2009 Statue of Liberty Race
The shortened, Around the Statue of Liberty race was a blast. The winds were 15, gusting to 20+ from the West. A reach up and reach back. Mega gusts inside the harbor. We had choppy confused seas as we were going from the end of Sandy Hook to the Verrazano Bridge. Little worse when we returned because of the angle. Double trapped way back on the boat with the hulls jumping over the waves. Sometimes the mainsheet and traveler were both out as far as we could let them, then right back in and right back out again. SPEX Goggles made life a little easier.
About 38 boats entered the event. Mike Easton and Tripp Burd on a Nacra F-18 Infusion took the lead right off the line. Brandy Wood and I held second for the first third of the race, gave it up, took it back briefly, then gave it up again. The racers were turned back just before the Statue on orders from the Coast Guard. Most of the competitors saw the mark boat but a few didn't and got chased out from near the Statue by the CG or Marine Police.
Not as many boats flipped as I would have expected. A Hobie 20 pitchpoled in NY Harbor, yuk. A Prindle 19 lost it's skipper when his trapeze line broke. The boat flipped about 100 feet away and he swam like a madman as it was drifting diagonally across his path. He just barely managed to intercept it. We struck a log on our daggerboard while doing 15+kts. Several competitors had an exciting crossing with a big orange Manhatten ferry. The bow decks and railing on the side the catamarans were passing were packed with people. They probably couldn't believe a sailboat could move so fast.
In the end Mike and Tripp smoked the fleet with their Infusion. They took three perpetual trophies, Line Honors, 1st Elapsed and one I can't recall. They also have the new course record but for the abbreviated course. Chris Titcomb and Nate Titcomb hold the full course record.
All in all it was a good day for the Nacras and New England sailors.
Elapsed:
1st -Michael Easton & Tripp Burd - Nacra F-18 Infusion
2nd - Doug Kirby & Andy Herbic - Nacra 20
3rd - Rick Bliss & Brandy Wood - Nacra 20
4th - Nacra 20
Rick Bliss
About 38 boats entered the event. Mike Easton and Tripp Burd on a Nacra F-18 Infusion took the lead right off the line. Brandy Wood and I held second for the first third of the race, gave it up, took it back briefly, then gave it up again. The racers were turned back just before the Statue on orders from the Coast Guard. Most of the competitors saw the mark boat but a few didn't and got chased out from near the Statue by the CG or Marine Police.
Not as many boats flipped as I would have expected. A Hobie 20 pitchpoled in NY Harbor, yuk. A Prindle 19 lost it's skipper when his trapeze line broke. The boat flipped about 100 feet away and he swam like a madman as it was drifting diagonally across his path. He just barely managed to intercept it. We struck a log on our daggerboard while doing 15+kts. Several competitors had an exciting crossing with a big orange Manhatten ferry. The bow decks and railing on the side the catamarans were passing were packed with people. They probably couldn't believe a sailboat could move so fast.
In the end Mike and Tripp smoked the fleet with their Infusion. They took three perpetual trophies, Line Honors, 1st Elapsed and one I can't recall. They also have the new course record but for the abbreviated course. Chris Titcomb and Nate Titcomb hold the full course record.
All in all it was a good day for the Nacras and New England sailors.
Elapsed:
1st -Michael Easton & Tripp Burd - Nacra F-18 Infusion
2nd - Doug Kirby & Andy Herbic - Nacra 20
3rd - Rick Bliss & Brandy Wood - Nacra 20
4th - Nacra 20
Rick Bliss
posted by Rick @ 9:11 AM
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