Cross Training

Well, the fleet series has been a bit of a bust. We have also missed a couple of regattas hosted by the Hull Yacht Club which is a shame because we always love going up there. It would seem this is the summer of conflicts including different regattas, weddings and who knows what else. The good news is that Fleet 54 is still out sailing. Here's a glimpse of what has been going on.

Josh and Oakley have found themselves in the Club Swan 42 class. Oakley still sails with Paul Zabetakis who has swapped his Farr 40 for a 42, both named Impetuous. Josh has been sailing with Tiburon. The NYYC Annual Regatta put a damper on early fleet nights where both sailed while my son and I drove the tender for the Cookson 50 Privateer. I hope that Cameron will later appreciate the spectacle of the 100' Speedboat which we tailed around the course for a while, just a couple of boatlengths away.



Bermuda Race was another obstacle. I went in the open division on Privateer and the race turned into a 600+ mile beat. The conditions were to our liking, being one of the small boats in our class and we won our division beating out Speedboat and the new Puma VOR70.

NYYC Race Week was another big event. I did the classic portion on the 12 meter Freedom. It was a fun weekend which celebrated Olin Stephen's 100th birthday. Unfortunately, in between races, the chainplate failed and the mast came tumbling down. There are three very lucky people on that boat, two who had been standing between the mast and shrouds and another who was within a fot of the mast down below when it broke. I am pretty happy I was not in my position in the port trimmer's pit when it happened. Somehow we still finished third in the regatta so I guess there's that.



The second half of Race Week was one-design and handicap racing. Again, Oakley was on Impetuous, which got fifth and Josh was on Tiburon who won their class. We did not fair so well in the mostly light air and a one-number rating system but had some fantastic rides on the first day when the wind was up to 25-30 knots in between lightning storms. The last day we went around the island while the one-design classes sailed windward-leeward's offshore. We hit the dock just as a violent storm came through. The Swans and Melges has a different experience.



Jeff Adam has been honing his skills in team racing for the NYYC. I do not have any info on how he/they have done but this is a discipline which can only be good for Jeff's skills. He will be tough on the start line come Nationals.

So, that's the wrap-up. Mainly it was time to put something new on the site. We are slowly but surely getting ready for Hull in a few weeks. See you all up there.