Rolex US-IRC National Championship

by Key Partners (KPMS) on 23 Jul 2008 Rolex US-IRC National Championship Second annual national title to be decided at Little Traverse Yacht Club's Annual Regatta & One Design Series Harbor Springs, Michigan, USA.

This week many of the Mackinac race boats are making the approximately 50 nm delivery to Harbor Springs, Mich. for Little Traverse Yacht Club's 48th Annual Regatta and One Design Series, where the battle for the Rolex US-IRC National title will take place in IRC Division 1. The winning skipper will receive the Rolex US-IRC National Championship trophy and a specially engraved Rolex timepiece.

'In IRC Division 1, there are 38 boats in five classes and they will sail all three days, Friday through Sunday,' said Luiz Kahl, US-IRC executive director. 'Scheduled are three windward-leeward races on Friday; a traditional 'Tour of the Bay' race of 7-10 legs (weighted at 1.5 in scoring) on Saturday, followed by three windward-leeward races for all classes on Sunday. Three separate courses will be utilized for the windward-leeward races. We are expecting exciting racing this weekend, all run by Little Traverse Yacht Club.'

For Alice Martin (Chicago, Ill.), skipper, owner and helm of PAINKILLER 4, a Sydney 38 representing the Columbia and Chicago yacht clubs, the LTYC Regatta is one race to which she looks forward. 'I understand PAINKILLER 4 may not yet be optimized for IRC, but we have raced every year after the Mac races in the LTYC Regatta, and are looking forward to a three-day race at the level of the IRC National Championship,' she said. 'The majority of my Chicago-Mac crew will continue to the IRC Championship. We intend to give the series our best efforts. We have always enjoyed the LTYC regatta and the friendliness of the hosts.' John Regan, Commodore of Chicago Yacht Club, and his wife Flicka are among the crew onboard PAINKILLER 4, which Martin describes as 'A lively crew. Our program features Painkillers (the Caribbean rum drink), pink flamingos (I have a pink wheel), and various decorations.'

As with the Mac races, the LTYC regatta draws a number of family teams, including the Odenbach family onboard the Farr 47 Rampage. 'Three generations of the Odenbach Family have been racing sailboats on Lake Ontario since the 1930's,' said John Odenbach (Webster, N.Y.), who will share helming duties with brother Fritz. 'Best known since 1967 are the black sailboats called Rampage. The current Rampage was built in 2000. Our crew (including four family members) is very experienced and has sailed together for many years. Rampage is racing in both the Port Huron Mac and Chicago Mac this year for the first time, but we especially like course racing and hope to be very competitive.' Rampage finished fifth in class in the Port Huron race.

Two of the regatta favorites - Jim Mitchell's Vincitore (Gockhausen, Switzerland), a new Southern Cross Cruiser 52 and the GL70 Pied Piper owned by Jack Jennings (Niles, Ill.) - recently completed the Chrysler Jeep Superstores Bayview Mackinac Race and took second- and third-place IRC overall, in the 135-boat IRC fleet on corrected time.

The Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex hosted the inaugural Rolex US-IRC National Championship during its 22nd biennial running in June 2007. Blue Yankee, Bob and Farley Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel/Pugh 66, won the event with a string of four victories in six races.

For more information, including results and news, visit www.ltyc.org and follow the links to Yachtscoring.com's interface.

(end) 2008 Rolex US-IRC National Championship

Preliminary Scratch Sheet
Boat, Owner, Hometown, Boat type/length

IRC Class 1
Details, Lance Smotherman, Harrison Township, MI, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Evolution, Terry Kohler / Peter Reichelsdorfer, Sheboygan, WI, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Mirage, Rick Woodworth, Northbrook, IL, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Nitemare, Thomas Neill, Berkeley, IL, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Pied Piper, Jack Jennings, Niles, IL, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Stripes, William Martin, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Thirsty Tiger, Albert D'Ottavio, Joliet, IL, USA, Santa Cruz 70
Windancer, John Nedeau, N. Muskegon, MI, USA, Santa Cruz 70

IRC Class 2
Defiance, Peter Thornton USMMA, Kings Point, NY, USA, Judel/Vrolijk 66
Denali, William McKinley, Harbor Springs, MI, USA, N/M 70
Equation, Bill Alcott, St. Clair Shores, MI, USA, Andrews 68
Tailsman, Bruce Aikens, West Bloomfield, MI, USA, Botin-Carkeek 58
Vincitore, Jim Mitchell, Gockhauesen, Zurich, Switzerland, Southern Cross Cruiser Racer 52

IRC Class 3
Big Country, Ike Scott, Chicago, IL, USA, Farr Concordia 47
Chewbacca, William Peterson, Bayfield, WI, USA, N/M Int'l 50
Courtesan, Dane Christy / Dave Lockhart, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA, Farr 49
Gaucho, Sanford Burris, Kirtland, OH, USA, Farr 44
Goblin, Lindy Thomas, Glenview, IL, USA, NM 50
Inferno, Phillip Dowd, Chicago, IL, USA, Farr 40
Natalie J, Philip O'Niel III, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA, N/M 46 C/R
Rampage, John Odenbach, Webster, NY, USA, Farr Concordia 47
Scout, Dorsey Ruley / Jamie Hummert, Chicago, IL, USA, Sydney 41
Spirit Walker, Vern McCain, South Bend, IN, USA, B & H 41
Victrix, Curtis Kime, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, USA, Farr 40
Wooton, W. Harris Smith, Chicago, IL, USA, Rogers 46

IRC Class 4
Eagles Wings, John Gottwald, Glencoe, IL, USA, Grand Soliel 44
Hot Water, John McLeod, Toronto, ONT, CAN, J 133
Margaret Rintoul IV, Kip Anderson, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, USA, Frers 50
Painkiller 4, Alice Martin, Chicago, IL, USA, Sydney 38
Sagitta, Jon Somes, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, USA, J 44
Serenissima, Robin Munden, Chicago, IL, USA, Sydney 38
Skye, Bill Zeiler, Wilmette, IL, USA, J 122
Sufficient Reason, Joel Krissoff and partners, Grand Rapids, MI, USA, J 124
Tyrant, Donald Thinschmidt, Holland, MI, USA, Nelson Marek 43

IRC Class 5
Blue Dog, Daniel Gourash, Rocky River, OH, USA, C&C 115
Burden IV, Todd Jones, Grosse Pointe, MI, USA, Express 37 Modified
Indigo, S. Emery Scheibert, Sanford, MI, USA, Monohull
Red Iguana, Mark nagel, Bloomfield Hills , MI, USA, Beneteau First 36.7