If you would like your event listed on the class racing calendar for 2012, please contact New England Rep. Eric Woodman at woodbe67@yahoo.com. The Sunfish Class has a goal of having every club that hosts local Sunfish Regattas represented on the calendar, so no pubic event is too small! Please use a subject line of “New England Sunfish Regatta for Calendar.” Provide dates, contact information, website address (if available) and a brief description of the regatta. Submissions are due by Feb 10 to make the national calendar, which will be printed and mailed to all Class members.
In what seems like an annual tradition, another long series of frostbite racing came down to one final crazy (cold!) leg off the Barrington Yacht Club floats. Bill Brangiforte edged out Scott Greenbaum and Andy David by a fraction of a percentage point to win.
Bill credited his ability to spot distant hovering objects for helping his win. Seriously, he did. I’ll let Bill explain: Words of Wisdom from Dec. 18 (a really good one!)
The B Fleet was also very tight this series. Ben Chwalk edged out Les Johnston with John Hause finishing 3rd. Ken Charles (4th overall) was the top Master. 11 sailors sailed in more than half of the 39 races to qualify for the series standings. Eight other skippers failed to qualify.
Racing Resumes March 4
Hosted for decades by the Barrington (RI) Yacht Club, frostbiting a Sunfish is an experience not to be missed. Not sure if you are ready to take the plunge? Stop by and meet the gang. Sailors can leave their boats at the club (for a fee), so come drop off your boat for the winter and get out and get fast!
NOR, Schedule, SIs, results and more are posted on the BYC Website
Drew Staniar took both ends of the Yankee Duo at Chatham, MA on the weekend of Sept 17-18. Staniar was the fastest boat on the water both days, and sailed a smart series. Eric Woodman finished 2nd both days, which was good enough to take top spot in the 11- race 2011 New England Championship series. Lee Parks finished 3rd on Saturday with Doris Aschman 3rd on Saturday.
The competition was extremely close at the top, with Staniar and Woodman tied entering the final race each day. On Saturday, Staniar won the final race and Woodman was 2nd. On Sunday Staniar finished 3rd in the final race and Woodman was 4th.
For the season-long championship Woodman’s pair of seconds left him ahead of Bill Brangiforte, Parks, Staniar and Paul Odegaard. For finishing first, Woodman won a new racing sail, Brangiforte decided to pass on his prize so Parks got a boat rehabilitation and Geick a $50 gift certificate. All prizes were donated by Sail + Sport Rhode Island: the retail outlet at the Laser Performance headquarters in Portsmouth RI.
Remember to thank Sail + Sport Rhode Island for their support by buying your boats, parts and gear from them. They do not have an online store, but have offered to match any online retailers’ price. So either visit them or see their blog for contact information and deals! http://lpssri.blogspot.com/. And don’t forget the Sunfish Class (New England Region) sent you.
2011 NE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL RESULTS (includes Yankee Duo Results)
on Sept. 10-11, many of us had a great time at Lake Massapoag in Sharon, MA competing in the Massapoag Yacht Club’s annual regatta. The weather was beautiful, with sunny skies and mostly light wind ranging from the northeast to southeast.
The competition was intense at the top. After six races, the top 4 boats were separated by just two points. The winner of the 7th and final race was likely to win the regatta. And that race was equally tight, with Ken Charles winning the race in the last 50 yards, or so, to top Bill Brangiforte, and Kevin Buruchian. As a result, Ken won the weekend, Bill was 2nd, Alan Beckwith was 3rd, Kevin was 4th and I was 5th.
Full results can be found on the Massapoag YC website here: http://www.sailmyc.org/Racing/MYCRaceResults.aspx
By finishing 3rd and 2nd on Saturday and Sunday, Lee Parks won the top prize at the Monadnock Challenge weekend in Southern NH on Aug. 20 and 21.
On Saturday, at Spofford Lake, Paul Henkel won four of the five races held in light air to easily win the day. Steve Shriner was 2nd and Parks finished 3rd. 2011 Spofford Lake Regatta Results
On Sunday, at the MLSA Sunfish Challenge, Eric Woodman won every race in a modeerate southerly before sitting out the last for his throw out, beating out Lee Parks (2nd) and Paul Odegaard (3rd). 2011 MLSA Results
Two weeks winning two of the final three races at Lake Wequaquet, Amanda Callahan rolled through a 21-boat fleet at the annual Super Sunfish Sunday at the Saunderstown (RI) Yacht Club on Aug. 14. Callahan won four of five races, throwing out a third to win. Quentin Chafee was second and Brett Adams was third. The club did a great job with the event, which featured the raffling off of a new Sunfish racing sail and many generous gear/apparel used as trophies (Thank you Laser Performance and Intensity Sails). Super SunfishSunday 2011 Results.
A week earlier, Blair Gatewood won every race besting a 9-boat fleet at the Chatham Regatta. Ryan Murphy and Conrad Johnsen rounded out the top 3. Full results
2011 Wequaquet award winners
Drew got out to an early lead on Saturday, winning 3 of the first 6 races, and held on after a furious finish by Amanda Callahan (4th overall) on Sunday. Amanda won both races on Sunday, while Drew finished last and 6th. Kevin Buruchian and Bill Brangiforte finished 2nd and 3rd respectively and probably sailed the most consistent regattas. Just 6 points separated the first four finishers. Ken Charles, who sailed very well on Sunday, finished 5th.
As always there was a strong youth turnout at Wequaquet. David Ryder won the singles class while Madison and Morgan Brennan won the doubles.
Bill Brangiforte once again finished as the top American at the North Americans, held July 20-24 in Barrington RI. Brangiforte was 3rd overall while several other New England racers had strong showings in the event. With 100 competitors, it was the largest NAs in more than a decade.
Kevin Buruchian of Massachusetts was 15th, Tim Fallon of Rhode Island was 16th (and won a race), Amanda Callahan of Rhode Island was the top female at 17th and Andy David and Alan Beckwith of Massachusetts were 19th and 20th, respectively. Read more.
Sailing on home turf Bill Brangiforte eeked out a 1-point victory over Amanda Callahan at the Northeast Challenge, held June 18 at Wessagusset Yacht Club in Weymouth MA. Sailing on a beautiful late spring day, with a mostly light westerly, Brangiforte jumped out to an early series lead and held off a late-day charge by Callahan. Rounding out the top 5 were Drew Staniar, Bill McInnis, and Dave Mesicek. 2011 NE Challenge Results.
At Newport on July 9-10 Bill dominated a 10-boat fleet, which sailed in mostly light winds. Alan Beckwith took 2nd, Eric Woodman 3rd, Drew Staniar 4th and Bob Hines was 5th. Full results here
http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm
Held just a few days before the North Americans, only three sailors turned out for the Wequoit Bay Regatta. Bill won that too!
Sailing a strong and consistent regatta, Dan Hesse of New York claimed the first of two New England Regional Championships in 2011 in controversial fashion. Many sailors left the Barrington (RI) Yacht Club on June 5 following racing thinking that defending North American and New England Champ Bill Brangiforte had managed to pull out another victory, as Hesse and Andy David had been disqualified for being over the starting line early in the last of the 9 races.
But Hesse successfully appealed the OCS ruling and was granted 2nd place in the final race, pushing him ahead of Brangiforte. Kevin Buruchian, Alan Beckwith and Eric Woodman rounded out the top 1 five.
Here is the photo used to overturn the OCS:
Wide view: Shows the signal flag coming down as the race starts and the orange flag being used as the boat end of the line (Dan and Andy are near the pin end):
Close up of the pin: If you look carefully you will see the mark between Dan and Andy’s boats.
