US-IRC News

Rolex US-IRC National Championship -- Vela Veloce Named Overall Winner

28-Jul-2010

Newport, RI, USA (July 24, 2010) – After four days of racing in a variety of conditions across a mix of around-the-buoys and distance, New York Yacht Club’s seventh biennial Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex came to an end this afternoon. Light winds threatened to cancel the last day of racing for the 35 competing boats, but by 2pm Newport’s classic southerly sea breeze filled in against a stubborn northerly and offered suitable conditions for racing. All classes raced on a four-leg windward/leeward course, and at the end of the day the Southern Cross 52 Vela Veloce was determined the best performing boat and was named the 2010 Rolex US-IRC National Champion. Its owner and skipper, Richard Oland (St. John, New Brunswick, CAN), was presented with a specially engraved Rolex Yacht-Master at this evening’s Rolex Gala and Awards Party held at Harbour Court.

“This is a tremendous thrill for us,” said Oland, who won his IRC class in March’s International Rolex Regatta. He pointed out that competing against all of the boats in the fleet is exciting. “That’s the secret of IRC. The reason it’s become so good is because it allows for innovation. If you look at results and you look at boats you see how close they are. Like in our class, class 2, we were all within 50 feet.”

Vela Veloce, Richard Oland (St. John, New Brunswick, CAN), was named the 2010 Rolex US- IRC National Champion. Rolex/Daniel Forster photo.

The overall winner was calculated by comparing all entries based on a formula of average seconds per nautical mile. In determining the overall winner, the NYYC Sailing Office noted that the time separating winner Vela Veloce from the second-place overall was 13/100s of a second.

Winning the class wasn’t enough; it was the overall performance that counted. Not much of a consolation to Steve Benjamin (South Norwalk, Conn.) and his team onboard his Tripp 41 Robotic Oncology, which won IRC Class 3 and finished in second place overall.

“We knew we won our class quite easily,” said Benjamin. “We knew we had a good shot at the overall title. Today was great, but we were nervous because there was so much on the line. We have been trying to win with this boat for the past five years, and although we have had some success there was all this added pressure.”

Vela Veloce won IRC Class 2 with an impressive score line of four first places and two seconds. In second place was Captivity, George Sakellaris’s (Framingham, Mass.) Farr 60, 10 points back. Although Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, Mass.) 55-foot Sforzando won today’s final race, it wasn’t enough to move up in the standings, and it finished in third.

Robotic Oncology finished the regatta with five wins and one fifth-place finish in six races. After racing, Benjamin’s oncologist Dr. Samadi of Mount Sinai Hospital, who was on the water watching today’s race was clearly impressed with his patient’s racing skills. “The way that he worked with his team is the same as when you do robotic surgery. You have to work together with your team in the same way. Steve did an amazing job.”

John Cooper’s (Springfield, Mo.) Mills 43 Cool Breeze placed second in IRC Class 3, while Philip Lotz’s (Newport, R.I.) NYYC Swan 42 Arethusa finished in third.

Daniel Meyers’s (Boston, Mass.) J/V66 Numbers took a second in today’s only race and held onto the lead in IRC Class 1. George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Rambler finished in second place, while Ray Roberts’s (Sydney, Australia) STP65 Evolution Racing is in third.

IRC Class 5 winner was Storm, Rick Lyall’s (Wilton, Conn.) J/109 that moved up to win the overall class by placing third in today’s race. “We only started racing in IRC, and this is our fourth or fifth IRC event. It’s a very good measurement and rating system. We seem to have a competitive boat. We worked really hard at making sure we had a good configuration in the sail plan, and we sailed really well. To have beat Carina, the winner of Newport Bermuda Race, in the Annual Regatta and now here. Well, that’s top-notch competition. You know, Rush beat us earlier this year, and it’s been back and forth with them. They put in a really good effort.”

Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis, Md.) J/109 Rush finished in second, while Nordlys, Robert Schwartz’s (Port Washington, N.Y.) J/109, finished in third by winning the last race.

Lyall went on to give credit to the split-format of Race Week. “The first half of the week was our J/109 North American championship,” he said. “And that was very tough and competitive racing. Coming into it I was the defending champion. I was disappointed we didn’t’ defend, but Gut Feeling is a bunch of great sailors and we take no shame in losing to them. In the IRC event, we had a really terrific distance race. You can’t ever beat a race like that with 25 knots of wind. We were going 14 knots; it was fantastic racing!”

Christopher Dragon held onto its IRC Class 4 lead going into today’s final race, finished second and held on to win overall. “To tell you the truth, we were hoping for no race,” joked owner and skipper Andrew Weiss (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) “It turned out pretty well. The breeze filled in, and the wind wound up being steadier than yesterday.”

