Show keeps rolling at Chester Race Week

Chester, Nova Scotia (August 17, 2018) – Sailors were keen to hit the courses with more wind and cooler temperatures on Day 3 of 2018 Helly Hansen Chester Race Week. Rain held off for another day, making for clear sailing for the 120 boats participating.

“We’ve been really lucky with the weather,” said Patricia Nelder, 2018 chair of on-water activities. “Thunderstorms have been threatening for a few days but held off during peak racing hours. Everyone was happy to see more wind today because it meant more action and closer competition on the courses – hallmarks of
Chester Race Week.”

2018 holds special meaning for some veteran skippers.

Veteran sailor Larry Creaser of Lunenburg is back on the water this year skippering his J/100, Young Blood.

Creaser has always been an avid sailor and was well-known for his international-level performances in the one-design International Etchells Class. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his late 40s and his physical condition deteriorated fairly quickly causing him to believe he might never sail again.

Recently, he had a J/100 modified allowing him to skipper again. Now the old Larry is back, leading the Distance 2 Fleet in first place. Making 2018 Race Week even more special for the veteran is the fact that his two sons, Mark and Glen, are crewing for him for the very first time.

“Larry’s thrilled to be back sailing because he thought he’d never get the chance again,” said Janet Creaser, his wife. “Mark, Glen and the rest of the crew are blown away because Larry just knows what’s happening everywhere on the boat. When it comes to sailing, he has a sixth sense.”

Last month, Creaser and the Young Blood crew won their class at the 2018 Charlottetown Race Week.

David Creighton is skipper and syndicate partner of the 46-foot, 111-year-old, Herreshoff-designed Universal P-Class sloop, Seneca, which competes in the Classic fleet. Creighton sailed on the esteemed Herreshoff New York 30 Linnet in Chester Race Week when he was 9 years old, making this his 50th Chester Race Week. He says the courses were much longer years ago, and the regatta lasted a full week, culminating in the Prince’s Inlet race between Chester and Lunenburg Yacht Club.

“I remember the race committee starting and finishing races in the Front Harbour by firing a brass cannon off the Chester Yacht Club dock,” said Creighton. “We’d do long, intense triangles across the Bay out as far as East Shoal and Blandford. It was a long week of sailing hard during the day and celebrating in the evening. I don’t know we all survived.”

Creighton says one of the most notable changes has been the rise of boating technology – from ropes and tackle to sail cloth and navigation instruments.

“The technology was analog back then: some boats had speedometers, but that was it. If we were lucky, we had a compass, and some wet charts we found floating in the bilge. The sails were heavy canvas, and I remember when we upgraded to braided ropes on Linnet, it was a huge improvement. Today, all the boats have GPS, radar, carbon-fibre masts and kevlar sails. It’s a whole new way of sailing.”

Racing is planned for August 15 to 18.

Event details – Race information – Results

Day Three Results – Top Three

Bluenose (One Design – 21 Boats)
1. Privateer, Bluenose 23, Connor Mraz , Brooklyn, NY, USA – 6 -3 -[8] -8 -5 -3 -4 -1 -1 -1 ; 32
2. Dark’n Stormy, Bluenose 23, John Mosher , Chester, NS, USA – 8 -7 -6 -2 -2 -[15] -1 -7 -4 -2 ; 39
3. Wahoo, Bluenose 23, Henry Demone , Chester, NS, CAN – [9] -1 -1 -3 -9 -2 -5 -6 -6 -9 ; 42

Classics (Pursuit – 7 Boats)
1. Seneca, Classic 48, David Creighton , Chester, NS, CAN – 1 -3 -1 ; 5
2. pursuit, custom peterson 46 46, bob belliveau , chester, CAN – 2 -1 -3 ; 6
3. Virginia, Wm Gardner Q 46, John Wurts , Chester, NS, CAN – 4 -4 -2 ; 10

Distance 1 (PHRF_ToT – 9 Boats)
1. Deviation, J 120 40, Stu McCrea , Halifax, NS, CAN – 1 -2 -1 -1 ; 5
2. Wandrian , Taylor 41 41, Bill Tucker , Halifax, NS, CAN – 4 -5 -3 -2 ; 14
3. Rebel Rebel, X-Yacht X-35 35, Sarah / Greg Hardy , Halifax, NS, CAN – 6 -1 -5 -6 ; 18

Distance 2 (PHRF_ToT – 7 Boats)
1. Young Blood, J 100 32′, Larry Creaser , Chester, NS, CAN – 1 -1 -2 -3 ; 7
2. HELOC, J 35 35, Andrew Childs , Halifax, NS, CAN – 3 -2 -1 -2 ; 8
3. J’ai Tu, J 35 35, Rodney Johnstone / Gary Bennett , Storrs, CT, USA – 2 -4 -3 -1 ; 10

