/11 2:11 PM 10/11 8:14 PM 10/12 2:30 AM 10/12 8:38 AM 10/12 2:53 PM 10/12 8:49 PM 10/13 3:08 AM 10/13 9:11 AM 10/13 3:33 PM 10/13 9:23 PM 10/14 3:44 AM 10/14 9:42 AM 10/14 4:12 PM 10/14 9:55 PM 10/15 4:17 AM 10/15 10:11 AM 10/15 4:49 PM 10/15 10:28 PM 10/16 4:48 AM 10/16 10:40 AM

L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H

10/16 5:26 PM 10/16 11:03 PM 10/17 5:16 AM 10/17 11:15 AM 10/17 6:05 PM 10/17 11:47 PM 10/18 5:46 AM 10/18 12:00 PM 10/18 6:50 PM 10/19 12:40 AM 10/19 6:28 AM 10/19 12:55 PM 10/19 7:53 PM 10/20 1:38 AM 10/20 7:38 AM 10/20 1:54 PM 10/20 9:04 PM 10/21 2:39 AM 10/21 9:16 AM 10/21 2:57 PM 10/21 10:07 PM 10/22 3:43 AM 10/22 10:27 AM 10/22 4:04 PM 10/22 11:03 PM 10/23 4:48 AM 10/23 11:26 AM 10/23 5:11 PM 10/23 11:55 PM 10/24 5:51 AM 10/24 12:22 PM 10/24 6:13 PM 10/25 12:45 AM 10/25 6:46 AM 10/25 1:17 PM 10/25 7:09 PM 10/26 1:35 AM 10/26 7:37 AM 10/26 2:10 PM 10/26 8:01 PM 10/27 2:25 AM 10/27 8:26 AM 10/27 3:03 PM 10/27 8:52 PM 10/28 3:14 AM 10/28 9:14 AM 10/28 3:54 PM 10/28 9:44 PM 10/29 4:03 AM 10/29 10:04 AM 10/29 4:45 PM 10/29 10:39 PM 10/30 4:51 AM 10/30 10:58 AM 10/30 5:36 PM 10/30 11:38 PM 10/31 5:41 AM 10/31 11:56 AM 10/31 6:28 PM

L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

10/1 2:09 AM 10/1 8:22 AM 10/1 2:26 PM 10/1 9:03 PM 10/2 3:01 AM 10/2 9:15 AM 10/2 3:19 PM 10/2 10:04 PM 10/3 4:02 AM 10/3 10:22 AM 10/3 4:24 PM 10/3 11:16 PM 10/4 5:17 AM 10/4 11:42 AM 10/4 5:42 PM 10/5 12:25 AM 10/5 6:30 AM 10/5 12:54 PM 10/5 6:56 PM 10/6 1:30 AM 10/6 7:38 AM 10/6 1:59 PM 10/6 8:04 PM 10/7 2:31 AM 10/7 8:40 AM 10/7 2:59 PM 10/7 9:05 PM 10/8 3:26 AM 10/8 9:35 AM 10/8 3:52 PM 10/8 9:58 PM 10/9 4:15 AM 10/9 10:22 AM 10/9 4:40 PM 10/9 10:44 PM 10/10 5:00 AM 10/10 11:04 AM 10/10 5:24 PM 10/10 11:26 PM 10/11 5:41 AM 10/11 11:40 AM 10/11 6:04 PM 10/12 12:02 AM 10/12 6:18 AM 10/12 12:09 PM 10/12 6:40 PM 10/13 12:30 AM 10/13 6:44 AM 10/13 12:22 PM 10/13 7:05 PM 10/14 12:41 AM 10/14 6:48 AM 10/14 12:35 PM 10/14 7:12 PM 10/15 12:58 AM 10/15 7:07 AM 10/15 1:05 PM 10/15 7:34 PM 10/16 1:31 AM 10/16 7:40 AM

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

10/16 1:43 PM 10/16 8:08 PM 10/17 2:10 AM 10/17 8:19 AM 10/17 2:25 PM 10/17 8:49 PM 10/18 2:54 AM 10/18 9:04 AM 10/18 3:12 PM 10/18 9:37 PM 10/19 3:43 AM 10/19 9:55 AM 10/19 4:04 PM 10/19 10:31 PM 10/20 4:39 AM 10/20 10:54 AM 10/20 5:02 PM 10/20 11:32 PM 10/21 5:39 AM 10/21 12:01 PM 10/21 6:05 PM 10/22 12:38 AM 10/22 6:45 AM 10/22 1:16 PM 10/22 7:15 PM 10/23 1:53 AM 10/23 7:57 AM 10/23 2:44 PM 10/23 8:35 PM 10/24 3:07 AM 10/24 9:09 AM 10/24 3:50 PM 10/24 9:45 PM 10/25 4:04 AM 10/25 10:06 AM 10/25 4:43 PM 10/25 10:40 PM 10/26 4:54 AM 10/26 10:56 AM 10/26 5:33 PM 10/26 11:31 PM 10/27 5:42 AM 10/27 11:44 AM 10/27 6:22 PM 10/28 12:21 AM 10/28 6:31 AM 10/28 12:33 PM 10/28 7:11 PM 10/29 1:10 AM 10/29 7:20 AM 10/29 1:20 PM 10/29 7:59 PM 10/30 1:58 AM 10/30 8:08 AM 10/30 2:08 PM 10/30 8:48 PM 10/31 2:47 AM 10/31 9:00 AM 10/31 2:57 PM 10/31 9:44 PM

Bridgeport, CT H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

10/1 2:00 AM 10/1 8:11 AM 10/1 2:21 PM 10/1 8:51 PM 10/2 2:54 AM 10/2 9:05 AM 10/2 3:16 PM 10/2 9:48 PM 10/3 3:51 AM 10/3 10:03 AM 10/3 4:14 PM 10/3 10:47 PM 10/4 4:51 AM 10/4 11:04 AM 10/4 5:15 PM 10/4 11:48 PM 10/5 5:53 AM 10/5 12:07 PM 10/5 6:18 PM 10/6 12:50 AM 10/6 6:55 AM 10/6 1:10 PM 10/6 7:20 PM 10/7 1:48 AM 10/7 7:53 AM 10/7 2:09 PM 10/7 8:18 PM 10/8 2:40 AM 10/8 8:46 AM 10/8 3:02 PM 10/8 9:09 PM 10/9 3:27 AM 10/9 9:33 AM 10/9 3:49 PM 10/9 9:56 PM 10/10 4:09 AM 10/10 10:16 AM 10/10 4:32 PM 10/10 10:38 PM 10/11 4:48 AM 10/11 10:55 AM 10/11 5:12 PM 10/11 11:18 PM 10/12 5:25 AM 10/12 11:33 AM 10/12 5:50 PM 10/12 11:56 PM 10/13 6:01 AM 10/13 12:09 PM 10/13 6:27 PM 10/14 12:33 AM 10/14 6:36 AM 10/14 12:44 PM 10/14 7:04 PM 10/15 1:10 AM 10/15 7:13 AM 10/15 1:20 PM 10/15 7:42 PM 10/16 1:48 AM 10/16 7:51 AM

34 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

10/16 1:58 PM 10/16 8:22 PM 10/17 2:29 AM 10/17 8:32 AM 10/17 2:38 PM 10/17 9:07 PM 10/18 3:13 AM 10/18 9:18 AM 10/18 3:24 PM 10/18 9:56 PM 10/19 4:03 AM 10/19 10:10 AM 10/19 4:17 PM 10/19 10:51 PM 10/20 4:58 AM 10/20 11:09 AM 10/20 5:16 PM 10/20 11:50 PM 10/21 5:57 AM 10/21 12:12 PM 10/21 6:19 PM 10/22 12:50 AM 10/22 6:57 AM 10/22 1:15 PM 10/22 7:22 PM 10/23 1:48 AM 10/23 7:56 AM 10/23 2:16 PM 10/23 8:22 PM 10/24 2:43 AM 10/24 8:52 AM 10/24 3:14 PM 10/24 9:20 PM 10/25 3:36 AM 10/25 9:45 AM 10/25 4:09 PM 10/25 10:14 PM 10/26 4:27 AM 10/26 10:36 AM 10/26 5:02 PM 10/26 11:06 PM 10/27 5:18 AM 10/27 11:26 AM 10/27 5:54 PM 10/27 11:58 PM 10/28 6:07 AM 10/28 12:16 PM 10/28 6:45 PM 10/29 12:48 AM 10/29 6:57 AM 10/29 1:06 PM 10/29 7:36 PM 10/30 1:40 AM 10/30 7:49 AM 10/30 1:58 PM 10/30 8:28 PM 10/31 2:32 AM 10/31 8:42 AM 10/31 2:51 PM 10/31 9:22 PM

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

windcheckmagazine.com

October 2015

These tide tables are predictions and are to be used as a reference only. The times of high and low are approximations and are affected, in part by onshore and offshore winds, full and new moons as well as changes in currents. Always use caution when entering or leaving any harbor and navigate in areas that are well marked. WindCheck assumes no liability due to the use of these tables.

Source: noaa.gov

Fishers Island, NY 10/1 12:02 AM 10/1 6:28 AM 10/1 12:32 PM 10/1 7:19 PM 10/2 12:59 AM 10/2 7:26 AM 10/2 1:30 PM 10/2 8:17 PM 10/3 1:56 AM 10/3 8:24 AM 10/3 2:26 PM 10/3 9:15 PM 10/4 2:54 AM 10/4 9:25 AM 10/4 3:26 PM 10/4 10:14 PM 10/5 3:57 AM 10/5 10:30 AM 10/5 4:31 PM 10/5 11:12 PM 10/6 5:05 AM 10/6 11:34 AM 10/6 5:34 PM 10/7 12:06 AM 10/7 6:03 AM 10/7 12:33 PM 10/7 6:27 PM 10/8 12:56 AM 10/8 6:51 AM 10/8 1:27 PM 10/8 7:13 PM 10/9 1:43 AM 10/9 7:35 AM 10/9 2:17 PM 10/9 7:56 PM 10/10 2:27 AM 10/10 8:17 AM 10/10 3:00 PM 10/10 8:39 PM 10/11 3:06 AM 10/11 8:59 AM 10/11 3:38 PM 10/11 9:21 PM 10/12 3:42 AM 10/12 9:39 AM 10/12 4:13 PM 10/12 10:01 PM 10/13 4:16 AM 10/13 10:17 AM 10/13 4:48 PM 10/13 10:41 PM 10/14 4:50 AM 10/14 10:56 AM 10/14 5:26 PM 10/14 11:23 PM 10/15 5:26 AM 10/15 11:36 AM 10/15 6:09 PM 10/16 12:07 AM 10/16 6:07 AM windcheckmagazine.com