The J/122 won by one point over Craig Albrecht’s (Sea Cliff, N.J.) Farr 395 Avalanche. “All we did for today was cover Avalanche and the other J/122, Partnership,” said Weiss. “We sailed more conservatively, after being over the line early yesterday. To win the series was our goal.”

On-demand video produced by t2p.tv will be available after 9 p.m. each evening of Race Week at www.nyyc.org where complete results also can be found.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.

Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including elite athlete preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing and offshore, one-design and women’s events. Since 1994, Rolex Watch U.S.A. has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events.

The New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including the Rolex Miami OCR, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, New York Yacht Club’s 156th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex.

About the Rolex US-IRC National Championship

With the concept of moving the Rolex US-IRC National Championship around the country to encourage growth in IRC fleets, the 2009 championship was run in conjunction with St. Francis Yacht Club’s Rolex Big Boat Series, in San Francisco, Calif. and crowned a winner in Vincitore, the Custom 52 owned by Jim Mitchell (Zurich, SUI/Chicago, Ill.). In 2008, the championship was sailed in conjunction with the 48th Little Traverse Yacht Club Regatta and One Design Series, in Harbor Springs, Mich. and won by Stripes, the Great Lakes 70 owned by Bill Martin, (Ann Arbor, Mich.), and in 2007, the inaugural championship was held as part of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex and won by Blue Yankee the Reichel/Pugh 66 owned by Bob and Farley Towse (Stamford, Conn.).

The event is part of the 2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series http://www.us-irc.org.

(end)

New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
Rolex US-IRC National Championship| July 21-24, 2010

Final Results, July 24 – Day 4 of racing

One race completed (six in the series)

Overall Rolex US-IRC National Championship

1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, Maine

2. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin, South Norwalk, Conn.,

3. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, Mass.

4. Christopher Dragon, J122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

5. Storm, J/109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, Conn.

Class Winners

Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2-R3-R4-R5-6, Total points

Class - IRC 1

1. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, Mass, 2-2-1-1-1-2, 9

2. Rambler, Custom 90, George David, Hartford, Conn., 1-1-2-3-3-1, 11

3. Evolution Racing, STP65, Ray Roberts, Alexandria, AUS, 3-3-3-2-2-3, 16

Class - IRC 2

1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, Maine, 1-1-1-1-2-2, 8

3. Captivity, Farr, George Sakellaris, Framingham, Mass., 2-2-8(DNF)-2-1-3, 18

2. Sforzando, Kerr 55, Blair, Brown, Padanaram, Mass., 4-3-4-3-4-1, 19

5. Snow Lion, Ker 50, Lawrence Huntington, New York, N.Y., 3-4-6-5-3-7, 28

4. Privateer, Cookson 50, Ronald O'Hanley, Boston, Mass., 5-6-2-7-5-6, 31

6. Rima2, R/P 55, John Brim, New York, N.Y., 6-7-3-4-6-5, 31

7. Anema&Core, JV52, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, Md., 7-5-5-6-7-4, 34

Class - IRC 3

1. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin, South Norwalk , Conn., 1-1-5-1-1-1, 10

3. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper, Springfield, Mo., 2-2-4-3-2-2, 15

2. Arethusa, NYYC 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, R.I., 3-4-1-2-3-3, 16

5. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Bristol, R.I., 7-7-2-4-4-4, 28

4. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen DeVoe, Jamestown, R.I., 4-3-3-6-6-6, 28

6. Big Booty, Lutra 42, Pat Eudy, Charlotte, N.C., 5-5-7-5-5-5, 32

7. Temptation, Taylor 45, Arthur Santry, Arlington, Va., 6-6-6-7-7-8(DNF), 40

Class - IRC 4

1. Christopher Dragon, J/122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 1-1-1-3-4-2, 12

2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, N.Y., 2-2-4-2-2-1, 13

3. Partnership, J/122, David & MaryEllen Tortorello, Fairfield, Conn., 5-4-2-1-3-3, 18

4. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan /Tom Roche, Newport, R.I., 3-7-3-4-7-5, 29

5. Alliance, Summit 35, Dominick Porco, New York, N.Y., 7-3-8-5-1-7, 31

6. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, Mass., 8-8-6-6-5, 33

7. Settler, Cust. Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, R.I., 4-6-7-8-6-6, 37

8. White Gold, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, N.Y., 8-5-5-7-8-DNS, 42

Class - IRC 5

1. Storm, J/109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, Conn., 1-4-3(RDG)-2-4-3, 17

2. Rush, J/109, Bill, Sweetser, Annapolis, Md., 3-2-4-1-3-4, 17

3. Nordlys, J/109, Robert Schwartz, Port Washington, N.Y., 4-7-6-3-1-1, 22
4. Carina, Cstm Sloop, Rives Potts, Essex, Conn., 7-1-1-6-7-2, 24

