New yacht wins Block Island Race in near record time

by Dana Paxton on 26 May 2009
Tom Hill’s brand new Custom Reichel/Pugh 75 Titan 15 took line honors on May 23 in the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race in a near-record time of 17 hours, 18 minutes and 13 seconds, and with that finish scored the overall victory in IRC.

The 186 nautical mile race, in its 64th running, began Friday afternoon, May 22, and sent Titan 15 and 54 other IRC- and PHRF-rated boats off on a course from Stamford, Conn., down Long Island Sound, clockwise around Block Island (R.I.), and back. A Southwest breeze of 8-10 knots got the boats off to a quick downwind start and stayed consistent until the fleet got to Plum Gut.

The Block Island Race – the traditional start to the summer sailing season, held each Memorial Day Weekend – featured eight classes for IRC, PHRF and doublehanded entries with the smallest entry, Benoit and Victor Ansort’s (Old Greenwich, Conn.) Olson 30 Wave Dancer, and the largest entry, George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) 90-foot water-ballasted sloop Rambler, which won the 2005 Block Island Race.

On it first race, the newly christened Titan 15 had the fastest corrected time and finished first in IRC Zero class over John Brim’s (New York, N.Y.) Reichel/Pugh 55 Rima2, in second and Rambler, in third.

In order to take full advantage of the holiday weekend, organizers moved the starting time up by three hours. 'The earlier start seemed to work out pretty well,' said Race Chair Ray Redniss. 'It gave everyone a jump start on getting down the sound before sundown. The more separation you get down the shore, the better the breeze. We had more boats finishing earlier, in the late afternoon on Saturday, than in past years. Also, it allowed us to have the awards at 5pm on Sunday (May 24), which frees up Sunday night and all day Monday.'

A total 55 out of 60 entered boats completed the race. Richard Royce’s (Glen Cove, N.Y,) Tripp 33 Patience turned in best corrected and elapsed times for the PHRF fleet, earning Royce both the Terrapin and Governor’s Race East trophies for best corrected and best elapsed time PHRF. Best performance by a doublehanded boat went to Ty Anderson’s (Riverside, Conn.) Farr 395 Skye.

Other trophy winners were Rich DuMoulin’s (Larchmont, N.Y.) Express 37 Lora Ann for 'best corrected time in IRC below 1.08 rating' and 'best performance by a vintage yacht' and 'best combined IRC scores in the Edlu and Block Island Races' known as The Tuna Trophy, and the Storm Trysail Club for 'best team race performance' (Lora Ann / Leonard Sitar’s (Holmdel, N.J.) J/44 Vamp / James Sykes’ (New York, N.Y.) Santa Cruz 52 Bombardino).

The race record of 16 hours, 20 minutes and 50 seconds was established in 2002 by Boomerang, George Coumantaros’ Frers 80. Storm Trysail Club Past Commodore John Fisher, a crew member aboard Boomerang recalled that record. 'It’s a great record and a great race,' said Fisher, who served on this year’s race committee. 'Sooner or later it will belong to somebody else and I’m happy it still belongs to Mr. Coumantaros.'

Storm Trysail Club’s 64th Block Island Race - Overall Results

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

IRC Zero (IRC - 3 Boats)
1. Titan 15, RP Custom 75 75, Tom Hill, San Juan , Puerto Rico
2. Rima2, RP 55 55, John Brim, New York, NY
3. Rambler, Water Ballasted Sloop 90, George David, Hartford, CT

IRC 50 (IRC - 7 Boats)
1. Sweet Lorraine, J 145c 48, Mark Hansen, Scarsdale, NY
2. Bombardino, Santa Cruz 52 53', James Sykes, New York, NY
3. Magic, Santa Cruz 52 52, Kenneth Laudon, Croton on Hudson, NY
4. Xcelsior, IMX-45 45, Todd LaBaugh, Rye, NY
5. Gracie(C), Sloop 69 69', Steve & Simon Frank, Darien, CT, USA
6. High Noon, Trip 41C 41, William J. Mayer / Steve Benjamin, Greenwich, CT
7. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom 43, John Cooper, Springfield, MO, DNS

IRC 45 (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Vamp(C), J 44 45, Leonard Sitar, Holmdel, NJ
2. SirenSong, J 133 43, Tom Carroll, New York, NY
3. Dragon, Swan 48 48, Hugh Balloch, Darien, CT
4. Glory(C), J 44 44, Kevin Tongue, New London, CT
5. Tabasco, J 46 46, John Levinson, Southport, CT
6. Crazy Horse(C), Frers 45 45, Ronald Weiss, Stamford, CT
7. DeLong Shadow(C), J 44 44, Charles Hoffmann, Newtown, CT
8. Gold Digger(C), J 44 44.9, James D. Bishop, New York, NY, DNS

