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SEE ALSO: 2001-2002 Regatta Reports
Report by Brad Nichol A cold front went through Miami Friday night bringing 18-25 knots from the Northwest for the start of racing Saturday. This caused a few breakdowns and carnage in the fleet, but also provided for some screaming reaches. Paul Cayard got off to a good start with his crew Phil Trinter winning the first race with Ian Percy and Steve Mitchell in second and Peter Vessella in third. The winds persisted for the second race and the committee set a course O at 335 degrees. The wind went left early allowing a few boats to port tack the fleet early but continued to oscillate allowing either side to come in. Percy put on a show taking an early lead and extending it throughout the race, only to have a breakdown half way up the last beat. Niculas Holm and Claus Olesen took advantage winning the race with John MacCausland and Brad Nichol close behind followed by Mark Reynnolds and his new crew Steve Erickson. The final day delivered a milder 10 knots of breeze for the last race
of the three race series. After two general recalls, race three got
underway on a course 3 at 335 degrees but nine boats picked up Black
Flags, including Mark Reynolds and the regatta leader, Paul Cayard.
The wind was considerably more shifty than Saturday with the general
trend going left and the race committee making course changes to keep
up. George Szabo lead the whole race with his crew Mark Strube and
held off a late challenge by Howie Shiebler and Will Stout bringing
in a huge right hand shift on the last beat. Percy and Mitchell were
third. This event is a good example of how the new no drop rule in
the Olympics will work. John MacCausland and Brad Nichol sailed a consistent
series and stayed out of trouble to win . Final standings:
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to
contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland September 27-28
Oxford was hit pretty hard by hurricane Isabel most of the damage came from flooding. The yacht club was sparred from the flooding the water was within inches of the front door of the club. The club staff did a great job in cleaning up the club grounds and making every thing ready for the regatta. Twenty-eight boats from places as far away as Florida, Chicago, Boston, Toronto were on site to start the 52 nd Annual Oxford Fall Wind -Up. Out on the race course things looked good to get started right away. But the preverbal black cloud came over the course and slowed things down. After a short postponement we were able to start the first race. By the first mark it was Ben Cesare with Brian Sharp in the lead with the fleet in close pursuit. The breeze was on its way down on the first run and by the leeward mark it had become very light. the next beat featured a ninety degree left shift that shook up the fleet but Ben Cesare and Tom Price who were first and second at the leeward mark survived and were still in the top two spots at the second weather mark. The run to the finish was a parade with very little change in position. Race two was sailed in very nice conditions again the racing was very close. In the end It was Arthur Anosov with Peter Carson taking the gun. By the end of the day Tom Price and Will Wagner were leading with a 2-5 next was John MacCausland and Brad Nichol with a 6-2. Rounding out the top three was Ben Cesare and Brian Sharp with a 1-10. One race was scheduled for Sunday the forecast did not look great but by the time we all left the dock and arrived at the race course things did not look to bad. Fifteen to eighteen knot of wind from the North west and blue sky coming. By the first mark John MacCausland and Brad Nichol were in the lead with Ben Cesare in close pursuit and regatta leader tom Price in fifth place. We were sailing a triangular course and on the first reach MacCausland and Cesare got a puff that the rest of the fleet did not get. The pair was able to open up a good lead on the fleet. As the race went on the top two positions did not change, Tom Price did a nice job to get back to third in the race. With their win MacCausland
and Nichol sealed the overall win. Tom Price and will Wagner sailed
a very good series to finish second and rounding out the top three
was Ben Cesare and Brian Sharp. We had a great turnout this year lets all try
next year to bring one more boat with us and we can have an unbelievable regatta.