5. Cowboy, N/M 46, Isdale/Cochran, Greenwich, Conn., 2-5-8-4-2-6, 27

6. Good Girl, J/100, Robert W. Armstrong, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI, 5-6-2-5-5-10(DNS), 33

7. Eclipse, Corby 33, Dave Kellogg, Oyster Bay, N.Y., 6-3-9-8-8-5, 39

8. Out of Reach III, X-35, Louis Nees, New York, N.Y., 8-8-5-7-6-10 (DNS), 44

9. Blue Rider, J/109, Eric Kamisher, Norwalk, Conn., 9-9-3-9-9-10 (DNC), 49

Day 3 - Rolex US-IRC National Championship

28-Jul-10

Newport, RI, USA (July 23, 2010) – After a brief postponement on shore by the Race Committee while the wind filled in, it was back to the ocean track for the 35 boats competing in New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. Two windward/leeward races were held on Rhode Island Sound under less-than-perfect conditions; however the light rain and 4-6 knots of wind challenged tacticians and prompted a shake-up in a few of the standings.

By taking two wins in two races today, Daniel Meyers’s (Boston, Mass.) J/V66 Numbers also took over the IRC Class 1 lead from George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Rambler. The 90-footer dropped into second position. Ray Roberts’s (Sydney, Australia) STP65 Evolution Racing is in third.

In IRC Class 3, Steve Benjamin’s (South Norwalk, Conn.) Robotic Oncology held onto its lead by winning both races. With four wins in five races, the Tripp 41 has a four-point lead on Arethusa, Philip Lotz’s (Newport, R.I.) NYYC Swan 42 that won the distance race. “In today’s first race we didn’t have a great start, but we were able to clear out and get into phase,” said Benjamin of the four-leg windward/leeward race. “By halfway up the first weather leg we were in the lead and from there we just extended.”

The talk of the regatta has been Benjamin’s boat name, Robotic Oncology, which he explained is in tribute to Dr. Samadi of Mt. Sinai Hospital. “I made him a promise that if he could cure me, then I would take him sailing,” said Benjamin. “He is coming to Newport tomorrow, and we hope he’ll go sailing with us. This is a very sweet return to sailing for me.”

Robotic Oncology performs best in light air conditions, explained Benjamin. After a disappointing fifth-place in yesterday’s windy distance race, he is hoping for more of the light air like today. “We didn’t sail as well as we could have yesterday,” he said. “We had some issues onboard including some bad sail changes made by me and bad tactical problems. We broke both runner tails, had a few little gear failures. Tomorrow we’ll be happy with light wind.”

The biggest shake-up of the day was found in IRC Class 5 with Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis, Md.) J/109 Rush winning the first race to take the overall lead from Rives Potts’s Carina, which fell to fifth with 6- and 7-place finishes. Storm, Rick Lyall’s (Wilton, Conn.) J/109, moved up from third into second overall, while Nordlys, Robert Schwartz’s (Port Washington, N.Y.) J/109, hop-scotched from sixth into third overall by winning the second race.

Richard Oland’s Vela Veloce has four class firsts and a second. Rolex/Daniel Forster

Richard Oland’s (Saint John, New Brunswick, CAN) Southern Cross 52 Vela Veloce held onto first in IRC 2. but Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, Mass.) 55-foot Sforzando dropped to third place with a 3-4 finish. “In the last race our prop was open during the start,” said Peter Bromby, the Bermuda Olympian calling tactics on Sforzando. “We could hear humming before the start and we didn’t pay any mind to it,” said Bromby. “We started and couldn’t get into it, but knew something was up when we were a knot and a half slow. Overall, it was a pretty average day.”

Bromby went on to speculate what tomorrow might bring. “Vela Veloce is tough to beat,” he said. “It’s been sailed consistently, same with Captivity. Our bread and butter is getting off the start well and be able to save our time, which has proven to be tough as the others are getting off the line well and sailing well.”

In IRC 4 Christopher Dragon continued its winning ways remaining undefeated and at the top of the class.

Racing concludes tomorrow, Saturday, where the best performing boat will take the Rolex US-IRC National Championship title and its skipper will be presented with a specially engraved Rolex timepiece at the Rolex Gala and Awards Party on Saturday evening. http://www.nyyc.org

NYYC hosted daily awards and post-racing refreshments in the Hospitality Villa at Harbour Court.

On-demand video produced by t2p.tv will be available after 9 p.m. each evening of Race Week at www.nyyc.org where complete results also can be found.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.

About the Rolex US-IRC National Championship

The event is part of the 2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series http://www.us-irc.org.

