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he 2013 Leukemia Cup Regatta gave racers the extremes of wind: a blustery abundance of wind for Saturday’s racing and a wind drought midway through the racing on Sunday.

Some of the spinnakers flying in Sunday’s race.

Still, more than two dozen racers took part in the racing, the centerpiece of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of NC’s annual fundraiser at River Dunes. The June 7-9 event raised about $125,000 for the LLS’s work.

Top fundraisers, Charlie Garrett, Will Scott and Carol Small. Between them, they raised more than $39.000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of NC.

Fifty boats registered and thirty boats took part in the regatta. They were served up a great range of conditions. Saturday saw strong winds and chop on the Pamlico Sound, and while some of the heavier boats reveled in that, the gusty conditions prompted some smaller boats to drop out.

Saturday’s conditions proved to be too much for some of the smaller spinnaker sailboats. This one was one of several to bow out of Saturday’s contests..

Saturday’s conditions were embraced by some of the larger non-spinnaker cruising class boats. However, they were to have a tougher time on Sunday.

On Sunday, a different story, as seen in one slow-mo photo finish. The winds died off just as Quixotic and Aquila were nearing the finish line. Quixotic captain Art Tierney says that a small current in the river pushed his boat enough to stay off of the mark – by about three feet. Quixotic came in first in the regatta for Non-Spinnaker B class.

Whatever late morning wind there was on Sunday, evaporated after noon.. That prompted the race organizers to shorten the spinnaker race course (so as to avoid another upwind run.) Even so, some boats – spinnaker and non-spinnaker alike – didn’t finish the race in the allotted time, thanks to the air being at a standstill.

The wind died down to such a point, that race organizers shortened the spinnaker run. On the organizer’s finish boat, a crew member flew the “S” flag to signify that. First spinnaker class boat to cross the line was Henry Frazer’s Etchells, Oriental Express.

In Non-Spinnaker A competition, The Edge, Mark Baldridge’s C&C35, came in first. (Many more photos from the winners circle are on pages 5 and 6.)

First Place Winners were:

Spinnaker A Class: Henry Frazer on Oriental Express
Spinnaker B Class: Ron Medlin on Bash
Non-Spinnaker A Class: Mark Baldridge on The Edge
Non-Spinnaker B Class: Art Tierney on Quixotic
Non-Spinnaker C Class: John Jackson on Aquila
Multi-Hull: George Dufek on Tribat

For the full list of results, click here.

At the Leukemia Cup Regatta, another contest takes place on land. The top three fundraisers were Charlie Garret who brought in more than $15,000 and in second place, Will Scott and in third place, Carol Small.

Jerry Dasson peers out from the foresail of his Martin 24-2, Pocket Rockit.

Just ahead here, many more photos….

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Saturday: Windy On The Water

Departing Grace Harbor at River Dunes for Broad Creek and the race course on the Neuse River. Some of the boats would return early because of the rough conditions.

Heading from Broad Creek on to the Neuse River.

Once out on the river, racers found winds around 25 mph.

Old Glory cutting through the winds on Saturday.

Sunday: Calming, And Then Too Calm

Some air could be felt at the start of the race for the Spinnaker classes around 11 Sunday morning.

Ghosting in under spinnaker.

Winning crew on board Henry Frazer’s Etchell’s “Oriental Express”.

Gordon Legrand’s Viper “Diamond Back” with the red spinnaker. In background, under blue spinnaker, Water Phantom. As it turned out, it was the air that was a phantom, with boats barely ghosting along.

Ahead: A Few Minutes Before The Mast…..

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At the bow of Aquila.

Bringing sail to the bow of The Edge.

On Squirrels on the Highway, the Captain at the bow.

A place to contemplate the field. A crew member from Quixotic.

Forward on Water Phantom.

Aboard Calitri.

Crew member of Nugget

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One mean-looking logo on the bow of Gordon LeGrand’s Viper “Diamond Back” that was competing on Sunday.

Margaret Alexander’s Orion, with crew Mark Weinheimer and LuAnn Parins.

Spinnaker action.

Before the race began, Bob Miller on the Committee Boat, took measure of the wind direction every five minutes.

The crew on board Bash.

Crew on the San Juan 21, Squirrels on the Highway.

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And the winners are:

Ron Medlin at left and his crew on Bash which was the top finisher in the Spinnaker B class.

Bash’s crew showing off their varied footwear in the winners circle.

Art and Elise Tierney of Quixotic (a Bristol 35) which won first in the Non-Spinnaker B class. (The Tierneys say they much preferred Saturday’s sailing conditions to Sundays, in which they ghosted across the finish line.)

George Dufek’s Corsair 750 trimaran Tribat, took first place among the multihulls. (There were 5 hulls total in the multihull class.)

Cielo, Bob Luhrs’ O’Day 27, came in second among the Non-Spinnaker C. With Bob is crew mate, Marc Kaplan..

The crew of Nugget, a J24 captained by Bob Cowen. It finished second in the Spinnaker B category.

In Spinnaker A, the boats Pocket Rockit and Water Phantom came in 2nd and 3rd respectively. (First place finisher Oriental Express, captained by Henry Frazer, was not present at the awards ceremony.)

More winners, ahead.

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Crew from Godspeed, a Colgate 26 which took 2nd place among the Non-Spinnaker B racers.

Joe Mattea’s Old Glory, an Alberg 35, was third in Non-Spinnaker C competition.

Pat and Jeff Kenyon. They and their Tartan 41, Calitri placed third in the Non Spinnaker A class.

My Dog Bites, Scott Blais’ S2 7.9 captured third in the Spinnaker B class.

Crew of the Hunter 34, Long View, which took third place in the Non-Spinnaker B class.

Charlie Garrett who raised more than $15,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with his two granddaughters.

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The air horn that starts the races, deployed here by Millie Lero on the Committee Boat.

Long View, a Hunter 34, creaking across the finish line in light, light air.

Dead calm waters after the race. Here, Henry Frazer and the crew on Oriental Express, which just won their spinnaker class, sit awaiting a tow back to shore.

Crewmember John Bloom aboard My Dog Bites.

In cruising class, the Alberg 35 Old Glory, with Joe Mattea and crew heading in to the race.

A look upward on board Old Glory.

Bryan Brown and crew on Nevermoore.

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Midnight Mary, John Messer and Pat Thomaier’s boat was racing in memory of Pat’s brother in law who had leukemia.

Waiting for the race to start.

Mark Lucas aboard Gary Mastrondonato’s Morris, “Dragonfly”.

Nugget and its transom mission statement. The crew did sail fast, in to second place in Spinnaker B class.

Kevin Bryan and crew aboard Long Run.

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Geisha and her crew.

Crewmember John Bloom aboard My Dog Bites.

A crew member of Water Phantom, as seen in silhouette through the foresail.

She didn’t get to race, but Nova Carina, was a presence throughout the race. Bill and Beth Michne’s Bristol served as the Committee Boat out on the Sound during the regatta. Here, Steve Lavalle of the Committee Boat crew steps aboard Sunday morning before the boat headed out to the race course.

TownDock.net would like to thank Bill and Beth Michne and the rest of the crew on the Committee Boat Nova Carina, for taking one more person aboard to take the Sunday photos in this essay. Thanks also to Steve Skulnick for taking the photography crew out on Saturday.

Posted Wednesday June 12, 2013 by Melinda Penkava