{"id":79239,"date":"2024-09-10T11:20:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=79239"},"modified":"2024-09-10T11:20:30","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:20:30","slug":"regatta-series-delivers-the-goods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/racing\/regatta-series-delivers-the-goods\/","title":{"rendered":"Regatta Series Delivers The Goods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Detroit\u2019s <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The crew of the J\/35 Firefly<\/i> at Detroit\u2019s Bayview YC<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

With the last drops of Mount Gay Rum poured on another gangbusters regatta in Annapolis, Maryland, in May, with more than 200 boats, the organizing squad of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series packed their belongings and headed straight to Detroit\u2019s Bayview YC for a long overdue re-addition to the regatta series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Tartan <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Brian Kaczor\u2019s overall winning team on the Tartan 10 Erica<\/i> in Chicago.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

It had been a good 14 years since the series called on Detroit sailors, and for this edition, the sailors answered with the same high enthusiasm of 2010. With nearly 100 boats scattered across Lake St. Clair, there was no \u201cLake St. Stupid\u201d this time around. The regatta opened with a spectacular day of sun and breeze and continued from there, delivering tight racing, especially among the regatta\u2019s big three fleets: the J\/120s, J\/111s and J\/35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Annapolis\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Waszps flying in Annapolis.\n<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

The sailors of the regional J\/35 class put on a great show with its growing fleet. Most of these now-decades-old 35-footers have been returned to racing form, and the top three were locked in \u00adboat-on-boat battles over three days. At the start of the final race, Mike Welch\u2019s team on Falcon<\/em> was sitting on a 1-point lead, but an OCS had them clawing their way back to win the race and the series by 2 points over their arch rivals on Bill Wildner\u2019s Mr. Bill\u2019s Wild Ride<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was quite a \u00adcomeback, and there\u2019s definitely luck involved,\u201d Welch says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re over early, the wind literally goes out of your sails, but our crew kept it together and stayed positive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/105 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Marblehead\u2019s BVI challengers on the J\/105 No Quarter<\/i>.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Falcon<\/em>\u2019s stellar perseverance earned them the regatta\u2019s overall title and a berth at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Caribbean Championship in October, a battle of regatta champions in the British Virgin Islands on Sunsail-provided 41-footers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Regatta Series continued its Great Lakes tour with a stop in Chicago once again, where the Windy City made good on its reputation. With 150 boats across 16 classes, including several fleets of distance racers, competitors enjoyed three days of racing, and here it was Brian Kaczor\u2019s team on the Tartan 10 Erica<\/em> that was plenty ready for the big breeze of the final day. After six challenging races in total, Erica<\/em>\u2019s winning margin was a single point, and it was this point that they had fought for in the final race. The class win also earned Kaczor\u2019s team the regatta\u2019s overall title and the BVI berth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hung on to first place, barely,\u201d Kaczor says. \u201cWe had a tough day with tactics and my driving, but we were able to make up a lot of it on the \u00addownwind stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Albacore <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The Albacore class joined the Regatta Series in Annapolis for the first time.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Their downwind speed in top-end conditions, Kaczor says, was all down to the crew: Corey Fast, Christa Georgeson, Scott Melanson, Seth Morrell, Brian Nelson and Chuck O\u2019Donnell. \u201cThey were the key in the last race. We had to catch one more boat, and there was no question that the chute had to go up to catch that one boat in front of us,\u201d he says. \u201cThe crew was amazing, and was able to \u00adhandle that and pull it off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Mirage <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The BVI \u00adChampionships defenders from the J\/105 Mirage<\/i> checks in in Annapolis.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Marblehead has long served as the final regatta of the US series, and this year\u2019s edition was hosted by the Eastern YC with support from Boston and Corinthian. In the days prior, the groms of Junior Race Week had been skunked with only one race scored, but the wind gods favored the adults with a challenging day of breeze on the opening day for the bulk of the fleets. With 161 boats spread across three race circles, three classes competed for their New England Championship titles: Sailors on Viper 640s, J\/70s and Town Class, and Lightnings vied for their Atlantic Coast Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/111s <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n J\/111s enjoyed close racing in Detroit.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

The regional J\/105 fleet has always been strong, and it was a relatively new team in Matthew Herbster\u2019s No Quarter<\/em> who played the spoiler and left with the ultimate spoils: the BVI Berth. As a group of friends who have been racing with or against one another in different classes, together they\u2019ve been quick to get up to speed, winning the regatta in what is now their \u00adsecond season with the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They battled with perennial champ Merlin<\/em> throughout the regatta, and Herbster says that the win was bittersweet when racing was abandoned on the final day. \u201cMerlin<\/em> beat us on the water, but one bad spinnaker set [on Saturday] set them in,\u201d he says. \u201cWe wanted to go out and win today, but we were robbed of that [opportunity] because of the weather. But we are happy to go back out with them and settle the score.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On No Quarter <\/em>and headed to the BVI with Sunsail in October were Jonathan Dragonas, Julie Femino, Noah Flaherty, Ted Johnson and Chris Small. They\u2019re confident that they\u2019ll take their collective skills to the Caribbean and do just fine against the regatta series\u2019 five other challengers and the defenders. According to the team, they\u2019ll go down there and do what they do. They\u2019ll figure out how to sail the boat, get it fast, and have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"2024 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Big winds meant big smiles in Chicago.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

With No Quarter<\/em> finalizing the BVI lineup, they\u2019ll also be facing Steve and Catherine Boho\u2019s Melges 24 team on The 300<\/em> (St. Petersburg winners), Cate Terhune\u2019s team on the J\/70 Casting Couch<\/em> (Annapolis), and the defending champions of Cedric Lewis and Fredrik Salvesen\u2019s Team Mirage<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the return of Detroit, big breeze in Chicago and a dramatic race in Marblehead, the 2024 season delivers second-half highlights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":79242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Dave Reed","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[159],"tags":[181,2954,177,2859,178],"class_list":["post-79239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-racing","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series","tag-print-fall-2024","tag-racing","tag-regatta-series","tag-sailboat-racing"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}