New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
Rolex US-IRC National Championship| July 21-24, 2010

Preliminary results, July 23 – Day 3 of racing

Two races completed (five in the series)

Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2-R-R4-R5, Total points

Class - IRC 1

1 Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, MA, 2-2-1-1-1, 7 points
2. Rambler, Ctm 90, George David, Hartford, CT, 1-1-2-3-3, 10
3. Evolution Racing, STP65, Ray Roberts, Alexandria, (AUS), 3-3-3-2-2, 13

Class - IRC 2

1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, ME, 1-1-1-1-2, 6 points

2. Captivity, Farr, George Sakellaris, Framingham, MA, 2-2-8(DNF)-2-1, 15

3. Sforzando, Kerr 55, Blair, Brown, Padanaram, MA, 4-3-4-3-4, 18

4. Snow Lion, Ker 50, Lawrence Huntington, New York, NY, 3-4-6-5-3, 21

5. Privateer, Cookson 50, Ronald O'Hanley, Boston, MA, 5-6-2-7-5, 26

6. Rima2, R/P 55, John Brim, New York, NY, 6-7-3-4-6, 26

7. Anema&Core, JV52, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, MD, 7-5-5-6-7, 30

Class - IRC 3

1. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Steve Benjamin, South Norwalk, CT, 1-1-5-1-1, 9 points

2. Arethusa, NYYC 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, RI, 3-4-1-2-3, 13

3. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper, Springfield, MO, 2-2-4-3-2, 13

4. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen DeVoe, Jamestown, RI, 4-3-3-6-6, 22

5. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Bristol, RI, 7-7-2-4-4, 24

6. Big Booty, Lutra 42, Pat Eudy, Charlotte, NC, 5-5-7-5-5, 27

7. Temptation, Taylor 45, Arthur Santry, Arlington, VA, 6-6-6-7-7, 32

Class - IRC 4

1. Christopher Dragon, J122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, NY, 1-1-1-3-4, 10 points

2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, NY, 2-2-4-2-2, 12

3. Partnership, J 122, David & MaryEllen Tortorello, Fairfield, CT, 5-4-2-1-3, 15

4. Alliance, Summit 35, Dominick Porco, New York, NY, 7-3-8-5-1, 24

5. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan /Tom Roche, Newport, RI, 3-7-3-4-7, 24

6. Settler, Cust. Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, RI, 4-6-7-8-6, 31

7. White Gold, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, NY, 8-5-5-7-8, 33

8. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, MA, 8-8-6-6-5, 33

Class - IRC 5

1. Rush, J/109, Bill Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, 3-2-4-1-3, 13 points

2. Storm, J109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, CT, 1-4-3(RDG)-2-4, 14

3. Nordlys, J 109, Robert Schwartz, Port Washington, NY, 4-7-6-3-1, 21
4. Cowboy, N/M 46, Isdale/Cochran, Greenwich, CT, 2-5-8-4-2, 21

5. Carina, Cust. Sloop, Rives Potts, Essex, CT, 7-1-1-6-7, 22

6. Good Girl, J/100, Robert W. Armstrong, Christiansted, USVI, 5-6-2-5-5, 23

7. Eclipse, Corby 33, Dave Kellogg, Oyster Bay, NY, 6-3-9-8-8, 34

8. Out of Reach III, X-35, Louis Nees, New York, NY, 8-8-5-7-6, 34

9. Blue Rider, J109, Eric Kamisher, Norwalk, CT, 9-9-3-9-9, 39

Day 2 of the Rolex US-IRC National Championship

28-Jul-2010

In contrast to yesterday’s overcast skies and light rain, today’s sunshine and vigorous winds brought smiles to the sailors onboard 35 boats competing in New York Yacht Club's (NYYC) seventh biennial Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. It was a perfect day for NYYC’s Race Committee to send the fleet, all sailing under the IRC handicap rating, on a distance race starting in Newport Harbor, then out on Rhode Island Sound toward Block Island and finally finishing on Narragansett Bay near Quonset Point. With a steady 10-12 knots of breeze and a sea much more settled than yesterday, there could be no finer day for a tour of local waters.

“It was very challenging, very exciting and the high point of the regatta for me,” said Peter Cummiskey, the regatta chair who is crewing aboard Rives Potts’s Carina in IRC 5. “It was a real distance race. We had to go out into the ocean and back into the Bay, so the tactics changed from leg to leg. Not only were there marks we had to honor, but there were some we didn’t have to, so the navigational challenges were intense.” He went on to give credit to Carina’s navigator Brad Dellenbaugh, who is NYYC’s Sailing Director, for his ability to “get us up close and personal, within a stone’s throw of Castle Hill.”

