DILEMMA wins the Frank Bowne Jones ‘FOUNDER’S CUP’.
SONNY, WIZARD, DILEMMA and JOHN DORY win their classes
Grey skies and flat calm changed into a sparkling blue day with a steady breeze just in time for the start of Indian Harbor Yacht Club’s inaugural Classic Yacht Regatta. The race was the 5th of the well-known eastern seaboard ‘WoodenBoat Regatta Series’, beginning with the Herreshoff Rendezvous in Bristol, RI, in August and ending with the Mayor’s Cup in New York Harbor in October. Other ports of call include Newport’s Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta and the Heritage Cup Regatta in Hempstead Harbor.
The fleet of 24 wooden boats ranged in size from the 72ft TICONDEROGA, owned by Scott Frantz, to the 15ft Buzzard’s Bay NORTH RIVER 2. They traveled from as far away as Maine, Newport and Philadelphia to celebrate the importance of wooden boat restoration and preservation.The fleet was comprised of four competitive classes racing on two distance courses: 14 miles for the larger boats and 7 miles for the smaller boats. The large boats raced across the Sound to the North Shore of Long Island and down along the coast before crossing back on a fast track to finish off Greenwich. The smaller boats raced out into mid-Sound before reaching back across to the same finish line.
Lead changes occurred in every class as a result of differing tactics in addition to changing currents and wind strengths. Class A was won by the 1937 Sparkman and Stephen’s sloop SONNY (Joe Dockery-Greenwich), with 2nd place taken by the well-respected BLACK WATCH (Lars Forsberg- Greenwich). Third went to the 1926 50ft Q-Class NOR’EASTER. (Ted Graves-Stamford). A following breeze brought up the recently restored 1903 60ft gaff-rigged NELLIE (Jeff Boal and Fernando Alva-Stamford), the 1913 55ft P-Class BERNICE (Alex Dubitsky-Larchmont) and the 45ft NY-32 SALTY (Skip Bartley-NY).
Lead changes occurred in every class as a result of differing tactics in addition to changing currents and wind strengths. Class A was won by the 1937 Sparkman and Stephen’s sloop SONNY (Joe Dockery-Greenwich), with 2nd place taken by the well-respected BLACK WATCH (Lars Forsberg- Greenwich). Third went to the 1926 50ft Q-Class NOR’EASTER. (Ted Graves-Stamford). A following breeze brought up the recently restored 1903 60ft gaff-rigged NELLIE (Jeff Boal and Fernando Alva-Stamford), the 1913 55ft P-Class BERNICE (Alex Dubitsky-Larchmont) and the 45ft NY-32 SALTY (Skip Bartley-NY).
