Newport Bermuda Race - Victorious Decision in Onion Patch Series

by Talbot Wilson on 24 Jun 2012 In the Newport Bermuda Race, the new Carkeek HP40 ‘Decision’ owned by Steve Murray (New Orleans LA) was the top Onion Patch boat and then the talented ‘Decision’ crew put on a top performance in Friday’s Royal Bermuda YC Anniversary Regatta to come out as the first place individual boat in the series.

‘Decision’ edged out Lawrence Dickie’s ‘Ptarmigan’ by only 0.5 points and beat the US Naval Academy TP52 ‘Invictus’ by 2.25. ‘Invictus’ had led going into the Bermuda event but finished that day in 11th place.

As the top individual boat in the Onion Patch Series, Murray wins the Henry B. du Pont Trophy.

'Doing the Onion Patch Series has been a dream of mine since I was 12,' Murray said. 'Burt Keenan who was from New Orleans, did the series and I had heard about it as I grew up sailing. I’m really excited at being able to win it now. This new Carkeek 40 is really fast in the conditions we had in the RBYC Anniversary Regatta. We are having a great time in Bermuda.'

Murray had won the racing division in the Regata al Sol, a 555 mile race from Pensacola FL to Isla Mujeres MX, in May as a warm-up for Newport Bermuda. He then trucked ‘Decision’ to Newport RI for the New York Yacht Club 158th Annual June 9-10, the first stage of the Onion Patch series.

The NYYC Red Team of Rives Potts’ McCurdy & Rhodes 48 ‘Carina’, Andrew Weiss’ J122 ‘Christopher Dragon’, Jim Bishop’s J44 'Gold Digger’ won the team competition. Their prize is the Onion Patch Trophy.

NYYC Blue— 'Stark Raving Mad', 'Dorade' and 'Temptation' (which did not sail in the RBYC Anniversary Regatta) finished second, and the US Naval Academy with 'Invictus', 'Defiance' and 'Swift' came in third.

The Onion Patch is a tough triathlon of sailboat racing that combines closed course and ocean courses in three world-class venues. Boats from all IRC classes in the Newport Bermuda Race were eligible to enter and must also have raced the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta, too.

The Onion Patch Series concluded Friday, June 22 with the RBYC Anniversary Regatta presented by the Butterfield Group. The first race, a windward-leeward course, started at 10:00 ADT in Bermuda’s Great Sound. It was followed by a 'Tour of the Islands' in the Great Sound, Granaway Deep, Port Royal Bay and Hamilton Harbour. The 23 Onion Patch Series entries competed along with 11 boats only entered in the Anniversary Regatta.

Onion Patch Series website