Fresh off a class win in June’s 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race, the 48-foot sloop Carina charged through IRC Class 5’s 32-mile tour taking line honors by a little more than 12 minutes. “The breeze held up great,” said Cummiskey. “The course was a little bit of everything.” Carina leads the nine-boat class ahead of Rush, Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis, Md.) J/109.

Rives Potts's Carina, winner of the distance race in IRC 5. Carina is fresh from a win in the Bermuda Race. Potts is chair of the Sailing Committee of the NYYC. Rolex/Daniel Forster photo.

In a repeat of the first day, George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Rambler was the fastest in IRC 1, finishing the 53-nautical mile course 23 minutes ahead of Daniel Meyers’s Numbers. At the start, Rambler pegged the pin end and led to the first mark – a buoy set off of Conanicut Yacht Club – by close to a minute ahead of Ray Roberts’s (Sydney, Australia) STP65 Evolution Racing. Although Numbers corrected, on time, ahead of Rambler, it holds onto the second place overall ahead of Evolution Racing, in third.

In IRC 3, Philip Lotz’s (Newport, R.I.) NYYC Swan 42 Arethusa finished the 32-nautical-mile course in a little over two minutes behind first-to-finish Big Booty, owned by Pat Eudy (Charlotte, N.C.) Lutra 42. The impressive finish allowed Arethusa to bump up in the standings to second overall. Steve Benjamin’s (South Norwalk, Conn.) Tripp 41 Robotic Oncology leads the seven-boat class.

In IRC 4 Christopher Dragon continued its winning ways remaining undefeated and at the top of the class, while Richard Oland’s (Saint John, New Brunswick, CAN) Vela Veloce moved into first in IRC 2. The Southern Cross 52 held its lead over Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, Mass.) 55-foot Sforzando and George Sakellaris’s (Framingham, Mass.) Farr 60 Captivity, which are in second and third place, respectively.

At the halfway point in the regatta Cummiskey was delighted so far. “I really like the mix of conditions we’ve seen,” he said. “That has been a true test. So far it hasn’t been the kind of regatta that a specialized boat can win. Really, you have to have an all-around boat and finish well in all conditions. We have two more days of racing, so we’ll continue to narrow it down. ”

Racing continues through Saturday where the best performing boat will take the Rolex US-IRC National Championship title and its skipper will be presented with a specially engraved Rolex timepiece at the Rolex Gala and Awards Party on Saturday evening.

After racing, NYYC hosted daily awards and post-racing refreshments in the Hospitality Villa at Harbour Court.

On-demand video produced by t2p.tv will be available after 9 p.m. each evening of Race Week at www.nyyc.org where complete results also can be found.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including elite athlete preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing and offshore, one-design and women’s events. Since 1994, Rolex Watch U.S.A. has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events.

The New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including the Rolex Miami OCR, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, New York Yacht Club’s 156th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex.

About the Rolex US-IRC National Championship
With the concept of moving the Rolex US-IRC National Championship around the country to encourage growth in IRC fleets, the 2009 championship was run in conjunction with St. Francis Yacht Club’s Rolex Big Boat Series, in San Francisco, Calif. and crowned a winner in Vincitore, the Custom 52 owned by Jim Mitchell (Zurich, SUI/Chicago, Ill.). In 2008, the championship was sailed in conjunction with the 48th Little Traverse Yacht Club Regatta and One Design Series, in Harbor Springs, Mich. and won by Stripes, the Great Lakes 70 owned by Bill Martin, (Ann Arbor, Mich.), and in 2007, the inaugural championship was held as part of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex and won by Blue Yankee the Reichel/Pugh 66 owned by Bob and Farley Towse (Stamford, Conn.).

The event is part of the 2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series http://www.us-irc.org.

New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
Rolex US-IRC National Championship| July 21-24, 2010
Preliminary results, July 22 – Day 2 of racing
One distance race completed; three races total to date

Class - IRC 1
Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2-R3, Total points
1. Rambler, Ctm 90, George David, Hartford, CT, 1-1-2, 4 points
2. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, MA, 2-2-1, 5
3. Evolution Racing, STP65, Ray Roberts, Alexandria, (AUS), 3-3-3, 9

Class - IRC 2
1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, ME, 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Sforzando, Kerr 55, Blair, Brown, Padanaram, MA, 4-3-4, 11
3. Captivity, Farr, George Sakellaris, Framingham, MA, 2-2-8(DNF),12
4. Privateer, Cookson 50, Ronald O'Hanley, Boston, MA, 5-6-2, 13
5. Snow Lion, Ker 50, Lawrence Huntington, New York, NY, 3-4-6, 13
6. Rima2, R/P 55, John Brim, New York, NY, 6-7-3, 16
7. Anema&Core, JV52, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, MD, 7-5-5, 17

