Labor Day Regatta celebrates 10 years
Annapolis, Eastport yacht clubs joined forces to run two-day sailing competition
It has now been a decade since the last Annapolis Race Week was held.
That traditional Labor Day weekend regatta organized by the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association was abruptly canceled just before the 2014 edition was set to be held. As it turned out, the 47th annual Annapolis Race Week was the final installment.
Annapolis Yacht Club and Eastport Yacht Club quickly joined forces to organize a replacement regatta. They debuted the Annapolis Labor Day Regatta in 2014 and, at the request of sailors, reduced it from three to two days.
The prevailing sentiment among participants was that giving up the entire holiday weekend to go sailing was no longer feasible. A majority of sailors wanted to have Monday free to spend time with family or catch up on household chores.
A few years ago, organizers tweaked the format even more so that every class only raced on one day. Half the fleet sailed on Saturday, while the other half went out on the water on Sunday.
It has proved a successful formula and last week’s 10th annual Annapolis Labor Day Regatta attracted 45 boats in seven classes — four one-design and three handicap. Competition was held in southerly winds that ranged from 6 to 10 knots on the Chesapeake Bay.
Annapolis Yacht Club provided race committee for the bigger boats, which sailed a windward-leeward course set just east of Thomas Point Lighthouse. Winds were on the lighter range, primarily 6 to 8 knots, for that fleet.
Skipper Peter Bowe led Good Trade to victory in J/105 class, largest of the regatta with 14 entries. A strong ebb tide, persistent wind shifts and patches of light air were the main tactical challenges, Bowe reported.
Good Trade got a good start, punched out early and won a brief tacking duel with Mirage en route to rounding the windward
mark in first place. Bowe and crew covered the class the rest of the way to get the gun in Race 1, which proved crucial. Good Trade took third in the second race and that was good enough to beat Mirage by one point.
Bowe and crew were presented with the City of Annapolis Trophy for best overall performance in the Annapolis Labor Day Regatta.
Bowe said the key to the team’s success in last weekend’s regatta and throughout the 2023 season has been consistent crew with each member knowing and executing their position well. That included Erin McNamara, who worked the foredeck flawlessly while pregnant. Rounding out the team are Todd Jenner (main trimmer), Tyler Waldron ( jib trimmer), Max Phillips (pit) and Mike McNamara (tactician).
Skipper Ed Hartman sailed with what he described as an “old-timers friends and family crew” aboard the J/122 Ma’m’selle, which won both races on the way to topping the ORC Open 1 class. The average age aboard the boat was 62 with Hartman being joined by his wife, Cindy, and older sister Carolyn Sutch.
Brothers Ben and Rob Michaelson were aboard along with Jack Hunt, Hamilton Tyler and longtime crew member Clay Bartel. Michaelson worked the bow at age 60, while his older brother ran the pit. Cindy Hartman and Hunt teamed to trim the headsails, while Tyler (youngest member of the crew at 59) assisted with sets and takedowns.
“We started well, kept the sails full and went east to get into the strong current on the windward legs. After rounding the weather mark, we went west to get out of the current and search for steady breeze,” said Ed Hartman, noting that Ma’m’selle had good battles in both races with Tenacious, a J/111 skippered by David Bond.
PHRF A class drew five boats and four of them were the Pedrick-designed, Pearson-built Mark II 44-footers crewed by members of the Navy varsity offshore sailing team. Skipper Javier Jimenez Kane led Defiance to first place in both races to lead a clean sweep of the podium by the Midshipmen.
Skipper Renee Bonner and the Gallant team finished second in both starts while skipper Phil Pacheco and the Tenacious crew notched a couple thirds. This early in the intercollegiate season there was very little difference in performance among the Navy 44-footers, Jimenez Kane said.
“We started in clean air, which helped get the boat on to speed and allowed us to have a more dominant position. Given the current we decided to go left on the upwind, which proved successful,” he said. “On the downwinds we gybed soon in order to get current relief. Our roundings were good and put us in an advantageous position. Even though we got first in both races we had to really fight for it.”
Annapolis Yacht Club member Jack McGuire was unable to enter his J/29 Dirty Harry in the Labor Day Regatta after breaking the rudder during Block Island Race Week. David Malkin lent McGuire his J/88
MI2 and that boat posted a pair of bullets to top ORC Open 2.
McGuire reported southerly winds in the 8 to 10 knot range on his course and said the J/88 powered up enough to stay connected to Aunt Jean and Abientot. Those two J/35 sloops did not have enough breeze to square back their symmetrical spinnakers downwind and thus sailed the same angles as MI2.
“We had speed on them as we were lighter with more sail area,” said McGuire, who praised the performance of his crew consisting of Ginny Minninger, Sophie Podlich and Nick Mattingly.
ANNAPOLIS LABOR DAY REGATTA RESULTS Cal 25(6boats)
1. Fahrvergnugen, Alisa Finney, Glenmar Sailing Association, 1-1-1=3; 2. White Cap, Dan Buan, Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, 2-2-2=6; 3. Harlequin, Leo Surla, Potomac River Sailing Association, 4-3-3=10.
J/30(6boats)
1. Avenger, David Johnson, CBYRA, 1-2-1=4; 2. Shamrock, Bruce Irvin, Eastport Yacht Club, 2-1-2=5; 3. Avita, Dan Watson, EYC, 3-3-3=9.
Viper 640(6boats)
1. Weather Permitting, Robert & Becky Ranzenbach, EYC, 1-2-2=5; 2. Deep State, Walt & Tricia Pletcher, Annapolis Yacht Club, 2-1-3=6; 3. Evil Hiss, Mary Ewenson, AYC, 3-5-1=9. J/105(14boats)
1. Good Trade, Peter Bowe, AYC, 1-3=4; 2. Mirage, Cedric Lewis & Fredrik Salvesen, AYC, 3-2=5; 3. Velvet Hammer, Kristen Robinson, EYC, 5-1=6.
ORC Open 1(4boats)
1. Ma’m’selle, J/122, Ed & Cindy Hartman, AYC, 1-1=2; 2. Tenacious, J/111, David Bond, CBYRA, 2-2=4; 3. ZUUL, Aerodyne 38, Benedict Capuco, AYC, 3-3=6.
ORC Open 2(6boats)
1. MI2, J/88, Jack McGuire, AYC, 1-1=2; 2. Aunt Jean, J/35, James Sagerholm, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, 2-2=4; 3. Abientot, J/35, Roger Lant, EYC, 3-3=6.
PHRF A (5boats)
1. Defiance, Navy 44, Midshipman Javier Jimenez Kane, Naval Academy Varsity Offshore Sailing Team, 1-1=2; 2. Gallant, Navy 44, Midshipman Renee Bonner, NAVOST, 2-2=4; 3. Tenacious, Navy 44, Midshipman Phil Pacheco, NAVOST, 3-3=6.