L.I.S. Championship 2006

A View From the Front

by Rick Doerr

The Sonar LIS Championship was held at Noroton YC 9/16,17. As they say in sailboat racing, the rich get richer. Just tell that to the race leaders on Day 1.

Saturday 9/16 saw 5-10 knt breezes out E/NE. After a short postponement to get a settled wind, racing started with 21 competitors vying for this years honors. Race 1, off a slightly pin favored line, boats on left found an early lead, but with favored current found the laylines came soon, and a late veer gave boats who had gotten right the edge at the top mark. Ed Sweeney of Noroton YC, Erik Goethert and Donna Faust were the big winners, followed closely by Bruce Kirby, Peter Galloway and Jim Crane. The leaders split quickly with some heading for current relief close to shore, and others gybing early to take advantage of the shift. Nobody got rich, but the leaders stayed in touch and 454 was able to hold the lead until the final run, until a shorten course shook up the front, and with a skewed finish line 674, Rick Doerr of NYC came on with breeze and stole the victory, followed closely by 454, 425, and 812.

Race 2 saw slightly dying breeze that again had a slight pin favorite. This time the boats coming out of the left were able to hold their leads and cross ahead. Alex Meleney from Vineyard Haven YC had the early lead, with the same cast of contenders on his heels. As he and Jim Crane, 632 extended to the shore, Peter Galloway, Lee Morrison and Erik Goethert gybed to the inside. As breeze was slowly dying down, some boats who played shifts down the rhumb line surprisingly made gains. A tight rounding found 390, 632, 425, 619, 701, 674 all in the hunt. Positions changed little on the next beat, however gains were made on the left side again, and on the final run 674 was able to pick up on the inside and lead the fleet around the final rounding, and hold on for the win, beating against a foul current and a dying breeze. 632 who had tacked early, stayed out of foul current and came back for 2nd, followed by 390, 701 and 425. Although the RC had good intentions of starting a final race of the day, the conditions wouldn't cooperate and towed all back in.

Sunday 9/17; Race3 started with nice ~10 knt Northerly, which would die out before the race could finish. Again a shorten course get the racing in. Rob Wilber of Sachems Head and Peter Galloway of Noroton would steal the day. With good starts, both took advantage of an approaching westerly to grab an early lead. This now being a case of the rich getting richer, the rest struggled to stay up current as the ebb picked up, and as the breeze shut down, those that had gotten west clearly had the advantage, as 728 and 701 were followed closely by Gary Coventry, Erik Goethert, and John Schultz.

Race 4 started after a short delay to allow for the S'westerly to fill in. A steady 5-10 with foul current made for interesting strategy as the wind backed steadily. With favored current on the right, inside lifted boats watch the fleet sail around them to the mark, a lesson no one could forget, or could they. At the weather mark, Peter Galloway would lead followed by Greg Anthony and Ed Sweeney. The next pack would take advantage of the shifty conditions and work for position, with Lee Morrison taking advantage and making big gains. Again, boats that separated left on the beat never made the gains boats on the right could, and 701 and 439 protected their advantage. Those boats finished in that order, followed by 728 and 674.

Race 5 started with a virtual tie for first between Peter Galloway and Rick Doerr, pending completion. With a left shift at the start, the fleet pressed the pin, leading to a general recall and posting of an I flag for the next start. With the ebb running strong, a lane opened up at the weather end, and not wanting to give up the right side advantage the winning team started to the right of the fleet, and waited for everyone to come back. Several peeled early, but the leaders stayed in touch until the first shift. As they tacked, 674 would lead back to the top right. With this amount of current, the layline call would be difficult, and 674 overstood. Although they were undertacked by 728, the two boats would round 1-2. As they approached, 701 would also manage to undertack, however it would be a slow rounding and distance would be lost, not a problem for PG. As Jim Crane and Erik Goethert would work to close with the leaders, Rob Wilber would demonstrate his great speed this day and extend on the fleet. 674 would maintain her advantage and cover 701 the final beat to finish ahead as secure the regatta.

The 2006 Long Island Sound Championships were a great event this year, with beautiful weather and typical Long Island Sound conditions, truly a challenge.