Beetle Cats take to waters of Mattapoisett

Barbara Veneri
Sea Notes

bveneri@hotmail.com

As a handful of stately Beetle Cats sailed past Ned's Point Light and through the boats moored in Mattapoisett Harbor last Sunday, they resembled nothing so much as the Nantucket Rainbow Fleet -- even though not all of the Mattapoisett Beetle Cats had colored sails.
Last weekend's fickle winds and weather didn't stop more than 25 Beetle Cat owners from making the journey from as far away as the Maine coast to Mattapoisett where the Mattapoisett Yacht Club played host to the 80th annual Leo J. Telesmanick Championship regatta.

John York of the Cataumet Yacht Club took home the Leo J. Telesmanick Trophy as the overall winner of the two-day regatta.
Saturday, the fleet had a "great racing day," according to Sue McGowan of the MYC, a Beetle Cat owner and racer. "The winds were from the north-northeast and we just had a grand time."
Sunday, with haze and occasional fog, the 13-foot, low-riding wooden classics managed a couple of races in the morning in light winds before calling it a day. Many of the boats headed into the harbor to be hauled ashore at the newly renovated town dock.
Their skippers or crew tugged gently to loosen the gaff and lower the sails along the wooden spars, then fasten gaff to boom, remove the rudder, wrap the sails, and steer the boats onto waiting trailers.
After the races, competitors assembled at the MYC's building on Ned's Point Road on the grounds of the Mattapoisett Boat Yard for lunch, awards, T-shirts, banter and discussion of the two-day event.
"Well, we had it," McGowan said of the regatta. "We sure had it." Her words held a tinge of regret, since her catboat lost a pintel (a pin that attaches the large Beetle Cat rudder to the stern of the boat) during the second race of the day, and she had to call it quits. McGowan still managed a third place in the Women's division.
The results of the New England Beetle Cat Boat Association championship regatta are: Women's: 1. Lulu Zezza, Chappaquoit Yacht Club; 2. Granya Coen, Wild Harbor Yacht Club; 3. Sue McGowan, Mattapoisett Yacht Club.
Men's: 1. John York, Cataumet YC; 2. Ryan Richard, Falmouth Yacht Club; 3. Peter Kirk, Nemasket Racing.
Old Salts: 1. Wells Pile, Edgewood Yacht Club; 2. Bob Bartro, Edgewood YC.
Ancient Mariners: Roy Terwilliger, Chatham Yacht Club; 2. Allen Bragdon, Bass River Yacht Club; 3. Harvey Pentleton, MYC.

The Community Boating Center in New Bedford will play host to a two-day sailing counselor course Aug. 22 and 23.

The course, designed to prepare staff at community sailing programs, camps, parks and recreation facilities, and yacht clubs to supervise small boat activities, emphasizes safety and hands-on experience. These classes train candidates for sailing counselor and instructor positions in boating techniques and terms.

Candidates for the sailing counselor course must be a least 15 years old.

In the two-day class, they will learn to rig a small sailboat properly, conduct a swim check, capsize and recovery drills, risk management and the basic rules of the road for small craft.

In addition, the course covers hazardous weather conditions, on-the-water safety, possible emergencies, and hand signals for on-water communication.

The course runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Cost for the two days is $100 and includes all textbooks and instruction. Participants must bring their own lunch and a lifejacket.

Andy Herlihy, U.S. Sailing certified instructor-trainer and manager of the CBC will conduct the course. For more information or to register, contact Maggie McCormick of U.S. Sailing at 401-683-0800.

In Series 3, Race 2 of the Low Tide Yacht Club weekly racing series held Aug. 9, winner Dick Hitchcock in Dragon filed a protest against all other boats in Class 2. Commodore Mark Thornhill notified LTYC members that the protest will be heard at a later date.