Class - IRC 3
1. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin , South Norwalk , CT, 1-1-5, 7 points
2. Arethusa, NYYC 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, RI, 3-4-1, 8
3. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper, springfield, MO, 2-2-4, 8
4. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen DeVoe, Jamestown, RI, 4-3-3, 10
5. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Bristol, RI, 7-7-2, 16
6. Big Booty, Lutra 42, Pat Eudy, Charlotte, NC, 5-5-7, 17
7. Temptation, Taylor 45, Arthur Santry, Arlington, VA, 6-6-6, 18

Class - IRC 4
1. Christopher Dragon, J122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, NY, 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, NY, 2-2-4, 8
3. Partnership, J 122, David & MaryEllen Tortorello, Fairfield, CT, 5-4-2, 11
4. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan /Tom Roche, Newport, RI, 3-7-3, 13
5. Settler, Cust. Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, RI, 4-6-7, 17
6. Alliance, Summit 35, Dominick Porco, New York, NY, 7-3-8, 18
7. White Gold, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, NY, 8-5-5, 18
8. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, MA, 8-8-8, 22

Class - IRC 5
1. Carina, Cstm Sloop, Rives Potts, Essex, CT, 7-1-1, 9
2. Rush, J/109, Bil, Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, 3-2-4, 9
3. Storm, J109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, CT, 1-4-7, 12
4. Good Girl, J/100, Robert W. Armstrong, Christiansted, USVI, 5-6-2, 13
5. Cowboy, N/M 46, Isdale/Cochran, Greenwich, CT, 2-5-8, 15
6. Nordlys, J 109, Robert Schwartz, Port Washington, NY,4-7-6, 17
7. Eclipse, Corby 33, Dave Kellogg, Oyster Bay, NY, 6-3-9, 18
8. Blue Rider, J109, Eric Kamisher, Norwalk, CT, 9-9-3, 21
9. Out of Reach III, X-35, Louis Nees, New York, NY, 8-8-5, 21

Rolex US-IRC National Championship - Day 1 Establishes Class Leaders

28-Jul-2010

Newport, RI, USA (July 21 2010) – The second half of New York Yacht Club (NYYC) Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex began as many New England summer days do with fog, humidity and light wind. By the 11am starting time, the NYYC Race Committee reported 6-8 knots of wind, which held steady for today’s two races. Since this half of the regatta is doubling as the Rolex US-IRC National Championship, all 35 boats are being scored with a handicap rating – IRC – that allows dissimilar boats to compete against each other.

In IRC 1, the largest entry was also the fastest. George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) 90-foot Rambler, under the guidance of tactician Tom Whidden, gobbled up the first and second race, taking line honors in both. Once the IRC handicap rating formula was applied to the elapsed time in both races, Rambler was determined the overall leader.

With David called away at the last minute, Peter Isler took over the helm, a role he clearly relished. “I’m super happy any day that we get two firsts,” said Isler. “It’s challenging. Rambler is a big boat and the size makes it a challenge for the helm. I’ve sailed on it a lot with only a bit of time on the helm during distance races. George usually steers all the around-the-buoy races.”

Although Isler has raced in Newport many times, the foggy conditions still give him pause. “It’s always a tough place to sail because visibility isn’t always so clear,” he explained. “The sun will come out on one side (of the course) and it looks glassy because of the sun. Visually on a day like today it’s harder than normal. You’re always looking for visual cues. Tom did a really good job on tactics.”

He went on to explain that Rambler owes time to Dan Meyers’s (Boston, Mass.) Numbers and Ray Roberts’s (Sydney, Australia) STP65 Evolution Racing, and it is not always clear which boat is leading during racing. “They have a great team on Numbers, and they always give us a good battle. It’s good to see Dan Meyers back on the helm.” During the first race Numbers caught a lobster pot line during a mark rounding and lost valuable time. Numbers is in second overall. Evolution Racing is in third.

Many sailors might recognize Evolution Racing by its former name, Rosebud/Team DYT. Designed by Bruce Farr, the speedy boat won the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and has claimed victories across the U.S., the Mediterranean and at Cowes Week in England. The pedigree was not lost on Roberts, who purchased the boat with the intention of winning the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. “I have tried to win on many occasions with third- and fourth-place finishes,” said Roberts of the notorious annual distance race that has eluded him for 17 years. “It’s one of those things that hangs out there and you keep fighting to try and win it.”

Those who follow international racing may recall that the boat had suffered rig and hull damage in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. “I bought it in its damaged state, sent it to NEB (New England Boat Works, based in Portsmouth, R.I.) and we completely stripped it,” said Roberts. In addition to repairing the damaged bow section, Hall Spars was commissioned to build a new mast. “We feel it’s a little innovative and different and are hoping it has a technical edge,” continued Roberts.