Thanks again to Richard Lippincott and the staff at the Tred Avon Yacht Club
for putting on such a great event. For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland All eyes were on hurricane Isabel all week leadin up to the Nutmegs. Where it would make land fall and when would have a big effect on everybody's plans. Fortunately for us in the Northeast Isabel made land fall in North Carolina mid day Thursday and took an inland course and missed Connecticut. It did however do a lot of damage from North Carolina through the mid Atlantic states. The Chesapeake bay took a big hit and most of the damage was done by the storm surge. So the weekend was free and clear of bad weather and we were able to have the Nutmeg regatta. Twenty boats arrived for some very good sailing and really nice weather. the schedule was to race three races on Saturday and two on Sunday with a drop. But with a little light wind on Saturday morning we got off to a late start and were only able to sail two races. The racing was close among the top six or seven boats in each race. By the end of racing John MacCausland with Brad Nichol were clearly on top with a 1-1. Second thru seventh were only separated by a few point going into racing on Sunday. As usual Milford Yacht club put on a great dinner for all of us on Saturday night a good time was had by all. Sunday morning started off clear and crisp with a nice Northerly breeze. As we all sailed to the race course the breeze started to show signs of dying. In an effort to get two races in the committee set a course in the northerly breeze. The fleet got of on the first start but the breeze really stared to fade away and the race was abandoned half way up the first leg. We all waited for the sea breeze to come and after about an hour it started to fill from the South west. Off we went for what surely would be the only race of the day. Pete Cusick and Serge Leonidov lead at the first mark never to look back with a wire to wire win. John Lombard and Kip Gardner were second through out the race with Steve Braverman and John Carney nipping at the leaders heels. Regatta leader MacCausland was deep in the fleet at the first mark with the point spread it looked like a sure bet that Pete and Serge would win the regatta. As the race progressed with wind was building just a little John and Brad were able to slowly work there way thru the fleet. By the finish MacCausland had crawled his way back to third and saved the regatta win. Winning the last race secured second overall for Pete Cusick and Serge Leonidov. Rounding out the top three was John Lombard and Kip Gardner. The results of this regatta along with last weeks Bedford Pitcher
were combined for the Nash Trophy which dates back to 1939. The winner
of the 2003 Nash Trophy
was John MacCausland with Brad Nichol & Kevin Murphy. Also this was the
second leg of the Tri District series which concludes in Oxford, MD, weekend
hope to
see you all there, For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland 2003 Lake George Open We should all mark this date on your calendars for next year, I am sure you will not be disappointed. It is a great place to visit this time of year and every body at the Northern Lake George Yacht Club goes all out. Thank you for a great time see you next year.
Report couretsy Walter Boddener TORBEN
GRAEL AND MARCELO FERREIRA WIN THE ATHENS REGATTA IN THE STAR CLASS
USING NORTH SAILS
Torben and Marcelo were 4 points ahead of the second place (Bromby and Pickel were tied in second) and 5 points ahead of the americans on the last day. Two races were scheduled for the last day. The first race was delayed in about 1 hour due to the lack of wind. They didn't have a good start on the first race (9-13 knots), however the worked hard on the first upwind leg and got even closer to the top of the fleet on the downwind leg. On the second upwind leg they worked the shifts and rounded the mark very close to Pickel and Bromby. At this point Cayard was in third place. They were in 5th place during the following downwind leg when they were penalized with a yellow flag that cost them 5 positions. They worked hard to gain two positions on the following leg and finish 8th. Cayard finished 2nd, Bromby 5th and Pickel had an premature start. There was only one race left over. Bermudas, Brazil and US could win the regatta. The wind was blowing harder and the waves were building up. It was important to have the boat adjusted for these new conditions and lots of calm and concentration. Torben and Marcelo had an excellent start, however Cayard and Bromby also did well. The 3 teams were exchanging positions in the first half of the race and by the end Torben and Cayard were clearly ahead of Bromby. Torben and Marcelo used their expertise to surf a wave and get inside overlap with Cayard at the leeward mark what gave them the advantage to pick the right side on the last beat. They worked out their way to finish 5th place and win the regatta. Cayard finished 7th and Pickel 6th. Torben and Marcelo of course were very excited with the victory and their boat's performance. Their next stop will be at the Europeans in Portugal (2 September) and then the Worlds in Cadiz, Spain. For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland August 23-24, 2003 With some of the best weather of the summer the Milford Yacht Club hosted the Atlantic Coast Masters. Many old friends from up and down the East coast came together to sail in the masters and celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the Milford Yacht Club. In all thirty-five boats made the trip and sailed three races over the weekend. When it was all over Tom Price with Will Wagner finished on top of the pack. Followed closely by Nelson Stephenson and Austin Sperry, rounding out the top three was John Sherwood and Bert Collins. The Mid-Connecticut Star fleet did a great job promoting this event it shows what a little work can do in getting boats out sailing. Overall Results For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
