It's Thursday March 28, 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
August 21, 2018
Most one design events feature sailors all competing with the same boat design. But Oriental does things a little differently. The weekend of August 18, Bow to Stern held their first One Design Regatta.The event had four(ish) designs: FJs, Lasers, Wayfarers, and the ever popular keelboat design. That keelboat design class included a Beneteau, a Cal 31, and a Pearson 27.
The Wayfarer Impulse II.Twenty-five boats and more than 50 sailors were on the water. Winds were high on Saturday. Keelboats had great sailing conditions, FJs had great capsizing conditions. A few Lasers went over while the Wayfarers stayed upright.
The regatta was not a sanctioned race and crews were advised to settle any disputes on the course. A few less experienced sailors could be heard yelling ‘starboard’ at the larger keelboats. They were, by and large, a forgiving bunch.
Chalkboards are still in use. If you don’t know what this means, just follow the faster boat that looks like yours.Jim Edwards, owner of Bow to Stern, said the sailors varied in capability and experience. Some participants had been at the Bow to Stern sailing camps since childhood, others had been on the water since this summer. Some FJ entrants came from nearby sailing camps, and others traveled in from further afield.
The winners in the four divisions were:
FJs
- 1st Kevin Bryan
- 2nd Cole Wise
- 3rd Allison Grant
Lasers
- 1st Don Munn
- 2nd Ryan Collins
- 3rd Caroline James
Wayfarers
- 1st Richard Johnson
- 2nd Uwe Heine
- 3rd Evan Trudeau
Keelboats
- 1st Joe Mattea, Blue Cricket
- 2nd Dennis Marlin, unnamed Catalina 30
- 3rd Dennis Harms, Harms Way
In addition to the usual division awards, the One Design Regatta featured award categories honoring the trials and tribulations of sailing an unsanctioned race.
We’re not sure what the crew of Avalon are doing, but they seem to be enjoying it.Additional award categories:
- Brother, Can You Spare a Bailer Award (shared between several swamped FJs)
- Where’s The Course Award (for a committee boat that – initially – wouldn’t stay put)
- Down With The Power Boat Award (for the FJ that rammed the committee boat)
- Most Damage Award (for a blown out jib)
- Too Close for Comfort Award (for several FJs that got a little too close)
- Persistence Award (those capsized sailors that got back up and sailed again)
- Show Me The Way Home Award (for those who know when enough is enough)
- Are We Done Yet Award (for those that wanted someone else to make the call)
- Jellyfish Wrangler Award (for capsized sailors encountering local fauna)
- False Start Award (For the charter boat captain that crashed the race start)
FJ #7 bailing as they go.Jim Edwards, owner of Bow to Stern, explains it all.Preparing for the day ahead, #10 capsizes in the creek.Yusuf Matcheswala and his son Aamir get some assistance from Kevin Bryan.Mother-son team Michele Lunsford and Cole Wise.Sailors dine under the tent Saturday evening.More from the Regatta on the next page.
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From onboard a RHIB, the watchful eye of Jim Edwards.The Wayfarer Division.Don Munn in a Laser. He took first place in his division.FJs and Lasers went over in the high winds. A collection of just a few of those that went for a swim.Tyrese Branch and Douglass, seasoned Bow to Stern sailors, approach the gates.A few representatives of the Keelboat Division.The Bow to Stern crew are already making plans for the 2nd Bow To Stern One Design Regatta.