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

Woods Hole, MA 10/16 12:19 PM 10/16 6:56 PM 10/17 12:54 AM 10/17 6:54 AM 10/17 1:04 PM 10/17 7:45 PM 10/18 1:41 AM 10/18 7:45 AM 10/18 1:50 PM 10/18 8:35 PM 10/19 2:29 AM 10/19 8:39 AM 10/19 2:38 PM 10/19 9:27 PM 10/20 3:22 AM 10/20 9:37 AM 10/20 3:35 PM 10/20 10:23 PM 10/21 4:25 AM 10/21 10:40 AM 10/21 4:42 PM 10/21 11:18 PM 10/22 5:26 AM 10/22 11:42 AM 10/22 5:42 PM 10/23 12:12 AM 10/23 6:19 AM 10/23 12:41 PM 10/23 6:36 PM 10/24 1:04 AM 10/24 7:08 AM 10/24 1:38 PM 10/24 7:27 PM 10/25 1:56 AM 10/25 7:57 AM 10/25 2:35 PM 10/25 8:18 PM 10/26 2:47 AM 10/26 8:46 AM 10/26 3:28 PM 10/26 9:09 PM 10/27 3:36 AM 10/27 9:35 AM 10/27 4:19 PM 10/27 9:58 PM 10/28 4:23 AM 10/28 10:23 AM 10/28 5:09 PM 10/28 10:47 PM 10/29 5:11 AM 10/29 11:13 AM 10/29 6:01 PM 10/29 11:39 PM 10/30 6:03 AM 10/30 12:06 PM 10/30 6:56 PM 10/31 12:35 AM 10/31 7:00 AM 10/31 1:02 PM 10/31 7:51 PM

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

10/1 10/1 10/1 10/1 10/2 10/2 10/2 10/3 10/3 10/3 10/3 10/4 10/4 10/4 10/4 10/5 10/5 10/5 10/5 10/5 10/5 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/7 10/7 10/7 10/7 10/8 10/8 10/8 10/8 10/9 10/9 10/9 10/9 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/11 10/11 10/11 10/11 10/12 10/12 10/12 10/12 10/13 10/13 10/13 10/13 10/14 10/14 10/14 10/14 10/15 10/15 10/15 10/15 10/16 10/16 10/16 10/16

5:53 AM L 11:19 AM H 7:08 PM L 11:42 PM H 6:56 AM L 12:14 PM H 8:17 PM L 12:36 AM H 8:15 AM L 1:11 PM H 9:24 PM L 1:31 AM H 9:35 AM L 2:08 PM H 10:27 PM L 2:27 AM H 4:59 AM L 6:18 AM H 10:45 AM L 3:07 PM H 11:25 PM L 3:25 AM H 5:44 AM L 7:04 AM H 11:49 AM L 4:07 PM H 12:19 AM L 4:23 AM H 12:48 PM L 5:04 PM H 1:08 AM L 5:18 AM H 1:39 PM L 5:53 PM H 1:50 AM L 6:08 AM H 2:23 PM L 6:38 PM H 2:23 AM L 6:54 AM H 2:56 PM L 7:19 PM H 2:22 AM L 7:37 AM H 3:06 PM L 7:59 PM H 2:18 AM L 8:19 AM H 3:04 PM L 8:39 PM H 2:52 AM L 9:00 AM H 3:42 PM L 9:19 PM H 3:31 AM L 9:41 AM H 4:26 PM L 9:59 PM H 4:13 AM L 10:22 AM H 5:14 PM L 10:41 PM H 4:58 AM L 11:05 AM H 6:06 PM L 11:25 PM H

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October 2015 35

A Brilliant Adventure

By Emily Bullard

Have you ever sailed on a schooner on the ocean? In July 2015, only a couple months before my sixteenth birthday, I had the opportunity to do that. Even though the prospect scared me, the trip helped me realize some new things about myself and opened up my interest in sailing. On July 19, I stepped on the 61-foot classic wooden schooner Brilliant at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.

Boarding the boat, I was a little uneasy about how I would be able to deal with the challenges of living on a boat for a week, but that feeling quickly faded away as we headed out on our journey. We immediately started working together, setting sails and coiling lines as we began our eight-day trip to Rockland, Maine. Every day became easier and more and more fun. We learned new things every minute we were on board and everyone improved their sailing skills, no matter how much we already knew. From learning new ways to coil lines to learning how to navigate, we were always learning something new.

Donated to Mystic Seaport by Briggs Cunningham in 1953, Brilliant is described by WoodenBoat Magazine as one of the 100 most beautiful classic boats in existence and “one of the best maintained and sailed classic yachts in the country – if not the world.” © Andy Price/Mystic Seaport

The boat’s home at Mystic Seaport was the location of my only previous serious sailing experience. I had almost no experience, except for a weeklong day program at the museum, sailing on small, 9-foot Dyer Dhows and 15-foot JY15s. The Dyer Dhows are used to teach the local community, as part of the

All teens are expected to fully participate in all aspects of daily vessel operations, from hauling on lines and steering to helping in the galley. © Andy Price/Mystic Seaport

Joseph Conrad Overnight Sailing Camp, and in a racing series.

These boats were easy to handle and I managed them with one other person’s help, but a large schooner requires a crew. When my parents told me about Brilliant’s eight-day cruise, my first thoughts were clouded with apprehension but then I focused on the facts: I wouldn’t be all by myself; there would be a crew of other kids my age learning new things and working together.

I knew I would meet new people, and just as I thought, I met some kids that had come all the way from Alaska to sail on Brilliant. This impressed me that they traveled so far to go on the trip. Other kids came from Connecticut and Massachusetts. I also knew I would experience a lot of new, different things, like not having a fresh water shower to use whenever I wanted, no technology to communicate with people at home, and working together in a group to get a task done, like setting and striking sails. We sailed through the waters of five different states and saw dozens of seals, different sea animals including a Mola Mola (sunfish), and got to see the beautiful sights of being surrounded by ocean and the different coastlines. From the sandy beaches in Connecticut to the rocky coasts of Maine, the changing shoreline as we sailed by was an interesting way to mark the distance we traveled.

Tight quarters made it simple for us all to become friends and each day became easier to adjust to life on board. Although the schooner Brilliant is considered by many to be a large boat, her quarters made it obvious that you were sailing with eleven other people. We shared the tight spaces and got to know each other. Working next to one another and managing the limited living space and stowage was difficult, but it became easier throughout the trip. Everyone gave each other the space that was needed.

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The author at the helm

© Nicholas Alley/Mystic Seaport

Sailing on Brilliant comes with a lot of honor and respect. Brilliant was designed by Olin Stephens II and built in 1931 as an ocean racing yacht, and on her maiden voyage she crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a little over fifteen days. Mystic Seaport now uses Brilliant as an offshore classroom and she is a well-respected vessel known for providing many once-in-a-lifetime experiences for those who sail on her. While berthed in Portland, Brilliant was docked next to the newly built 141-foot schooner Columbia, a replica of the famous Gloucester fishing schooner of the 1920s.

Our crew went to look at the boat and the Columbia crew asked where we were from. It was really an incredible feeling to say that we were the crew of such a famous boat while we were still in high school.

The hourly night watch is to ensure that everything is going well on the boat while anchored at night. You are awakened by the person who was previously on watch, and you wake up the next person when it comes time.

Things like taking bearings and making sure Brilliant’s tender Afterglow is still attached are commonly done on an anchor watch. Waking up during late hours of the night was not always enjoyable, but it was a responsibility that had to be taken care of. Late night watches were not exciting other than seeing a ton of gorgeous stars and enjoying the peace and quiet, but having a watch Exploring the harbor aboard Afterglow © Nicholas Alley/Mystic Seaport

It might be the condition of sailing or the fascination of sailing on a boat like Brilliant, but it’s an automatic feeling that you move with more dignity. The style on a sailboat is almost more refined and you find that you act more elegant and well behaved. Your manners are sharper and you willingly become part of a closeknit special community. I think this respectfulness comes from a need to be prepared in any situation and knowing that you need to take care of the boat and the other crew because you are depending on it taking you safely home.

I was most nervous about missing home and my family and friends, but Captain Nicholas Alley, Mate Chris Jander, and Cook Keene Morrow made everyone feel as comfortable as we could be. Eating meals together made it feel more like home cooking, and setting and cleaning up the table for the other watch gave a certain responsibility on the boat. windcheckmagazine.com

A dockside break © Nicholas Alley/Mystic Seaport

where you could see the sun rise was a different story. Watching a sunrise is already a beautiful thing, but watching it surrounded by perfectly still water and fog makes it a hundred times better.

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October 2015 37

The ability to have sailed on such an historically significant vessel is something that people my age don’t often get to do, and I’m so happy that I’ve gotten to experience it at such a young age. I really hope that I get to sail on Brilliant again and I hope that sharing my experience makes people want to sail on Brilliant and enjoy a voyage similar to mine. F Emily Bullard is a student at RCS High School in Ravena, NY. Steering the course © Nicholas Alley/Mystic Seaport

and being able to connect with people without technology was nice. Starting conversations with one another was a good way to become closer with the rest of the crew, and playing cards was a good way to pass the time. Meeting people from all over the country was new and exciting. Making new friends is great, and even better when you get to spend a week on such a beautiful boat doing something you love. It makes it a lot easier to get along with a new group of people when there is a common interest.

Editor’s note: Mystic Seaport’s Teen Sailing Program aboard Brilliant focuses on educating participants about sail handling and theory, teamwork, being a good shipmate, stewardship, navigation, and proper seamanship. Five-day, eight-day and ten-day programs are offered for ages 15-18 during the summer months. For more information and a link to Captain Alley’s Brilliant Blog, visit mysticseaport.org/learn/sailing/brilliant-programs/teens.

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SAIL BLACK ROCK Hosts First High School Regatta SAIL BLACK ROCK, which sponsors the intercollegiate sailing teams of Fairfield and Sacred Heart Universities at Captain’s Cove Seaport in Black Rock, CT, hosted its first NESSA high school regatta, known as the Great Oaks Qualifier, on Saturday, September 12. Nine teams competed, including Xavier and Litchfield from upstate Connecticut, local teams Fairfield Prep and Fairfield Ludlowe, Massachusetts teams Marblehead and Martha’s Vineyard (via ferry!), Moses Brown from Rhode Island, and Falmouth and Portland High Schools from Maine.

Fleet racing in FJs began in light conditions of about 6 knots from the east that built to about 11 knots in the afternoon, providing consistent racing off St. Mary’s Point, at the western mouth of Black Rock Harbor on Long Island Sound.

The teams were the first to use SAIL BLACK ROCK’s brand new sails from Intensity Sails which have avant-garde squareheaded mains.

The Race Committee, comprising SAIL BLACK ROCK’s Primary Race Coach Jill Fattibene and Technical Race Coach Jamie Fales, performed flawlessly, running nine 18-minute races aboard the lobster boat Clammer, graciously donated by J. Russell Jinishian, owner of the country’s largest marine art gallery, located in nearby Fairfield.

Xavier’s Gorden and Stewart Gurnell claimed first place, followed by Falmouth’s Cameron Loncoski and Peter Morris-

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© Dave White

sette in second. Fairfield Prep took third, with Mathew Sweeny and James Paul as skippers and Christian Haranzo and Grant Ballesteros as crew. These three teams qualified for the Great Oaks National Invitational at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, LA in November. A highlight of the day, in addition to the perfect racing conditions, was the free ice cream provided to each competitor.

