Post date: Aug 29, 2012 7:14:18 PM

An ample fleet of seven S boats competed in the 2012 Newport YC Summer One-Design racing this season. A total of 15 races were held through the summer in conditions that varied from a steady 10 kt southerly with an exquisite sunset background to rumbling thunder and threatening skies. With Stephan Sloan at the helm, Argument won this season’s series with a convincing record of consistent finishes.

In the final race of the series, Argument capped the season with a bullet after overtaking Firefly. The wind was a light westerly with some right and left shifts. The course start was at Goat Is., windward to junction of the Newport Bridge and Jamestown, leeward to entrance of Newport Harbor, and back to finish line. At the start, Argument tried a daring port tack approach at the pin end of the line, but was forced to duck Osprey and Firefly, both on starboard. Firefly, under good speed, continued on starboard and then tacked to port, while Osprey stayed on starboard heading towards Jamestown. As the fleet tacked across the bay, Firefly was in the lead, covering Argument and Aquila. Shona did well on the right side and Firefly was just able to cross her on port tack. Argument and Aquila went left to the Jamestown shore where they picked up good pressure on the lay line. Firefly arrived first at the windward mark, where she encountered a wayward Ensign attempting to round the mark in the outgoing current. Firefly did not have an overlap and sailed outside, while Argument was able to squeeze inside the Ensign and assume the lead. Meanwhile, Osprey came up the bay, found herself on the wrong side of a tug towing a barge, and was driven north of the bridge before she could resume the race. The run downwind and final beat to the finish was uneventful as the breeze tucked itself in for the night under a magnificent cloud-sculpted sunset. We shall all miss these copasetic evenings.

Final Series results: Firefly (Cory Silken & Alan Silken) took 2^nd, Aquila (Angus Davis) 3^rd, Surprise (Commodore Fred Roy) 4^th in a tie breaker with Mischief (Walter Bopp) the only boat that competed in every race of the series. Osprey (Sheldon Whitehouse & Mike McCaffrey) was 6^th and Shona (Bob Hutchinson) 7^th. S boats have been competing in the Tuesday series since 2009, when Osprey won. Firefly took top honors in 2010, and Aquila was victorious in 2011. Prizes will be presented at the Newport Yacht Club awards banquet in the fall.