NYYCRaceWeekDay2
The sunshine returned for the second day of the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, but the wind struggled to gain even a fraction of the speed it showed on Saturday. The 66 boats entered in the four-day handicap-racing segment of Race Week waited for an afternoon breeze, then made a hot and slow go of it in 2-6 knots of breeze that increased ever so slightly to reach a shifty 5-10 knots by day’s end. However, two races were scored for every class (three each for IRC and PHRF and a class each for Classics and 12 Metres). Local sailor Tom Rich (Middletown, R.I.) maintained yesterday’s position atop the scoreboard in PHRF Class 5 by sailing his Peterson 42 Settler to victory twice today. The performance made for a perfect score line over five races he has sailed thus far. Craig Albrecht (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) also sailed his Farr 395 Avalanche to two victories, adding to his four from yesterday in PHRF Class 3.Massachusetts sailor Dick Hyde (Belmont), whose Frers 36 Freight Train is a fixture on the Newport racing circuit, was another to hold on to his lead from yesterday, posting a 1-2 in PHRF Class 6 to keep his four-point lead on Anson Stookey’s and Phip Hallowell’s (Middletown, R.I.) Quest 32 Jest. “We’re not walking away with it by all means,” said Hyde. “We have to watch ourselves a little — Jest is good competition.”The Classics–scheduled for only a weekend’s worth of sailing–wrapped up their series in today’s light air. Samuel Croll (Rye, N.Y.) won the five-boat class with only one point to spare aboard his Eight Metre Angelita, which was built in 1930 and won for America its first gold medal (at the Los Angeles Olympics) in 1932. In today’s racing, Croll was topped in both races by Lars Forsberg’s (Newport) S&S-designed Black Watch. “We’re a light-air boat, but this was lighter than light air today,” laughed Croll. “But if we had to lose today, that was a nice boat to lose to, and we’re just glad we won the regatta.” Though the classics are visions of beauty, Croll says they are sailed aggressively, then cared for delicately in the winter for the following season. Said Forsberg about his experience: “We had an excellent time. Black Watch is a nice old classic boat that goes pretty well.” Forsberg further explained that earlier this year he finished restoring the boat, which was built in 1938, and re-introduced it to racing for the first time in 50 years.Jim Madden’s (Newport Beach, Calif.) Reichel/Pugh 66 Stark Raving Mad turned in a 2-1 today to remain the leader in IRC Class 1, while Dan Meyers’ (Boston, Mass.) Numbers climbed a position to second. Bob Towse’s (Stamford, Conn.) Blue Yankee crew was not able to rectify an equipment failure they suffered yesterday and opted out of racing.Preparing for their North Americans here in September, the 12 Metres are getting shown a thing or two by Brazil’s Wright on White, skippered by Eduardo Penido. The 12 Metre is topping the class overall and leads the Grand Prix division with four points over Bill Koch’s Kiwi Magic.”They are doing nicely; they have height and speed going up the breeze and we’re working hard to pace them,” said Kiwi Magic’s jib trimmer Peter Grubb (Jupiter, Fla.). “If we mess around with them, there’s someone else right on us.”Regatta news and results can be found here.
