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years and never a repeat winner. The 2009 Whortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club Summer Solstice Regatta carried on its tradition Saturday. Since the first race in 1990, no boat has ever won the race more than once. On Saturday, at the 20th Annual race, there was yet another first-time winner.

To the finish line in the 2009 WYTC. Forty boats took part. (Brian Palmer Photo)

The winning boat this year was Ken Small’s “Miranda.” It’s first place finish was in stark contrast to “Miranda“s 2008 effort — which ended without a finish. Last year, the Pearson 34 was a DNF, dropping out of the race after snagging a crab pot.

The Crew of “Miranda.” For taking first place, Ken Small and crew were presented with the WYTC Cup – an oversized ceramic coffee cup – and a plentiful supply of chocolate chip cookies.

Out on the water, breezes blew at a steady 10 knots Saturday. For the forty boats taking part, that made for good sailing and for cooler weather than the mid-90 temps on shore.

Gerry Crowley’s “RIRA” heeling to port in Saturday’s Whortonsville race. The boat and crew placed 7th and won some baked goods for the effort. (Brian Palmer Photo)

Afterward, more than a hundred people gathered at Nick and Jeannette Santoro’s Ensign Harbor for a potluck, pig roast, and awards ceremony.

The ‘tractor’ part of the WHortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club — the potluck dinner after the race.

Crews who ranked in the top 7 were given various baked goods.

Charlie Garrett and his son-in-law James Bossert. The crew of “Spindrift” placed 3rd.

NIck noted that in the early days of the WYTC regattas, various finishers — including last place — were awarded giant zucchinis, which by Nick’s description, amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment”. Zucchini is still given, though in the “mellower” form of zucchini bread. It’s one of several baked goods bestowed on winners.

Nick Santoro with baked goods for one of the winners.

More photos and the rankings of the finishers, on the next page.

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George and Mary Duffie, of “Merry Mary” which placed 6th.

Burgees were also given to some earning special recognition.

One went to Brent Varner and the crew on his Grampian 34, “Sirocco” for taking three tries to get past the starting line. In an interview later, Brent and his wife, Mary, on Jackson, Tennessee laughed it off, saying, “we do a lot of sailing, but not a lot of racing.”

Brent Varner and his wife Mary (at right) display the burgee they won for not making it past the starting line on three attempts.

“When we go sailing we stay away from everybody,” Mary Varner said, in explaining their unfamiliarity with the chaos of so many boats congregated at the beginning of the race. They thought that after the first two missed attempts over the start line that they could catch up — “it’s really a fast boat”, she says — but after the third try, the crew of “Sirocco” decided to just go sailing.

They were happy with their burgee, Brent Varner noting that “we win something everytime” they enter the WYTC. Last year they were also singled out for thinking that the point of the race was, as Nick put it, “to capture the start marker.”

Jeannette Santoro presents the WYTC Cup to Ken Small, this year’s winner.

The WYTC and its race both began in 1989, making this the 20th annual regatta. Nick Santoro, who with is wife, Jeannette has organized and hosted the Summer Solstice race every year, says that he is “actively seeking a new Regatta Chairman for next year. I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not there will be another one next year.”

Joy Evans, Chair of the Race Committee finds a chair on the committee boat after the buoy is hauled in. (Brian Palmer Photo)

Julian Mock on guitar and Alyce Santoro on flute played, among other things, “Summertime” for the Solstice potluck.

1. Miranda – Ken Small – 2:36:40
2. Laura – Skip Fenner – 2:46:44
3. Spindrift – Charlie Garrett – 2:47:33
4. Acapella – Mick Roberts – 2:47:34
5. Seagull – C. Slaughter – 2:48:02
6. Merry Mary – George Duffie – 2:48:53
7. Rira – Gerry Crowley – 2:50:01
8. Out of the Blue – Ed Bliss – 2:51:09
9. Joy Ride – Mike Evans – 2:53:11
10. Quixotic – Art Tierney – 2:54:24
11: Spindrift – Bob Miller – 2:55:57
12: Graham Byrnes Boat 2:56:43
13. Nevermoore – Brian Brown – 2:59:39
14. Tazmo – Dave Simeon – 3:01:43
15. Orion – Margaret Alexander – 3:02:26
16. Snowbird – Nick Santoro – 3:03:19
17. Ragtop – Don Scales – 3:04:12
18. Enchantress – Stan Bryant – 3:05:03
19. Long Run – Kevin Bryan – 3:06:07
20. Detour – Jim Gray – 3:06:30
21. Calculation – Doug Sligh – 3:06:32
22. Sweet Tea – Wilma Kennedy – 3:06:46
23. Ola – Bob Luhrs – 3:11:33
24. Breeze – Keith Payne – 3:11:33
25. Odyssey – Bob Dales – 3:14:43
26. Avanti – Paul Triulzi – 3:15:09
27. Grace – Ned Ferris – 3:17:55
28. Cybele – Dale Rahuba – 3:18:15
29. Southern Star – L. Kendall – 3:20:47
30. Pumpkin – Roger Cordes – 3:24:46
31. Zosia – Russ Stevenson – 3:25:15
32. Gertys Ride – Terry Cafferty – 3:36:22
33. Miracle – B. Deighton – 3:46:05
34. My Girl – D. Malinzak – 3:46:58

Posted Monday June 22, 2009 by Melinda Penkava