Two More Wins For Lucy but Good News Gets First Fleet 12 Victory!

Today’s impressive eight boat fleet was missing a couple of regulars, but newcomers made up the difference in an unusual day of racing even by Fleet 12 standards. The dreaded westerly that threatens to go south creates a huge course challenge for our starting area, but this week’s Race Committee, former Fleet 12 champions Louis Mariorenzi and Priscilla Szneke, wisely elected to run downwind starts in order to get square windward legs and minimize delays. Missing were Bad News who was hors de combat from damage incurred during match racing practice (not the Marshalls sailing her), and Chaos, Lowell Thomas must have had an important golf match. But Martin Keene was back with USA 221 and some new numberless sails, and Rawhide (USA 1314) skippered by Elizabeth Paszkiewicz, with J/22 maven Dave Van Cleef and two crew imported all the way from Oklahoma aboard! This was probably Rawhide’s only appearance this year, but we may see more of her next season. The tide was just beginning to flood, and the racing started under bright sunny skies and 6 to 8 knots from the west.

The course for the first race was set as Tp,3p,Tp, finish (the Rose Island nun twice around). As could be expected with a downwind start, a wide variety of starting strategies and boat set-ups came into play. For example, USA 221, with former J24 world champ Bill Fortenberry and two small children aboard, mounted their pole with four minutes to go. At the gun, Machbuster won the committee boat end, and Lucy the pin. The flooding tide and puffs from the southwest, meant jibes weren’t required on the first run. Lucy, once again loaded with top notch crew, rounded the nun first with Cory Sertl driving, Mark on the foredeck, and Tom and Cindy Hirsch borrowed from the Swan 42 grand prix ranks doing the middle. Rawhide came down the center and squeezed around the nun second, just ahead of Machbuster, and a crowd formed immediately behind the blue boat. The windward leg back to special mark 3 is always tricky with holes and shifts coming off the Jamestown shore, and power boat chop to contend with as well. Positions at the front didn’t change on the first beat, although FJ Ritt’s Paladin rounded in a safe fourth, having stayed to the right side with Machbuster. Again the run was really a reach back to the nun minimizing the opportunity to pass as Lucy led Rawhide, Machbuster, Paladin, and USA 221, now a clear fifth. Lucy seemingly had no difficulty controlling the final beat to win race #1, with Rawhide’s solid second an ominous sign of strength. Machbuster’s poor decision to break a loose cover of Paladin on the right to hedge against USA 221, closing from the left in better breeze, resulted in her losing to both as all three converged at the boat end of the finish line, with Paladin on starboard. Conundrum, Good News, and USA 1575 finished in that order.

The race #2 course was changed to 11p (Coaster’s Island can), finish, to better accommodate the shift to the west southwest. Good News got a great start and led Conundrum, Machbuster, and USA 1575 in a group that went for the eastern third span of the bridge. Inexplicably, the dominant Lucy led the rest of the fleet way left of the rhumb line, passing under the center of the bridge, into near oblivion. Good News led at the can and continued her impressive race with only Conundrum and Machbuster still in position to thwart the prospect of her first fleet win. However, as the leaders passed back under the bridge going to windward, a 450 foot tanker loomed, steaming right across the race course from the south. Conundrum had split with the other leaders and was far enough right to cross the tanker, while Good News was far enough left to clear her stern. Only Machbuster, who had gained in the middle, was now forced to bear off and reach down the leeward side of the rather large ship threatening to scrape off some barnacles. The skipper/pilot must have been a sailor as no blasts were sounded. Once the ship passed, Good News tacked for the finish and some good lefty puffs sealed a long-awaited sweet first victory for Bob Miniutti and Eric Senior. Conundrum was second, Machbuster third, followed by USA 221, USA 1575, Rawhide, Paladin, and a humbled Lucy, bringing up the rear.

The race #3 course was unchanged and the conditions remained the same. Rawhide, unfamiliar with Fleet 12 practice, had started home to Newport, and had to scramble to get back for the start, no doubt happy for the chance to extend their cameo and erase the disappointment of her race #2 result. Machbuster and USA 1575 were both over early at the boat end causing a traffic jam and some minor contact in their wake. This time there were no navigation errors, and the fleet formed a pretty parade for anyone strolling the War College grounds. Rawhide and USA 221 led the run, followed by Paladin, Lucy and Good News. The breeze began to freshen and go further south which collapsed the fleet towards the end of the run. On the beat back to the finish, Lucy played the shifts to perfection sailing through the downwind leaders to take yet another win. Newcomers Rawhide and USA 221 followed closely, then Paladin, Conundrum, and the late starting Machbuster. Good News can be forgiven if they lost some concentration after their earlier triumph, and USA 1575, without Matt Dunbar aboard, slipped to eighth.

Going into August, Lucy has extended her series lead to a commanding fifteen points over Conundrum, who now leads USA 1575 by one and Machbuster by six.