“The skill level was much higher than expected,” said Dave White, SAIL BLACK ROCK Program Director. “Most sailors were aggressively roll tacking and hitting the line on the whistle.

It was a thrill to see our next generation of college sailors developing so well.” F

WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 39

Looking Back on the Newport Bermuda Race: The Mids Race to the Onion Patch

By John Rousmaniere

With the approach of the 50th Bermuda Race next year, we’ve been looking back at the long history of the 635-mile “Thrash to the Onion Patch” since its founding in 1906. One highlight has The US Naval Academy’s Constellation won the 1992 Newport Bermuda Race with a crew of mids, with coaches on hand in case of emergencies. © Talbot Wilson

long been the very enthusiastic, and sometimes very successful, participation of young crews from service academies.

When it was first suggested that the US Naval Academy enter a boat in the Bermuda Race, a captain who was a fierce teetotaler worried that the midshipmen might be corrupted. “It is my understanding,” he warned, “that after the conclusion of such a race, a rousing celebration usually takes place in Bermuda and the yachtsmen endeavor to forget the hardships of the voyage.” Others were willing to take the risk of exposing mids to Dark ‘n Stormies (under close supervision) and so the Academy accepted the race’s invitation to enter a boat in 1938.

One pioneer, Robert W. McNitt (then an ensign and later an admiral), dated his love of the sea to that thrash: “Like human attachments, this romance cannot be taught or forced. It comes gently during a midwatch in the soft warm moonlight of the Gulf Stream, in the crashing roar of a sudden squall, and in the dawn of a new day at sea. It comes most easily and naturally

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The Coast Guard Academy’s J/44 Glory approaches the finish at St. David’s Head. © Charles Anderson

under sail.”

That feeling has been shared by hundreds of first-time ocean racing sailors who, on shore, wear uniforms. Entries in recent years have come from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, SUNY Maritime Academy, the US Coast Guard Academy, the US Merchant Marine Academy, and the US Naval Academy.

The Coast Guard Academy’s Glory has twice topped the competitive J/44 class, and has won three trophies as second- and thirdplace service academy boat in the race’s St. David’s Lighthouse Division.

Many service academy cadets and midshipmen have sailed the Bermuda Race in boats that were donated by their own-

ers. One was the race’s overall winner in 1992, the Naval Academy’s PJ-48 Constellation. Her 22-year-old captain, Kyle Weaver, is the youngest winning skipper in Bermuda Race history. And, yes, he was the skipper. In these boats, the racing crews consist entirely of midshipmen, with safety officers/coaches who keep hands off except in dire emergencies.

Recent custom boats in the Naval Academy offshore fleet include high-performance TP 52-footers. Such a modern lightdisplacement, big-rig boat must be sailed exactly right if she is to perform well, much less stay in control. This demands aggressive trimming, frequent sail changes, and skillful steering. In the windy, record-setting 2012 race, the Academy’s TP 52 Invictus’ top speeds were 24 and 22 knots (both with women mids at the helm). Nearing Bermuda, Invictus was knocked down in a 53-knot squall, the jib disintegrated, the mainsail’s leech parted company with the rest of the sail – and the young mids cleaned up the mess so capably that Coach Jahn Tihansky was not tempted to take command.

Invictus skipper Midshipman Ralph Duffett said the best thing his crew had going for them was experience sailing as a team. Since April, they and other USNA crews had done a cruise around the Delmarva Peninsula, and made at least 40 practice crew overboard recoveries. Each USNA offshore boat annually puts about 3,500 miles of water in her wake, often in races.

Physical demands were lighter in 2014, but shifty winds imposed intense pressure on sail trim, sailing angles, tactics, and meteorology. The USNA’s TP 52 Constellation was right up front with the big boats and ended up fourth on elapsed time in the

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October 2015 41

Looking Ahead Dear Sailors, The 2016 Newport Bermuda Race will include new opportunities for high-performance yachts to compete in celebration of the 50th Thrash to the Onion Patch.

We are making a slight change to the St. David’s Lighthouse Division description to accommodate a surge in interest from boats with amateur helmsmen and mostly-amateur crews. These boats would have been assigned to the Gibbs Hill Division in 2014 due only to their Performance Screen value.

In anticipation of these and other entries, the 2016 race will also include a special competition for the highest performance boats in the fleet across the St. David’s, Gibbs Hill, and Open Divisions. Meanwhile, sailors can expect the race’s historic traditions of safe, Corinthian, blue water sailing to continue.

While we draft the Notice of Race to include [various] improvements, we welcome your feedback and interest. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the starting line on June 17, 2016.

Kind regards, A. J. Evans, 2016 Bermuda Race Chairman 163-boat fleet, beating several larger competitors to the finish line off St. David’s Light.

Alongside the Naval Academy’s donated boats are many onedesign 44-footers. From the 1930s to the 1980s, these were Ludersdesigned yawls. Then came a run of Navy 44 sloops designed by McCurdy & Rhodes. More recently there’s a second generation of Navy 44s designed by David Pedrick.

The top service academy boat on corrected time in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division is awarded the Destroyers Atlantic Trophy. In four of the last five races, it was won by Swift, a firstgeneration Navy 44 under different midshipman skippers. Her toughest competitor is a second-generation 44, Defiance, the top boat of the academy fleet in 2012, when she also won the Olin J. Stephens Award for best combined performance in Newport Bermuda and Marblehead Halifax races. That year Swift and Defiance finished second and third in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division, and they were often within sight of each another.

The Swift-Defiance duel continues. In the 2015 Annapolis to

Newport Race, the two crews had each other in view over every mile and finished 12 minutes apart, with Swift winning the race’s PHRF Division. “It was nice having Defiance there the whole way because it kept the crew motivated,” Swift’s skipper, Midshipman Kyle Briggs, told Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capital Gazette. “We had the binoculars on Defiance all the time, checking out what sail changes they were making and what kind of angle they were on.”

We can expect more of that from the service academy boats when they make the thrash to the Onion Patch in 2016. For information about the Newport Bermuda Race, log onto BermudaRace.com. F John Rousmaniere is the Bermuda Race Historian and the author of The Annapolis Book of Seamanship¸ Fastnet, Force 10, and several other books.

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Corner

Coop’s

Shop Closed, Gone Sailing

By Joe Cooper I am conflicted. Yes. Surprising as it may seem, it does happen with a frequency slightly higher than, say, Haley’s Comet’s lap around The Blue Marble. What is it that so exercises me, you might wonder? Freedom…Oh no, a political essay think you, given that everyone’s harping on freedom today. But this is not freedom from today’s litany of social and political ills, but rather the freedom that, in the US anyway, can be had in sailing. This line of thought was prompted by a question on a SailNet forum:

Just bought a 1979 Bayliner Buccaneer 18. Intend to teach myself to sail and have a little fun with my wife. Any advice or suggestions?

What it doesn’t say is that the guy has already been out sailing…Well, he’s been on a boat that was on the water and had sails up. And no, I’m not making fun of the guy. I applaud him.

I have remarked elsewhere that sailing is one of the most ‘free’ activities one can engage in, and this bloke proves it. He and his wife buy a little boat, he backs it down a ramp and then goes through a laundry list of mishaps that even he equates to a Benny Hill skit and at the end of the day he and his wife (she must be, like mine, fantastic) are walking up the ramp laughing and planning the next caper.

Just think about the implications. Yeah, I know there is an entire list of things this couple could/should do, life jackets, safe boating courses, etc. You all know them. But this guy and his wife were on a boat with sails on the water having fun, so where’s the conflict?

I too know the potential hazards of such behavior. When I first read this, I was appalled. Darwin Award material, I thought.

Sure we can do all this safety stuff, but ultimately we are responsible for what happens to us. Safety gear is for when we get that wrong. Nowhere else in the world can one so easily get a boat and go sailing, just like that. Not in the UK, France, Australia, or any of the “great” sailing nations can one do this, as far as I know from occasional reading of their rules for such activities. As I understand it, in France for instance, your boat is restricted as to where it can go based on regulations promulgated in Brussels and if you are 30 miles offshore instead of 20, the wrath of Caesar descends on you. This concept of self-reliance and self-accountability is at the core of sailwindcheckmagazine.com

ing, I think. After contemplating this fellow’s question and the to and fro on the forum, I totally changed my view of his adventure. “Good on ya, mate,” I say.

Later, I received an email update from Rich Wilson. Rich is a unique guy in a number of ways. He’s in his mid-60s, he won the Bermuda Race 35 years ago, he has logged a zillion miles doing offshore record setting and breaking, he’s built a fantastic program integrating sailing and education, “Sites Alive,” and he’s completed one Vendée Globe – around the world, in a 60-foot high-test boat, non-stop, alone…and he’s preparing for another one. Oh, did I mention he has to deal with asthma?

The Vendée Globe was invented about 25 years ago as a step up from the BOC Challenge, a solo ‘round the world stage race with stops in several countries. Rich is therefore getting ready to go sailing.

Our SailNet forum guy was going sailing, too. OK, one guy is bouncing off sandbars in the harbor and one guy’s doing a 100-day lap of the planet. Yes they are both sailing but there is a difference, apart from the obvious.

The Vendée Globe is the grandchild of the Observer Singlehanded Trans Atlantic Race, first held in 1960 with a course from Plymouth, UK to New York, and then to Newport ever since. It began as a bunch of guys “racing each other” solo, across the Atlantic with rules similar to those for the Sydney 18-footers: viz. they are 18 feet long and the start is at 2PM. The first O.S.T.A.R. came about as a way for seamen to do something that by and large had not been done, at least by many. Self-reliance was very much a key ingredient. This is not surprising, given the idea was hatched by Colonel “Blondie” Hasler, the founder of the British Small Boat Commandos who, with some other chaps, paddled rubber kayaks some 60 miles up the Gironde River to Bordeaux, planted Limpet mines on German shipping, then beat feet.

So back to sailing, freedom from rules and the Vendée Globe.

Rich said he had passed the medical part of the Vendée preparations.

“The what?” I wondered. Then I remembered that in 1995 when, as an entrant in the Mini Transat, a solo transatlantic race in 21-foot boats, with rules again similar to the 18s, I needed not a full medical as did Rich; merely a physician signing off on my health.

The Vendée has become vast (the Notice of Race runs to 34 pages), and it’s now a marketing campaign for the sponsors conducted in sailing boats. Serious bodily damage or even dying at sea gets lots of press but really is not a good way to promote one’s soap, or in one case, Macif, the French version of Lockheed-Martin. Hence all manner of rules just to get to the starting line. Rules and regulations are coming down on us from “The Top” on a seemingly regular basis. I fear that such legislated safety is diluting the human capacity for figuring stuff out ourselves, and if we goof, being ready to accept the consequences. What is the phrase “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…?” I reckon the guy asking for advice has nailed that phrase. Good on yer, mate. F Australian born, Joe ‘Coop’ Cooper stayed in the US after the 1980 America’s Cup where he was the boat captain and sailed as Grinder/ Sewer-man on Australia. His whole career has focused on sailing, especially the short-handed aspects of it. He lives in Middletown, RI where he coaches, consults and writes on his blog, joecoopersailing.com, when not paying attention to his wife, teenage son, dog, two cats and several, mainly small, boats.

WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 43

The 2015 Vineyard Race Aboard Pleiad Racing

By Chad Corning It was great to see close to 100 boats in the starting area for the 2015 Vineyard Race. The event has bounced back impressively, thanks to Stamford Yacht Club offering different course and rating options to cater to a broader audience.

A very cool mix of yachts took the start on Friday, September 4, from the Andrews 80 Donnybrook all the way down to the Colgate 26 Trouble.

Multihulls had a place at the table this year as well, led by the turbo Gunboat 62 Tribe.

Ed Cesare and I raced again this year double-handed aboard the Class40 Pleaid Racing. The race would not be a cakewalk, as a frontal passage just offshore produced a brisk easterly breeze for the leg out to the Buzzards Bay Tower. This would prove a challenge for many of the teams and there was a notable amount of retirements on Friday night. With true Big variations in wind direction and velocity necessitated plenty of headsail changes. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

The author (at the helm) and co-skipper Ed Cesare sailed to victory in PHRF Class 7 and second overall. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

wind speed in the high teens/low 20s, we sailed the first bit of the race with a reefed mainsail and a very open jib. Conditions were not too bad to start as the adverse tide smoothed out the sea state. The party did not last long though, and when the tide turned favorable some fairly nasty seas ensued. The wind was very shifty as we neared the exit of Long Island Sound, which presented some nice tactical options…very fun to hit a few shifts and trade tacks with some faster boats as we exited the Sound through the Race.

Once out of the Sound the wind backed into the northeast, which made the leg from the Race to the Tower very port tackbiased. We took our time on starboard across Block Island for some tide relief and smoother seas. With increased backing it turned into a virtual fetch from “1BI,” though we had to take a quick jag close to the tower. We rounded at 0645 in the company of the Santa Cruz 52s Magic and Bombardino, as well as the

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Approaching the finish, with Ed at the helm. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

R/P 44 Miracle. I’m sure everyone was very happy to see the A2s after a long night on the wind. We had a great run all the way to the finish with these three boats, which definitely kept us on our toes.

Predictably, after blowing strongly for the upwind portion of the race the wind began to ease, making much of the trip back to the Sound a VMG run. It was interesting to see the exclusion zone at the beginning of the wind farm at Block Island; I’m sure that will be an interesting tactical proposition in the future!

Once past Block Island the wind began to gradually turn to the right, which changed our Sound entry point from the Gut to the Race. We had our fingers and toes crossed that the breeze would hold once we got back into the Sound, and amazingly it obliged.

The challenge on the final leg lay in the big variations in direction and velocity that had us changing between the A2, A3 and A5 frequently. As is usually the case, we encountered light and variable winds on the short leg in from the Cows to the finish off Stamford. Of course a tug and two gravel barges were inbound at the same time, making things a lot more exciting than they should have been!

It was a very rewarding race for Ed and I, and we were very pleased to win our class and place second overall in fleet against the fully crewed boats. As usual, the awards party at Stamford Yacht Club on Sunday night was awesome and capped off an excellent weekend of yachting. Another Vineyard in the books – looking forward to next year! F Chad Corning is a professional sailor, program manager, build manager and coach. A two-time Melges 32 National Champion, two-time Viper 640 National Champion, Shields National Champion, and Melges 32 European Champion, he is program manager for the 2013 and ‘14 Melges 32 World Champions Team Argo, and co-skipper of Pleiad Racing. windcheckmagazine.com

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October 2015 45

Local Boats Post Strong Finishes in the Vineyard Race Ninety-eight boats from Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Nova Scotia competed in the 81st running of the Vineyard Race. First sailed in 1932, this Labor Day weekend classic is sponsored by Stamford Yacht Club and as always, boats from local waters were victorious in many of the 15 classes.

Teams can choose to sail one of three courses. The traditional Vineyard Course takes competitors eastward from Shippan Point and out of Long Island Sound the crew of via the Race or Plum Gut, past Block Island and on to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzards Bay, and then westward to the finish in Stamford Harbor, a distance of 238 nautical miles. The 163-nautical mile Seaflower Reef Course stops just short of exiting Long Island Sound, and the Cornfield Point Course checks in at 116 nautical miles.

The Vineyard Race is the final qualifier for the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy, New England Lighthouse Series, and Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy. Event sponsors include North Sails, Chelsea Clock, Mount Gay Rum, Team One Newport, and PhotoBoat.com. For more information, visit stamfordyc.com and vineyardrace.wordpress.com. F Above: Co-skippered by Hewitt Gaynor and Tim Curtis, Gaynor’s J/120 Mireille (Fairfield, CT) was victorious in IRC Double-handed Class 6 on the Vineyard Course. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com Left: Jim Farrell and Ralph Sheppard sailed Farrell’s Soverel 30 Scarecrow (Fairfield, CT) to victory in the PHRF double-handed division on the Seaflower Reef Course. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com Below: The most comfortable sailors in the race were likely the crew of Greg Gigliotti’s Gunboat 62 Tribe, winner of the 5-boat Multihull Class on the Vineyard Course. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

With the leadership of skipper Peter Becker, the American Yacht Club Junior Big Boat team won, PHRF Class 8, the Corinthian Challenge and the New England Lighthouse Series aboard their J/105 Young American (Rye, NY). © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

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Above: David Rosow’s J/109 Loki (Southport, CT) topped the 6-boat IRC Class 9 on the Vineyard Course. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

Right: Taking top honors in IRC Class 1 on the Vineyard Course was Lenny Sitar’s J/44 Vamp (Holmdel, NJ). © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

Below: The Breakwater Irregulars team aboard Austin Royle’s Tartan 41 Pegasus (Wilton, CT) claimed top honors in PHRF 2 on the Cornfield Point Course. © Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com

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WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 47

Team Dolphin Takes the Vintage Day Racer Prize in the Opera House Cup

By Tom Darling Shortly after the final day of Nantucket Race Week, better known as Opera House Cup Day, the following appeared on the website of Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, New York, the keeper of an extraordinary day racer and one of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff’s best, the Newport 29 Dolphin: “A win for the winningest boat on the water.”

Launched in 1914, this 35-foot, seven-inch speedster is a link to the glorious past of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol, Rhode Island, creator of the S Boat, the Buzzards Bay 15 and the NY 30, 40 and 50 – temples of racing sail. Acknowledged as having won more trophies than any other boat in American yachting history, Dolphin was meticulously restored by master boatwright Donn Constanzo at Wooden Boatworks in Greenport, NY. She overwinters in Greenport and spends summers in Oakcliff’s fleet of vintage wooden racing yachts.

By my calculation it was 50 years ago as a junior sailor at Bristol Yacht Club, across from the fabled Herreshoff yards, that I first saw Dolphin, the design inspiration for a special class in Nantucket called the Alerion, named after Captain Nat’s own lunch sailing boat. Throughout the ‘60s, I saw this ghostly white sloop with her big main and overlapping genoa win over the new fiberglass production models. Come Pearson, come Cal, come Columbia – this lovely wooden boat, piloted by the family of John Lockwood, routinely handled them all.

The original Alerion, in Herreshoff’s trademarked Seafoam Green color, is displayed in the Small Craft Exhibit at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. Dolphin, with sponsorship from visionary Oyster Bay sailor Hunt Lawrence and under the lead-

Dolphin, rounding the first mark of the 43rd Annual Opera House Cup Regatta at Tuckernuck, has won more trophies than any other boat in American yachting history…and her crew wouldn’t let her down. © Karen Ryan/KarenRyanPhoto.com

ership of Oakcliff Executive Director Dawn Riley, is enthusiastically raced in Oakliff’s Classics Sunset Race series on Thursday evenings in the summer.

In Nantucket, we sail a downsized version of Dolphin called the Nantucket Alerion Class Sloop, a cold-molded, elegantly trimmed 26-foot day boat built by a local yard, Sanford Boat Company, Inc. The sheer, the neatly carved bow reminiscent of the Bermuda fitted dinghies that Captain Nat saw in Bermuda during winter stays, and the well turned transom turn the heads of all visitors who come by ferry around Brant Point and see the gaggle of bobbing Alerions: “Ooh, ah! Look at those lines.” Although pricey for a day boat, the Alerion 26 is a beautiful blend of traditional wooden construction and modern technology.

Fifty years ago, at the very first Block Island Race Week in 1965, Dolphin was a winner. I suggested that we bring her to Nantucket for Race Week and some tuning up in the Sail Nantucket Regatta prior to the extravaganza on Sunday, August 16 that would send 51 modern and traditional wooden craft on a circumnavigation of Nantucket Sound in pursuit of the Opera House Cup. My Alerion 26 skipper, Chicago investment manager Brian Simmons, took the bait.

Hosted by Nantucket Yacht Club and Great Harbor Yacht Club to benefit Nantucket Community Sailing, and a certified Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, Nantucket Race Week comprises nine days of racing with a one-design series, International One Design and 12 Metre regattas, a kiteboard and windsurf regatta, a Laser regatta, With skipper Brian Simmons at the helm, Team Dolphin enjoyed a close battle with youth regattas, a women’s regatta, a Hobie regatta, bestselling author Nat Philbrick’s Phebe. © Karen Ryan/KarenRyanPhoto.com team racing, and more. A full slate of social events

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One hundred and one years young, Dolphin is one of four Newport 29s built by Herreshoff. She was beautifully restored by Donn Constanzo at Wooden Boatworks in Greenport, NY. © Karen Ryan/KarenRyanPhoto.com

includes dinners and parties, a classic yacht exhibition, and VIP test drives courtesy of title sponsor Porsche.

The event culminates in the Opera House Cup Regatta, a race that the owner of a Nantucket restaurant, the Opera House, established in 1973 as the first competition for classic wooden boats. It turns out that in 1975 the Lockwood family, who owned Dolphin for 60 years before Oakcliff took her over, traveled the 50-odd miles from Shelter Island to participate in the Opera House Cup Regatta, which today is a part of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge.

The two oldest boats in the event were Dolphin and her Bristol RI harbormate, the NY 50 Spartan, built in 1912, herself a 72-foot echo of mighty America’s Cup designs like Reliance, the largest craft tip to stern to sail for the Cup. Both would win their divisions in the Opera House Cup, and both would have a story.

So eager was our crew to sail Dolphin that we drove a picnic boat all the way to Vineyard Haven to collect her on the Tuesday before the Cup. In the midst of a very sunny summer, however, we picked the day that 30-knot winds and torrential rains turned the Muskegat and Tuckernuck Channels into a mad froth, complete with standing waves and the occasional whirlpool. It wasn’t hard to convince the delivery team that discretion was the better part of valor, so we waited until Wednesday for better weather.

Displacing about 17,000 pounds and with a sail area up to 500 square feet Dolphin is a big little boat, powering on a reach with 14 knots of true wind at 7 knots, carved bow handling chop and slop without so much as a teacup on the deck. We marveled at the boom-mounted mainsheet winch, the original Herreshoff hardware in brass, and a spinnaker pole about the size of a Blue Jay mast and, in spruce, irreplaceable. None of us were much accustomed to the runners and the lack of a vang.