Pending the results of the protest, the results for Series 3, Race 2 (6.59 mi.) are: Class 2: 1. Dragon, Dick Hitchcock, 01:13:13; 2. TireLess, Gil Canastra, 01:13:14; 3. Bogi, Bob Dixon, 01:20:01; 4. Invisible Cities, Ian Duff, 01:20:15; 5. Escape, Larry Smoski, 01:20:21; 6. Head Girl, Chris Fletcher, 01:22:16.

Class 3: 1. SeeFest, Ira Perry, 01:18:04; 2. Pieces of Eight, Mark Thornhill, 01:22:02; 3. Prudence II, Ted Cioper, 01:24:18; 4. Banzi, Scott Morris, 01:33:13; DNF -- Ms. Hannah, Ray Davignon; DNC -- Fiddlers Green, Jay Cafferty; Ventana, Don Gracia.

Results for Series 3, Race 1 (6.75 mi.) are: Class 2: 1. Dragon, Hitchcock, 01:06:27; 2. Bogi, Dixon, 01:07:14; 3 Escape, Smoski, 01:08:32; 4. TireLess, Canastra, 01:10:31; 5. Head Girl, Fletcher, 01:17:32; DNC -- Breezin, Darryl Murphy.

Class 3: 1. SeeFest, Perry, 01:15:39; 2. Pieces of Eight, Thornhill, 01:16:24; 3. Prudence II, Cioper, 01:20:44; 4. Ms. Hannah, Davignon, 01:30:44; DNF -- Crash Test Dummies, Ryan Walsh; DNC -- Absolutely, Dan Oliveira; Fiddlers Green, Cafferty; Ventana, Gracia; Banzi, Ed Ilsley.

Mattapoisett Yacht Club race results for Series 2, Race 1 are: Class A: 1. Revelation, Tom Muldoon, 01:31:50; 2. Undine, Mike Dahill, 01:32:48; 3. Elusive, Ed Normand, 01:34:30; 4. Horizon, Jack Flood, 01:34:32; 5. In Deep, Bob Warren, 01:34:33; 6. Crash Test Dummies, Ryan Walsh, 01:35:44.

Class B: 1. Carina, Jim Broadwater, 00:59:13; 2. Gryphon II, Sue McGowan, 00:59:53; 3. Survivor, Brian Lynch, 00:59:58; 4. Joint Venture, Jon Henshaw, 01:01:41; 5. Velocity Made Good, Paul Hyde, 01:09:10.

Class C: 1. Firebolt, Joshua Saltmarsh, 01:02:46; 2. Barkley, Harvey Pentleton, 01:05:25; 3. Poop Deck Pappy, Bob Saltmarsh, 01:06:21; 4. Jan Cap, David Jenney, 01:10:59; 5. Felicity, Potter Trainer, 01:11:13; 6. T-Bone, Chris McGowan, 01:11:41.

Series 2, Race 2: Class A: 1. TireLess, Canastra, 01:11:42; 2. Tomahawk, Wesley Wood, 01:11:59; 3. Undine, Dahill, 01:14:07; 4. Horizon, Flood, 01:14:35; 5. Revelation, Muldoon, 01:14:57; 5. Lung Ta, Paul Silva, 01:14:57.

Class B: 1. Carina, Broadwater, 01:11:19; 2. Sele, William Spark, 01:14:19; 3. Velocity Made Good, Hyde, 01:14:28; 4. Survivor, Lynch, 01:15:28; 5.

Gryphon II, McGowan, 01:15:48; 6. Heron, Dick Prouty, 01:16:40.

Class C: 1. Firebolt, J. Saltmarsh, 00:47:31; 2. Jan Cap, Jenney, 00:48:14; 3. Barkley, Pentleton, 00:48:32; 4. Mariner, Craig Correia, 00:54:59.

Barbara Veneri owns and sails 28-ft. Soverel yawl in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. To reach her, send e-mail to: bveneri@hotmail.com; call the S-T Sports Dept. at 508-979-4460; or fax to: 508-997-7491.

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