Race Chair: Tom Hagan
The Club sponsors several regattas to encourage competition in all classes of boats from fourteen to forty footers. While members vary in their level of skill and commitment, they share an enthusiasm to sail “fun, fast and fair.” more info
Highlights:
After all the racing excitement in July, August fizzled with its annual doldrums. There were several notable exceptions included the YRA Championships on Aug 7/8 and the "Go Your Own Way" race around the islands.
YRA Championships, Ideal 18s
We experienced two days of racing in light air and lumpy seas. With ten Ideal 18s racing, by the end of Day 1 there were four or five that could win it. Mike Millard of Indian Harbor YC prevailed in the end by one point over our commodore and defending champion team, Will Morrison/Chris Tella. Tied for third was our own Mary Desmond/Rich Blackwell. The tie-breaker fell the other way to another Indian Harbor boat. Sixth went to Tom Hagan/Al Shehadi which rounded out the OGYC teams.
"Go Your Own Way" Race
A PHRF race sponsored by Indian Harbor YC on three Saturdays through the summer, "Go Your Own Way" allows you to pick either a clockwise or counter-clockwise course around the Capt Islands. Benoit Ansart, Tom Hagan and Walker Lewis sailed Benoit's Wave Dancer on the last of the series, Saturday, Aug 28. Race reporting from Tom:
Benoit nailed a perfect start with speed and clear air and headed west to nun 4 at Cormorant Reef on starboard tack. We had a boat-length lead on our nearest competitor, Jet Star, which increased as we sailed across Capt Harbor. About 1/2 NM from the mark, the wind lightened and shifted from NW to SW, flopping us over to port for the mark rounding. We got the shift first, but it took several minutes for it to gradually freshen so we missed out on any possible lead that "get to the wind shift first" may have given us-- at least we didn't lose anything. Now we had a short upwind leg to nun 2 off Gt Capt Island which we parlayed into another boat length or two on Jet Star. Around nun 2 to gong 1 along Payea Reach was where we thought Jet Star would gain on us. Benoit still sailed fast and actually increased our lead several more boat lengths. Plus, the tide was in our favor against the boats that chose to go counter-clockwise. The rest of the race was a gybe at gong 1 and a reach to the finish. We had passed the only boat in the division ahead of us, and held off the faster boats in the division after us to not only win our division, but first across the finish line, and first corrected time for all divisions. Too bad we missed the first two races earlier in the season.
Queen's Cup at American Yacht Club
Mary Desmond with crew Syd Uhry, and Holly Pastula with crew Beth Eaton sailed in the Queen's Cup Regatta at American Yacht Club on July 10. Holly and Beth sailed well with a 10th overall while Mary and Syd came in with a very impressive 3rd! This from Mary:
The forecast was very grim - thunder showers and no wind - but the conditions turned around at about 12:30 and we got 3 races in, with a nice breeze of about 5-10 the whole time. Winds were very shifty, but there was very little chop so conditions were near perfect for racing. (We did see some lightning over long island as we sailed out, but it was not going in our direction fortunately). First place went to Carolyn Russel and Alix Hahn of American. I think our strength was our starts and reading the shifts up wind. Boats were very aggressive at the start and at mark roundings - there were several general recalls - so we focused on getting clear air, keeping the boat moving fast, and reading the shifts which usually got us to the windward mark ahead of most of the fleet.
Overall, we are very pleased with the result and had a blast out there!
Larchmont Race Week
We towed three Ideal 18s down to Larchmont Yacht Club on July 17 for Ideal 18 day at the 112th Larchmont Race Week. Benoit Ansart and Tom Hagan in one boat with Lou Casolo and Tom O'Connell in boat two and Mary Desmond and Rich Blackwell in the third. Benoit and Tom H were fourth overall, Mary and Rich were sixth and Lou and Tom O were ninth in a competitive field of 15 boats from Larchmont and American. Regatta report from Tom H:
Westerly breeze built all afternoon with semi-persistent shifts made for a RC nightmare. A course was set for a SW breeze which shifted 40 degrees right just before the first gun forcing a postponement. After the course was reset, Benoit got a good start with clear air and finished third. The start of the second race was preceeded by a 20 degree shift back left during the start sequence making the pin hugely favored. Of the three of us, Mary recovered the best with a fifth. In the remaining three races our best finishes were Mary in race four with a second, Lou in race one and four with two fifths, and Benoit in race one with a third and race three and six with two fourths. Consistency paid off for Benoit and Tom H with a fourth overall, but it paid off big for the first place boat which sailed a perfect regatta with five firsts-- tough to beat that! Our speed downwind was very good against all competitors showing our new HRR spins were a good choice.
Taylor Match Racing Trophy
Benoit Ansart, Will Morrison and Tom Hagan were selected as a team to sail in the Long Island Sound Match Race Championship held this year at North Shore Yacht Club in Manhasset on July 24th. The event was sailed in Sonars owned by the US Merchant Marine Academy. Other competitors hailed from Pequot, the MMA and Larchmont to name a few, and included some of the best match racing sailors on Long Island Sound. The day was hot and the wind was light and unsteady. The RC set a short course and managed to get two flights in before the wind died completely. After an hour or so of waiting, a light breeze filled in and allowed the racing to resume. Our team's crew work was spotty on the new (to them) boats which hurt them in the first few races. By the fourth and fifth race they finally hit stride by winning the fourth but losing the fifth by not protesting their competitor when she refused to give room near a spectator boat. That crew went on to come in second overall and team OGYC came in fifth. Experience, practice and rules knowledge makes a huge difference in a race that's more akin to chess than sailboat racing.
PHRF Wednesday Vespers
This year's Vesper racers have seen a wide range of weather, from incessant rain to beautiful sunsets. OGYC Div 2 and 3 boats are finishing well. From Dick Franck, RC PRO on June 23:
"The race on the beautiful evening of June 23rd took place in a dying westerly. Every boat in the OGYC contingent should congratulate Gratis II, sailed by Jules Lipow and Malcolm Woodier which took first in Division 3. As the wind dropped on the beat from B to the finish, there were pockets of breeze which Gratis, Act Two and Dutch Treat found so they finished smartly. Corrected times reversed the order of real-time finish of these 3 boats. At the same time, Silver Fox and Sweet M fell out of the wind and into a Bermuda triangle of current and had to watch the finishing boats in their breeze about 100 yards to the south while they drifted helplessly just a few yards northeast of the committee boat. Christopher Dragon seemed to have its special breeze to walk away with Division 1, and Jetstar won division 2."
Thanks to Dick and all the RC volunteers this season. Without you, there would be no races!
Twilight Sailing for Ideal 18s
The Ideals are showing up in force on Wednesday nights (often all 13 boats from both OGYC and IHYC). The clientele runs the gamut of novice racers to seasoned experts, but the real fun is getting in 4 races within an hour! Short races means a bunched up fleet for mark roundings and finishes, which tests everyone's rules knowledge. Thanks to Indian Harbor for running the races in the first half of the season-- we take over on Aug 4 for the rest of the season.
YRA-LIS One-Design Races
Etchells, Ideal 18s and Lasers have been meeting up on Sunday afternoons for longer races in Captain Harbor. The best sailors from Indian Harbor, Riverside, Belle Haven and Old Greenwich are coming out in force to race against each other. In Ideals, our own Al Shehadi is near the top of the heap with two firsts and a second on one race day! Keep those numbers up and get yourself qualified, Al, and you'll make us all proud.