Blue Yankee Wins Inaugural Rolex US-IRC National Championship

June 29, 2007 0 comments

The wind rallied for the final day of the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week XXII presented by Rolex, blowing early and hard at 18-22 knots with gusts up to 25. It was the perfect ending for five days of racing that ended with champions named in 18 classes (for IRC, PHRF, and One-Design) and a first-ever Rolex US-IRC National Champion crowned. The biennial race week first made its mark on this tiny land mass in 1965 and this year hosted 2000 sailors on 183 boats. Seven of the classes with 69 boats were devoted to IRC racing, the hottest, newest rating rule being used in the U.S.

The wind rallied for the final day of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week XXII presented by Rolex, blowing early and hard at 18-22 knots with gusts up to 25. It was the perfect ending for five days of racing that ended with champions named in 18 classes (for IRC, PHRF, and One-Design) and a first-ever Rolex US-IRC National Champion crowned. The biennial race week first made its mark on this tiny land mass in 1965 and this year hosted 2000 sailors on 183 boats. Seven of the classes with 69 boats were devoted to IRC racing, the hottest, newest rating rule being used in the U.S.



Blue Yankee, Bob and son Farley Towse’s (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel/Pugh 66 sailed in the six-boat Super Zero class to take the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. With its crew of notables, including skipper Steve Benjamin, tactician Edward Warden Owen and strategist Chris Larson, the team secured its victory after finishing second in the last day’s race and posting four victories and a second prior to that. The mathematical formula for determining Blue Yankee as champion was based on fleet performance, using corrected boat speed, and class competitiveness.



“Obviously there were some big gaps between us and the rest of the class,” said Farley Towse, referring to the pace of Blue Yankee, which at times put it a leg ahead of the others. “But that being said, it doesn’t matter how far ahead or behind you are because anything can happen, and with one of the variables for the national championship being a comparison between classes, you’re always sailing against time.” With Blue Yankee having been purpose built for IRC racing, it matched up fairly in the national championship determination against others of the same ilk, such as Colm Barrington’s (Dublin, Ireland) Ker 50 Magic Glove (winner of IRC Zero class), as well as older boats, such as Randall and Matt Baldwin’s (Ridgefield, Conn.) Taylor 42 Cabady, which won the last day’s race and topped 14 boats in its IRC class 5.

Going into the last day, Cabady was nipping at the heels of Blue Yankee for the national championship, but it was Hunt Lawrence’s (New York, N.Y.) Ker 11.3 Cracker in the 10-boat IRC class that rose to second in the national championship ranking, with Cabady slipping to third. Cabady, however, won the perpetual US-IRC Trophy for the best overall IRC performance at the regatta, as judged by the race committee.

“Our performance shows that a good older boat can come into IRC and compete with the custom-built IRC boats,” said Matt Baldwin, explaining that Cabady, the old Numbers, was built in 1991. “It shows that the IRC rating is fair.”

Blue Yankee received a Rolex steel and platinum Yacht-Master as the winner of the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. The team also was the top IRC finisher in the event’s around-the-island race, which also was deserving of a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepiece as prize, in addition to the Island Sailing Club of Cowes Perpetual Trophy, first awarded in 1965 and commemorating the link to Britain’s Cowes Week, after which Block Island Race Week was patterned.



Other Trophies Going to IRC Boats

Everett B. Morris Memorial Trophy for Best Overall Performance: Magic Glove

Isbrandtsen Overall Perpetual Trophy for the second best performance: Cracker

Vintage Yacht Trophy for the yacht 15 years or older with the best performance of the week: Cabady

John Alden Reed Perpetual Trophy for the best performance by a Service Academy Yacht: Tomcat, USNA

Governors Perpetual Trophy for the foreign yacht with the best performance of the week: Magic Glove

Shelter Island Team Trophy: 1. Storm Trysail Club Red (Rumor, Lora Ann, Challenge V); 2. New York Yacht Club (Arethusa, Troubador, Blue Yankee); 3. Cedar Point Yacht Club (Rascal, Storm, One Up)