2003 Star Lake Sunapee Open Report by John MacCausland Sunapee, NH Each year I make the trip to Lake Sunapee for two reasons, first it is a wonderful place to go. Second most years we get some very interesting racing and other years we just get to have a very nice time waiting for the wind. This year if you paid attention to the weather forecast you would have stayed home. But off we went all twenty -- five boats, I guess someone was watching over us. During the day it was very nice with some sun and enough wind to race. At night it rained very hard all night long, all in all the weather cooperated nicely. Over the weekend we sailed three races the first two light air and the race on Sunday in a nice eight to ten knots. By the end of the day on Saturday four boats were within two points, this would make for an interesting race on Sunday. Sunday morning the weather did not look too good. Finally the rain stopped but no wind, when it was time to go out to race it was like someone turned the switch and we had a good breeze to race the final race. During the final race the lead changed many times with different boats in position to win the race and the regatta. But in the end John MacCausland and Brad Nichol took the lead at the last weather mark and lead the last two legs to win the race and the regatta. First time Star sailor Bill Lynn with George Iverson sailed very impressive regatta to finish second overall. Long time Sunapee ace Andy Ivy with Bruce Hatfield rounded out the top three. I strongly recommended this regatta if you have not been here before. The club and the fleet members go all out to put on a first rate event so mark it on your calendar now. Overall Results: For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland
This years event was a five race one throw out regatta. We sailed
three races on Saturday in ten to fifteen knots of wind and lots
of sun. Sunday was a carbon
copy of Saturday with plenty of wind and sun. Miles River Yacht Club and the Mid Eastern Star Fleet put on a nice event with good races, good food, and good fun. Thanks again ! ! Overall Results For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
2003 Star Sheridan Shores Race Weekend Report by John MacCausland 2003 Sheridan Shores Race Weekend Saturday dawned humid with big breeze from the southwest I think it was for the most part twenty to twenty-five knots but I am sure that we had a few puffs to thirty plus knots. The committee set a triangle course for the races today. On the reaches were unbelievable, I have forgotten how fast a Star could go it was a real blast. By the end of the day MacCausland and Nichol Had won two more races and had won the regatta. Now the battle was for second between Allen, Maine and Perce, we will see how it finishes tomorrow. Sunday was a much different day a light breeze from the north east eight to ten knots. Having won the regatta MacCausland set his sites on winning the overall best performance in the multi class event. There was a good battle for second with the lead changing many times. By the end of the race MacCausland and Nichol had won there fourth race and the overall prize. Bill Allen coming from behind finished third in the race securing second overall in a tie breaker over Rob Maine. This was a well run event with varied conditions that made the racing very interesting thanks to all that were involved in running this event. Overall Results For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report courtesy Brad Nichol Lake Sunapee, NH – The 2003 12th District Blue and Green Star Championships were hosted by the Lake Sunapee Star Fleet June 20th through the 22nd. The regatta was dominated by light conditions on the lake. Sailing was postponed on the water and finally abandoned on Friday due to a lack of breeze. Saturday’s races featured a light southeasterly breeze requiring that course two be sailed. Race one saw Bill Abbot, Mike Milner and Andy Ivey out to an early lead at the first jibe mark. The three fought a tight battle over the next seven legs with the race ending in a tacking duel between Abbot and Ivey. After a dial-up just feet from the finish, Bill Abot came out on top with Andy Ivey in Second and Mike Milner in third. Patrick Flinn was the top finisher in the green star division. Saturday’s second race featured more light air. The course was moved further south in the lake in an attempt to find a steadier breeze. Half way up the first beat the wind shut off, then filled from the left allowing Mike Feeney, Sam Rouse and Mike Milner to round the mark first and put some distance on the fleet before the rest of the fleet had any breeze. As luck would have it the wind continued to build allowing the fleet to catch up by the leeward mark. Conditions evened out over the next lap around the triangle and allowed more boats into the mix. At the finish Mike Milner was in first giving him the lead going into the last day, Rick Dhein was second, and Mike Feeney was third. Sunday arrived with more light wind but the breeze filled as a front came through. Race three was postponed as a small storm hit but was quickly started after the storm passed. Dave Cook jumped out to an early lead and by the leeward mark of the course “O” he was over two and a half minutes ahead of second place. By the time the rest of the fleet rounded the leeward mark the wind had shut off and Cook was stranded in the middle of the course. Andy Ivey rounding in the mid-20’s sailed off to the right of the course and as the wind filled found himself in the lead at the windward mark. The wind died again at the leeward mark and filled in from the left this time leaving Andy to lead a parade to the finish with Bill Abbot and Dave Ivey close behind. With the win in race three Andy Ivey clinched his third Blue Star,
Bill Abbot finished second, and Mike Milner was third. Bob Cook won
the Green Star, the third Cook to do so.
