Block Island Race - Rambler sets new record

by Kirsten Ferguson on 29 May 2013 At the Storm Trysail Club’s 68th annual Block Island Race, which started on the Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) 90’ Rambler finished the 186 nautical mile course in 13 hours, 15 minutes and 55 seconds, shaving two hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds off Rambler 100’s record-breaking time (also turned in by George David) in the 2011 race.

Tactician Peter Isler called it 'unbelievable' given that Rambler 100 was 10 feet longer and 20% faster than Rambler the 90 footer, which was built in 2002 and has been owned and raced by David since 2006. Those variables quickly became irrelevant, however, when strong, steady winds from the northwest obliged the fleet of 62 boats in nine classes (six IRC, two PHRF and one J/109) to engage in a fast reach to Block Island and back from the start/finish line in Stamford, Conn., where host Stamford Yacht Club is located.

Rambler jibed at Block Island to reverse her course but didn’t make a single tack until the final approach to the finish line, according to Isler, who calculated that Rambler averaged 14 knots of boat speed throughout the race. 'We saw 26 knots at the top end for wind, and the boat hit 20 knots a couple times,' he said. 'We were back in Long Island Sound by midnight.' (Rambler’s class started at 3:30.)

Rambler’s time also was improved by the navigational choice of exiting and entering the Sound through 'the Sluice,' a narrow passage rarely used as an alternative to Plum Gut and The Race, two current-ridden passages notorious for making or breaking a team’s performance in the Block Island Race.

'It was one of those races where you didn’t want to even go down below to catch a cat nap, because you didn’t want to miss anything,' said Isler. 'There was so much anticipation, knowing that something big was happening. Rambler has had a string of good fortune over the last year, being in the right place at the right time; 2013 was certainly the year to enter the Block Island Race!'

Gary Grant (Westport, Conn.), skipper of Alibi, which won the IRC Double Handed Class and the award for best overall performance, couldn’t have agreed more. 'This is the second time we’ve won both our division and overall for this race,' said Grant, whose crew was Steve Fisk (Westport). 'The last time was 2006, when it was the slowest race on record, and we won because we were the most stubborn and didn’t drop out. This was probably the fastest Block Island Race on record, so we’ve proven ourselves now in both fast and slow conditions. We are very honored to have won.'

Though the temperature 'felt like it was freezing,' it hovered around 45, and incessant light rain with occasional showers added to what most called 'miserable' conditions. 'I purchased Alibi when I lived in London and sailed it in the English Channel,' said Grant. 'This race was much like it was there—cold, windy, rainy. But I guess you could say we were well prepared for that kind of race.'

Another IRC class winner, Spookie, Steve and Heidi Benjamin's (Norwalk, Conn.) Carkeek 40, was the best-performing boat in the race under HPR (High Performance Rule) scoring. At 19 hours, 18 minutes and 17 seconds, Spookie’s elapsed time was less than 1.5 hours behind the runner-up 55’ elapsed time finisher Rima and only six hours behind the new course record holder Rambler. This stands as being the fastest time ever for a 40-foot boat in this race, with an average course speed of nearly 10 knots.

'It was a wet, wild ride, and extremely fast,' said Steve Benjamin. 'We were very pleased with Spookie’s ability to handle the 20-30 knot conditions. But we were all pretty cold and exhausted by the end of the race.'

The Block Island Race was first held in 1946 and is a qualifier for the North Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF), and the Gulf Stream Series (IRC). The Block Island Race is also a qualifier for the Caper, Sagola, and Windigo trophies awarded by the YRA of Long Island Sound and the ‘Tuna' Trophy for the best combined IRC scores in the Edlu (40%) and the Block Island Race (60%).

