{"id":81504,"date":"2025-05-03T20:50:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T00:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=81504"},"modified":"2025-05-05T13:20:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T17:20:51","slug":"intensity-on-the-rise-in-annapolis-after-another-race-packed-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/regatta-series\/intensity-on-the-rise-in-annapolis-after-another-race-packed-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Intensity On the Rise In Annapolis After Another Race-Packed Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PRELIMINARY RESULTS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"start <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Bruce Irvin’s Corby 40 Time Machine<\/i>, after the start of the ORC Distance Race on Saturday at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Annapolis.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

After a successful run in the J\/30 class with his rocksteady team on Shamrock<\/em>, Annapolitan skipper Bruce Irvin made the leap two years ago to a bigger, more ambitious and much more complex Corby 40 called Time Machine<\/em>. A run at the Bermuda Race next year has always been the goal, so the past two years have been all about learning and refining the boat to its full potential. Progress is now obvious for Irvin and his crew, which won today\u2019s ORC distance race at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in Annapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winds were moderate from the south, the current was ebbing most of the day, and the sun was shining again\u2014all in all a perfect day for the nearly 240 regatta competitors that have been racking up races over the past two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Cal <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Cal 25s set off on their distance race on Saturday at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Annapolis.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

\u201cIt felt really good today to see all the hard work that\u2019s been done to the boat over the winter paying off,\u201d Irvin says. \u201cWe have a completely new rig tune and new sails and the crew has been working hard so we\u2019re thrilled to have a good race today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a clean start in the 10-boat ORC fleet, Time Machine<\/em>\u2019s plan was to favor the west side of the bay on the long first upwind leg, a strategy that proved to be the right one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe current was coming at us, so we decided that we wanted to kind of favor the right-hand side of the beat going up,\u201d Irvin says. \u201cBut we ended up going kind of in the middle of the racecourse and carried one big 30-degree lift on starboard all the way toward Thomas Point Light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, things got tricky. <\/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 J\/105 action on the second day at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series. <\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

\u201cThe wind got really shifty at the mouth of the West River,\u201d Irvin says, \u201cso we just did our best to play those shifts. Once we got to the mark and put the A2 up it was all downhill sailing from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Sagerholm\u2019s legendary J\/35 Aunt Jean<\/em> executed a similar strategy from the start, promptly tacking after crossing the line and beelining to the right, which ultimately set them up for a second on the day and put them only a point behind Time Machine<\/em> going into Sunday\u2019s second distance race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Harbor <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Harbor 20s kept the racing close on the opening day of their Spring Championship at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

While the distance racers and Cal 25s (won by Pat Siedel\u2019s Chicken Little<\/em>) were covering roughly 20 miles of the Chesapeake Bay, the remaining fleets got right to business on five race circles, with the addition of the Harbor 20 fleet kicking off its Spring Championship. As the local fleet continues to grow and attract top sailors, the racing is more competitive than ever, says current class leader Margaret Podlich, whose team leads the series after five races. Podlich says her teammates on Skimmer<\/em>\u2014Gina Henderson and Sandy Westphal\u2014were the ones keeping the boat fast and out of the fray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fleet is getting way more competitive every year,\u201d Podlich says, \u201cand the last race today was a perfect example of it\u2014there was a pile of boats all overlapped at the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Shadowfax <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Glenn Smyth’s J\/29 Shadowfax<\/i> goes for perfect set.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