In IRC 2 George Sakellaris’s (Framingham, Mass.) Farr 60 Captivity took line honors in the first race, but finished in second behind Richard Oland’s (Saint John, New Brunswick, CAN) Vela Veloce. The Southern Cross 52, Vela Veloce, corrected to first place for both races. “Today went really well,” said navigator Geoff Ewenson (Annapolis, Md.), who grew up sailing in Newport. “We’ve got a pretty darn good team with Richard Clarke driving the boat and Stu Bannatyne doing tactics. They work really well together, and they trust each other. It makes my job easy.”

Ewenson explained that Vela Veloce and Captivity were neck and neck throughout the day with Sforzando in strong contention. “You have to look at who the players are in the starting area,” he said. “Peter Bromby was driving Sforzando. I’ve never seen someone who can win the pin like he does. We felt the pin was favored by as much as 15 degrees, in our book. As we came off the line we looked up and there’s Bromby. He has made a living for years and years owning the pin end of starting lines, and today was no exception. He won both times. Thankfully we’re a little bit quicker than they are and if he gets a good start he gets swallowed by the faster boats.”

Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, Mass.) 55- foot Sforzando, and Lawrence Huntington’s (New York, N.Y.) Ker 50 Snow Lion split third and fourth finishes to tie for third overall.

Steve Benjamin’s Tripp 41 Robotic Oncology won both races and leads the seven-boat IRC 3 class, while Andrew Weiss’s (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) Christopher Dragon leads the eight-boat IRC 4 class. The nine-boat IRC 5 class is headed by Rick Lyall’s (Wilton, Conn.) J/109 Storm.

All told, 35 IRC-rated boats are entered in this second half of Race Week. Last weekend saw 107 yachts competing in Race Week's first half. Racing continues through Saturday where the best performing boat will take the Rolex US-IRC National Championship title and its skipper will be presented with a specially engraved Rolex timepiece at the Rolex Gala and Awards Party on Saturday evening. http://www.nyyc.org

After the post-racing refreshments in the Hospitality Villa, the New York Yacht Club will host an owners’ dinner this evening at Harbour Court.

On-demand video will be available after 9 p.m. each evening of Race Week at www.nyyc.org where complete results also can be found.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.

About the Rolex US-IRC National Championship

The event is part of the 2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series http://www.us-irc.org.

(end)

New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
Rolex US-IRC National Championship| July 21-24, 2010

Preliminary results, July 21 – Day 1 of racing

Two races completed

Class - IRC 1

Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2, Total points

1. Rambler, Ctm 90, George David, Hartford, CT, 1-1, 2 points

2. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, MA, 2-2, 4

3. Evolution Racing, STP65, Ray Roberts, Alexandria, (AUS), 3-3, 6

Class - IRC 2

Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2, Total points

1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, CAN, 1-1, 2 points

2. Captivity, Farr, George Sakellaris, Framingham, MA, 2- 4

3. Sforzando, Kerr 55, Blair, Brown, Padanaram, MA, 4-3, 7

4. Snow Lion, Ker 50, Lawrence Huntington, New York, NY, 3-4, 7

5. Privateer, Cookson 50, Ronald O'Hanley, Boston, MA, 5-6, 11

6. Anema&Core, JV52, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, MD, 7-5, 12

7. Rima2, R/P 55, John Brim, New York, NY, 6-7, 13

Class - IRC 3
Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2, Total points

1. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin , South Norwalk , CT, 1-1, 2 points

2. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper, Springfield, MO, 2-2, 4

3. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen DeVoe, Jamestown, RI, 4-3, 7

4. Arethusa, NYYC 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, RI, 3-4, 7

5. Big Booty, Lutra 42, Pat Eudy, Charlotte, NC, 5-5, 10

6. Temptation, Taylor 45, Arthur Santry, Arlington, VA, 6-6, 12

7. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Bristol, RI, 7-7, 14

Class - IRC 4
Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2, Total points

1. Christopher Dragon, J122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, NY, 1-1, 2 points

2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, NY, 2-2, 4

3. Partnership, J 122, David & MaryEllen Tortorello, Fairfield, CT, 5-4, 9

4. Alliance, Summit 35, Dominick Porco, New York, NY, 7-3, 10

5. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan /Tom Roche, Newport, RI, 7-3, 10

6. Settler, Ctm. Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, RI, 4-6, 10

7. White Gold, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, NY, 8-5, 13

8. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, MA, 8-8, 16

Class - IRC 5
Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2, Total points