Final Top-Three Results

Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week XXII presented by Rolex

June 17-22, 2007

Place, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Finishes [throwout], Overall

PHRF1 (PHRF – 10 Boats)
1. XLR8, Carrera 280, Brad Porter, Westbrook, CT, 1-1-1-1-2-2-1-[4];9
2. J Bird IV, Olsen 30, David Janes, Newport Beach, CA, 4-2-[5]-3-1-3-4-1;18
3. Bloody Hell, Evelyn, Mike Perry, Somers Pt, NJ, 6-3-3-[8]-4-1-2-2;21

PHRF2 (PHRF – 8 Boats)
1. Freightrain, Frers, Dick Hyde, Belmont, MA, 1-1-1-1-1-[4]-3-3;11
2. Sirprize, Sirena 38, Bill Healy, Hartford, CT, 2-2-[3]-2-3-1-1-1;12
3. L’outrage, Finot/Faus, Bruce Gardner, Annapolis, MD, [6]-3-6-6-2-2-2-2;23

PHRF3 (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. Hustler, J/29, John & Tony Esposito, Mohegan Lake, NY, 1-1-1-[2]-1-1-1-1;7
2. Divided Sky, J/29, Vin & Kristy McAteer, Warwick, RI, 2-2-[4]-1-4-4-3-2;18
3. Cool Breeze, J/29 frac, John Cooper, Springfield, MO, 3-3-2-3-2-3-4-[5];20

PHRF4 (PHRF – 16 Boats)
1. Rumor, J/80, John Storck, Jr, Huntington, NY, 1-3-2-[6]-1-3-3-1;14
2. Cymothoe, Sabre 36, David Alldian, Brick, NJ, 4-4-4-1-[6]-1-1-4;19
3. Hound Dog, S2 9.1, Christian Uecker, Ridgefield, CT, 2-2-[10]-2-7-7-6-3;29

PHRF5 (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. One Up, Wyliecat 30, Lincoln Schoenberger, Shelton, CT, 1-1-[3]-2-2-1-1-1;9
2. Air Express, San Juan 30, Chris Fesenmeyer, Norwalk, CT, 2-2-1-1-1-2-[3]-3;12
3. MadCow, J 24, David German, Tampa, FL, [3]-3-2-3-3-3-2-2;18

Navigator Non Spin (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. Rascal, J 34C, Kel Weber, Wilton, CT, 3-2-3-1-1;10
2. Xenophon, Frers/Nautor Swan, Paul Pakos, Sudbury, MA, 1-1-1-3-5;11
3. Glass Slipper, Catalina 320, Douglas Dalessio, Stony Brook, NY, 2-3-4-2-4;15

IRC Super Zero (IRC – 6 Boats)
1. Blue Yankee, Reichel Pugh 66, Bob and Farley Towse, Stamford, CT, 1-1-1-[2]-1-2-1;7
2. Moneypenny, Swan 60, Jim Swartz, Park City, UT, 4-2-2-[6]-3-1-2;14
3. Rima2, ReichelPugh/McConaghy, John Brim, New York, NY, [5]-5-4-1-4-3-4;21

IRC Zero (IRC – 7 Boats)
1. Magic Glove, Ker 50, Colm Barrington, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland, 1-1-1-1-1-1-[8/DNS];6
2. Sjambok, Reichel/Pugh 45, Michael Brennan, Potomac, MD, 3-[4]-3-2-2-2-1;13
3. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen De Voe, Stamford, CT, 2-3-[5]-4-3-3-3;18

IRC1/NYYC Swan 42 (IRC – 8 Boats)
1. Tsunami, NYYC Swan 42, Preben Ostberg/John Aras/Bud Dailey , Rockville, MD, 3-3-1-2-[5]-2-1;12
2. Arethusa, NYYC Swan 42, Phil Lotz, New Canaan, CT, 2-1-[6]-3-2-3-4;15
3. Bandit, NYYC Swan 42, Andrew Fisher, Greenwich, CT, 4-[6]-2-1-4-1-5;17