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Aaron Serinis (North Sails Oxford) The 69th annual Miller Memorial series was held last weekend on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. This series is one of the longest running sailing events on the Bay with a history that stretches back to the 1930’s. It’s hard to find a more scenic place to sail and to socialize once off the water. The race committee had planed a five race series, three races Saturday,
Two Sunday. Race one got started with many boats close to being over early as the current ripped through the starting line. The fleet split about fifty/fifty up the first beat with Tom Price and Will Wagner leading around the first weather Mark followed by a tight group that included Jenkins/ Schofield, Vanderhoff/Perkins and Mcneil/ Voeltner. After a couple of Jibes downwind Price/Wagner still held the lead with Aaron Serinis and Russell Stone following in second after recovering from a slow start. At the finish it was Price/Wagner taking the race win closely followed by Serinis/Stone and Vanderhoff/ Perkins rounding out the top three. Race two was started in virtually unchanged conditions. The majority of the fleet stayed middle left wile Serinis /Stone hit the right to come out with a fair lead at the top mark. In second and third were Price/Wagner and Vanderhoff/Perkins. The team of Price/Wagner who were using the new Max Roach Main and R-2 jib demonstrated excellent speed and gear changing on the second beat to come from behind and pass Serinis/Stone for the race win. Serinis/Stone second, Vanderhoff/Perkins third. For race three the wind was showing a right shift of about 10 degrees
however at the end of the first beat, boats coming from the left and
the right were neck and neck. On the run all boats gybed early to take
advantage of what was now a settled right shift, and to also to get
some current relief by staying closer to shore. At the end of the race
it was Mcneil/Voeltner , Serinis/Stone, Lippincott/Vosbury third. North Sails powered both first and second place finishers at the 69th Miller series. Both Tom Price and Aaron Serinis chose the new Max roach main and the R-2 jib. This sail combination proved to be the fastest choice on the water. And the results show!!! Congrats to The Gibson Island Yacht Squadron for running yet another great Miller series.
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report courtesy by Richard Burgess The New York State Championships were held on Seneca Lake this past weekend. A small but talented group of sailors arrived on Saturday morning with the expectation of sailing the first of 5 scheduled races. Mother nature did not cooperate as the wind was blowing in access of 30kts in the puffs. The race committee opted to keep the group on shore but Kevin Murphy (LH) and Richard Burgess Jr (SN) opted to test the waters. It was really great on the reaches and going upwind was a bit of work but fun. The RC saw that we were able to handle the breeze and announced that they were going to try to get a race going. Very shortly after that announcement the wind increased to over 30kts and they blew 3 guns (the right decision). On Sunday we awoke to a moderate northwest breeze. The fleet left the harbor and we started what was to be the first of three races. John MacCausland who was debuting the new “G” section Spartech mast, won the first race with local sailor Kurt Reynolds 2nd and Lake Sunapee sailor John Chiarella 3rd. The second race saw the wind start to decrease and the RC decided to shorten the race. Richard Burgess Jr won with Lil Mac 2nd, and Kevin Murphy (LH) was 3rd. The wind built back up between the 2nd and 3rd races so the RC started us. The breeze stayed until we were ½ down the run and it started to fade away to very light. As the leaders approached the leeward mark the RC made the decision to shorten the race and finish on the next upwind leg. We all sat a the leeward mark with zero wind for 5 to 10 minutes and watched Kurt Reynolds sail from 300 meters back to join the group waiting for him at the leeward mark. The breeze came with Kurt and Richard Burgess Jr. was the first to get into it. Reynolds used his momentum to get around the mark and back into the new wind. The finishes were Burgess Jr. 1st, Reynolds 2nd, Hendershot (CAN) 3rd and Lil Mac 4th. For young Richard and old Richard Burgess to win two races, shortened or not was a really great feat, and to be able to sail with my son was really great winning or not. In the end it was Lil Mac getting the big prize with 7 points, and son Richard 2nd with 9 points, and Reynolds 3rd tied with Hendershot with 14 points. The Seneca Yacht Club and their members did an outstanding
