Regattas provide last chance

Barbara Veneri
Sea Notes

bveneri@hotmail.com

As the end of the 2001 sailing season approaches, three area yacht clubs are sponsoring four regattas over the next two weekends -- the Whaler's Race, Last Chance Regatta, End of Season Regatta, and the Hurricane Cup.
First on tap is the Whaler's Race, sponsored by the New Bedford Yacht Club, set to take off at 7:50 a.m. this Saturday. Deadline to enter the race is Friday, with an entry fee of $50.

The Whaler's Race takes single- and multi-hulled yachts 105 nautical miles from Padanaram to Block Island and back over 20 to 30 hours. The regatta is divided into five classes, four for monohulls and one for multihulls. Cruising boats with current PHRF certificates can race in spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes or in the double-handed spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes.
The Whaler's Race is open to all yachts 25 feet in length or longer, whose owner is a current member of the PHRF-NE fleet with a valid handicap certificate issued by PHRF-New England and/or a NEMA certificate issued by the New England Multihull Association.
First starting gun sounds at 7:50 a.m. Saturday, and all competing boats must finish by 1 p.m. Sunday.
All participating boats must have bilge pumps, emergency navigation lights, a man overboard pole and a radio direction finder or LORAN receiver.
To enter the Whaler's Race, contact the NBYC office at (508) 997-0762, or you can download an entry form from the NBYC Web site (www.nbyc.com).
Starting sequences and scratch sheets will be available at the skippers' meeting this Friday at 7 p.m. at the NBYC.

Two races are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22: the Low Tide Yacht Club Last Chance Regatta; and the Beverly Yacht Club Hurricane Cup.

The 15-plus-mile Last Chance Regatta, an annual pursuit-format race sponsored by the Fort Rodman Marine Education Association/LTYC, gets under way at noon on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the starting line near the Butler Flats Lighthouse in New Bedford's outer harbor.

The John B. O'Toole III trophy is awarded to the first boat skippered and owned by a member of the FRMEA/LTYC to finish the race. Participants will compete in three classes: Racing (spinnakers); Cruising (no spinnakers) with PHRF rating of 149 or lower; and Cruising (no spinnakers) with PHRF rating of 150 and higher.

Competitors can pick up course descriptions and scratch sheets at the skippers' meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the West Marine store on Pope's Island in New Bedford. Boaters sailing from other harbors can pick up materials from the Race Committee boat, located near the starting mark, up until 11:45 a.m. on the day of the race.

The Last Chance Regatta is a pursuit-format race, with boats starting at staggered times based on their PHRF rating, with the first boat heading over the starting line at 12 noon. Boats with higher PHRF ratings start first -- the higher the rating, the higher the handicap.

Racers should monitor VHF Channel 68 for any last minute changes in course or starting times.

There is no entry fee for boats owned and sailed by members of the FRMEA/LTYC. Non-members may enter the race for a $10 fee provided they have raced in at least one FRMEA/LTYC series in 2001. NBYC members may enter and skipper boats provided they pay a $10 entry fee. Deadline for entries is Thursday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. Entries may be submitted to the FRMEA/LTYC Race Committee, c/o Richard Fontaine, 17 Aquidneck St., New Bedford, MA 02744 and must be accompanied by a valid PHRF-NE certificate if one is not already on file with the FRMEA/LTYC Race Committee.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 22, the Beverly Yacht Club is sponsoring the BYC Hurricane Cup. For more information, contact the BYC at 508-748-0540.

On Sunday, Sept. 23, the New Bedford Yacht Club has scheduled the End of the Summer Regatta with the following classes: PHRF classes -- spinnaker and non-spinnaker; one-design classes -- Etchells and Rhodes 19.

The End of the Summer Regatta is open to all yachts 18 feet and over whose owner is a current member of the NBYC PHRF-NE, Etchells and Rhodes 19 fleets. Racers in the Etchells fleet will compete for the NBYC James Stanton Jr. perpetual trophy to be awarded at the annual roast beef dinner Friday, Nov. 2.

Competitors must submit a completed entry form and a current PHRF-NE certificate to the NBYC office by Thursday, Sept. 20, accompanied by a $10 entry fee. You can obtain an entry form from the NBYC office at 508-997-0762.

