You would think that when it rains Monday to Friday, there'd be some sort of weather god to show up and grant us all with a couple of breezy days of sunshine to reward us. But if there are such weather gods anywhere, they didn't show up this weekend. We had rain and more rain on Saturday, although it did blow 18 in Annapolis. The general feeling is summed up by the look on J/22 sailor Jennifer Bickford's face.
This is a face that says, "I'd rather be in the office going over contract negotiations" while her crew says "At least we remembered the beers."
Annapolis YC held their Fall Series for J/70s, J/80s, and J/22s, and the 80s and 22s used the weekend as an excuse to squeeze in their East Coast Championships. The rain certainly made the weekend one of the saddest wet tee-shirt contests ever (come on. We're all 40 and everybody has 15 pounds to lose), but there was enough wind on Saturday to keep you from complaining. Sailors were seeing puffs as high as 18 with steady pressure at 12. Race committee had planned six races for the regatta, and managed to get three off on Saturday before the breeze started to get tired. Sunday, well, at least it wasn't raining. The only movement on the race course was the boats without an outboard getting caught in the current and inadvertently checking out Thomas Point before getting rescued. Racing was called around 1 p.m.
J/80 sailor Warren Richter borrowed a boat and sailed to a win in the class. In three races, he ended up with only six points. Richter attributed his success to the fact that he "drove it like a rental," but we know this kid is good even when he has his own ride.
Richter was sailing with Ted Haaland, Mitch Bennett, and Sarah Angell.
In the J/22 fleet, Annapolis's own Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Todd, took the top spot on Hot Toddy (a boat aptly named, considering that's all anyone wanted in the wet and cold on Saturday). In three races, he squeaked by with only five points, his worst place finish being a second.
And in the J/70s, Jenn Wulff was at the helm and Allan Terhune was calling tactics on Joint Custody. They pulled off three straight bullets in as many races for a perfect day. It was nice to see J/120 sailor Robin Team show up as well, on a new J/70. Good to have him in the fleet.
J/22 (10 boats)
1. Hot Toddy, Jeff Todd
2. Scooby, JR Maxwell
3. Ekas, Jonathan Sauer and Alon Finkelstein
J/80 (10 boats)
1. Let's Go, Warren Richter
2. Vayu, David Andrill
3. Basket of Deplorables, John White
J/70 (9 boats)
1. Joint Custody, Jenn and Ray Wulff
2. Phoenix, Peter Firey
3. Tea Dance Snake, Todd Jenner
Severn Sailing Association hosted the Snipe Frigid Digit, the Johnson 18 Phoenix Cup, and the Day Sailer Fall Series over the weekend as well. On Snipes, Carol Cronin and SpinSheet writer Kim Couranz were an unstoppable team, winning all three races. SSA also struggled to get races off on Sunday, but the French fries back at the SSA cantina made everybody happy (seriously, that place is the best kept culinary secret in Annapolis).
Snipe Frigid Digit: (12)
1. Carol Cronin/Kim Couranz
2. Lee Griffith/Nikki Bruno
3. Alex Pline/Jill Bennett
Day Sailer Fall Series: (5)
1. Robin Richards and Cathee Lee
2. Chris Lewton and Will Vickery
3. Ken Seamon and Erika Seamon
Johnson 18 Phoenix Cup: (5)
1. Rich Paullin/Eric Konieczynski
2. Brian Lyman
3. Robert Murphy/Carolyn Murphy
Down in the Southern Bay, 75 boats showed up for the Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta, which benefits Hospice Support Services of the Northern Neck and Riverside Hospice agencies. The regatta brought out an impressive 15 Cape Dory Typhoons to race. The schooner Godspeed also came out to check out the day's racing, as well as the local USCG auxiliary, who were there to provide assistance if required for the registered boats.
From Lin McCarthy:
The racing format included a drop mark course on Saturday and a pursuit race on Sunday. Rappahannock River Yacht Club, in partnership with Yankee Point Racing and Cruising Club, hosted the event in Irvington, Virginia. The Turkey Shoot presents a number of special trophies.This year First Place Overall in the regatta was won by Dennis Hannick in Goin’, second overall was Warren Ryan’s Whistler, and third overall was Hal Starke Jr’s Play it Again with the Sam Marshall Team.
RESULTS:
Fleet A Division 1
1. Windblown, Frank Miller
2. Rhapsody, J. Raper and M. Roberts (Jim Raper is a Racing Team member!)
3. Die Walkure, Tom and Bianca King
Fleet A Division 2
1. Trilogy, Wayland Rennie
2. Puffin, Leslie Newman
3. Shades of Grey, Pedro Pimentel
Fleet A Division 3
1. Salute, Peter Knight
2. Joie de Vie, Russ Seltzer
3. Carmella, Mac Ward
Fleet A Division 4
1. Goin', Dennis Hannick
2. Whistler, Warren Ryan
3. Play it Again, Hal Starke, Jr
Fleet B, Division 5
1. Eroica, Randy Alderks
2. Galeneia, Ian Ormesher
3. Serene, Thomas Richardson
Fleet B Division 6
1. Quest, Richard Hazlegrove
2. Grey Fox, Jim Engle
3. Life of Riley, Eddy Whichard
Fleet B Division 7
1. Prudence, Robert Montague
2. Sea Gal, Jim Harding
3. Equinox, Stu Polhamus
Fleet B Division 8
1. Lodestone, Mark Powell
2. Last Boat III, Frank Murphy
3. Thistledowne, William McClure
Fleet B Division 9
1. Ricochet, Richard Williams
2. Matoaka, Steven King
3. Victorious, William Dickinson
Fleet B Division 10
1. Goldfinch, Mosby West
2. Anthem, Brent Mihills
3. Sierra Rose, Steve Harris
And down in Norfolk's Little Creek, 30 boats sailed the 15-mile course in the 13th annual Neptune's Atlantic Regatta sponsored by Broad Bay Sailing Association. Congratulations to SpinSheet contributor and Sunfish Challenge organizer extraordinnaire Jonathan Romero, who placed first in the cruising division.
RESULTS
PHRF A (7)
1. Sitella, Ian Hill
2. Kingfisher, D. Wilde
3. Mirage, Christian Schaumloffel
PHRF B (6)
1. Blew J, B. Ritger
2. Schock Full o' Nuts, B. PAtterson
3. Ganar!, D. Bouchard
PHRF C (2)
1. Callinectes, Brian Cuker
2. Jammin, D. Hughes
PHRF N (6)
1. Restless, J. Thompson
2. Virginia Lee, M. Brannon
3. Elixir, C. French
Cruising (9)
1. Tempo, Jonathan Romero
2. Couer d'Alene, H. Griffin
3. Kaleidoscope, C. Whatley
