Machbuster and Bad News Win on Season’s Last Day

Tropical storm Danny blew out to sea and took the wind with it, leaving Fleet 12 with the threat of losing the final race day. But patience rewarded the J/22’s with just enough breeze to complete the entirety of this season’s schedule of sixteen races. After a one-hour postponement and one abandoned starting sequence, Race Committee Bert and Linda Brodin set a course of the Rose Island Bell to port, finish. The breeze was 5 knots from the southeast in a flood tide. A generous, square line and the gentle breeze led to an even start with Machbuster nearest the pin, USA 1575 in the middle, and the others near the boat. Machbuster headed straight across the channel on starboard and watched (and wondered) as the rest of the fleet peeled off one-by-one to port tack into less pressure. When the blue boat eventually tacked to consolidate her gains, it was clear just how favored the left had been. A big stinkpot wake momentarily stalled Machbuster as she approached the Bell, giving Bad News a brief glimmer of hope, but the season champs could only manage a third at the mark behind Matt Dunbar’s USA 1575, who had followed Machbuster left for longer than the others. The light breeze held for the run home allowing Machbuster to win easily. USA 1575 just nosed out Bad News for second, her best result of the year. Good News lost her spinnaker halyard, forcing her to use the jib halyard for double-duty, and this delay handed fourth to Conundrum.

The second race start found Good News closest to the pin, followed by Machbuster, and Bad News, with the others forced right. Having learned their lesson in race #1, the college boys on Bad News extended to the left this time as the three leftmost starters approached Rose Island. With Bad News on her hip, Machbuster had managed to gain a little, but not quite enough to cross when the Rose Island Nun loomed as a Government Mark to be honored. This forced Machbuster to duck Bad News who just managed to squeeze by the Nun and into less current without tacking. Good News, perhaps too focused on the tide and breeze advantage, forgot about the Nun and sailed off-course. As the fleet approached the Bell, it remained more closely- packed than in race #1, but the breeze chose this critical moment to drop to a zephyr. Bad News led and managed to round on her second try as the adverse tide created an elusive layline, to say the least. Good News also got around quickly, but to no avail. The last three spent fifteen frustrating minutes, at times going backwards, and prompting Machbuster crew Dick Boenning to ask if there were an anchor onboard. But finally enough breeze filled in to get the rest around the Bell and onto the long tedious run home. Bad News beat the DQ’d Good News over the finish line, followed by Machbuster. USA 1575 and Conundrum had jibed to opposite sides of the course, eventually converging for a dramatic photo finish that went to USA 1575 by inches after a long light air day.

Bad News certainly proved to be the boat to beat this season, winning 9 of 16 races. But 3 other boats won at least once, which means 2/3’s of the active fleet won a race, continuing our reputation for balanced competition. Matt Dunbar’s USA 1575 demonstrated a steep learning curve in her first year, scoring a second and a third on the final day. Rumor has it that former Fleet Captain and four-time Fleet Champion Johnny Quinn will take Bad News around the Island next week. At least five other boats should be on the line to challenge the emeritus crew expected aboard Bad News.