Smooth sailing in the 40th Anniversary Marion Bermuda Race
by Talbot Wilson 11 Jun 2017 08:36 PDT
9 June 2017
NA 24, 'Gallant' , the Pearson Navy 44 skippered by Robert LaGuardia, took an easy port tack start on a pin-biased line in the Marion Bermuda Race start © Talbot Wilson
Forty-seven boats are enjoying a pleasant sail so far in the Atlantic Ocean near or in the Gulf Stream. They are racing from Marion to Bermuda in the 40th Anniversary of the Marion Bermuda Race.
The scratch [fastest] boat 'Jambi', a new Hinckley Bermuda 50 skippered by John Levinson and race veteran 'Defiance,' a Swan 56 skippered Peter Noonan, are leading the fleet and were some 300nm from Bermuda doing 6.5kts on Sunday morning. They may reach Bermuda by late Monday but that depends winds in the 'happy valley' between the Gulf Stream and Bermuda, especially the last 100 miles to the rock.
Some of the boats behind them are finding calms, the 'parking lots', and shifty winds. Wind in the vicinity of the leaders was dropping from 12kts to 5kts and should be swinging from the SW to the NE as they head south. From there, it is variable and light.
Three boats, 'High Cotton', 'Momentum', and 'Black Mallard', who had engine problems, returned to ports on the east coast. There were no reasons given why 'Momentum' and 'High Cotton' retired.
'Wind Tango',a Beneteau Oceanis 430 skippered by Ed Redmond, had a problem before the start and returned to Marion for repairs. Skipper Ed Redmond phoned race headquarters from their mobile phone at 18:50 on Saturday. He said that Kingman Yacht Center had replaced a cracked thru hull and they were on their way. Redmond was very pleased by the service of Kingman. At that time 'Wind Tango' was headed for Cuttyhunk.
The race officer asked them to confirm that they are still on route for Bermuda and they said that they aren't going to win anything at this point and "are just cruising". They did not say that they are withdrawing from the race.
Later a caller from 'Wind Tango' reported that they are "officially pulling out of the race". He said he was "flying to Bermuda tomorrow and "would be attending the dinner". Their position on the YB screen is back in the harbour at Marion.
All of the yachts carry YB Trackers and can be followed on yb.tl/mb2017.
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Jim Putnam on the family crewed Northeast Mk1 38 yawl 'Faith & Hope' wrote:
- Dawn #2
- True Wind: 8 knots/SW
- Sea State: 1-3 feet from the south
Wonderful day yesterday. Winds and sea moderating. Warming up. Loving full moon and bright Jupiter. Nik and I on dawn watch with Venus leading the way for the sun. Everyone is having a good time.
We expect to be singing sea chantries today in very light winds. Yesterday, Asahel [10 years old] surprised Frank and me by reciting the whole poem, Jaberwalky, perfectly when Frank mentioned "gimbal".
Nik and I are watching a bank of clouds and what may be thunderheads ahead over what must be the major body of the Gulf Stream. We're all looking forward to getting to the Stream and beyond.
The sun just popped up at 05:08 and we were visited by a tern, our first sea bird since leaving the continental shelf. Asahel is joining us for the dawn petrol while the rest sleep.
'Faith and Hope'... Happy boat, Jim, Nik, Asahel & Crew
From 'Hotspur II', a Columbia 50 sailing by the stars, Ron Wisner wrote:
Day 1 - Wonderful to be part of the Start today in Buzzards Bay – always memorable. Nice afternoon sail to Cuttyhunk – steady breeze – calm seas to slight chop. Making the turn - very exciting – headed for the Gulf Stream.
Day 2 - and the race continues. Wind has been very pleasant all day – currently 16 knots –
plenty of sunshine – rolling seas - crew enjoying the sail
Crew-writer Scott Snyder has sent two "Pearls from Oyster", Paul Hubbard's 'Bermuda Oyster', to the media center at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, race hosts in Bermuda. Snyder wrote:
All is well onboard, going along well (7-8kt) with our jib top (big reaching jib) and full main in about 15kt of wind.
Heading straight for our stream entry at 38N 69W, then fairly straight to Bermuda, or as best we can as the wind lightens up as we approach.
And later:
Saw a bit of shipping traffic last night, 3 or 4 boats around us now Chowder from the Black Pearl in Newport for lunch today
The race got off to a good on time start with a building southwesterly breeze that was about 8kts for the first start at 12:10 EDT for the slower Class D Boats. Winds built to a sunny 15kts by the time the fastest A Class boats got off at 12:55.
About the 2017 Marion Bermuda Race
The 2017 edition of this classic will see boats ranging from the smallest entry 'Selkie', G.J Bradish's Morris Ocean 32.5 footer from Boston to the largest, the Hinckley SW 59 'Pescatore' sailed by George Tougas of Mattapoisett, MA 'Pescatore' is a Youth Trophy team entry.
Nine of the boats, including 'Selkie' will sail in the Celestial Navigation Division. In its true Corinthian spirit, the Marion Bermuda Race is the only ocean race to Bermuda that offers a celestial navigation prize.
The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club hosts the race in Bermuda. It is also home away from home for the America's Cup defenders, the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, and their defending team, Oracle Team USA. Actual racing in the America's Cup Match start June 17 on Bermuda's Great Sound, the afternoon of the Marion Bermuda Race prizegiving.
There are several special 'trophy' races within the Marion Bermuda Race.
The Kingman Yacht Center Team Trophy is offered for established Yacht Clubs or Sailing organizations that form a team of three member yachts. The team whose three yachts have the lowest corrected time total will be the winner.
Yachts sailing with a crew of two, a crew of three or four or an all-female crew of any number may compete in the double-handed, short-handed, and all-female competitions respectively. Prizes are the Double-Handed Trophy, the short-handed L. Bryon Kingery, Jr. Memorial Trophy and the Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for the ladies.
A "family" yacht racing for the Beverly Family Trophy is one with a crew of five or more with all or all-but-one being members of a single household or a single family may race for the family prize. Persons related to a common grandparent and spouses of these "family", too.
The Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy encourages youth participation. A "youth" yacht is one with at least 4four youths aboard with at least 66% of the crew qualified as youths. A youth sailor must be 16 years of age or older but not more than 23 years old by June 8, 2017. One or more adults at least 23 years old by June 8, 2017 must be onboard.
The Beverly Yacht Club Polaris Trophy is a prize for stargazers. If a yacht has elected to be celestially navigated, she will receive a 3% favorable adjustment to her ORR rating.
While Marion Bermuda Racers are in Bermuda, the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta runs June 13-15. The J Class Regatta is June 16, 19 & 20. And Red Bull Youth America's Cup races are spread from June 12 to June 20.