Rosebud/Team DYT wins Block Island Race

by Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l on 27 May 2008 For the first time in decades, in order to take advantage of the northerly direction of the wind, the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race was run counter-clockwise around Block Island. However, according to overall IRC and IRC Super Zero Class winner Roger Sturgeon (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), having to leave Block Island to port rather than starboard wasn't the only atypical thing about the race.

'As far as I can figure, nothing is typical here,' he said, explaining that this was his team's first time sailing on Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound. 'We've done a lot of sailing on San Francisco Bay, where the tricky currents might compare, but the wind changes here are way more complicated.'

The 186 nautical mile race, in its 63rd running, began late Friday afternoon (May 23) and sent Sturgeon's STP65 Rosebud/Team DYT and 108 other IRC- and PHRF-rated boats off on a course from Stamford, Conn., down Long Island Sound, around Block Island (R.I.), and back. A Northwest breeze of 16-18 knots got the boats off to a quick downwind start and stayed consistent until the fleet got to Plum Gut.

'On the way out through the Gut the wind was tricky, and coming back through it upwind, it threw everything at us, including 20-30 degree shifts,' said Sturgeon who finished the race at 12:40 am Sunday morning after sailing just over 18 hours.

Given that Rosebud/Team DYT didn't have the benefit of local knowledge, keeping Bob and Farley Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel Pugh 66 Blue Yankee in its sights 'helped us around the course,' said Sturgeon, explaining that Blue Yankee wound up second. 'It was back and forth with Blue Yankee and then we leap-frogged them.' Sturgeon was ecstatic to win his first Storm Trysail-organized race, since the club was instrumental in the development of the STP65 class and Rosebud was the first STP65 launched. 'I'm very proud of that--that we've helped stimulate the building of a lot of boats in the 65-foot range.'

George David's 90-foot Reichel/Pugh-designed Rambler, which last year won IRC overall and in Super Zero class, took line honors in the Block Island Race, finishing in just over 17 hours.

According to Chairman Ray Redniss, the boats finished in a strong northerly. 'There was some dropping out of the breeze along the way, but we were done with all finishers by 5:30 am Sunday when usually we're done around noon. It was chilly, but crystal clear and a pretty ride.'

Hiroshi Nakajima's (Stamford, Conn.) Swan 43 Hiro Maru turned in the best corrected and elapsed time for the PHRF fleet. 'We were lucky all the way around,' said Nakajima, who has 'lost count' of how many times he has competed in his race but is happy to finally win after entering his own boat six times. Best performance by a doublehanded boat went to Peter Rugg's (New York, N.Y.) J/105 JADED.

Other trophy winners were Rives Potts' McCurdy & Rhodes 48 Carina for 'best corrected time in IRC below 1.08 rating' and 'best performance by a vintage yacht'; Storm Trysail Club for 'best team race performance' (Lora Ann, Vamp and Christopher Dragon); and Tom Carroll's (New York, N.Y.) J/133 SirenSong for the best combined IRC scores in the Edlu and Block Island Races, awarded as The Tuna Trophy.

The Block Island Race is part of the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy and the Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy (both for IRC) and the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF). Specifically for Long Island Sound sailors, the Block Island Race is a qualifier for the Caper, Sagola and Windigo trophies awarded by the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound and the 'Tuna Trophy' for the best IRC combined scores in the Block Island Race (weighted 60%) and Larchmont Yacht Club’s EDLU Race (weighted 40%).

About the Storm Trysail Club

The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors must shorten when facing severe adverse

© SW

conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors. In addition to hosting Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex in odd-numbered years, the club holds various prestigious offshore racing events (among them the annual Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race); annual junior safety-at-sea seminars; and a regatta for college sailors using big boats.