The tricks of sailing a traditional wooden mast with a hefty topping lift and a traveler perched on the transom are numerous, and boat captain Avi Lessman was quick to point them out.

The Tune up

we entered her in the second spinnaker division of Friday’s Sail Nantucket Regatta. To our surprise, our PHRF rating of 198 had us getting 100 points from the similar sized J/105 sailed by the Nantucket Community Sailing big boat youth team – clearly the Dolphin of its 1990s origins.

Division 1 of the Sail Nantucket Regatta had Wild Horses, the W 76 from Newport, along with two HPR machines, Interlodge from Newport and Decision from New Orleans. In Division 2, we were up against the 105s and a pair of W 46s. What chance did we have? In 14 knots and under and sporting an old Hood spinnaker, we slipped around the course for a fourth and a second, earning us third place in a tiebreaker for the day. Official Race Week Photographer Karen Ryan snapped away when we set the chute.

The week’s only glitch came when the engine, with the fuel tank almost empty, developed the dreaded vapor lock. That required our skipper’s son, employing his 20-foot powerboat, to play tugboat and return us to Straight Wharf and an admiring crowd at Saturday night’s Opera House Cup Classic Yacht Exhibition at Nantucket Boat Basin.

The Big Day The penultimate day of Race Week (there’s a beach cleanup at Jetties Beach on Monday) began with the traditional parade of boats around the Brant Point Light led by the local Beetle Cat fleet, locally known as Rainbows. The 43rd annual Opera House Cup started at 1100. The newest craft in the 51-boat fleet was Foggy, a collaboration of designers German Frers and Frank Gehry that was built by Brooklin Boatworks in Brooklin, ME and launched this summer – an exotic wood/carbon composite maxi with electronic everything.

In our Class II, we started after the Alerions (Class I) with the two NY 30s, Amorita and Cara Mia, both Rhode Island boats, jumping out as author and Nantucket resident Nat Philbrick’s modern wood yawl Phebe dueled with us. This was a Technicolor day for the Opera House Cup. This race is usually run northwest out to the middle of Nantucket Sound, turning east to Great Channel, and then south past Great Point to the finish. We dueled with another Oakcliff boat, Aiger, and saved our time after being nipped at the finish boat-for-boat.

At the party, after one of the most serene Opera House Cup races in modern history, we discovered that indeed the machine Foggy had won the Cup, but the two oldest craft in the race, Dolphin at 101 years and Spartan at 103, had taken their respective Vintage divisions. Opera House Cup title sponsor Panerai awarded the customary watch to the winner of the Alerions, Bruce Failing’s Bapple, for best performance overall. The odyssey was over for Team Dolphin. We had delivered the goods on the 40th anniversary of this remarkable boat’s first appearance in the Opera House Cup. F Tom Darling is co-captain of Team Dolphin. His article about IODs, “A Tale of Two Sixes,” appeared in our July issue and can be read at windcheckmagazine.com.

After a windless Thursday in which we figured out the rigging, windcheckmagazine.com

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October 2015 49

The First Annual Western Long Island Sound Governor’s Cup Regatta Story and photos by Steve Schwartz On Saturday, August 22, three Western Long Island Sound yacht clubs joined forces and created a brand new Long Island Sound sailing event. City Island Yacht Club, Huguenot Yacht Club and Manhasset Bay Yacht Club ran the first annual Western Long Island Sound Governor’s Cup Charity Regatta. Sails For Sustenance, a Florida-based charity that collects and ships used but still useful sails to Haitian fishermen, benefitted from sail donations by participants. At the end of the day, two pallets of sails were sent on their way to Florida.

Thirty-three boats raced in six divisions around an 11-mile long navigational course that began in Eastchester Bay and took competitors around Execution Rocks and Hart Island. The race started at noon in light winds that got even lighter as the day progressed, and while the two fastest divisions sailed the entire course the remaining four classes breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the committee boat at anchor at the drop mark by the Hart Island “Blauzes.”

The race was followed by an awards ceremony at City Island Yacht Club, this first year’s regatta host club. The hosting of this annual event will rotate between the three founding clubs.

First, second and third place prizes were handed out in the six divisions, as well as a team award and a junior crew award won

by a youthful group from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point.

The first place winners in each division also have the honor of having their boat’s name inscribed on the brand new Walter Cronkite Perpetual Trophy. The tall silver carafe is named for longtime sailor, longtime City Island Yacht Club member, and once “the most trusted man in America,” CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite. Mr. Cronkite’s daughter Nancy was on hand to help give out the awards and share her childhood memories of sailing out of CIYC. The plan is for the Cronkite trophy to be on display each year at the host yacht club.

The three clubs began planning the event last December.

CIYC Commodore Ernie Bivona says that origins of this unusual three-club sponsorship began at a CIYC board meeting last year. “The board of directors thought it would be a good idea to do something to raise money for a worthy charity,” Commodore Bivona explained. “The club had previous charity race experience with The Leukemia Cup Regatta a few years ago, and we were looking to find another organization that would benefit from something like this and we learned about Sails For Sustenance.

The fit was perfect…a yachting organization offering gear that helps people feed themselves. We got right on it.” With the event’s beneficiary chosen, CIYC reached out to Huguenot YC and Manhasset Bay YC and their response was immediate and

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The Division 2 First Place and Junior Team Award winning crew from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

enthusiastic. “In Huguenot and Manhasset we found willing and able partners who worked as hard as we did to make this all go great,” Bivona enthused.

In an effort to make racing more accessible to all, a navigational course was planned rather than windward/leeward. “It’s a way not only to attract very competitive racing boats, but also to bring out sailors who might enjoy a challenging race but normally don’t get involved in windward/leeward events,” said Bivona. The formula worked. All 33 boats signed up as PHRF entries and ratings ranged from -6 to 228 in three spinnaker and

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Adam Loory from Huguenot YC, Paul Strauch from Manhasset Bay YC , Ernie Bivona from City Island YC and Nancy Cronkite, daughter of Walter Cronkite

three non-spinnaker divisions.

The post-race awards party, dinner at CIYC was well attended. After an evening of dancing to a live band, many of the racers said that they were looking forward to doing it again in 2016. What does the Commodore think? “Next year it will even be bigger!” F Steve Schwartz is the Regatta Chair at City Island Yacht Club in City Island, NY.

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October 2015 51

Conanicut Yacht Club 88th Around The Island Race

The Conanicut Yacht Club hosted 96 boats for its 88th edition of the Around the Island Race, which took place September 6, 2015. The annual event is one of the oldest ongoing sailboat races on Narragansett Bay, featuring a complete circumnavigation of Conanicut Island (for competitors racing monohull sailboats over 22 feet in length that are rated for PHRF-NB). The race is followed by a dinner celebration at the host club, which was attended by over 250 people this year.

“This event has once again brought the Narragansett Bay sailing community together for a competitive and fun day on the water,” said Organizing Chairman John Mayers, adding that the fleet was comprised of a variety of different boats and competitors of all ages from different clubs and communities around the area. “Every year, our greatest variable is the race day weather and this year it was absolutely perfect; with conditions not only providing great sailing, but also highlighting how beautiful our bay is, especially when it’s filled with a fleet of sailboats.”

This year, David Schwartz’s Seguin 40 Mischief (Bristol, RI) took home the John C. Quinn Trophy for fastest corrected time around the island (three hours, three minutes and ten The Around the Island Race fleet heading downwind toward the finish on the west side of Conanicut Island. © Cate Brown Photography

seconds). The perpetual trophy is named after the club’s former commodore, an accomplished sailor at all levels of the sport.

The other perpetual fleet award presented was the Commodore Bruce R. Brakenhoff Trophy, which went to Huntington Sheldon’s Reichel/Pugh 66 Zaraffa (Shelburne, VT), which completed the race with the shortest elapsed time around the island (two hours, 14 minutes and 24 seconds).

Results (based upon elapsed time corrected with a PHRF-NB rating)

Class A (13 boats): 1. Top Cat, Jim Lengel, Bristol, RI 2. Lynx, Dennis Nixon, Jamestown, RI 3. Sugaree, James Cornwall, Warwick, RI

Class B (11 boats): 1. Coconut, Tom Dalbora, East Greenwich, RI 2. Haraka, Craig Forbes, Warwick, RI 3. Four Suns, Charles Beal, Jamestown, RI

Class C (10 boats): 1. Bad News, Michael Marshall, Boston, MA 2. Lucy, Corey Sertl, Jamestown, RI 3. Wharf Rat, Matt Dunbar, Pawtucket, RI

Class D (13 boats): 1. Pipe Dream, John Mollicone, Newport, RI

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The varied fleet heads upwind. © Cate Brown Photography

2. Sugar Magnolia, Jeffrey Adam, Newport, RI 3. FastLane, Henry Lane, Jamestown, RI

Class E (8 boats): 1. Comet, Ed Adams, Newport, RI 2. Leonessa, Ray DeLeo, Bristol, RI 3. Luna, Chris Brown, Jamestown, RI

Class F (10 boats): 1. Mischief, David Schwartz, Bristol, RI 2. Aurora, Andrew Kallfelz, Jamestown, RI 3. Hawk, Barker & McVicker, Newport, RI

Class G (10 boats): 1. Temptress, John Gowell, Jamestown, RI 2. Gut Feeling, Ted Herlihy, New Bedford, MA 3. Kestrel, Sean and Susan Doyle, Cos Cob, CT

Class H (9 boats): 1. Just A Friend, Clay Deutsch, Newport, RI 2. Avalanche V, Ben Jacobsen, Jamestown, RI 3. Little Big Man, Dominick Cannavo, New York, NY

Class J (6 boats): 1. The Cat Came Back, Lincoln Mossop, Jamestown, RI 2. Odyssey, Alfred Van Liew, Middletown, RI 3. Entropy, Paul Hamilton, Jamestown, RI

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Class K (8 boats): 1. HH42, Glenn Walters, Newport, RI 2. Reef Points, Gurdon Wattles, Little Compton, RI 3. White Rhino 2, Captain: Todd Stuart, Newport, RI

Conanicut Yacht Club Awards:

Eads Johnson Trophy (large boat, fastest corrected time): Aurora, Andrew Kallfelz

Robert A. MacLeod Rear Commodore Trophy (day-sailer, fastest corrected time): Lucy, Cory Sertl F The fleet sets their spinnakers for the downwind portion of the race. © Cate Brown Photography

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October 2015 53

2015 ECSA Leukemia Cup Regatta

By Roger Bauman

Team Tartuca was this year’s top fundraiser. © Mimi Merton Photography

The Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association (ECSA) Leukemia Cup Regatta was held on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 and hosted by North Cove Yacht Club (NCYC), Duck Island Yacht Club (DIYC), Essex Corinthian Yacht Club (ECYC) and Brewer Pilots Point Marina. This fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) combined social and racing activities for all, including a potluck appetizers/cocktail party and auction on Friday night at NCYC and exciting offshore PHRF and one-design racing on Saturday. The weekend culminated in a post-race party at Pilots Point Marina Saturday evening with awards, live music by Mid Life Crisis, great Italian food from Saldamarco’s, and superb refreshments by Cindy’s Wine and Spirits and Gosling’s Rum.