There will be a skippers' meeting at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at the NBYC.

Don't forget the Newport International Boat Show beginning today and ending Sunday, Sept. 16. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Newport Yachting Center, Oldport Marine, Bannister's Wharf and West Wind Marina, all in Newport.

More than 300 boats, both power and sail, from 11 countries and 27 states, are on display on 530,000 sq. ft. (just over 12 acres) of exhibition space. The NIBS is the largest boat show in New England and one of the five largest in the world.

The Mattapoisett Yacht Club closes out its 2001 season with the sixth annual pig roast, slated for Sunday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults; children under 12 get in free. The MYC is asking for donations of side dishes, such as salads, beans, chili and desserts, and that attendees bring chairs. This year's pig roast takes place at the home of MYC member Jon Henshaw in Mattapoisett.

To make reservations for members, guests and children by Sept. 15, contact Commodore Fran Grenon at 28 Mattapoisett Neck Rd., Mattapoisett, MA 02739, or by e-mail at: ">FOG2@aol.com

MYC standings for the August Wednesday night racing series: Class A: 1. TireLess, Gil Canastra, 6 pts.; 2. Horizon, Jack Flood, 9 pts.; 3. Revelation, Tom Muldoon, 14 pts.; 4. Elusive, Ed Normand, 17 pts.; 5. Undine, Mike Dahill, 17 pts.; 6. Lung Ta, Paul Silva, 19 pts.; 7. Tomahawk, Wesley Wood, 19 pts.; 8. In Deep, Bob Warren, 20 pts.; 9. Lela, Mike Costello, 35 pts.; 10. Summer Pride, Mike Bailey, 40 pts. Class B: 1. Carina, Jim Broadwater, 6 pts.; 2. Gryphon II, Sue McGowan, 11 pts.; 3. Survivor, Brian Lynch, 13 pts.; 4. Sele, William Spark, 13 pts.; 5. Velocity Made Good, Paul Hyde, 16 pts.; 6. Joint Venture, Jon Henshaw, 18 pts.; 7. Heron, Dick Prouty, 27 pts.; 8. Chickadee, Charles Smith, 30 pts. Class C: 1. Barkley, Harvey Pentleton, 6 pts.; 2. Firebolt, Joshua Saltmarsh, 7 pts.; 3. Jan Cap, David Jenney, 8 pts.; 4. Felicity, Potter Trainer, 20 pts.; 5. Minnow, Penny Cole, 23 pts.; 6. Mariner, Craig Correia, 24 pts.; 7. Poop Deck Pappy, Bob Saltmarsh, 33 pts.; 8. T-Bone, Chris McGowan, 36 pts.; 9. Easy Wind, Walter Wordell, 39 pts.

Low Tide Yacht Club Commodore Mark Thornhill has announced the results of the protest filed by Dick Hitchcock in Dragon against all other boats in Class 2 for Series 3, Race 2. Dragon's protest was not upheld and the results for the protested race stand.

Final Series 3 results for Class 2 are: 1. Dragon, Hitchcock,3 pts.; 2. Bogi, Bob Dixon, 5 pts.; 3. TireLess, Gil Canastra, 9 pts.; 4. Escape, Larry Smoske, 12 pts.; 5. Invisible Cities, Ian Duff, 13 pts.; 6. Head Girl, Chris Fletcher, 16 pts.

Results for Series 4, Race 2, Course, 6.41 mi. Class 2: 1. Bogi, Dixon, 01:12:19; 2. Dragon, Hitchcock, 01:14:08; 3. TireLess, Canastra, 01:16:36; 4. Invisible Cities, Duff, 01:17:15; 5. Escape, Smoske, 01:18:14; 6. Tequila Sunrise, Bob Luiz, 01:19:34; 7. Head Girl, Fletcher, 01:24:47. Class 3: 1. Pieces of Eight, Mark Thornhill, 01:20:58; 2. Prudence II, Ted Cioper, 01:27:18; 3. Equinox, David Garlington, 01:30:46; 4. Banzi, Ed Ilsley, 01:35:00; DNF – Ms. Hannah, Ray Davignon; DNC – Fiddlers Green, Jay Cafferty; Ventana, Don Gracia.

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

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