Larchmont Yacht Week: Done and Dusted

Larchmont Race Week got underway on July 11-12 with the second half held July 18-19 to complete the 117th edition. Returning this weekend were the racer/cruiser division and the one-designs, with Vanguard 15s replacing classic yachts on a third circle and Ideal 18s joining on a fourth. All fleets enjoyed the continuation of competitive racing in a 3-5 knot southwesterly breeze on Saturday and a late-filling 6-12 knot southwesterly on Sunday.

Thirty boats sailed on the cruising course with 18 in the PHRF spinnaker division and 12 in the non-spinnaker group. Three races were completed in each fleet. This weekend also included a distance race around Execution Light on Sunday, an event new to the Race Week format.

“The addition of the distance race to the Race Week format added some fun and variety,” noted Cruising circle PRO Jed Kelly.

On an elapsed-time basis, the winner of the distance race was LYC member Jason Carroll’s Gunboat 62, Elvis. On corrected time, LYC’s Bud Heerde won the race. Coming out victorious in the cruising classes overall are Paul Strauch from Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in the spinnaker division and Len Di Iorio from Huguenot Yacht Club in the non-spinnaker division.

Boats returning to the one-design circle this weekend included J/105s, Viper 640s, J/70s, Shields, Etchells, S Boats, International One-Designs, and Ideal 18s. One-design PRO Nick Langone was able to run seven races for the fleets.

Winning each class were Paul Beaudin from Harlem Yacht Club (J/105), Danny Pletsch and Cardwell Potts from Larchmont Yacht Club (Viper 640), Scott Bursor from American Yacht Club (J/70), Com Crocker and Kurt Weisenfluh from Larchmont Yacht Club (Shields), Dave Smalley from Larchmont Yacht Club (Etchells), William Simmons from Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club (S Boat), Jennifer Miller from Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club (IOD), Lou Casolo from Old Greenwich Yacht Club (Ideal 18), and Will Haeger and Tori Porter from Larchmont Yacht Club (Vanguard 15).

Vanguard 15s joined the fray on a separate circle this weekend for their two-day regatta. 26 boats sailed 10 races, with Ward Young and Katie Walker from Larchmont Yacht Club emerging as the leaders at the end of Saturday and Will Haeger and Tori Porter from Larchmont Yacht Club winning the event.

Perpetual trophies were presented to the winners of various fleets:
• The Anne Kathleen Cullen Memorial Trophy was awarded to Danny Pletsch and Cardwell Potts from Larchmont Yacht Club, winners of the Viper 640 class, for best overall performance at Race Week;
• The Vincent Monte-Sano Trophy was awarded to Bud Heerde from Larchmont Yacht Club for best Larchmont Yacht Club member’s cruising class performance;
• The Charles Vanderlan Trophy was awarded to Paul Strauch from Manhasset Bay Yacht Club for best overall cruising class performance;
• The Stanley King Turner, Jr. Memorial Trophy was awarded to Dave Smalley from Larchmont Yacht Club for best Etchells 22 class performance;
• The Joseph J. Weed Memorial Trophy was awarded to Jennifer Miller from Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club for best International One-Design class performance;
• The Thomas L. Fitzsimmons Trophy was awarded to Com Crocker and Kurt Weisenfluh from Larchmont Yacht Club for best Shields class performance.

As reported earlier, Larchmont Yacht Club made a concerted effort this year to provide a casual, gracious, and welcoming experience for the sailors returning ashore, including complementary ice cream, hot snacks, beer, and music. The result was that Larchmont Race Week’s after-race participation ashore returned to the glory days of its past.

Results: http://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=1451

Report by Edward Padin.