The Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay hosted what was the fourth and final event in the prestigious international Grand Slam Series sailboat races.
The race, held in Oyster Bay, hosted teams from France, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Singapore as well as five United States teams. One team, Riptide Racing, is based in Oyster Bay.
Racing is a lifelong passion for the team members on all the boats. The Enterprise-Pilot spoke to John Colburn, Chris Kennedy and Captain Chris Poole of Riptide Racing from Oyster Bay to get some insight into their lives. We learned that these dedicated sailors give up much for racing.
This is the third year of competition for the Riptide. Team members receive no salary; they rely on donations from supporters such as friends and family along with sponsors. The sponsors do not give them cash but give them the use of equipment that is needed to race. For the time off needed to race they are able to leave regular jobs at the Oakcliff Sailing Center. To keep within their budget of around $30,000, they save money by driving to the races that were held in Chicago and Detroit (where they placed second).
The biggest expense of racing is the boats, an expense borne by the different clubs where the Grand Slam events are held. For the Knickerbocker Cup, which is the third event in the Grand Slam series and was held a week earlier in Manhasset Bay, all racers used a boat called a Swedish Match 40—that Oakcliff lent for the race. These same boats were used for last week’s race in Oyster Bay.
In Detroit they sailed on an Ultimate 20 while in Chicago they raced an IOD 30, also known as an International One Design. Other ways the team is able to save money is by being housed by the host club’s members for the week. Food is supplied by the hosting yacht club.
While Riptide are competing in the Grand Slam Series of races, it is their hope to move up in the standings to the Alpari World Match Racings that takes place all over the world. If a sailor does well in this class they have a chance to move up to the World Cup with the hope of getting into the America’s Cup. Enthusiasts can show their support for this Long Island based team by donating at www.riptimeracing.com
Last week’s races took place with the teams going against each other two at a time. Winning teams would go on to the quarter finals, semi finals and then finals. The course had four legs.
After jockeying to the starting line trying to steal each other’s wind or get the best position, they race upwind to a windward mark. From there they round the mark and go back to the start where they have to round the leeward mark only to go back and forth again.
For viewers the prettiest time during the race would be when the boats are headed downwind and the sailors set the balloon-like spinnaker sail, or ‘chute’ as it is sometimes called.
The prize money for this year’s event at Oakcliff is $10,000, with the first place team taking $2,400 and the last place team getting $400.
According to Samantha (Sam) Pilz of the Oakcliff Sailing Center, this is the second year for them to host this event. The club on South Street began in 2005 and has hundreds of “supporters” who they rely on for donations. Generous benefactors have also supplied many of the boats.
Oakcliff is a very serious racing center with a sailors program for 15- to 18-year-olds known as the Acorns. The Sapling Program is for 18- to 30- year-olds.
Presently they have one successful racer from the Sapling program: Charlie Lalumiere from Oyster Bay. He has done well in racing and is now on the Dartmouth team.
Many who attend Oakcliff eat, breath and sleep sailing, literally. The facility above the office offers shared rooms and kitchens so racers and students are never far from the water.
For more information go to www.oakcliffsailing.org.
