Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

Chessie Racing captures line honors for Friday starters of 2021 Annapolis-to-Newport Race

by Annapolis to Newport Race 7 Jun 2021 20:07 UTC June 4-7, 2021
Chessie Racing Crew celebrating First to Finish Honors of Friday Starters © Annapolis to Newport Race

Chessie Racing, a Tripp 62 owned by George Collins, was first to finish among the Friday starters in the 38th biennial Annapolis-to-Newport Race.

Chessie Racing crossed the finish line off Castle Hill Lighthouse at 5:23 p.m. local time on Sunday. The baby blue-hulled boat posted an elapsed time of two days, six hours, 27 minutes and 37 seconds.

Yellow Brick Race Tracker has Chessie Racing winning PHRF 1 class with a corrected time of 3:04:57:09. Jumping Jack Flash, a Davidson 50 owned by John Davis, was the nearest PHRF 1 boat - 134.8 nautical miles from the finish - at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Privateer, a Class 40 being doublehanded by owner Carl L.C. Kah III and Ervin Grove, was in good position to be the second Friday starter to finish as it was 108 nautical miles from the finish at 7 p.m. Sunday.

"We had a fast boat, we didn't make too many mistakes and conditions were right for us," Collins said.

Collins, who almost singlehandedly funded the Chessie Racing campaign for the 1987-88 Whitbread Round the World Race, had a strong team of mostly professionals aboard. Chris Larson was aboard as navigator and tactician and called for a course just east of the rhumb line for most of the Atlantic Ocean passage.

Boat captain Ian Gordan and Jamie Gale served as watch captains, Grant "Fuzz" Spanhake trimmed the mainsail while Billy Jenkins and Matt Beck trimmed the headsails. Jeff Gentzen (bow), Patrick McMath (mast) and Bill Vickers (floater) completed the crew.

"Chris Larson did a spectacular job. Every tactical decision he made was outstanding," Collins said. "Our entire crew work was absolutely phenomenal. We had a bunch of rock stars aboard."

This marks the second time Collins has skippered a boat that was first to finish the Annapolis-to-Newport Race. He once owned a Santa Cruz 70 called Chessie Racing that set what was then a course record of 47 hours and 45 minutes. That boat was formerly known as Pyewacket when owned by Roy Disney.

Six classes consisting of 61 boats started Friday morning in a southerly breeze of 4 to 6 knots. Chessie Racing was the first boat to benefit when the breeze kicked in just past Cove Point and pulled away from the rest of the fleet that was still plodding along in light air.

Chessie made the turn at Chesapeake Light and had southwesterly winds at her back for most of the Atlantic Ocean passage. Collins said the breeze held steady in the 12 to 16 knot range for much of Saturday.

"Once we got offshore, the conditions were unbelievable. We put up the A3 (spinnaker) and hauled almost all the way to Newport," Collins said. "Saturday's sailing was some of the most enjoyable I've ever experienced. It was a downwind run the whole way in the ocean."

Chessie Racing saw its maximum speeds on Saturday night when the wind piped up to 22 knots. Only real hiccup came about seven miles from Newport when the wind shut off and the 62-footer parked for about an hour.

"It was frustrating to be reading zeros so close to the finish," Collins said.

When the wind finally kicked back in, Chessie clocked consistent speeds of 8 to 10 knots and cruised into the Narragansett Bay to get the gun.

For more information please see the official website, www.annapolisnewportrace.com

Related Articles

Vaikobi V-DRY-X Team Kit
We speak to Pat Langley and Bart Milczarczyk V-DRY-X is a major launch for the Australian technical clothing brand Vaikobi, launching into the yacht racing team market with high performance outer layer clothing specifically designed to be customised with the branding and colours of that team. Posted today at 12:59 pm
Tom Dolan returns for Rolex Fastnet Centenary Race
Joining offshore racing legend Jérémie Beyou aboard the IMOCA Charal Irish sailor Tom Dolan will once again join offshore racing legend Jérémie Beyou aboard IMOCA Charal for the 100th anniversary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the most historic and demanding offshore races in the world. Posted today at 12:42 pm
Sea4All ... the sea is everyone's and for everyone
Everything is possible for everyone in Sea4All by Tiliaventum activities in Lignano Sabbiadoro Sailing in the lagoon, immersing yourself in the aquatic environment and sailing in the sea is possible for all people. Posted today at 9:30 am
Admiral's Cup Tom Hicks Thursday Photo Gallery
He is always ready to capture Solent action Tom Hicks is always ready to capture Solent action, and the Admiral's Cup naturally delivered. These shots are from Thursday 24th July 2025. Posted today at 9:27 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4 Photo Gallery
A snapshot of the day by Mark Jardine It was a case of grabbing the wind and sunshine while it lasted on Day 4 of the 2025 WASZP Games, and each of the fleets got a bit of racing in before the rain started to fall and the breeze died away. Posted today at 6:35 am
GP14 Leinster Championship at Greystones
Owens and Morris dominate on a sunny Greystones weekend The GP14 Ireland class decided to take a break from linking in with the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta where on alternate years the GP14 Leinster Championship has been run since 2017. Posted today at 6:14 am
Admiral's Cup Inshore Racing Day 3
Youth, grit and glory define inshore battle The final day of inshore racing at the 2025 Admiral's Cup delivered high drama, high stakes and no shortage of action, especially at race starts. Three intense races pushed crews to the limit and completed the six-race inshore series. Posted today at 4:58 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4
The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing, with the northerly breeze hanging in the early forecast before giving way to a westerly build. Posted today at 4:38 am
Admiral's Cup Paul Wyeth Thursday Photo Gallery
The battle points ahead of the Fastnet race intense The six-race inshore series has now been completed with an unstable northerly, swinging to the west later. The starts were particularly intense as the teams battled for points ahead of the Fastnet, and Paul Wyeth was on hand to capture the action. Posted today at 4:18 am
Catalyst 45: Project Render delivery voyage
Catalyst 45 proved its versatility, and seaworthiness completing a 1,100nm Pacific Ocean voyage. While better known as an America's Cup tender, the Catalyst 45 proved the versatility, and seaworthiness of the design completing a 1,290nm Pacific Ocean delivery voyage to Fiji. Here's the story... Posted on 24 Jul
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERRooster 2025Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range