Maris Stella Regatta 2004

July 29, 2004
Loveladies Harbor, Barnegat Bay, N.J.

We have two new boats and three new sailors!!!

Brand new Kaigan (coast + enlightenment) and Sunny II (Son of Sunny) are Champagne Christened and added to the fleet. We are five boats strong now including the virtually brand new Cher and the seasoned Red Weather. Maris Sella Yacht #1 Sunny stayed home this year. So, we have four racing yachts in this year's regatta.

Team sailing is a new concept for us this year as Kyle and Graham join forces as a race entry and Caroline joins Ross for another team entry. Veterans David, Linda and Stuart sail solo.

Five teams, four boats = five races.

Also new this year, we have an official race committee in an official committee boat!! Cathie and Rosemary expertly manage the races from the kayak. A thousand thanks.

After ten days of recreational sailing and tuneups we are ready for the Regatta. The wind is 6-8 knots out of the southeast. The Barnegat Lighthouse is clearly in view just northeast of the racecourse. It's a beautiful day for racing.

They're off! Dave, Linda and Kyle/Graham hit the starting line while Stu attempts a pin side port tack start and reaches the line a little behind the others. O.K., way behind. Dave/Kaigan gets to the upwind mark first closely pursued by Linda/Cher and the Boys in Red Weather a length back. Stu/Sunny II is boatlengths behind. The west coast sailing legend Dave can't hold his lead downwind and is no match for 2003 champion Linda as she blows by for a very impressive race #1 victory. The Kyle/Graham team finishes respectably in third. The committee and the bye team are in awe of Linda's speed downwind and one of us is clearly recalling her amazing downwind passing of Stuart in '03, the leg that modernized the club fleet.

Race #2. Kyle/Graham sit. Ross/Caroline race with Linda, Dave and Stu. Ross/Caroline get a pretty good start in Red Weather but carrying about 260 lbs. of personnel I'm expecting the other three boats to go right by me. It turns out that Caroline is helping a lot to balance the boat and report the status of the other boats going upwind while I concentrate on sail trim. Red Weather is actually holding its own in boatspeed. We make a couple of reasonably smooth tacks and amazingly find ourselves first at the upwind mark. We are going downwind about five lengths in front of Linda but she is definitely going faster than we are. She is closing fast and on starboard. We are in trouble. I can hear her saying, "go Cher, go Cher, go Cher." Caroline is doing a great job of both holding up the daggerboard up and steadying the boom as she warns, "Linda is getting close." We jibe and reach a little bit and pick up some speed. As leeward boat we hold Linda off a little on a northerly course and then bee-line back to the pin end finish line. We just barely beat Linda with Dave and Stu finishing 3 and 4. I think that everyone is surprised that Red Weather could sail with the new boats.

Race # 3. Linda sits out and the boys race in Cher. All I remember about this one is that when we were just about to the upwind mark I asked Caroline where the other racers were and she replied that "Kyle and Graham are pretty close, my dad is right next to them and Uncle Dave is in the water." And that's how race #3 finished with Red Weather in first, the amazing boys in second, Stu third and Dave last.

Race # 4. Stu rests this one. Red Weather gets another good start. At about a minute Dave and Kyle/Graham tack to port while Ross/Caroline and Linda continue on starboard. Linda tacks as does Red Weather. RW reaches the lay line ahead of Linda and K/G & Dave who are coming up on starboard. Another downwind screamer with Linda again closing the gap between second and first. Red Weather holds its lead to finish first, Linda/Cher second, the boys/Sunny II third and Dave/Kaigan last.

Race # 5. Dave sits out and the boys race in Kaigan. Stuart gets a great start and takes command. The boys just edge Red Weather at the top mark with Linda a few lengths behind. Stu stretches his lead downwind and runs away with at least a 15 boatlength victory. The boys lead most of the way downwind but Red Weather edges them at the finish line. Linda finishes in last.

It's all over. The team of Ross and Caroline win the Barnegat Light Trophy for 2004. Last year's champion Linda comes in second. The new generation team of Kyle and Graham come in third. Stuart is fourth. Dave is last.

We follow up racing day with fun sailing on the bay in strong winds and big waves. We certainly had some awesome and unforgettable sailing this summer. Just putting the boats in, taking them out and cleaning them up every day was fun. Using the hoist, tying the bridle knot, jumping off the dock, drinking beer, kayaking, catching crabs....Loveladies 2004 was great.

I can't wait until next year.....more sailors, more boats.