job of hosting the New York State Championships and a very special
thank you
to Bob Westcott for putting it all together. Top 3: For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland
The format for this year’s championship was a five race, one throughout regatta. Three races were planned for Saturday with the last two on Sunday. With a forecast of two to three inches of rain for Saturday it was looking like a long day. Once on the water the breeze came and the committee ran three good races, which seemed to make you forget that it was raining hard all day. After the days racing at the top of the leader board Doug and Bob Schofield were tied with John MacCausland and Brad Nichol in first place. Two points behind in third was Tom Price and Will Wagner. What a surprise, the forecast for Sunday was for more rain. The wind did not cooperate as well as it did on Saturday. The first race started in very light wind from the East. The brothers Schofield took the early lead at the first mark. With MacCausland and Nichol well back in the fleet at the first mark it looked like the Blue Star was the Schofield’s. With the wind getting lighter and spottier there were many opportunities during the race. The Schofield’s lead throughout the race but MacCausland and Nichol were moving through the fleet. By the run to the finish MacCausland and Nichol had moved to third. With the wind dieing and the Schofield’s still leading, about one quarter mile from the finish MacCausland and Nichol took the lead and held on to the finish. With this come back MacCausland and Nichol won the Blue Star for 2003. The committee was unable to sail the fifth race. The wind finally died for the day. A good time was had by all despite the weather. OVERALL MASTERS GRAND MASTER NOVICE For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland
Sailing in San Diego is always a challenge, but with the likes of Vince Brun, Paul Cayard, George Szabo, Eric Doyle and Rick Merriman the task just got a lot more difficult. We sailed five races over two days, conditions on the first day were very tricky with a strong Catalina eddy in place. Vince Brun and Brian Terhaar dominated the day with a 1-2-1 , Rick Merriman and Bill Bennett hung tough with a 4-1-3. Paul Cayard, Eric Doyle, George Szabo all had a least on bad race today. Sunday was a more typical San Diego day the Catalina eddy had eased off and allowed the see breeze to fill in. It was a great day of racing. Two races were sailed with Vince Brun continuing to show the way with a 1-2. Paul Cayard and Phil Trinter had a much better day with a 3-1. With a 2-5 Rick Merriman and bill Bennett finished off a nice series in second overall. I am always impressed with the great job San Diego Yacht Club does with the regattas they run keep up the good work.
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland Lake Hopatcong , NJ The forecast for the weekend did not look good from early in the week. On the east coast it seams like it has been raining every weekend for as long as anybody can remember. This weekend was just like the rest rain and more rain. But that did not stop a group of hearty souls from going sailing. We sailed four races on Saturday in lite conditions and rain. Then it really started to rain all Saturday night in to Sunday morning. When we arrived at the club on Sunday morning we had good breeze from the north but more rain. We raced one longer race on Sunday to finish off the event despite the bad weather a good time was had by all. For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by John MacCausland The 2003 Paw Paw Pot Pourri Regatta was sailed as a tune up for the 2003 Western Hemisphere Spring Championship. Both events were sailed on Gull Lake in Richland, MI. With 28 boats participating it was a good chance for both the competitors and race committee to get some time on the lake before the springs. The racing was done in mostly light conditions. The goal of the regatta was to have as many races as possible each day. Saturday we were able to complete six races. It was a long day on the water but that is what we came here for. Sunday was a day of twenty to thirty-five knot winds, rain, and forty-five
degree temperature. Needless to say there was no racing. It was too
bad it would have been nice to get some more practice in before the
springs.
