This Saturday is your 'Last Chance'
Despite the appearance of the Harvest Moon, falling leaves, cool breezes and tropical storms, there is one more regatta left to race before area yacht clubs call it a season.
The Fort Rodman Marine Education Association/Low Tide Yacht Club (FREMA/LTYC) has scheduled its annual Last Chance Regatta for this Saturday. The regatta is open to any boat with a valid PHRF 2002 certificate that has raced at least once this summer. Applicants must be a member of the U.S. Sailing Association with membership in the Southern Massachusetts Sailing Association (SMSA) optional.
Registration is free to members of FRMEA/LTYC, and costs $10 for members of the New Bedford Yacht Club, other yacht clubs, or non-members.
For more information, contact Richard Fontaine at 508-996-5409.
err on the side of cautiOn
If the above-mentioned Last Chance Regatta is postponed or canceled this coming Saturday due to winds and rain from the remnants of Isidore, it might be wise to remember that the hurricane season along the East Coast doesn't end until November. That leaves ample time for another tropical depression to rumble up the coast and wreak havoc on or at least inconvenience local marina operators and boat owners, among others.
If you are putting off hauling your boat for the season so you can enjoy one more cruise, check the weather before you head out to sea. Listen to the marine weather radio, tune in to the Weather Channel or the weather forecast on one of the local radio or television stations, or log on to www.nws.noaa.gov for the latest local forecasts, including satellite and radar images, text versions of the marine radio forecast, and other up-to-the-minute weather information.
If your boat is at a dock or slip, make sure you contact your marina manager about what you should do to keep your boat safe during a storm. If your boat is at a mooring, plan to set out one or more storm anchors, if necessary, or move your boat to a secure anchorage.
If you decide to have the boat hauled in the face of an impending hurricane or serious storm, make sure you contact your hauler in advance to avoid delays when you arrive at the dock, ramp or marina.
That's a lot of ifs for boatowners in an area of the country that has been relatively hurricane-free since Bob rolled in in 1991 or Floyd passed by a few years later. But, it pays to err on the side of caution and avoid damage or, worse, disaster when Mother Nature sends heavy weather our way.
AUDETTE CAPTURES STANTON TROPHY
The New Bedford Yacht Club wrapped up its 2002 racing season with the End of the Summer Regatta on Sept. 22. Three members of the NBYC raced in the Etchells class for the James E. Stanton Jr. Trophy, and 11 yachts competed in the PHRF races.
Gary Audette of the NBYC in Barefoot beat out two competitors with one first-place finish and two second-place finishes for five points overall in three races for the Stanton Cup, while Victor Pinheiro in his Aerodyne 38 Alegria finished first in the PHRF spinnaker division. NBYC Commodore Peter Kavanaugh copped the first-place trophy in the non-spinnaker division in his 36-foot Pearson, Dog Fish Stu.
Here are the complete results for the NBYC's End of the Summer Regatta (all times corrected):
Etchells class: 1. Audette, Barefoot, NBYC, 5 pts.; 2. Brodie MacGregor, Harpoon, NBYC, 6 pts.; Steve McGowan, Scary Monster, NBYC, 7 pts.
Spinnaker division, distance 11.3 nm: 1. Alegria, Pinheiro, NBYC, 01:47:34; 2. Gut Feeling, Ted Herlihy, NBYC, 01:54:02; 3. Giddy Up, Mass. Maritime Academy, 01:54:19; 4. SeeFest, Ira Perry, LTYC/NBYC, 01:55:29; 5. Quokka, Tom Peelen, NBYC, 01:56:27; 6. Jabberwocky, Jonathan Bier, 02:04:21.
Non-spinnaker division, distance 11.3 nm: 1. Dog Fish Stu, Kavanaugh, NBYC, 02:14:02; 2. Restless, Henry DeGroot, NBYC, 02:19:38; 3. Leaf, Dan Regan, NBYC, 02:27:36; DNF Vela, Ricardo Bermudez, NBYC.
WALSH, THORNHILL FINISH HIGH IN LOW TIDE
Here are the results for the Low Tide Yacht Club Series 4 Race 3, raced Thursday, Sept. 19:
Class II (non-spinnaker), distance, 6.39 nm: 1. Makin' Progress, Ryan Walsh, 01:07:55; 2. Zara, Gil Canastra, 01:11:30; 3. Bogi, Bob Dixon, 01:12:19; 4. Tequila Sunrise, Bob Luiz, 01:15:30; 5. Head Girl, Chris Fletcher, 01:23:57; DNC, Dragon, Dick Hitchcock.
Class III (non-spinnaker), distance 6.10 nm: 1. Pieces of Eight, Mark Thornhill, 01:14:23; 2. Prudence, Ted Cioper, 01:16:31; 3. Banzai, Ed Ilsley, 01:20:33; 4. Equinox, David Garlington, 01:21:49; 5. Elusive, Paul Barton, 01:22:33; 6. Horsefeathers, Ed Silva, 01:30:03.
If you have news about boating in and around Buzzards Bay, contact Barbara Veneri by e-mail at bveneri@hotmail.com. To join an online discussion of boating issues, enter www.southcoastnavigator.com in your browser, then click the Port of Call link.
This story appeared on Page B5 of The Standard-Times on September 26, 2002.
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