For more information on the Block Island Race - http://www.stormtrysail.org/Pages/01%20Breaking%20News/Frame%20Pages/2008-BI-Race-PR-2.html

Storm Trysail Club’s 63rd Block Island Race

Top-Three Finish Results

Finish Position, Yacht Name, Yacht Type Length, Skipper, Hometown

IRC Super 0 (8 Boats)
1. Rosebud, STP65 65’, Roger Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
2. Blue Yankee, Reichel Pugh 66 66.5’, Bob & Farley Towse, Stamford, CT, USA
3. Rambler, Water Ballasted Sloop 90’, George David, Hartford, CT, USA

IRC 0 (12 Boats)
1. Snow Lion, Ker 50 50', Lawrence Huntington, New York, NY, USA
2. Bombardino, Santa Cruz 52 53', James Sykes, New York, NY, USA
3. Brand New Day, J 65 65’, James Madden, Newport Beach, CA, USA

IRC 1 (9 Boats)
1. SirenSong, J 133 43’, Tom Carroll, New York, NY, USA
2. Fury (C), Baltic 48 DP 48’, Ray Gincavage, Branford, CT, USA
3. Tabasco, J 46 46’, John Levinson, Southport, CT, USA

IRC 2 (6 Boats)
1. Celeritas, NYYC Swan 42 42’, Malcolm Gefter, Newport, RI, USA
2. Arethusa, NYYC Swan 42 42’, Philip Lotz, New Canaan, CT, USA
3. Mutiny, NYYC Swan 42 42’, Edward Madara, III, London, UK

IRC 3 (8 Boats)
1. Vamp (C), J 44 44.9’, Leonard Sitar, Holmdel, NJ, USA
2. Maxine (C), J 44 44.9, William Ketcham, Greenwich, CT, USA
3. Honahlee (C), J 44 44.9', H.L. DeVore, Larchmont, NY, USA

IRC 4 (6 Boats)
1. Christopher Dragon, J 122 40’, Andrew Weiss, Rye, NY, USA
2. Patriot, J 122 40’, Stephen Furnary, Rye, NY, USA
3. Partnership, J 122 40’, David Tortorello, Fairfield, CT, USA

IRC 5 (12 Boats)
1. Rocket Science, J 120 40’, Rick Oricchio, Fairfield, CT, USA
2. Peregrine, J 120 12.19’, USMMA Brian Giorgio, Kings Point, NY, USA
3. Soulmate, J 120 40’, Joseph Healey, Poughquag, NY, USA

IRC 6 (9 Boats)
1. Carina (C), McCurdy & Rhodes 48’, Rives Potts, Westbrook, CT, USA
2. Galadriel (C), Swan 46 46’, John Santa, Southport, CT, USA
3. Cabady (C), Taylor 42 42’, Randall/Matt Baldwin, Ridgefield, CT, USA

IRC 7 (11 Boats)
1. Ripple , J 37 37.5’, John Towers, Manhasset, NY, USA
2. Tenacious, Beneteau First 36.7 36’, Julien Dougherty, City Island, NY, USA
3. American Girl, X-Yachts 37’, Daniel Galyon, Binghamton, NY, USA

IRC 8 (6 Boats)
1. Westray (C), Concordia Yawl 39’-10', John Melvin, Riverside, CT, USA
2. Emily (C), Custom Aage Nielsen 43'9', Edwin Gaynor, Southport, CT, USA
3. Quest (C), Cambria 40 CB Cutter 41.41’, Dennis Powers, Essex, CT, USA

IRC - DH (12 Boats)
1. JADED, J 105 35’, Peter Rugg, New York, NY, USA
2. Mireille, J 120 40’, Hewitt Gaynor, Fairfield, CT, USA
3. Lora Ann (C), Express 37 37’, Richard du Moulin, Larchmont, NY, USA

PHRF (PHRF - 10 Boats)
1. Hiro Maru (C), Swan 43 43’, Hiroshi Nakajima, Stamford, CT, USA 1
2. Wildeyes, Quest 33 32.5', Teri & Pete Binkley, Branford, CT, USA 2
3. Patience (C), Tripp 33 33’, Richard Royce, Glen Cove, NY, USA

The (C) indicates the boat is 15 years or older.

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