Old Point Comfort YC's Round the Lights Race
The Old Point Comfort Yacht Club’s (OPCYC) annual fall event is unique in that each racer chooses his or her own course. The start and finish is in Mill Creek off Fort Monroe’s Old Point Comfort Marina and the only stipulation is each boat must round the Thimble Shoal and Middle Ground lighthouses; it does not manner which order or direction the skipper takes. A pursuit start format is used where boat ratings are applied to the start times with the slowest boats going first. The challenge for skippers and tacticians is determining the combined effect of wind and current over the course depending on which lighthouse they choose to round first. As a CBYRA sanctioned race, points count towards the Region 4 High Point standings.
For this year’s race on October 19, a grey, overcast and a steady 10 knot southeast breeze greeted the fleet at the start. In the category of “anything can happen” a barge moored in Mill Creek decided to way anchor and steam through the start line in the middle of the start sequence. After several long horn blasts from the tug, and a few startled racers, a path was cleared and the race continued. Of the 48 boats that started, all but two choose to turn starboard and head for Middle Ground Light first, in what turned out to be the “right” way. The first to finish and overall winner was Leo Wardrup’s Black Widow, which covered the 17.5nm distance in under 3 hours. The two boats that elected to buck the trend and go to Thimble Shoal first finished last in their fleets and therefore validated they went the “wrong” way.
After the race, skippers and crews assembled in the OPCYC clubhouse for a festive repast of fine hors d’ouvres and beverages, and the usual bragging and alibis. In all, it was a great day to be on the water.
Winners in their respective classes were: PHRF A (7 boats): 1.Christian Schaumloffel, Mirage; 2.Philip Briggs, Feather; 3. John Blais, Stardancer. PHRF B (15 boats): 1.Harry Tenney, Margarita; 2.Rusty Burshell, Cool Change; 3.Bob Archer, Bad Habit. PHRF C (8 boats): 1.Justin Morris, The Hunter; 2.Neil Ford, Rocket J; 3.Ben Carver, Mizzmo. PHRF Non-Spin (6 boats): 1.Leo Wardrup, Black Widow; 2.Jake Brodersen, Midnight Mistress; 3.Bill Barnes, Bona Dea. Cruising (12 boats): 1.Lester Knight, Vagabon-DE; 2.Jim Beaudry, Black Dog; 3.Alan Moore, Trouble.