1. Storm, J109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, CT, 1-4, 5 points

2. Rush, J/109, Bill, Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, 3-2, 5

3. Cowboy, N/M 46, Isdale/Cochran, Greenwich, CT, 2-5, 7

4. Carina, Ctm. Sloop, Rives Potts, Essex, CT, 7-1, 8

5. Eclipse, Corby 33, Dave Kellogg, Oyster Bay, NY, 6-3, 9

6. Nordlys, J 109, Robert Schwartz, Port Washington, NY4-7, 11

7. Good Girl, J/100, Robert W. Armstrong, Christiansted, USVI, 5-6, 11

8. Out of Reach III, X-35, Louis Nees, New York, NY, 8-8, 16

9. Blue Rider, J109, Eric Kamisher, Norwalk, CT, 9-9, 18

Bretwalda 3, Flying Jenny IV and Rum Win their Classes at 2010 US-IRC Great Lakes Championship

12-Jul-2010

Bob Pethick and "Bretwalda 3" Team declared Overall Winner

Three boats earn sweeps

Saturday, July 10 - Three sailboats dominated Day 1 of the Great Lakes IRC Championships in lower Lake Huron.

Bretwalda 3, Flying Jenny VI and Rum earned three first-place finishes in their respective classes Saturday.

"We had a pretty decent day," said David Askew, the owner and skipper of Flying Jenny VI out of the Annapolis (Md.) Yacht Club. "It was a great day for racing.

"I enjoy buoy racing. We're from the East Coast and we do a lot of that out there."

Race director Nick Ward said Thursday he hoped to get in four races Saturday, but he had to settle for three because of the light wind conditions . The 15-team regatta wraps up today with three more races.

"The maximum number of races is seven, but one race makes a regatta," said Ward, the co-owner with Greg Kinney of Rum. "I don't think we'll have any problem getting in three races Sunday. The conditions are suppose to be better than today."

All but three of the boats in the fleet will be sailing next Saturday for the 86th running of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac race.

The Great Lakes IRC course is in lower Lake Huron on the Canadian side. There was a long course for the bigger boats and a short course for the IRC 2 and 3.

"It was a beautiful day out there with plenty of sun," said Ed Schwanz of Rebel. "The winds were about 4 to 6 knots all day. It kicked in a little bit later in the day and probably got up to 6-7 maybe 8."

Askew, a former member of the Bayview Yacht Club, and his crew are winning the IRC 2 Short Course.

Rowdy, owned by Val Saph of Marine City, came in second behind Flying Jenny VI in each race.

Also competing in IRC 2 is Robert Bert's Liberty, which earned a third and two fourths.

"We didn't do very well today," Bert said. "Val is doing well, but Flying Jenny is too tough. They are sailing good enough to be up a division.

"This race is good for our crew. We had a chance to work on a lot of things today. It's better to make the mistakes now than next weekend.

"The out-of-town crews like this event because they get their boat here with a spot for Mackinac. It also gives them two good days of sailing. It gives us good competition."

Wind halts Great Lakes IRC Championship

Sunday, July 11 - Skipper Greg Kinney and the rest of the Rum crew hoped to get one final race in to prepare for the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Sailboat Race.

Kinney and his crew will have to settle for the next best thing — a victory.

The second day of the 2010 US-IRC Great Lakes Championship was canceled Sunday due to limited wind.

But Rum was still declared the winner of the IRC 2-Short Course championship because it won all three of its races on Friday.

"We had a blast," said Kinney, who co-owns the boat with Nick Ward, the Race Chairman.

"The wind was light the past two days, but it suits our boat."

Over 100 sailors competed on 15 boats in three classes.

On Saturday, there was enough wind for each class to get in three races.

On Sunday however, little to no wind materialized and the event was eventually called without a single race.

"We had hoped that today would be better," said Tim Rumptz, the Principal Race Officer. "It just didn't turn out that way. We hung out until 2 p.m. From 11 (a.m.) to 2 (p.m.) it simply wasn't enough wind. It wasn't steady enough in its direction to have a fair race."

"Port Huron is awesome to work with. Good people, good racers, good race committee. Sorry to disappoint them today but it was just the way it was."

The overall winner of the event was Bretwalda 3 of the IRC-1 Long Course Division. Its owner, Bob Pethick of Orchard Lakes said he enjoyed competing in Port Huron once again.

"I love Port Huron," he said. "I’ve come to Port Huron for the better part of 30 years. It’s always fun to come back. We had a new boat this year that we are getting ready for Mackinac."

That was the theme for most of the participants.

Kelsey Bert, who was on the Liberty crew in the IRC Division also hoped the event would help prepare her for the Mackinac Race.

"This is kind of like our pre-Mackinac to get everything in tune with the boat and each other," she said. "We got a lot of stuff worked through yesterday."

Flying Jenny VI was the winner of the IRC 2 Short Course Division.

Complete results can be found on Yacht Scoring - 2010 US-IRC Great Lakes Championship