This year’s ECSA Leukemia Cup Regatta weekend raised more than $56,000 for LLS and welcomed over 300 attendees for the two days’ events. Friday night’s auctions and cocktail party were one of the highlights of the weekend. The silent auction was packed with donated items from local businesses, and Bob Cika of NCYC auctioned off North Sails pro sailor and longtime LLS supporter, Jack Orr, to the highest bidder, Ruth & Peter Emblin of ECYC won Jack’s coaching skills for a day of racing.

Saturday was a beautiful day marked with the ringing of three bells, a moment of silence and Committal speech for the passing of Kappa Sails founder and LLS supporter, Clarke Bassett. The service was officiated by Rev. Peter Floyd with Clarke’s wife Kathy and son Luke present aboard Ceilidh, Ruth & Pete Connal’s Tolleycraft 44 spectator boat. Racing included two windward leeward courses of five and ten miles for all classes run by the DIYC race committee off Crane Reef. First gun was 1100 with five classes including three non-spinnaker classes, a Nonsuch 30 one-design class, and one spinnaker class. The building 6- to 8-knot southwesterly with

light current helped all the boats get off to a good start and around the top mark at the west end of Long Sand Shoal, returning to a leeward mark at Cranes Reef and back to the finish.

In race one, Mark Kondracky’s Pearson 26 Mentor won Class 1, followed by Jeff Going’s Morgan 24 Celebration in second and Peter Floyd’s Ranger 22 Reepicheep third. Ian Scotland’s Elan 31S Brightside took Class 2, with Robert Power’s Plastrend PT-32 Tigger and Rich Glassman’s Sadler 34 Hot Fudge filling out the podium.

The Nonsuch 30 Class was led by Joe Carroll’s Judith Marie, followed by Bob Cornell’s Halcyon and Bananaquit. In race one of the 8-boat Class 4, Mark Salerno’s Tripp 37 Fusion tied Dick Saunder’s Frers 33 Out of Reach for first, with Bob McLellan’s J/29 Wasp in third. In Class 5, Mark McCarthy’s Soverel 33 Slainte captured first in the 10-boat class, with Kathy & Dave Nauber’s Frers 33 Wolverine and Paul von Maffei’s Schock 35 Snow Bird in second and third.

A second windward-leeward race was held for all classes as the breeze filled in and the current picked up which posed a challenge for the racers as well as the race committee. Mighty Duck, a DIYC chase boat moored to the Race Committee boat Sitting Duck, unexpectedly broke free under the load of the 2- to 3-knot current, much to the surprise of the Race Committee. The dashing DIYC

Snow Bird chases Celebration around a mark. © Mimi Merton Photography

steward, Tim Ott, was quick to strip to his skivvies (causing the predominately female RC to blush) and he dove in pursuing the drifting boat. He swam swiftly over several hundred yards to catch Mighty Duck, saving the day while the spectator boat Ceilidh, with LLS Honored Skipper Devon Marcinko and spectators aboard, stood by to rescue Tim if needed. Meanwhile, all classes beat up to the west end of Long Sand shoal in an 8- to 12-knot southwesterly and then ran quickly in the strong ebb down to Cranes Reef in a one-lapper for classes 1, 2 and 3 and a two-lap race for classes 4 and 5.

In race two for Class 1, Mentor notched another bullet and

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Mark Salerno’s Tripp 37 Fusion was victorious in Class 4. © Mimi Merton Photography

was first for the day, Reepicheep was second and second for the day, and Celebration was third and third for the day. In Class 2, Brightside was first and first for the day, with Tigger and Hot Fudge taking second and third respectively for the race and the day. Judith Marie took first for the day in the Nonsuch 30s, with Bananaquit and Halcyon securing second and third for the day. Fusion won again in Class 4, followed by Out of Reach and Ruth & Peter Emblin’s Islander 40 Tartuca. For the day, Fusion was first, Out of Reach was second and Wasp was third. In Class 5, Slainte cheered with first and first for the day. Wolverine finished fourth and secured second overall, while Brian Prinz’s J/125 Specter recovered from a fifth in race 1 to finish second to gain a podium with third overall.

The highlight of the evening was the speech by 2015 Leukemia Cup Regatta honored skipper and cancer survivor, Devon Marcinko. Devon spoke at this event several years ago, and it was inspiring to see this mature young man with his lovely wife come back to entertain and silence the crowd with his inspiring story of determination to beat childhood leukemia. He ended his story by engaging the crowd with the largest Leukemia Cup selfie ever and smiles all around. This year the Leukemia Cup Trophy, a perpetual award, was given to Peter & Ruth Emblin (Leukemia Cup CoChair) aboard Tartuca; Team Tartuca raised over $10,000!

With this year’s event, the ECSA Leukemia Cup Regatta surpassed the $500,000 mark in raising funds for LLS. To date, The Leukemia Cup Regatta has raised over $50 million nationwide, with 85% of all donations going to fund blood cancer research, education and support to help patients and their families manage through the difficult times.

I would like to thank all the participants, fundraisers, volunteers and committee members, flag officers, and club members who helped during the Leukemia Cup Regatta, and a Special Thank You to our local sponsors Essex Wellness Center, Chapco Inc. and Sound Rigging Services. Together we are making a difference fighting blood cancers, and I know all our participants feel as good as I do about helping The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Your continued support is critical to our success and we are looking forward to next year. We had a great weekend and it was because of all our participants and sponsors! F Roger Bauman is the Co-Chair of the ECSA Leukemia Cup Regatta 2015. windcheckmagazine.com

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October 2015 55

Frostbiting at American Yacht Club Story and photos by Dave Coughlin For certain sailors, racing never stops. In winter they turn to frostbiting, braving cold winds and even colder water. Frostbiting draws hardy sailors, race committee volunteers and barroom spectators alike.

Having grown up on Long Island Sound, I have been frostbiting all my life and for the past two seasons, have been racing Cook 11 dinghies at American Yacht Club in Rye, New York.

The Cook 11 was specifically designed for single-handed winter sailing. They are inexpensive, durable, simple to rig and selfbailing in the event of a capsize. They can be sailed competitively by a wide range of people with different abilities. At AYC, there are typically 15-25 boats on the starting line on any Sunday.

Frostbiting really is fun, but it takes a hardy breed. AYC has men and women of all ages and skill levels competing. We normally complete 100+ races per season, which gives a tremendous amount of practice with starting, mark roundings, boat handling and countless tactical situations. The best part, however, is the camaraderie within the fleet. AYC frostbiters are always willing

Sailing upwind towards Hen Island © Dave Coughlin

to lend a hand, whether it is sail trim, rules or tactical suggestions, and everyone looks out for each other. The racecourse is set just west of the main dock approach and has the potential to provide challenging wind and current conditions.

Wind in Milton Harbor The harbor is exposed to the west, making a southwesterly breeze less shifty. This is also true for a southerly breeze because the Scotch Caps separate Long Island Sound and Milton Harbor.

Northerly and easterly winds are shifty, to the point where boats on opposite tacks, on parallel headings, are common.

In southerly and southwesterly directions, the breeze

A pair of Cook 11s on a downwind run. Note the boom trim on the outside boat. © Dave Coughlin

oscillates in a manner consistent with breezes that travel long distances prior to reaching the racecourse area. Since these two wind directions have a good fetch of distance upwind, I like to find the median direction in my prerace upwind sail and time the shifts.

Northerly and northwesterly breezes are incredibly shifty, so much so that it is not uncommon to see two boats going upwind on opposite tacks in nearly the same direction. In breeze from these directions, it is imperative to not get caught in the triangle below the weather mark in between the laylines. Getting caught here is sudden death. When racing in these conditions, position yourself so that you have as many options as possible going into the final 30-second countdown.

At the warning, be near the middle of the starting line and then at two minutes – or one minute – before start, begin to make the crucial decision as to which side the shift pattern is swinging. Going forward, the goal is to get to that side and stay in phase after the start, while trying to minimize tacks and not miss the shifts.

Easterly breezes are rare on the Sound in winter, and typically associated with bad weather and high winds. This is not ideal frostbiting weather, and often leads to racing being canceled.

Not enough frostbiting occurs in easterly breeze to develop a strategy, but it is likely that the combination of long fetch and intermittent landmasses will create a breeze that is semi-shifty.

When sailing downwind in puffs or good pressure, sail precariously by the lee with the boom past perpendicular and the boat heeling slightly to windward.

Do not allow too much windward heel however, as this induces

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Bill Cook designed the Cook 11 specifically for frostbiting. Note the placement of telltales near both luff and leach. © Dave Coughlin

Initially, the flood from the Gut is pushing the boat upwind and then the boat gets current from the easterly flood direction in the deeper center to facilitate a “lee bow” or ability to point slightly higher while sailing fast. The initial part of the leg has direct current push upwind and then the latter part of the final leg gets an artificial lift from the flood pushing east in Milton Harbor.

The north side of the harbor has shallows in front of the Marshlands Conservancy. These shallow flats have less current.

There is channel to the east of Hen Island known as Greenhaven Channel. On northerly wind days, with the mark set off the shallow marsh, one tactic is to sail straight towards the northern shore off Hen Island and, once out of the current, tack to port toward the mark approaching on port.

Although not everyone jumps at the chance to go sailing while there is snow on the ground, sailing in dinghies with 8- to 15-minute races and 20 boats on the line, is exciting, educational and competitive. The thrill of numerous starts, mark roundings, tactical maneuvers, brain teasing “What if I tack now?” situations, and the opportunity to use the rules repeatedly far outweigh any temporary discomfort due to plunging mercury or an unexpected swim. Milton Harbor’s challenging wind and current conditions enhance the experience and add to the excitement.

too much leeward helm. When sailing by the lee, the leech of the sail needs to be trimmed as if it were the luff. Installing port and starboard telltales six inches forward of the leech will provide the information needed for this unconventional trimming technique.

As in upwind sailing, it is important to be in sync with both the shifts and the oscillations. Downwind shifts, on the other hand, are more difficult to determine than upwind shifts. In either scenario, the aim is to gather new information and readjust if necessary.

Current Current is always a factor at AYC. One important aspect of current here is how it interacts with wind conditions, especially during peak flood and ebb. When wind is out of the west and current is flooding, it causes the center of the harbor to have current and wind from the same westerly direction. On the south side of the course, current flows in from the flood, coming down the Sound through the Gut, creating an opposing current direction towards the west or upwind for a third of the way into the harbor.

Starting at the pin end and sailing towards the Gut and lee bow current provides an artificial lift on starboard. Then, when tacked to port, you’ll have a following push from the current.

When the northerly or northwesterly winds are in play with leeward mark gates set just north of the Gut, consider the use of the northern flow of the flood or southerly moving current on the ebb tide. The gates to port and starboard can have important current flows besides what the wind shift is telling you. In a flood, the same current push upwind around the starboard gate creates a perfect lee bow on starboard tack to move up the left side of the course. windcheckmagazine.com

Frostbiting attracts a hardy breed. © Dave Coughlin

Constant changes in water flow due to currents, combined with wind variables, minimize any advantage of local knowledge and allows for a racecourse where anyone can win.

