Mid-Season Standings: Firefly-Vindex-Aquila-Wistful-Surprise lead the fleet

Post date: Aug 4, 2011 2:43:37 AM

This summer has seen an exciting S Class series with a remarkable number of races, and it is not over yet! There have been 20 races so far, starting with the Herreshoff Gala (2 races) , the NYYC Annual (5 races), the Tiedemann (3 races), the Newport Regatta (6 races), and the Doc Cuddy (4 races). Aquila, Argument, Firefly, Osprey, Pirate, Shona, Surprise, Vindex, Wistful, and Whistler are all active participants. So far, Firefly holds the lead in the defense of her championship, but there are many races to go and anything can happen. Vindex has risen dramatically in the standings after her great performances in the Newport Regatta and the Doc Cuddy. This has been a season of incredibly close competition, with boats winning by a tie-breaker in the Herreshoff Gala, the Tiedemann, and the Newport Regatta.

July started with the Tiedemann Regatta. Race 1 was an Around-the-Island marathon with varying winds and current. Aquila had the endurance to take the win, but on Sunday, Firefly got up to speed with a 2^nd and 3^rd. It was a very close regatta, with the first three boats in a 3-way tie: Aquila 1^st, Argument 2^nd, Wistful 3^rd after the tie-breaker.

The next July event was the Newport Regatta, a 6-race event over two days on Narragansett Bay. Firefly and Vindex traded tack for tack through many of the races. At the end of the 6^th race, it looked like Firefly had the edge by 1 point, but after one race was thrown out, the boats were tied, with Vindex taking 1^st place after the tie breaker.

The annual Doc Cuddy weekend was held on Ohio Ledge. Many thanks to John Barker and Jelte for once again providing a professional RC. Surprise was brilliant, taking a bullet in the light air of race 1. In race 2, Firefly suffered a broken main halyard and had to retire for the remainder of the regatta. After race 1, Vindex dominated with 3 bullets. But the Doc Cuddy Trophy went to Argument for her shining performance overall in Saturday’s races. The overall weekend score was a 2-way tie betweenVindex and Argument.

Stay tuned for the July Newsletter which is in process. The next events are: Herreshoff Regatta, MOY Classic, and the Sail for Hope. S Class Nationals are planned for the end of the season.