Distance 3 (PHRF_ToT – 5 Boats)
1. Poohsticks, J 92 30, Colin Mann , Lunenburg, NS, CAN – 4 -1 -1 -1 ; 7
2. Persistence, Frers 33 33.25, Mike / Heather Hoyt , Herring Cove, NS, CAN – 2 -3 -2 -2 ; 9
3. Sail La Vie, Jeanneau 409 40, louis bourget , bedford, NS, CAN – 3 -2 -5 -3 ; 13

Distance 4 (PHRF_ToT – 7 Boats)
1. Just Add Water, J 30 30, Jesleine Baker , Halifax, NS, CAN – 3 -1 -1 -1 ; 6
2. Highlander, Dehler DB1 33, Dan Pride , Halifax, NS, CAN – 1 -4 -4 -2 ; 11
3. Flux, J 30 30, Jordan MacNeil , Halifax, NS, CAN – 2 -2 -3 -4 ; 11

Distance 5 (PHRF_ToT – 12 Boats)
1. Rougewave, Viking 28 28, Elizabeth Whyte , Halifax, NS, CAN – 5 -2 -4 -1 ; 12
2. Patience, Nonsuch 30 Ultra 30, Bruce Flinn , Halifax, NS, CAN – 1 -6 -1 -6 ; 14
3. Foxy Lady, Chaser 29 29, Bob Cragg , Chester , NS, CAN – 3 -1 -11 -2 ; 17

Inshore 2 – J105 (PHRF_ToT – 5 Boats)
1. McMac, J 105 10.5m, Sean McDermott / Rory MacDonald , Dartmouth, NS, CAN – [2] -1 -1 -1 -1 ; 4
2. MOJO, J 105 35, James Mosher , Lunenburg, NS, CAN – 1 -[3] -2 -2 -2 ; 7
3. Buzz, J 105 35, Barry Eisener , lunenburg, NS, CAN – 3 -2 -[5] -3 -3 ; 11

Inshore 1 (PHRF_ToT – 9 Boats)
1. Painkiller, J 29 29.5, jane filbee , Halifax, NS, CAN – 1 -1 -1 -2 -3 -[5] -3 ; 11
2. Scotch Mist IV, J 29 29, Chris MacDonald , Halifax, NS, CAN – [4] -2 -2 -1 -1 -4 -2 ; 12
3. Paradigm shift, J 29 29, Don Williams , Halifax, NS, CAN – 3 -4 -[10] -3 -4 -2 -1 ; 17

Inshore 3 (PHRF_ToT – 9 Boats)
1. Apres Ski, Laser 28 28, Tony Thompson , Bedford , NS, CAN – 2 -3 -1 -1 -[5] -1 ; 8
2. Hummin, Soling 26, Bill Haliburton , Halifax, NS, can – 1 -2 -[4] -2 -2 -3 ; 10
3. Hoonigan, Soling 27, Ivan Fitch , Chester, NS, CAN – 4 -1 -3 -4 -[6] -2 ; 14

Distance (Starting on the Inshore Course) – C&C99 (PHRF_ToT – 4 Boats)
1. Agent 99, C&C 99 33, Rob Crutcher , Bedford, NS, CAN – 1 -1 -1 -1 -2 ; 6
2. Equinox 99, C&C 99 33, Rod Stright , Halifax, NS, CAN – 2 -2 -2 -2 -1 ; 9
3. Demons Dance, C&C 99 32.5, Andrew Watts , Halifax, NS, CAN – 3 -4 -3 -4 -3 ; 17

Sonar (One Design – 8 Boats)
1. Barbarian, Sonar 23, Rob Barbara , Halifax, NS, CAN – 2 -1 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -[3] -1 ; 10
2. Ping, Sonar 23, Andreas Josenhans , Lunenburg , NS, CAN – 1 -2 -1 -[6] -3 -2 -3 -4 -2 ; 18
3. Model T, Sonar 23, Lesley Taylor , Halifax, NS, CAN – [5] -3 -4 -3 -2 -3 -5 -2 -3 ; 25

Farr 30 (One Design – 7 Boats)
1. Head First 3, Farr 30 30, Peter Toombs , Charlottetown, PEI, CAN – [1] -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 ; 8
2. One More Time, Farr 30 30, Rob Gale , Halifax, NS, CAN – 2 -2 -[6] -5 -2 -2 -3 -2 -3 ; 21
3. Goose, Farr 30 30, Ben Maloney , Bedford, NS, CAN – 3 -3 -3 -2 -5 -3 -5 -[6] -6 ; 30

International One Design (One Design – 10 Boats)
1. Bella, IOD 30, Evan Petley-Jones , Halifax, NS, CAN – 2 -1 -1 -[5] -2 -1 -1 -3 -2 ; 13
2. Enigma, IOD 33, Steve Bush , Los Ranchos, NM, USA – 4 -3 -3 -1 -[7] -6 -2 -1 -1 ; 21
3. Squall, IOD 33, Peter Wickwire , Halifax, NS, CAN – 3 -4 -[5] -3 -1 -4 -4 -5 -3 ; 27

Source: Holly Dunn