By Rear Commodore Stu Coleman
South Coast Corinthian Yacht Club closed out the last weekend in March with the Les Storrs Sailing Regatta. Twenty nine boats filled out 5 fleets for two days of round the buoy racing, improving on last year’s 17 boat turnout. The improved turnout was in part to an aggressive internet marketing campaign, coordination of fleet captains, favorable weather and the chance alignment of the planets.
The boats were divided into 2 PHRF classes, a sportboat class and Martin 242 and Cal20 onedesign classes.
Saturday saw mostly cloudy skies with winds averaging 8 knots and little swell in the first 2 races. As the third race sequence started at 3:15, winds were above 10 knots and the skies grew threatening but, with short 2-3 mile courses, racers crossed the finish line under spinnaker and headed for the breakwater. Just enough rain fell to create a nice rainbow to the Southeast.
Sunday saw slightly sunnier skies, but a backing wind during the first race sequence caused the race committee to reset the start line and change the windward mark from “E” to “D”. The wind settled back to 260º to 270º and final race used “E” as the windward mark. Winds averaged 7 knots on slightly lumpier seas but sunnier skies The B29, Klexy, skippered by SBYRC member, Ed Jenkins won four out of five races in the PHRF A fleet, with Jerry Haney’s J/80, Joyride winning race two by four seconds. Gray Marshall’s, Rocket 22, Diavola and Bryce Benjamin’s J/109, Persistence, traded seconds and thirds with Diavola earning the silver honors. John Staff and his crew aboard the Cheetah 30, Wildcat, won all five races in the sportboat class with Jerome Sammarcelli’s new Chupacabra a consistent second. In PHRF “B”, the J/24 team of Horn and Taylor swept the series with five bullets with Donna Polk’s Eggemoggin and Robert Harford’s Kryptonite trading seconds and thirds. Back on the water was another J/24, Slippery When Wet, helmed by MDR newcomer, Pierson Jacquelin, whose practiced crew showed great corinthian spirit. In the Cal20 fleet, longtime rivals, Bill Pistey and Wynn Hammer battled it out with Pistey’s Poquito grabbing four out of five bullets. Greg Hoffman, in the Martin 242, Patience, had taken a first and a second place in the regatta and was leading the fleet to the windward mark in the third race when he lost focus. The quick actions of crew and our own retired lifeguard, Tom Estlow, got him him into the Boston Whaler and and they called Baywatch and raced for the breakwater where he was transferred to the medical team. The Martin fleete Classes in 2006 Les Storrs Series elected to give Greg the win and the rest of the fleet took last place scores in the third race. Jim Durden, helming ZIP, won the second, fourth and fifth gorounds. While Jim won the series in points, he and the fleet gave first place honors to Greg Hoffman. In third place for the series was Mark Sands, Martin 242 Fleet Captain, aboard Sandbox. Series Finalists are; PHRF A Fleet 1st Place Ed Jenkins Klexy (B29) 2nd Place Gray Marshall Diavola (Rocket 22) 3rd Place Bryce Benjamin Persistence (J/109) PHRF B Fleet 1st Place Taylor/Horn Take Five (J/24) 2nd Place Robert Harford Kryptonite (Fun23) 3rd Place Donna Polk Eggemoggin (J30 Sportboat Fleet 1st Place John Staff Wildcat (Cheeta 30) 2nd Place Jerome Sammarcelli Chupacabra (Martin243) 3rd Place Gary Kamins Fired Up (Melges 24) Martin 242 1st Place Greg Hoffman Patience 2nd Place Jim Durden Zip 3rd Place Mark Sands Sandbox Cal 20 1st Place Bill Pistey Poquito 2nd Place Wynn Hammer Seascape 3rd Place Mark Tilford Algae Principal Race Officers were Bob Kellock on Saturday and yours truly on Sunday under the tutelage of uber-P.R.O. Bob. “Doghouse,” the Newport 33, captained by Staff Commodore, Terry Stringfellow, was the committee boat for both days which gives Terry the lead for “Committee Boat of The Year!” The lidoers traded in the sails as Tom Estlow and his Boston Whaler on Saturday and Gary Speck and his C-Dory on Sunday were mark-set boats. Special thanks to new member, Chris Rulla, who threw flags on Saturday and was gunner on Sunday. Gary sets a pretty high mark for gunner and Chris hit the mark. Shari Landon threw flags and scored on Sunday and Jerry Magnussen assisted Gary on the salty, markset, C-Dory. The series winners were announced by the blazered race chair, precisely at 5 p.m. with trophies presented by Commodore, Sandra Bartiromo. Commemorative satin-etched beer glasses were awarded to the top three finishers in each class, which were quickly put to use by the racers for their intended purpose. It was full house at the clubhouse both days and it was great to see 14 people there in person to get their trophies.
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