Report by John MacCausland
After a long cold and snowy winter the sailing season is finally under
way on the Chesapeake Bay. The first regatta of the year was held at
Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis Maryland. We had varied conditions
over the two day, five race event. In the end John MacCausland and
Brad Nichol came away with a decisive win. SSA SPRING REGATTA - APRIL 26 - 27, 2003
MILES RIVER SPRING REGATTA - MAY 3 - 4, 2003
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Bill Hardesty Bacardi Cup 2003 March 2-7 A former employee of North Sails One Design, Bill Hardesty and his crew Will Stout are making a run for the U.S. berth in the Star class for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Bill, from San Diego, CA is a former College Sailor of the Year and was a standout Laser sailor in the last go around fro the Olympics. This time he is trying his hand at a much more complicated and technical boat. With the help of the team at North Sails One Design, Bill and Will are off to a great start. Their 14th place finish out of 111 boats in the Bacardi is quite and accomplishment considering they have so little time in the boat. This team also finished a very impressive 3rd place in the Miami OCR. They were the 2nd place US team in this event. Good luck Bill and Will! The Bacardi Cup Regatta broke a regatta record with 111 boats. Star class tradition does not allow for the fleet to be split therefore giving the race committee a great challenge of managing this highly competitive group. To accommodate this fleet the starting line was nearly ¾ of a mile long with windward legs approximately 3 miles in length. It took nearly 8 minutes to sail from one end of the starting line to the other so picking the favored end early was a critical decision. Thankfully the race committee was signaling from the pin boat as well as from the main signal boat (Starboard end) so you could get the time and course from either location. Poor starting line management would put even the best sailors in the 50s around the first mark. 2002 World Champions Ian Percy and Steve Mitchell of the UK opened the regatta well posting a 1, 4 in the first two days of racing to take the top spot on the scoreboard followed closely by the always consistent Peter Bromby and Martin Siese of Bermuda. With the lighter breezes Will Stout and I were able to post a couple of solid finishes nearly winning the second race only to be passed by one boat on the last downwind to the finish. Others teams doing well were Andy Lovell and Eric Oetgen of New Orleans, John Kostecki/Austin Sperry, and Vince Brun/Brian Terharr. Unfortunately Vince and Brian had some bad luck at the starts so their results don’t really show the speed and performance they displayed. With only one race a day it was a marathon regatta setting a premium on consistency. In the end it was Bromby/Siese never finishing out of the top 9 with Percy/Mitchell having only to finish in the top 11 in the last race to win the regatta. The last race showed fairly normal conditions with 12-14 knots with a long first beat. Except this time a left wind shift caused a bunch of boats to over stand the mark from the left with Percy/Mitchell and us (Hardesty/Stout) being hung out and having to fight from the back of the fleet. Bromby/Siese nearly nailed the race to end the regatta with a 2nd place finish which gave them the win over Percy/Mitchell who posted 26th in the final race to finish 2nd overall. If you have never raced a Bacardi Cup Regatta I highly recommend you rethink your plans for next March. Tito Bacardi and the Coral Reef Yacht Club put on a first class performance with perfect race management and great Bacardi parties. Thanks are due to the Bischoff for their hospitality, The Coral Reef Yacht Club, Jock Kohlhas of the US Sailing Center in Miami, and Tito Bacardi for all the free food and beverages. Special thanks go to North Sails One Design for their continued effort in building some of the fastest Star sails on the planet. Stay posted for a report on the Star Olympic Pre-trials later this month. Hope to see you at Bacardi Cup 2004. Bill Hardesty/Will Stout
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Bill Hardesty Miami Olympic Classes Regatta
68 Stars showed up at the Coral Reef Yacht Club for what was the biggest and most competitive Miami Olympic Classes in many years. Sailors from 19 different countries and a bunch of the recently eliminated Americas Cup Sailors showed their skills in the light shift conditions of Biscayne Bay. The regatta consisted of four days racing and the forecast was for light and variable winds most of the week. On day one we raced three long races in what seemed like a day that would never end. In the third race the breeze dropped to nearly nothing and the race committee moved the marks in close to shorten the course and finish just before dark. It was a typical day with the normal rock stars on top consisting of Bromby/Siese from Bermuda leading the day. The Swedish team of Loof and Ekstrom had a 3, 1, and 40 to