J/111 PARTNERSHIP Wins(Block Island, RI)- It was an epic event, no matter how you looked at this year's Rolex STC Block Island Race Week. The weather Gods tossed just about everything including the "kitchen sink" at the sailors and the PRO/RC all week long. It was about a tough a BIRW to run for everyone in recent memory, a bit of a Catch-22, "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Nevertheless, some excellent race management and great PRO work prevailed across all three races courses- so refreshing to see "upfront and personal" communications with the sailors to keep the ball rolling and ensure their opinions and perspectives were addressed--- after all, such events live and die on keeping the sailors happy! Everyone came to sail and they weren't disappointed.
The Storm Trysail Club’s (STC) 24th biennial Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex by all indications hasn’t lost one bit of charm or competitive appeal in a history that spans more than four and a half decades. In fact, the five-day competition, originally patterned after Cowes Week, is one of the last true Race Weeks remaining in America, with a dominant theme of hard racing and fine competition supported by a subtext of daily camaraderie in complete informality. The event hosted 134 boats sailing in IRC (four classes), PHRF (five classes) and One-Design (J/44, J/111, J/109 and J/122).
The sailing for the event could not have been more challenging to both competitors and the PRO's alike. For the first two days, light winds caused delays, but nevertheless resulted in some fantastic sailing conditions late afternoon that, "thank Heaven", the PROs saw to running as many races as possible in the 8-14 knot southerly sea-breezes. As a result, by the end of day two five races had been run for most courses. Wednesday was never going to be good day with a rather weird setup for storms, fog, no wind, more rain and more thunderstorms. Give the PRO's credit for trying, but it was a "no go" rather obviously and rather quickly as racing had to be canceled for more than one reason- no wind, then lightning, then fog, then you name it! The "onshore" forecast for this day was the classic Block Island libation, the "Mudslide" that flowed by the gallon at Payne's Dock, The Oar Restaurant and Bar and Champlin's Marina-- the famous evening watering holes at the Yellow Kittens and Captain Nicks were over-flowing with fun-loving revelers. "It is what it is," said Kevin Burnham (Coconut Grove, FL), a Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, top J/24 sailor for years and 470 Men’s Olympic Gold Medalist in the Athens Games sailing in IRC 2. 'We’re here for fun, not for sailing in the rain, so they made the right decision." Thursday dawned with hung-over crews but a great breeze from the northeast at 10-20 kts being fed by a strong Low offshore-- simply classic conditions for the Around Island Race- a beat to 1-BI bell off the northern shoal, running clockwise around with a fast blast spinnaker reach on the east and south sides followed by a beat to the finish on the west side. Despite somewhat grey skies, Friday made for great racing in a lingering Northeaster to finish off the week with two solid races across all three race courses.
The four J/111s in PHRF 1 had a great time racing one-design for the first time as a fleet on the East Coast. Leading after the first two days, David and MaryEllen’s (Fairfield, Conn.) J/111 PARTNERSHIP (pictured at right) with a 2-2-2-3-3-1 division record for 13 points narrowly lost out on overall division winning, but secured the J/111 one-design win over her three sisterships. Just 4.5 points back was Doug Curtiss' WICKED 2.0 with a 4-4-1-2-4-2.5 for 17.5 points. Third was Paul Strauch's ANDIAMO with a 3-3-4-5-2-2.5 for 19.5 points.
For more Rolex STC Block Island Race Week sailing information Sailing Photo Credits- Rolex/ Daniel Forster and Onne Van Der Wal Photography
