2017 - 2018 race reports

Race report: March 31st & April 1st, 2018

Race report by Aaron Wheeler

Seventeen sailors made it out over two days of sailing during the penultimate weekend of the season, and the racing couldn't have been more exciting!

Saturday was a gorgeous day on the water with clear skies and a light breeze that made large sails a must. There was a lot of action between the 11 racers, from the short start to the down-and-twice-around course. At the head of the fleet, Kevin (3 bullets) and Kara (2 bullets) dueled for the season's overall point lead but were kept honest by Bahar and Eva (with a bullet!).

Sunday struck quite the contrast with gusty breezes that were right at the tip of what the large sails could handle. With only Dino sailing for A fleet, the 7 races on Sunday were mostly a test of B fleet's skills. Out of the seven sailors, Rob left no doubt that he was the top of the fleet by securing every single bullet available for the day! The excitement, however, was elsewhere on the course. Three capsizes, one snapped shroud, and a run away outhaul had the fleet limping at times, while the switching of the course to a no-jybe course kept all sailors on their toes while the wind kept us on the rails. 2nd through 4th position were separated by a mere 3 points, with Eric securing 2nd, followed by Jeremiah in 3rd and Aaron in 4th.

We're looking forward to a great turnout next weekend, the last of the season. See you on the water!

Race report: March 18th, 2018

Race report by Allan Freedman

The March days are dwindling, with just three more weekends to go and 6 potential days of sailing. The Handicap Regatta runs through both days next weekend and our Spring Series March Madness!!! wraps up the following weekend. Doing my best back of the envelope figuring, which is pretty hazardous under controlled conditions, the big B winner from Sunday, and (employing those dodgy math sills) no doubt jumping to the March Madness!!! leader pack, was John Schneider, with a 4-1-1-15. That bullet hat trick was no easy feat in that shifty, puffy northerly, in the 10-15 range, when a single bad start meant losing the advantage on the first shift, or blowing it on the last beat. (All mistakes recorded on my humble journey.)

In the hearty 10 boat B Division, John was followed by Nick Badal  2-3-3-5-4 in second and David Bessey 7-2-4-4-1 in third, both helping themselves on their MM!! and H regatta scores.  The story in A was a familiar one with the two Ks, that would be Kevin Sailor and Kara Licata, doing the 1-2, Kevin at 2-1-1-1-2 and Kara at 1-3-2-2-3. The third placer Bahar Gidwani, 5-2-6-3-1, could be overheard on the dock afterward attributing his success to more girth on the rail. This theory was easily dismissed by anyone who witnessed his flawless port tacker start in the last race, which reflected more guile than girth. 

The 5-race day, for those who missed it, was a crisp, clear blue sky that reminds us all why being out on the water is superior to just about any other way to enjoy a Sunday. We sailed smalls on no gybers, but it was sailing large. Thanks to the awesome Aaron Wheeler for the new logo and bumper stickers. Very cool man!

Race report: March 4th, 2018

Race report by Allan Freedman

The wind was whistling through the rigging at race time Sunday. Indeed, putting up the mast was at time a two- handed task (well OK for those of less coordinated and prone to slight hyperbole). The shots funneling down the harbor were indeed a lot more than the Noreaster’s last gasp, some intense 20-plus gusts. Our wise RC Rob Simonfy, with Scott Guerin accompanying, headed out to the race area, to check out the velocity, which was a tamer 12-16 knots, and pushed us all off the dock. The harbor funnel turned out to be fiercer than the more manageable shifty Northerly in our regular race area, with the norm in the 12-16 range and the occasional gust pushing 20. Rob has campaigned for the appropriate use of the storm sail, and he proved the point Sunday, accomplishing 5 races on no gybe courses.

What was the key to sailing the breeze? The shifty Northerly did not make for an obvious comfort zone. The Dyer has a habit of stalling out quickly, and the technique of the quick depower (ease-hike-trim, as Bahar Gidwani reminded us in the after-sail debrief) was as important as hitting the shifts. Many of us stood up our rigs, to cut down on weather helm, and inched up our boards, for similar aims. That was a recommended strategy our day winner Kevin Sailor, 1-1-7-2-1. Interestingly, hitting the corners paid off, if you could make your way into the incoming gust, and the outgoing tide (which seem supercharged by the harbor funnel) made a hard left or right over stand virtually impossible. It felt like Siberia out there, but then the fetch appeared. It was a 14-boat fleet, sailing as one, with John Field, finding his groove for second at 3-5-4-1-6, Jed Kwartler, the top B boat and 3rd overall at 9-7-2-3-3. 

The lesson for the day, or one lesson, is we can sail these boats in breeze. The sea state was relatively calm, and the same velocity with chop, could have been too brutal. Not a single swimmer for the day, Thanks to all for a truly great start to March Madness!!! and our Spring Series. Sailing returns this Saturday. Watch the point standings here.

Race report: Sunday, Jan. 28 2018

Race report by Allan Freedman

Another great weekend of sailing, with champagne conditions Saturday for team racing and another ice skating rink of a day Sunday with occasional precipitation and tight racing. On Saturday, the temps hit just a nudge south of 30 degrees, and the wind cooperated at 8-12 knots from the West, with the occasional gust a bit higher. It was all sunshine though with the showing of muted winter light as the day wound down. Spectacular. With set up just off the breakwater, Colley Wheeler fired off four heats rotating between 3 teams of 3, including Jed, Sam, Allan, Nick, Rob, John, Eric, Tim and Aaron.  There was a definite learning curve with the teams making the transition from fleet racing thinking to team dynamics, but it was hard not end the day grinning. Kudos to Tim B, who had a refreshing dip and emerged from the water looking as if he had just won the lottery! 

Sunday saw a 14 boat fleet, no doubt some of our brethren deterred by a less than rosy forecast. Or we have a secret stash of New England and Eagles fans preparing for the big night. The promise of steady breeze was broken quickly, with a clocking Southwesterly that turned into what might have been call a vague northerly. Conditions were a testy 0-3 knots, but 4 races were fired off before the final fifth was called for no breeze. Kevin Sailor had a consistent day with 1-1-5-1 to take the day in A. Colley Wheeler continued his run of speed in light air to take second, followed by Tracy K in third. Nick B triumphed in B, with a 13-2-10-5. John S was a close second, with some nice breakouts followed by Mark B in third. Next week teams are headed up to Norwalk for the Larry Goodwin regatta, and then back to Sunday sailing. Let’s hope we don’t have to break out the ice skates again, or the fishing poles.