Lots of sailing news to catch up with. The 2018 summer season was a busy one and is almost over. The only remaining event on the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound (YRALIS) calendar is our very own Manhasset Bay Race Week. This event is scheduled to take place on the weekend of Oct. 13-14 and the following Saturday, Oct. 20.
This regatta is for IRC, PHRF and One-design boats To register go to www.yachtscoring.com and either search for the event or go directly by using this link: www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=6029. Any questions, call the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) office at 516-767-2150.
Several big events over the summer included Around Long Island Race (ALIR), MBYC Race Week, the Vineyard Race and American Yacht Club Fall Series Regatta. Starting with the ALIR, hosted by Sea Cliff. This event is the first premier long distance race of the season. A few years ago, race management took the starting line to New York harbor to offer stadium viewing. Our Midshipmen from U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point and Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, are considered “one of us.” Midshipman Cooper Siepert, skipper on Phantom YCC, came in fourth in PHRF-Spinnaker Division 6. Oakcliff sent boats who won in two divisions: Oakcliff Numbers, first in PHRF – Spinnaker Division 7 and first in IRC Division 10.
Next was Manhasset Bay Race Week. There were three divisions: Sonar, Ideal 18 and Manhasset Bay One Designs (MBOD). Rick Doerr, a U.S. paralympic sailor who won a silver medal in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, raced Valiant to first place in the Sonar division. Midshipman Ryan Hunter was second followed by John Browning, MBYC, third on Ping. In the Ideal 18 division, Midshipman Carrson Pearce came in first place on Mutiny, Vince Syracuse/John Bainton, Ducky, were second and Midshipman Jack Stancil in third place on Noni. Claes Larsson, Miss B Haven, won the MBOD division, followed by MBYC Commodore John Silbersack on Dogged. David Sigal, Malachite, was third.
The Vineyard Race, hosted by Stamford Yacht Club was described in Yachting Magazine, “Like a miniature Fastnet, the Vineyard has a combination of coastal cruising, where currents play a big role, a stretch of ocean sailing, and a mark to round—the Buzzards Bay tower—before returning.” This year’s event was a contract of opposites. Winds upward of 38 knots greeted racers at the starting line, only to slowly diminish to just about 1-2 knots by mid-day Saturday.
Craig Albrecht, Port Washington Yacht Club (PWYC), Avalanche, came in second place in IRC Class 12. Midshipman Tom Simon, Renegade YCC, came in seventh in a very competitive Class 5 PHRF division. Midshipman Patrick Lyell raced Phantom YCC to a second place finish in PHRF Class 10. Oakcliff Racing came in fifth Class 15 IRC. Steve Benjamin, known in these parts for his frostbiting accomplishments at each year’s New Year’s Frostbiting Regatta, came in first in IRC Class 16 on Spookie. Benjamin ended up three perpetual trophies: The Buzzard Trophy, Vineyard Lightship and Northern Ocean Racing Trophy.
Four local racers competed in the American Yacht Club (AYCFall Series Regatta. Craig Albrecht, Avalanche, PWYC came in second in PHRF. Robert Schwartz, Nordlys, MBYC, came in seventh in J/109. Our Midshipmen from USMMA sent two boats. Midshipman Cooper Siepert, Phantom YCC, third in PHRF Div. II and Midshipman Tom Simon, Renegade YCC, was fifth in the same division.
Once Manhasset Bay Fall Series is over, the last two events are the Moosehead Awards on Sunday, Nov. 4, at AYC followed by the YRALIS Annual Meeting and Awards at Larchmont Yacht Club, Sunday, Dec. 2.