\u201cOff the start, the fleet split to both sides,\u201d Henderson says, \u201cand the top 10 came together at the weather mark all at once. It was really close racing all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Podlich normally sails with two onboard the Harbor 20, with the wind forecast for the weekend they decided to go three-up, and with this go-fast combination they had the boat going plenty fast. \u201cThe key was changing modes constantly,\u201d Henderson says. \u201cWe were always adjusting modes, with the goal of using the power in the gusts rather than dumping it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing the racecourse with the Harbor 20s were the J\/24s, which got their series underway today as well. Pete Kassal\u2019s Spaceman Spiff <\/em>won two of five races to finish the day with a 3-point lead over Pat Fitzgerald\u2019s Rush Hour<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/24s <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n J\/24s off the start at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Out on the jam-packed Division 3 circle, with the J\/88s, J\/80s, J\/70s and J\/105s\u2014the intensity of the respective fleets certainly went up a notch in the moderate winds and busy racecourse. No one got away easy; every point being a battle, says Andy Graff on the J\/88 Exile<\/em>. His team\u2019s 1-2-1 scoreline came with its challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a good day\u2014we were going pretty good, felt fast and made some good calls\u2014but it\u2019s all pretty close and the next two boats are just barely behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, John Bell\u2019s Hiwassee<\/em> is only 3 points back and Lindsay Duda\u2019s Sin Duda<\/em> won a race to keep themselves well within striking distance of the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Exile\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Andy Graff’s J\/88 Exile<\/i> leads the first race of the day on Saturday at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Exile<\/em> and the J\/88s have the fortune of being the first start on the circle, which gives them an open course on the first beat, but a different strategy was required for the second. \u201cThe second beat is a bit harder to cross back through the middle,\u201d Graff says, \u201cso when we picked a side on the second beat we really had to stick with it. Choices are definitely more limited on the second.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cate Terhune Miller\u2019s Casting Couch<\/em> kept its consistency alive with three top-five finishes and now sits on a 4-point lead over Paul Green\u2019s Progress<\/em>, which won two races to keep the series plenty tight. The two teams have built a comfortable margin over the rest of the fleet with the potential for two more races on Sunday ahead of an approaching cold front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Lightning <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Lightning class leader David Starck chase Clint Neuman around the leeward gate. Neuman later got the win.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

In the J\/80s, Mike Beasley\u2019s Black Sheep<\/em> found itself at the back of the fleet in the morning\u2019s first race, posting an 18th before winning the next and finishing the day with a second in the last race. Only 5 points now separate Black Sheep<\/em> and Warren Flannery\u2019s team on Feisty<\/em>, which won the final race. Sarah Alexander\u2019s More Cowbell<\/em>, however, is third overall, only 1 point in arrears, which should make for an exciting final day for the J\/80 sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/70 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n J\/70 juniors, with Oliver Marquinez, at the helm, make their way to the finish.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Ben duPont\u2019s Warbride<\/em> maintains its lead in the 22-boat J\/105 fleet, but only by 4 points over Ray Wulff\u2019s Patriot<\/em>. Wulff\u2019s squad won the day\u2019s first race and followed that with a second in the next, but a 14th in the final kept them from snatching Warbride<\/em>\u2019s lead. Like the J\/80s, this series will no doubt come to the final race on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the regatta\u2019s Division 1 racecourse, skipper David Starck padded his lead in the Lightning fleet to 8 points with two race wins and a second. Barney Harris\u2019 winning streak was finally snapped by Paul Clifford, but Harris\u2019 remains at 20 points, putting Albacore US National Championship title firmly in hand before the final day of racing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"29ers <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n 29ers off the start on Saturday at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series. <\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Annie Sitzman and Molly Bonham won all four of their races as well in the 29er fleet and look to be unbeatable from here. Sara Morgan Watters and Katherine Shermock won two races and with a pair of seconds in the Melges 15 fleet and put their lead to 8 points over Tim and Kate Faranetta, now solidly in second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lanny Helms\u2019 Alberg 30 Windswept<\/em> and Barbara Vosbury\u2019s Carnival Lady<\/em> continued to trade race wins to bring that series to 2 points. Dan Watson\u2019s Avita<\/em>, meanwhile, had a challenging day defending its lead in the small but competitive J\/30 fleet. Three different boats won races today, shaving Watson\u2019s lead to a single point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/22s <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n J\/22s start at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Annapolis.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to tomorrow for sure,\u201d Watson says, knowing his rivals on the Valhalla Sailing Project<\/em> are only a point behind in the standings. \u201cBut we\u2019ll have to go one race at a time. It\u2019s like any sport\u2014it\u2019s a mental game and you have to just focus on doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy Praley\u2019s Robot Flamingo<\/em> added two more wins to its scoreline to build an impressive 19-point lead. Michael Baugh\u2019s Persephone<\/em> put three wins on the board and now leads the J\/29 fleet by 9 points, and Jeff Hayden\u2019s team on the J\/22 Polar Express have 4 points on Brad Julian\u2019s Yard Sail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Viper <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Viper 640s at the 2025 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Annapolis.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Hawaiian foiling ace Gavin Ball solidified his lead in the Waszp fleet\u2019s US National Championship series with a string of top-two finishes and now sits 8-points ahead of fellow islander Pearl Lattanzi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the races pile up, the pressure mounts at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Annapolis. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":81585,"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_targeting":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true,"alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[181,309],"class_list":["post-81504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series-annapolis"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81504","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\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}