Day two offers relief for Block Island Race Week participants

by Barby MacGowan on 24 Jun 2009 With the wind backing off after howling relentlessly on opening day, the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week XXIII presented by Rolex today offered physical relief for over 1500 sailors competing here.

But the mental concentration required no less intensity, as all but one of 17 classes completed three robust around-the-buoys races. (As scheduled, the Navigator’s class for non-spinnaker boats sailed one race.)

According to Howie Koss (New York, N.Y.) on Whirlwind in the Beneteau 36.7 class, the wind started out stiffer in the morning (18-24 knots) and lessened by the third race. As a bowman, he didn’t necessarily agree about demands on his body diminishing with the weakening winds. 'I’m tuckered out, from changing headsails all day,' he said, adding that the Race Committee is 'really on top of their game' for pulling off yesterday’s race in such tough conditions and so many races today. If that pace can be maintained over the next three race days, the fourth-place Whirlwind, skippered by William Purdy (New York, N.Y.), has every chance to climb the ladder. The team’s jib trimmer Rauol Duke (Brooklyn, N.Y.) gave a respectful nod, however, to current leader Quokka, skippered by Tom Peelen (So. Dartmouth, Mass.). 'Quokka was able to change gears nicely today,' he said, pointing out the team’s perfect score line.

Only one other team, Jeffery Willis’ (Huntington, N.Y.) Challenge IV in J/44 One-Design class, has won all of its races.

In the J/109 class, which is sailing its East Coast Championship, class president Rick Lyall posted a 3-1-5 with his boat Storm to take the lead. In his second race, he had a 'perfect start, literally at the line' and was first to the windward mark.

'We always like to have our championship at an event like this: where it’s high profile, we know the committee work, and there are good conditions,' he said. 'Block Island is as good as it gets, and the fleet is so close in capabilities.' He noted, in particular, North American Champion Ted Herlihy (South Dartmouth, Mass.), currently in second. Storm finished second in the last two Block Island Race Weeks. 'Being bridesmaids twice, we’re trying to get rid of the curse,' he added.

Midshipman Kenneth Endicott has done the U.S. Naval Academy proud with his team’s rise to the top of the scoreboard today in PHRF 1 class. 'We made pretty good calls all day, and we practice so much (every afternoon for five to six days a week, since late March) that this is really what was most important,' said the 21-year-old Senior, noting that the team’s Navy 44 likes heavy air, so its performance in the recent Annapolis-Newport Race and New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex was less than hoped for. 'This is the first time, really, that we’ve had a good breeze for racing this season. It’s a very heavy boat and hard to keep moving.'

A total of six boats from three different Academies are competing: three from the U.S. Naval Academy (Swift; the Farr 53 Tomcat in IRC 40A Class; and Seawolf in the Farr 40 class); two from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Nimbus in the Farr 40 class and the STP65 Vanquish--formerly Moneypenny—in IRC Zero class); and one from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (the J/120 Ricochet in IRC 40B).

Naval Academy Head Coach Jahn Tihansky explained that the midshipmen (several of them women) are getting a real life experience here. 'Each one of them has to do a two-month long block of professional development training. The sailing program counts as a session, and it’s unique as a varsity sport. A lot of them are right out of high school, so they are used to always being told what they can and can’t do. Here, each skipper is responsible for his crew and has to figure out how to do everything, such as provisioning for 16 people for five days. It’s good for developing autonomy and personal responsibility.'

From the young to the old, all ages are represented here. Aboard Richard Correll’s (Huntington, N.Y.) S2-9 Loki III, the average age of the crew is 'over 60.' And though not technically ancient, one crew member commented 'it sure feels it when you’re grinding all day.' Correll, who currently sits in third and has sailed with some of his crew for over 20 years, countered: 'We have a front row seat, so we’re in good shape. Youth and enthusiasm is no match for old age and treachery!'

Competing are four IRC classes (33 boats total) taking part in the 2009 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series. Forty PHRF boats are divided into five classes (one of those being 'Navigator' for non-spinnaker), while making up the balance are eight One-Design classes (Beneteau 36.7, NYYC Swan 42, Farr 40, J/122, J/44, Farr 30,J/109, and J/105).

Compliments of Rolex, the T2P.tv coverage will be broadcast on-line each night by 9 p.m. on www.T2P.tv. Sponsors of Race Week are Rolex, Caithness Energy, Mount Gay, Lewmar, Bitter End Yacht Club, Gill, Gowrie Group, Hall Spars & Rigging, Heineken, ING Real Estate, Sailing World magazine, Summit Yachts, UK Halsey Sailmakers, WindCheck magazine, Yellow Tail, and Vineyard Vines.