	Sail Number	Yacht Name	Yacht Design	Owner/Skipper	Race 1	Total
Block Island Racing
	IRC Division
		IRC Double Handed
		1.	USA 43968	Alibi	J 120	Gardner Grant	1	1.0
		2.	USA 50622	Mireille	J 120	Hewitt Gaynor	2	2.0
		3.	USA 32575	Paladin	J-35	Jason Richter	3	3.0
		4.	USA 332	Strider	J 109	Andrew Berdon	4	4.0
		5.	USA 52675	Oakcliff Racing	Ker 11.3	Michael Tolsma	5	5.0
		6.	USA 260	Mad Dogs & Englishmen	J 109	adrian begley	6	6.0
		7.	USA 50343	Choucas	Jeanneau SF 36	Frederic Cosandey	7	7.0
		8.	USA 14	Thin Man	J 92	Todd Aven	8	8.0
		9.	USA 52787	Next Boat	Morris 45	Mark Ellman	9	9.0
		10.	USA 39534	Skye	Farr 395	James T. Anderson	14/DNS	14.0
		11.	USA 60161	Flashpoint	J 100	Adrian Little	14/DNS	14.0
		12.	USA 316	Wave Rider	Farr 30	Benoit Ansart	14/DNF	14.0
		13.	USA 92	Jaded	J 105	Peter Rugg	14/DNF	14.0
		IRC 1
		1.	USA 10625	Dreamcatcher	Swan 48 S&S	Stephen Kylander	1	1.0
		2.	USA 32441	Cygnette	Swan 441	William Mayer	2	2.0
		3.	USA 40789	Lora Ann	Express 37	Richard Du Moulin	3	3.0
		4.	USA 52066	Jacqueline IV	Hinckley SW42	Robert Forman	4	4.0
		5.	USA 31779	Breakaway	Tripp 37	Dave Otterbein	5	5.0
		J 109
		1.	USA 369	Skoot	J 109	Jim Vos	1	1.0
		2.	USA 125	Loki	J 109	David Rosow	2	2.0
		3.	USA 310	Pax 3	J 109	Robert Siegel	3	3.0
		4.	HKG 2101	Apsara	J 109	Mike Sleightholme	4	4.0
		5.	USA 160	Ariel	J 109	Jeffrey Warren	5	5.0
		IRC 2
		1.	USA 43600	Vamp	J 44	Leonard Sitar	1	1.0
		2.	USA 25244	Kincsem	J 44	Joerg Esdorn / Duncan Hennes	2	2.0
		3.	USA 51518	Lapin	Beneteau First 40.7	Chris Clark	3	3.0
		4.	USA 28990	Spectre	Tripp 40	Brian Prinz	4	4.0
		5.	USA 39532	Old School	Farr 395	Ganson Evans	6/DNF	6.0
		IRC 3
		1.	USA 52875	Oakcliff Sailing Peacemaker	Ker 11.5	Oakcliff Sailing	1	1.0
		2.	USA 60545	Persevere	Hanse 545	Arthur Baer Colin Rath	2	2.0
		3.	USA 4224	Barleycorn	Swan 42	Brendan Brownyard	3	3.0
		4.	USA 45454	Lir	Swan 45	John McNamara	4	4.0
		5.	USA 1131	Soulmates	Custom Goetz 40	Adam Loory	5	5.0
		6.	USA 60140	American Girl	King 40	Daniel Galyon	6	6.0
		7.	USA 51601	Avra	J 120 MOD	Leo Vasiliev	7	7.0
		8.	USA 51990	Oakcliff Farr 40-2	Farr 40	Seth Cooley	10/DNF	10.0
		9.	USA 50400	Entropy	Tripp 41	Paul Hamilton / Patti Young	10/DNS	10.0
		IRC 4
		1.	USA 95	Spookie	HPR Carkeek 40	Steve & Heidi Benjamin	1	1.0
		2.	USA 51000	Bombardino	Santa Cruz 52	james sykes	2	2.0
		3.	USA 50069	Temptation - Oakcliff	Custom Ker 50	Arthur Santry - Oakcliff Sailing	3	3.0
		4.	USA 52599	Snow Lion	Ker 50	Lawrence Huntington	4	4.0
		IRC 5
		1.	USA 25555	Rambler	RP 90 W B	George David	1	1.0
		2.	USA 55155	Rima2	RP 55	John Brim	2	2.0
	PHRF Division
		PHRF 1
		1.	USA 56	Tacktile	Sabre 42 CB	Jeffrey Wilson	1	1.0
		2.	USA 53333	Gringo	Pearson 37	Michael McGuire	2	2.0
		3.	USA 21108	Gadzooks	C&C 38	Geoffrey Beringer	3	3.0
		4.	USA 77496	Fin II	Olson 30	Thomas O'Connell	4	4.0
		5.	USA 20324	Innisfree	Contessa 35	Don Wyllie	5	5.0
		6.	USA 234	Argo	Catalina 400	Boris Keselman	11/DNF	11.0
		7.	USA 47308	AWOL	Frers 33	Don Horton	11/DNF	11.0
		8.	40852	Audacious	Frers 33	Robert Farnum	11/DNF	11.0
		9.	23746	Snowgoose	F & C Ketch	william robinson	11/DNF	11.0
		10.	USA 10878	STAR	Aeromarine	Jeffrey Ohstrom	11/DNF	11.0
		PHRF 2
		1.	USA 79	Kyrie	Tartan 4100	John DiMatteo	1	1.0
		2.	USA 43827	Patience	Tripp 33	Richard Royce	2	2.0
		3.	USA 52024	Terrapin	First 40.7	Paul Dunay & Jon Litt	3	3.0
		4.	USA 122	Shooting Star	Beneteau First 36.7	Steve Cain	4	4.0
		5.	USA 60937	Threebeans	Santa Cruz 37	Christopher Rosow	5	5.0
		6.	USA 60389	Maguelone	Dufour 36P	Francois-Xavier Rouffiac	6	6.0
		7.	USA 60385	SEJAA	Custom Judel & Vroljik	Mathew Goldsmith	10/DNS	10.0
		8.	USA 35356	Solaris	Beneteau First 36.7	Marek Mirota	10/DNF	10.0
		9.	USA 35356	Solaris	Beneteau First 36.7	Marek Mirota	10/DNF	10.0
		10.	USA 71	Red Stripe	FT 10M	Charlie Reynolds	10/DNF	10.0

Overall Trophies

George Lauder Trophy - Best performance by a Vintage boat (15 years old +): Dreamlander, Stephen Kylander

Commodore's Grail Trophy - Best corrected time in IRC below 1.08: Dreamlander, Stephen Kylander

Governor’s Race West Trophy - Best elapsed time in the IRC Fleet: Rambler, George David

William Tripp Jr. Memorial Trophy - Best corrected time in the IRC Fleet: Rambler, George David

Terrapin Trophy - Best corrected time – PHRF: Tacktile, Jeffrey Wilson

Governor’s Race East Trophy - Best elapsed time – PHRF: Threebeans, Christopher Rosow

Gerold Abels Trophy - Best Performance Double-Handed: Alibi, Gardner Grant

Roddie Williams Team Race Trophy: Storm Trysail Red, Bombardino, Lora Ann, Vamp

Tuna Trophy - for the best IRC combined scores in the Edlu (40%) and the BI Race (60%): Kincsem, Joerg Esdorn / Duncan Hennes

Commodore's Trophy - To the boat that has won her class and has beaten the second and third place boat by the greatest margin of time: Spookie, HPR, Steve and Heidi Benjamin

Harvey Conover Memorial Overall Trophy - Awarded to the boat that has won her class and, in the judgment of the Flag Officers and Race Committee, had the best overall performance: Alibi, Gardner Grant Event website