2015 Chester Race Week – A friendly grudge match

by meltwaterpress.com on 13 Aug 2015 2015 Chester Race Week – Canadian Olympian, Soling World and America’s Cup champion, Andreas Josenhans, called nine friends and put together first-ever Sonar class in the One Design Fleet - and it was a who’s who of champions including Beijing Paralypmics gold medallist Paul Tingley and two-time Olympian Colin Guthrie.

“These guys sailed in a tight pack all day, and were so competitive that after four races on day one, the top three finishers were separated by a single point each - it was a grudge match, but a friendly one,” said Liz Shaw, Chester Race Week 2015.

Thick fog on Mahone Bay caused some sailors to wonder if their races would be cancelled. With the rain coming down through light winds, the fog lifted and the light wind turned squirrelly - blowing up and down, left and right - not as forecast.

The able race committee officers kept adjusting the course to changing weather conditions, keeping racers busy. Everyone adapted well and kept their spirits up in the rain.

Course description and highlights

Alpha

Fastest boats (lowest handicapped, PRHF* < 99 rating), Grand Prix and distance courses

A great course - 5.5 mile windward leg, then a two-mile beat and two reach legs leveled the playing field. Agincourt’s Bob Cragg (Chester Yacht Club) had a brilliant start and held it during the reaches against favoured sprit boats for the win in Alpha one fleet.

Bravo

Fast boats (mid-handicapped, PRHF 99+ rating), Grand Prix and distance courses

Mayhem’s Richard Gerstenberger (Dartmouth Yacht Club) adapted to a shifting breeze in Bravo three and made good decisions when the course was changed to increase his lead for the win.

Charlie

Bluenose class boats in Chester harbour (our largest one-design fleet), Windward-leeward courses

Malcolm Fraser (Chester Yacht Club) had a standout performance winning two of three races in Shaken Not Stirred.

Delta

Classic wooden boats (many 100+ yrs old) and non-spinnaker boats, around-the-buoys courses

This was the closest racing of the day. Thirteen seconds separated the first and second-place finishers in the non-spinnaker class, and one second separated classic wooden boats Seneca (David Creighton) and Virginia (John Wurts Jr.) both of Chester Yacht Club.

One-design

J/24, J/70, Farr 30, Sonar, International One Design (IOD)

Henry Demone (Chester Yacht Club) emerged victorious in Bella Rena in a highly competitive fleet.

Results