show that they had plenty of speed but must have made a bad call to have one bad race. Days two and three were very similar in condition and there was more good racing from Bromby/Siese of Bermuda but one of us new comers named of Andy Lovell with Finn sailor Eric Oetgen were on fire with a solid string of consistent races. It was a regatta where nearly everyone had at least one bad race. Will and I got caught over the line and were disqualified. Bromby/Siese got caught the next race while Lovell Oetgen were only dropping a 31. Believe it or not a 31 was a good drop race for this regatta. Going into the last day it was Lovell/Oetgen, Bromby/Siese, Brun/Terhaar, Cayard/Trinter, Presti/Saliou of France, and Hardesty/Stout respectively displayed on the results sheet. The final day looked as if it had potential for breeze. Everyone loaded up their heavy wind sail plans and hoped for one last good day. When we got to the course the breeze had dropped a bit and with the nearby shore we were seeing huge velocity changes and 30 degree wind shifts. All Will and I were thinking was not to be over the line early and keep the head out of the boat looking for wind. Present World Champions from GBR Percy/Mitchell showed their stuff finishing the regatta with a 1, 1. Hutchinson also had a great day finishing with a 3, 2 after fighting an over the line early call in the first race of the day and being reinstated on shore into their 3rd place finish. Will and I were average but solid ending with a 5, 10. Nobody seemed to be able to keep scores out on the water with so many boats so we all tried to guess our final position but most of us were wrong. A lot of teams had at least one bad race which caused major position changes. Will and I seemed to be on the right end of that change. Some people asked how such new Star sailors like Will and I do well? Just keep it simple! Concentrate on starts, changing winds, and the big lines on the boat like the main and jib sheets. We felt as if we had decent upwind speed, good downwind speed, but our best asset was our ability to point the boat in the right direction. What was the biggest lesson of the week? Careful of too much lower backstay! Special thanks to North Sails One Design for their help with our sail setup, The San Diego Yacht Club for support, and US Sailing for the support and coaching on and off the water. See you at the Bacardi Cup in March!
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Coral Reef YC - Normally there would be 18-20 Star-boats on Biscayne
Bay for the annual Commodore Cup regatta, but because US Star teams
are gearing up for the Olympic Trials in March and it is too cold
in Europe to sail right now, there were 46 boats on the starting
line
for this event including 12 boats from outside the US and 9 of the
top 25 Star sailors in the world.
1.
John MacCausland/ Brad Nichol USA; 
2. Hans Spitzauer/
Adreass Hanakamp, Austria; 
I arrived in Oxford at eleven am Friday morning hoping to get some
sailing in before the regatta. Most of the time I am the first
person on site, but when
I arrived there was at least five other boats with the same idea. There seamed
to be a lot of interest in this regatta, the weather report seamed good and
Oxford is a great place to go this time of the year. To bad the
weather on Friday did
not cooperate lots of sun and not much wind. So the day was spent rigging and
preparing for the racing.
For forty years this fall classic in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains
has been a highlight of the 12 th District schedule. This year was
specticular the
weather could not have been better. Saturday dawned clear and crisp as we rigged
our boats, once on the race course it was a little slow. After a short postponement
and lunch we were back on the water for the first race. With the breeze building
we were able to get two very nice races completed. The racing was very close
between the lead boats with only boat lengths separating them for most of the
race. By the end of the day John MacCausland with Brad Nichol were out in front
with a 1-1 with Rick Burgess and Kip Gardner nipping at there heals with a 2-3.
Mike Feeney and Peter Hall were tied with 7 points.
Torben
Grael and Marcelo Ferreira won this past Wednesday the 2003 Athens
Regatta by only one point ahead of the american Paul Cayard. The German
team
skippered by Pickel finished third. 
St. Michaels, MD
Like many Star events this has a very long history having been held
annually since 1934. Most of the summer has been very light air
but this weekend changed
this. The first day of racing was held in ten to eighteen knots of wind. The
breeze was shifty and puffy coming from the southwest. John MacCausland with
Brad Nichol lead at each mark to score the first victory of the regatta with
Bill Allen and Brad Lichter second, Rob Maine And Kevin Murphy rounding out
the first three. With one race scheduled for Friday we all were
invited to Rob Maine
and Suzy Donald home for a cookout a nice evening was had by all.
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