Frostbiting provides such a solid learning platform that it really is anyone’s race to win or lose. At every level of the sport, you are only as good as your last event and there is always someone ready to beat you around the weather mark; it keeps you striving to improve. F Dave Coughlin grew up sailing on Long Island Sound, sailed in college and coached collegiately until 2000. He is the President of UK Sailmakers – New York & Annapolis.

WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 57

Zephyr Wins the World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials

© Debra Bell/Bell’s Furry Friends Photography

One of the most popular events at the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, presented by our fiends at Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Magazine in Rockland, ME, is the World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials. On August 16, six courageous canines and their handlers strove to complete three events – the Dockside Obstacle Course, the Dinghy Hop, and the Freestyle Segment – within an eight-minute time limit.

Although those getting their woof on included a knot-tying pug that cleated off a line, a rescue Chihuahua that swam even though she hates the water, and a high-flying chocolate Lab that caught a Frisbee in mid-air, a three-year-old English-style yellow Lab named Zephyr from Owls Head and his owner Tony Fitch edged out the competition with their sheer exuberance and paddle-boarding skills. The newly crowned Maine Lobster Festival Sea Princess, Payton Billingsley of Rockland, awarded top-dog honors to Zephyr.

Zephyr will be featured in the November issue of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors (the popular Boatyard column in each issue is where all this silly fun got its start). He’ll also keep the cherished revolving “Canine Crown” trophy for one year and have a private photo shoot with Bell’s Furry Friends Photography. All competitors received an assortment of canine goodies provided by Loyal Biscuit and packed in a custom-made doggy bag (of course). Sponsors of the 2015 World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials were Bell’s Furry Friends Photography and Loyal Biscuit. Visit maineboats.com/ boatshow/visitors/boatyard-dog to learn more. F

58 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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The 2015 Stone Horse Builder’s Cup

By Tom Kenney Saturday, August 15 was a spectacular day on Buzzards Bay, as iconic Stone Horse sloops raced off of Padanaram, MA for the sixth consecutive year. The wind was steady out of the southwest, blowing six to nine at the start and increasing to 17 for most of the 2015 Stone Horse Builder’s Cup. The race, which was sailed on a 5-nautical mile course over four legs, saw stiff competition between reigning champion Dave Kane’s Able of Newport, RI and newcomer David Neumeyer of Lynchburg VA, sailing Bob Gleason’s Metaphor, out of Wareham MA.

Metaphor skipper David Neumeyer, whose only experience on a Stone Horse was a 6-hour beat up Buzzards Bay the day before the race, modestly suggested his performance was due to a clean bottom and new headsail, adding, “Dave Kane and crew are excellent sailors who sailed a mistake-free race, clearly outsailing Metaphor upwind.” Mutual respect was noted as Dave Kane responded, “David (Neumeyer) took full advantage of the boat and the conditions to challenge Able right to the very end of the course. We had the advantage of a heavier crew allowing us to sail flatter and point higher, though I think that Metaphor was still sailing faster.” Kudos to Gordie Foye, age 9, the youngest crewmember in the fleet, who was “bailer extraordinaire” when Blue Jay, skippered by his mom Kristin Peterson of Freeport, ME, buried her rail on the final leg.

After the race, skippers, crews and guests gathered on the lawn of the New Bedford Yacht Club for a barbecue, cocktails,

Hawksbill, Able, Blue Jay, Metaphor and Windfall at the start. © Barbara Veneri

presentations and conversations with old and new friends. The winning skipper, Dave Kane, and crew were presented with a half hull model of the Stone Horse crafted by Edey & Duff alumni Ed Pavao of New Bedford. A special thanks to Bill Ferguson, skipper of our spectator boat, Sea Fever, out of Padan-

The crew of Dave Kane’s Able celebrate their second consecutive Builder’s Cup victory. © Barbara Veneri

aram, and Gregg Child, skipper of the committee boat, Tobias, out of Newport.

The Builder’s Cup is a one-design race for the Crockerdesigned Stone Horse, which was built by Edey & Duff of Mattapoisett, MA. The race is hosted out of the New Bedford Yacht Club by club member and Dartmouth resident Tom Kenney, the owner of Hull #046, Windfall. F The author’s Windfall close hauled. © John Balletto windcheckmagazine.com

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WindCheck Magazine October 2015 63 WindCheck Magazine October 2015 63

CLASSIFIEDS Place your classified ad here! (203) 332-7639

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 14’ HANDYCAT, Classic Catboat, 1984 Completely restored 2015. FG hull just stripped, barrier coated, bottom painted.

Wood trim, seats, spars just stripped & Cetol’ed. Like-new cockpit tent & 2001 Honda 4-cycle 5HP. Sail VG. Trailer. Excellent overall condition. $6600 or Best Offer. Steve - 646-645-0655 rothsteve2002@yahoo.com

22’ Etchells 1998 - Pacesetter # 1086, 2 sets Doyle sails, open sail card, North full boat cover, 3 spin poles, forward ring frame, Tac Tic compass, double axle trailer w/sail box, new axles 2005, new brakes, bearings 2014 $14,000. 860-227-6135

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 24’ Pearson-Tillotson J-24 1980 - Good condition white/blue trim. 9.9 hp electric start Johnson outboard runs like new.

North main, Kevlar jib, genoa, and roller reefing jib. All rigging intact. Includes mooring in Black Rock Harbor for 2015 season. In water and registered. Located in Bridgeport. $6,000 Call David 516-721-3991

25’ Kirby 1979 - Fractional rig, Triad Trailer, 4HP Yamaha 4 stroke, new main, new 155% Genoa, new #3, new spin, Hall Van, cushions, head, tactic compass $9,500. 203-301-2222

Sistership

22’ Laguna Windrose 1977 - Cast Iron swing keel 16” draft when up - “Pop-top” cabin roof, Slide-out galley with pump sink and stove, LED interior lights, solar powered vent in V-berth. Mainsail with cover, hank-on jib sail with quick release at bow. 6 HP Mariner outboard with new 6 gal tank and fuel line. Galvanized single axle trailer with LED lights. Price Reduced! $2,000 Call Chuck 203-645-9189 chuckdenicolo@hotmail.com

27’ Tartan 1978 - Yanmar Diesel with very low hours. Sleeps 4. Boat is in excellent condition. $12,000 Russ: 203-470-3242

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 28’ Albin Cumulus 1980 - Great shape, 2012 North 135, 2009 Doyle main, North Mylar 150, Hild 1.5oz drifter, Harken traveler, Hood furler, Rigid vang, ST winches, rigged for spinnaker, Yanmar YSB12 runs great. Manhasset Bay. Asking $12,900. Contact Lager Yachts 516-767-0141

SOLD

28’ Cal 1986 – This well maintained boat is in excellent condition. Can be seen at Fayerweather Boat Yard, Bridgeport, CT. $15,000. Contact Anne at 203-209-3577

29’ Columbia - Beautiful, new windows, new paint, new interior mahogany woodwork, new interior floor sole, engine refurbished (Atomic 4), hydraulic wheel steering with auto pilot, wind, speed, and depth instruments, binnacle compass, cockpit bimini, 33 lb Bruce Anchor chain and rode, custom bow roller with large Simpson Windlass, Indigo 3 blade prop, main head sail 90%, 130% genny, spinnaker w/sock and turtle, much, much more.

This boat has to be seen to appreciate it. $4,500 Or Best Offer Sailkeys@yahoo.com

27’ Hunter 1982 - Yanmar diesel, Schaefer roller furling, lazy jacks, more...$4,900.

203-301-2222

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BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 30’ J 30 1981 - Well equipped, in very good condition. Versatile racer/cruiser with many additions: roller furling, full batten main with slides, self-tailing jib winches, asymmetric spinnaker with sock, tiller autopilot, updated alcohol stove, 8” Garmine GPS with Sirius weather and shore power.

Lightly used Yanmar diesel. Rich ash and mahogany cabin. Recently reduced and wonderful value at $16,900. Call George at 203-531-7224 or email at toperg@aol.com

30’ Pearson 1971 - Full set of racing sails. 2 spinnakers, 1 Asym. cruising chute. Twin head foil for roller Genoa W/ removable drum. Full instrument display & GPS. Harken deck hardware. Spinlock rope clutches. Cockpit cushions, dodger, bimini. New holding tank, water tank & plumbing. New cooktop. This boat is a race ready winner and a comfortable cruiser. Has Poppets. $8,000 Call Doug @ 860-227-5323 or email at dougmcdonald138@comcast.net

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 30’ Vineyard Vixen 1976 - Main, Genoa, Working Jib, Blooper. Dinghy, Dock lines, Lot’s of ground tackle, Chart Plotter, Depth sounder, Wind Indicator, Fender”s, Dodger, Sail cover, Awning, etc. This Vineyard Vixen is a one of a kind and a rare find!!! She has been very customized and upgraded over the year’s. A salty capable sailor and a real head turner where ever I go!! 2014 Survey on hand upon request.

Asking $25,000. Come for a look! Come for a sail!! Contact Kerry at 203-605-1929, Kaloke@live.com

35’ Freedom 1995 - Excellent condition, clean and well equipped. New sails, nice canvas, Yanmar diesel with low hours.

Interior is Bristol. Raytheon instruments, radar, GPS & autopilot. 4’6” shoal draft, Newer custom canvas winter cover. $79,500 Call Bruce at 203-314-7584

SOLD

33 Raider built by Cherubini 1983.

Excellent condition. Info and pictures to terence.sullivan1@verizon.net.

35’ X-Yachts Xc-35 2014 - This Xc 35 is the latest model in the cruising line, used only a few times as a demo boat at boat shows, we offer it at a discounted rate. $225,000 Call 860-536-7776 or email rbr@rodgersyachtsales.com or toby@rodgersyachtsales.com

D L O S

34’ Alsberg Express 1987 - Carl Schumacher design well built and fast. Yanmar diesel engine. New mast, full North sail inventory. Asking $39,000.

Call 917-545-8748 janusw@aol.com

You Can Still Read Our September Issue

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL

34.5’ J/105 1993 - Very clean & well updated 105. Mast awlgripped, sprayed VC Offshore bottom, Pre-scrimp = light & fast. Very dry boat. Asking $82,900 Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400

37’ Endeavour 1978 - B Plan Original owner at 87 feels it is time to pass along this great bluewater cruiser in fine condition including RF Genoa. FB Main, Harken Batcars, Cruising Spinnaker/ snuffer, 50 Perkins Diesel, Windspeed, Radar, Chart Plotter, Autohelm and more.

Must be seen to be appreciated. Asking $44,500. Reasonable offers considered.

Call 203-874-1719

41’ X-Yacht 2007 - Sarah is a true turnkey race boat for anyone who wants to jump in and start winning races. Very deep and new sail inventory. Electronics and rigging all replaced in 2014.