For more information, visit www.blockislandraceweek.com

Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week XXIII presented by Rolex
Day Two

Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner/Skipper, Hometown, Results, Total Points

Beneteau 36.7 (One Design - 6 Boats)
1. Quokka, Beneteau First 36.7, Tom Peelen, So. Dartmouth, MA, USA - 1, 1, 1, 1, ; 4
2. Crossbow, Beneteau First 36.7, Roy Halvorsen, Tenafly, NY, USA - 2, 2, 2, 2, ; 8
3. Resolute, Beneteau First 36.7, Junius Brown, Ridgefield, CT, USA - 5, 3, 4, 3, ; 15

PHRF 1 (PHRF - 10 Boats)
1. Swift, Navy 44, Kenneth Endicott, Annapolis, MD, USA - 3, 3, 1, 2, ; 9
2. Freightrain, Frers 36, Dick Hyde, Belmont, MA, USA - 5, 1, 4, 1, ; 11
3. XLR8, Evelyn 32, Brad Porter, Westbrook, CT, USA - 1, 5, 2, 3, ; 11

PHRF 2 - J-29 (PHRF - 6 Boats)
1. Hustler, J 29, John & Tony Esposito, Mohegan Lake, NY, USA - 1, 2, 1, 1, ; 5
2. Showdown, J 29, Bijan Rasadi, Groton, CT, USA - 3, 4, 2, 3, ; 12
3. Renegade, J 29, Midn. Logan Koltermann, Kings Point, NY, USA - 7/DNF, 1, 3, 2, ; 13

PHRF 3 (PHRF - 9 Boats)
1. Lunatic Fringe, LS-10, Robert & Bill Lehnert, Cutchogue, NY, USA - 3, 3, 1, 1, ; 8
2. Rumor, J 80, John Storck, Jr, Huntington, NY, USA - 1, 2, 2, 5, ; 10
3. Cymothoe, Sabre 36, David Alldian, Brick, NJ, USA - 2, 1, 3, 4, ; 10

PHRF 4 (PHRF - 8 Boats)
1. Boondoggle, Frers 30, Scott Kirkpatrick, Wellesley, MA, USA - 3, 1, 3, 2, ; 9
2. Alohomora, J 24, Kyle Fast, Noank, CT, USA - 1, 5, 2, 4, ; 12
3. Loki III, S2-9.1, Richard Correll, Huntington, NY, USA - 2, 4, 7, 1, ; 14

Navigator Class (PHRF - 8 Boats)
1. Xenophon, Frers/Nautor Swan 44, Paul Pakos, Sudbury, MA, USA - 1, 3, ; 4
2. Club Car, S2 7.9, Barry bessette, South Chatham, MA, USA - 2, 2, ; 4
3. Starlight, Cambria 46, John de Regt, Rowayton, CT, USA - 3, 5, ; 8

IRC ZERO (IRC - 2 Boats)
1. Rosebud/Team DYT, STP65, Roger Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA - 1, 1, 2, 1, ; 5
2. Vanquish, Storm Trysail 65, Ralf Steitz, Kings Point, NY, USA - 2, 2, 1, 2, ; 7

IRC 40A (IRC - 11 Boats)
1. Act One, King 40, B. Titus / A. Stern / C. Milligan / T. Roche, Newport, RI, USA - 1, 2, 1, 1, ; 5
2. Cool Breeze, Mills 43, John Cooper, Springfield, MO, USA - 2, 4, 2, 4, ; 12
3. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Jamestown , RI , USA - 6, 3, 5, 2, ; 16

IRC 40B (IRC - 11 Boats)
1. Mullet, Beneteau First 40.7, Kris & Kiki Werner, Rochester, NY, USA - 1, 4, 2, 2, ; 9
2. Jubilee, Archambault A40rc, Cal Huge, Summerville, SC, USA - 2, 5, 1, 3, ; 11
3. Katabatic, IMX 40, Gordon Hall, Marblehead, MA, USA - 3, 1, 3, 8, ; 15

IRC 35 (IRC - 12 Boats)
1. Troubador, Express 37, Mort Weintraub, Larchmont, NY, USA - 4, 1, 1, 1, ; 7
2. Lora Ann, Express 37, Richard du Moulin,