IRC 40 (IRC - 10 Boats)
1. Coyote, Farr 395 39.5, William Clemens / Paul Rectenwald, Riverside, CT
2. Sarah, X-41 40, Gregory Manning, Warwick, RI
3. Soulmate, J 120 40, Joseph Healey, Poughquag, NY
4. Ricochet, J 120 40, Kirstin Haas, New London, CT
5. AVRA, J 120 C 40, George Petrides, New York, NY
6. Great Shoal, X-Yachts 40', Walton Alder, Riverside, CT
7. American Girl, King 40 40, Daniel Galyon, Binghamton, NY
8. Rocket Science, J 120 40, Rick Oricchio, Fairfield, CT
9. Fearless, Farr 395 39.4, Shaun & Patti Ensor, East Haven, CT
10. Georgetown lll, J 122 40, George Marks, Roslyn, NY, DNF

IRC 35 (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Lora Ann(C), Express 37 37, Richard du Moulin, Larchmont, NY
2. Galadriel(C), Swan 46 46, John Santa, Southport, CT
3. Loki, J 109 35.25, David Rosow, Southport, CT
4. Afterglow, Express 37 37, Bill & Lucy Walker, Easton, CT
5. Cathexis, X-382 37.7, Rocco Zaninelli, New York, NY
6. Gwenelle, X-382 37.7, Ted Pryor, Greenwich, CT
7. Ariel, J109 35.25', Jeffrey Warren, Fairfield, CT
8. Intrepid(C), Endeavour/Valentijn 51, Sean D Saslo, Branford, CT

IRC 30 (IRC - 5 Boats)
1. Shooting Star, Beneteau First 36.7 36, Steve Cain, Larchmont, NY
2. Ripple(C) , J 37 37.5, John Towers, Manhasset, NY
3. Emily(C), Custom Aage Nielsen 44 43'9, Edwin Gaynor, Southport, CT
4. Tenacious, Beneteau First 36.7 36, Julien Dougherty, City Island, NY
5. Quest(C), Cambria 40 CB Cutter 41.41, Dennis Powers, Essex, CT

Double Handed (IRC - 11 Boats)
1. Skye, Farr 395 40, James T. Anderson, Riverside, CT
2. Alibi, J 120 40, Gardner Grant, Westport, CT
3. Jaded, J 105 35, Peter Rugg, New York, NY
4. Jammy Beggar, Melges 32 32, Tom Lee, Essex, CT
5. Choucas, Jeanneau SF36 36.5, Frederic Cosandey, New York, NY
6. Mireille, J 120 40, Hewitt Gaynor, Fairfield, CT
7. Paladin(C), J 35 35.5, Jason Richter, Mt Sinai, NY
8. Gaucho, J 105 34.5, Michael McCormick, New Rochelle, NY
9. threebeans, Santa Cruz 37 37, Christopher Rosow, Fairfield, CT
10. Wave Dancer(C), Olson 30 30, Benoit & Victor Ansart, Old Greenwich, CT
11. Flashpoint, J 100 33, Adrian Little, Westport, CT, DNF

PHRF (PHRF - 8 Boats)
1. Patience, Tripp 33 33, Richard Royce, Glen Cove, NY
2. Tenacity III, Hunter 466 46, Peter Gould, Stamford, CT
3. Audacious(C), Frers 33 33.25, Robert Farnum, Oxford, CT
4. Hiro Maru(C), Swan 43 43, Hiroshi Nakajima, Stamford, CT
5. Freightrain(C), Frers 36 36, Dick Hyde, Belmont, MA, DNS
6. Fin II(C), Olson 30 OB 30, Thomas O'Connell, Riverside, CT, DNF
7. Sweet Rocket(C), Frers 36 36, Joseph Ney, Portsmouth, RI, DNS

64th Block Island Race – Overall Trophies

George Lauder Trophy- Best performance by a Vintage boat (15 years old +)
Lora Ann Rich DuMoulin

Commodore's Grail Trophy - Best corrected time B IRC below 1.08
Lora Ann Rich DuMoulin

Governor’s Race West Trophy - Best elapsed time IRC Fleet
Titan 12 Tom Hill

William Tripp Jr. Memorial Trophy - Best corrected time IRC Fleet
Titan 12 Tom Hill

Terrapin Trophy- Best corrected time B PHRF
Patience Richard Royce

Governor’s Race East Trophy - Best elapsed time - PHRF
Patience Richard Royce

Gerold Abels - Best Performance by a Double Handed boat
Skye Ty Anderson/Eric Kreuter

Roddie Williams Team Race Trophy
Storm Trysail #1 Lora Ann / Vamp / Bombardino

Tuna Trophy for the best IRC combined scores in the Edlu (40%) and the Block Island Race (60%)
Lora Ann Rich DuMoulin

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.
Titan 12 Tom Hil