In water, ready to sail. $210,000 Call 860-536-7776 or email toby@rodgersyachtsales.com

& other archived content online at windcheckmagazine.com windcheckmagazine.com

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October 2015 65

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 44’ Hardin Voyager Ketch 1979 $124,000 - This boat has been meticulously maintained by the original family since it was bought in 1979. Boat with world cruising and liveaboard potential. Check the listing for all that has been done to keep her in top shape. Tom Miller, tom@latitudeyacht.com, 401-835-7215

44’ Finngulf 2001 - This lightly used Finngulf 44 is a fine example of Finnish craftsmanship and sailing characteristics.

3 cabins, 2 heads; new Awlgrip; all new wiring. In water, ready to sail. $175,000 Call 860-536-7776 or email toby@rodgersyachtsales.com

44’ X-Yachts X-442 2001 - The X-442 has exceptional performance and is both modern and luxurious. Fitted with a 51-horsepower S-drive engine, 3 spreader masthead rig, large-wheel steering and a practical, stylish interior. $239,900 Call 860-536-7776 or email rbr@rodgersyachtsales.com

44’ Beneteau First 44.7 2006 - Great performance cruiser, North 3DL Sails, Asym. Spin., Raymarine electronics, full canvas, winter cover. Mint. $225,000 Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 44 Island Packet 1995 - Cutter rig, generator, air conditioning, water maker, davits, dinghy & outboard, full canvas & electronics. Ready to go anywhere. Two boat owner. Asking $135,000. Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400

46’ Baltic 46 – MERRYTHOUGHT Finnish quality throughout in this well found and very able racer-cruiser. Close-winded, fast and comfortable with full teak interior, good electronics and large sail inventory.

Single hand cruise or full crew race this exceptional design. Sell or trade. sailmyles@aol.com 860-823-7952

47’ Hylas 1989 – Beautiful fast centercockpit offshore cruiser in great condition.

New: sails, engine, stack-pack, windlass, 4-burner stove, Awlgrip. Comes with SSB, life raft, RIB/OB, diesel heater, 2k inverter/charger, dive compressor and much more. Owner sale $189k. 203-969-5556.

49’ Hinckley REDUCED PRICE! Classic center cockpit ketch. Comfortable live-aboard and blue water cruiser with two private staterooms, galley, salon and fireplace.

Well-equipped for short-handed sailing with integrated GPS map and radar, bow thruster, and ICW height mast. $99,000. Northeast partnership possible. 518-744-2825

BOATS FOR SALE- SAIL 49’ Beneteau 2007 – Loaded & low hours. Generator, A/C, Electric winches, RF Main, 3 cabin layout, davits, Satellite TV, Bow thruster, extremely clean. Asking $265,000. Contact David Willis david@ willismarine.com Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400

49’ Hunter 2007 Tri-Cabin $ 239,900 Comfortable staterooms. 2 private cabins + owner’s stateroom w/private en suite head. Extras: Furling Mast, Electric Winches & Bow Thruster. Turn-Key Vessel & An Exceptional Value! SecureYourDream.com 860-415-4810 / Mystic, CT

57’ Swan 1982 044 - Extremely well maintained & updated. Engine, generator, decks, hull Awlgripped, bottom redone.

No expense spared. She shows much newer than her age. Asking $345,000.

Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400

BOOKS/SEMINARS

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CLASSIC YACHTING TROUSERS CUSTOM MAKERS OF CLASSIC 70’S STYLE “WINTER WHITE FLANNEL, BONE CREAM GABARDINE AND 100% COTTON/CANVAS TAILORED YACHTING TROUSERS.” Call/E-mail GRASS COURT COLLECTION CO. 1-802-2966634 ; www.grasscourt.com ; grassct@aol.com

CLUBS/ASSOCIATIONS

CREW Sail to the Caribbean this Fall Sail a Swan in the 16th Annual NARC Rally.

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ENGINES FOR SALE

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4 Stroke Yamaha Outboard 4HP – One year old. Used only twice. Practically new. Asking $1000. Contact savyong@yahoo.com or 914-584-6860

29 years of Camaraderie & Cruising on the LI Sound and beyond!

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Crew available for skippers SinglesUnderSail.org Call or leave vm at 203-847-3456

HELP WANTED MARINE POSITIONS AVAILABLE M Yacht Services, Annapolis, a large, full service marine company, is hiring additional highly experienced crew in the following fields: marine systems (mechanical & electrical), carpentry, sailboat rigging, fiberglass/gelcoat/painting. We offer excellent wages and benefits. Applicants must have in-depth knowledge of their trade. Must have a clean driving record.

Email resumes to admin@myachtservices.net Experienced Yacht Sales Professional - Prestige Yacht Sales representing Beneteau, Hunt Yachts and Southport Boats as well brokerage is seeking qualified, experienced yacht brokers.

Positions at our offices in Essex, Mystic and Norwalk, CT. All Inquiries will be confidential. If interested, please send your resume to Info@PrestigeYachtSales.net

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CREW

Offshore Passage Opportunities Your Offshore Sailing Network. Sail for free on OPB’s. Learn by doing. Gain Quality Sea time towards your lifetime goals. Sail on different boats with different skippers to learn what works and what does not.

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For Sale Two Captains Chairs Excellent condition 225.00 per or make offer Contact: Daniel Seifert 203-610-1372 or steve@sp-g.com

Keep the Dream Alive for the cost of a good winch handle. windcheckmagazine.com

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Milford, CT 203-877-7621 Huntington, NY 631-421-7245 Port Milford 203-301-2222 yachtworld.com/portmilford........... 30, 62 Port Sailing School 516-767-SAIL portsailing.com........................... 18 Quantum Key West Race Week keywestraceweek.com...................... 71 Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Connecticut....... 55 203-445-9978 spcact.org Sparcraft-U.S. 704-597-1052 sparcraft-us.com................................. 14 Sperry Charleston Race Week charlestonraceweek.com..................... 13 Sperry Sails 508-748-2581 sperrysails.com........................................ 31 Springline Yacht Sales secureyourdream.com................................. 3, 61 Mystic, CT 860-415-4810 Mamaroneck, NY 914-873-0533 TGM Anchor Point Marina 203-363-0733....................................... 60 tgmanchorpointmarina.com UK Sailmakers 800-992-9422 uksailmakers.com.............................. 29 Uniquely Nautical Décor & Gifts 727-394-8978.............................. 19 uniquelynautical.com Willis Marine Center 631-421-3400 willismarine.com................. 9, 63 X-Yachts USA 860-536-7776 x-yachtsusa.com.................................... 8

WindCheck Magazine

October 2015 69

On Watch A. J. Evans As the youngest Race Chairman in the history of the Newport Bermuda Race, 34-year-old Alton J. Evans has the helm of the 50th “Thrash to the Onion Patch,” which starts Friday, June 17, 2016.

“I grew up on the © Matt Marciano Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay,” says A .J., who lives in Middletown, New Jersey. “I started sailing with my parents, Alton and Jackie Evans, when I was 3, and attended junior sailing at Monmouth Boat Club. We started cruising when I was 7, mostly long weekends on Long Island Sound, Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as the U.S Virgin Islands and Southern California.”

“My dad was Commodore of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. That’s where I met my sailing godfather, Lenny Sitar, who is also a Past Commodore. Lenny invited my dad and I to go on a race, although my dad is more interested in cruising with my mom. I took to racing with Lenny and was 17 when I did my first Bermuda Race on his J/44 Vamp in 1998, and I haven’t missed one since. This will be my tenth Bermuda Race, and ninth on Vamp.”

“We’re very lucky to have a core group of sailors aboard Vamp,” says A. J. (pictured at the helm in a gale). Next year will be my twentieth on Vamp, and other guys have been there much longer. That says a lot about how Lenny runs a program and takes care of his crew. I’m not the youngest anymore, by far, and it’s become a great group of reliable, talented shipmates. Lenny is a great guy and a great team leader, and quite often he can predict the weather better than the forecast!”

“Competition in the J/44 class in the Bermuda Race has been close from start to finish. During the SSB check-in days, you could drop a quarter on the plotting sheet and cover the class’ plots. In 2014, we started close to Jim Bishop’s Gold Digger and saw them next a few days later when we finished about two minutes ahead of them.”

“I really enjoy the camaraderie of the J/44 class, but I’ve been exceptionally blessed with kind invitations to sail with friends on a variety of boats all over the world, including classics. I’ve done the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Pineapple Cup, several Annapolis to Newport and Marblehead to Halifax races, and a very funny Transatlantic Race on the clipper Stad Amsterdam. It turned from race into cruise not long after the breeze died. I’ve never laughed so hard for so long.”

A member of the Storm Trysail Club for a decade, A. J. is currently on the club’s governing board. He’s a member of the New York Yacht Club and serves on the club’s Sailing Committee and Race Committee, as well as the National Sailing Hall of Fame’s Youth Advisory Board. A maritime lawyer by profession,

he’s Chairman of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Maritime and Admiralty Law Special Committee.

“My involvement with organizing the Bermuda Race started when I was 29. Sheila McCurdy, who was then the first female Commodore of the Cruising Club of America, appointed me Fleet Captain of the CCA. The Race Chairman at the time was Bjorn Johnson. I had sailed with Bjorn, and my mom has known him since grammar school. I helped Bjorn by writing the Sailing Instructions, and have enjoyed doing so ever since. I am incredibly honored that the flag officers of the CCA and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club have appointed me to this position. Not only is this the 50th edition of the Bermuda Race; it’s also the 90th anniversary of the RBYC’s partnership with the CCA in running the race.”

“The Bermuda Race is special – I think there’s something in the water, especially when it turns that indescribable blue.

Some of the best parts of the race never change – the water, the Stream, the routine of offshore sailing, the first sighting of a Long Tail, that two-hour motor to RBYC, and then the dock walks, exchanging sea stories loosely based on true events...But it’s most special in that it’s the only ocean race in the world that focuses the competition on the sailors and their skill more than the boats, their designers, or owners’ bank accounts. It doesn’t have an overall trophy, although the St. David’s Lighthouse is considered the grand prize.”

“We level the playing fields by dividing the race into divisions that don’t mix movable ballast boats with fixed ballast boats, or stored power with manual power, or double-handed with fully-crewed boats, and we limit the participation of professional sailors in most divisions. No matter what anyone says, there is no science-based handicap system that can fairly rate the differences that divide the fleet. We, along with many other premiere ocean races, trust the Offshore Racing Rule to do the rest. Our format, combined with ORR, gets the most people sailing and promises everyone a fair shake.”

“I came up with the idea to permit boats in either the St. David’s Lighthouse or the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse division with a minimum performance screen of 0.50 to also enter the Open Division. This will give those boats the option to compete for the Open Division’s Royal Mail Cup, and it will give the Open Division boats (e.g. Comanche, Rambler 88 and Privateer) much more competition. It will be a special contest to mark the 50th race.

I’ve been referring to it casually as ‘The Hauling the Mail Competition.’”

A. J. relishes what he calls “friendships forged offshore,” and looks forward to sailing with his friends on Vamp in the next Newport Bermuda Race. “A true friend gets soaking wet on a cold, dark night by helping you flake a jib full of water on the foredeck for little or no money,” he explains. “They’re with you whether the cockpit is full of saltwater or rum, and they’ve got a fistful of your foul weather gear when the deck’s awash.” F

70 October 2015 WindCheck Magazine

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