IRC2 (IRC – 10 Boats)
1. Cracker , Ker 11.3, Hunt Lawerence, New York, NY, [2]-1-1-1-2-1-2;8
2. Jackknife, J/133, Andrew Hall, Southport, Lancs, UK, 4-4-4-[8]-1-2-1;16
3. Yellow Jacket, Farr 40, Bulman, Scholz, D’Amato , Bethesda, MD, 3-[7]-2-4-4-7-4;24

IRC3 (IRC – 10 Boats)
1. Sarah, X-41, Gregory Manning, Warwick, RI, [7]-2-4-1-1-1-2;11
2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, NY, 1-5-1-2/RDG-[5]-5-3;17
3. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, MA, 5-3-[7]-5-2-4-1;20

IRC4 (IRC – 14 Boats)
1. Tumbleweed III, J/122, Jim Johnstone, Newport , RI, 1-1-1-1-2-[10]-3;9
2. Christopher Dragon, J/122, Andrew Weiss, Greenwich, CT, 2-[6]-2-2-1-4-1;12
3. Shamrock Sensation, Nelson/Marek 40, Ralph Dimattia, Quincy, MA, 7-2-3-3-5-[7]-2;22

IRC5 (IRC – 14 Boats)
1. Cabady, Taylor 42, Randall/Matt Baldwin, Ridgefield, CT, 3-4-2-[5/SCP]-1-1-2;13
2. Troubador, Express 37, Schumacher, Mort Weintraub, Larchmont, NY, 2-[12/SCP]-5-4-2-3-1;17
3. Lora Ann, Schumacher, Richard du Moulin, Larchmont, NY, 7-3-1-3-4-2-[15/DNF];20

J-44 (One Design – 6 Boats)
1. Challenge IV, J/44, Jeffrey Willis, Huntington, NY, 2-2-2-1-1-1-1-[3];10
2. Gold Digger, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, NY, 1-3-[5]-2-4-2-2-4;18
3. Resolute, J/44, Don & Rick Rave, Huntington Bay, NY, 3-1-1-4-3-4-3-[5];19

J-120 (One Design – 6 Boats)
1. Flying Jenny V, J/120, David and Sandra Askew, Annapolis, MD, [4]-4-1-1-1-1-2-2;12
2. Windborn, J/120, Richard Born, Lutherville, MD, 3-2-2-2-2-3-1-[6];15
3. k2, J/120, Luis Gonzalez, Grand Isle, VT, 1-3-3-3-[6]-2-3-4;19

Beneteau 36.7 (One Design – 7 Boats)
1. Quokka, Beneteau First 36.7, Tom Peelen, Dartmouth , MA, 2-3-[5]-1-4-2-1-2;15
2. Team Aegis, Beneteau First 36.7, Jim Kershaw, Leesburg, VA, [5]-5-1-3-3-1-2-1;16
3. Whirlwind, Beneteau First 36.7, William Purdy, New York, NY, [6]-2-3-2-6-3-5-3;24

J-109 (One Design – 19 Boats)
1. Tastes Like Chicken, J/109, Stephen Tedeski, St. Petersburg, FL, 2-3-3-4-3-2-1-[9];18
2. Storm, J/109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, CT, 9-5-1-[10]-2-1-2-1;21
3. Gossip, J/109, Steve Kenny & Greg Ames, East Hampton, NY, [7]-6-4-1-6-4-5-2;28

J-105 (One Design – 24 Boats)
1. Savasana, J/105, Brian Keane, Weston, MA, 1-3-2-1-8-[13]-1-5;21
2. Kincsem, J/105, Joerg Esdorn, Rye, NY, 6-7-3-[18]-1-1-2-3;23
3. Arbitrage, J/105, Bruce Stone, San Francisco, CA, 7-5-1-[12]-4-4-10-1;32