Fishers Island YC 'Rround Fishers Island Race
Current: ebb 1311 Napatree Pt, 1321 Race Pt
Weather: Clear 80's, Wind: SW 5-6, occasional 8-10 kts
Course: FI West Harbor, ccw - shortened at Lord's;  Distance: 9.9 nm
Crew: BF, AL, GC, RW

This was our twelfth effort at the Fishers Island YC Around the Island Race.

Leaving Spicers dock about nine for the motor over, we arrived to find the RC posting Course 1, the predominate counter-clockwise course. In twelve years we've gone clockwise only four times.  Interestingly, we placed in three of those four races, with a first and two thirds. We have placed out of the money in all the counter-clockwise races.

Starting in only 5 to 6 knots of wind, we were concerned about being sweep over the line early.  I held back on starboard with the motor until the five minute warning, for best positioning. After hardening up on starboard following a good start to windward of fleet at the committee boat, we tacked to port for more height.  Passing the southern tip of Flat Hammock I remembered too late the back-eddy we've taken advantage of there going the opposite way on Wednesday nights; as we found ourselves suddenly going nowhere.

Back in the deeper water, current in our favor we made North Hill R"2" in reasonable time and saw Just Friends out ahead continuing on port and Watercolors on starboard for current relief along the west shore in accordance with our strategy. We could see the International One-Designs already offshore on starboard for Race Point, yet I was reluctant to abandon our west shore strategy, gambling that the breeze would fill on the beach first as it has in the past so many times. So we dilly-dallied at North Hill going nowhere for nearly an hour, before finally sailing out on port to the offshore breeze. 

Nearing North Hill about 15 minutes into the race the GPS began to beep with a low battery message.  Fortunately Art had brought some along and we eventually replaced them.

Finally offshore on starboard, the distance to Race Point clicked off rapidly in an eight knot breeze.  Rounding Race Point at the end of the flood with a smooth set in a 7 to 8 knot breeze, we quickly determined those ahead were not making much headway so we opted for the shore.

The long haul down the back side of the island was much different than last weeks Ram Island YC race.  Nearing Wilderness Point the wind died to less than six for nearly an hour, though we had more than the unfortunate offshore.

Watercolors slowly worked their way inshore for the breeze. For the better part of a half hour we were ahead of them till Isabella Beach when the wind came back 8 to 10 knots  for a half hour or so, dying again as we neared the eastern end of the island two miles short of Lords MOA.  Trimming the spinnaker was exasperating and we replaced the port sheet with 1/8" line and continued to milk it for all it was worth for nearly another hour, finally crossing the line at Lord's MOA at 1525 hours. Thankfully, the RC decided early on to shorten the race at Lord's.

We quickly got the iron-jib on and going and chose the shorter course home through Wicopessett Pass against a ripping three knot spring tide.  After about an hour of motoring along the north shore of Fishers and drawing abeam Brooks Point, the motor conked out with an expensive sounding clank. We quickly set the sails again and began to sail for Noank, Fishers party no longer an option. With the fickle southwest breeze it appeared we would be swept back east, yet within twenty minutes or it died altogether and was replaced by a new warm 10 to 12 north wind off the Connecticut shore giving us a very pleasant sail all the way from Middle-Ground to our mooring at Spicers.

Link to chart

Results
Pos  Yacht  Type                    Skipper      PHRF  Elapsed  Corrected
1 Crystal Slipper    C&C38MKIII  Cavanaugh  113   208.749  211.21
2 Chkrd Demon     Holland 30   O'Connell    161   227.554  213.00
3 Just Friends       Wanderer     Purcell       216   249.400  215.00
4 Salud               Pearson 30    Sarges       174   235.411  215.97
5 Legacy III         C&C 34        Read          147   226.260  216.52
6 SeTherin          Catalina 22    Magner       273   276.795  220.55
7 Watercolors      Morgan 28     Drinkuth     207   256.014  223.59
8 Jolly Mon          C&C RW 30    Loveday     194   252.078  224.40
9 Rogue             Newport 29    Simonds     126   228.156  225.90
10 Brer Rabbit     C&C 33          Loweth      151   245.105  233.06
11 Tynaje           Ohlsen 38      Ross           143   248.746  239.56
12 Second Draft  Catalina 30      Peacock     180   269.281  244.80
13 Xapisma         Pearson424K   Welsh        171   290.329  267.58

Elapsed Time
-5.07 would have moved us into 5th
-5.77 would have moved us into 4th
-6.99 would have moved us into 3rd
-9.50 would have moved us into 2nd
-11.75 would have moved us into 1st

Fishers Island Y.C. Around F.I. Race
Current: flood 1108 Napatree
Course: Clockwise Distance: 15.0
Weather: E 18-20, G25 FI
Crew: Jeff Lamothe, Seth & RW

While motoring over to Fishers Island a bit before nine below a low overcast, it appeared the forecast of a blustery day was going to hold true. So we began to gear up for heavy-duty winds as best we could, frictioned down the keel, rigged the first reef, jacklines bow to stern, secured all loose items as best we could, stowed the genoa and hanked on the twenty-two year-old lapper.  All three of us donned our SOS Suspender PFD's. Last time I used the lapper was a Thames YC race Scott Boss and I did back in 'September of '95.  There were about 13 boats in our class.

Jeff ended up as the designated breakwater forward on the rail.  Conditions at the start were similar to this past Wednesday night with an approximate 5-knot higher average wind.  Hardest day on the water I've had in a long time. I'm sure Jeff & Seth feel the same. We would have benefited with one more for the rail.

We started with a first reef and the lapper (approximately a 110 with a short luff), the jib that came with the boat (April 1980). From the start we immediately went north out past the green can toward the Mystic River, and then did a number of tacks down the Sound, thinking to ride the last of the ebb. Don't know if it helped or not; the port tacks were brutal.  I noticed the flood began to take effect somewhere around Latimers. So maybe we should have stayed in?

After rounding Lord's MOA, we put up the genoa and shook out the reef, taking our time for safety, Seth using the harness on the foredeck.  I wondered if the we would get a better current push and more wind by going farther out, but took the middle road up the backside, with an occasional surf up to eight knots. We did a port w&w the first half, finished the leg on starboard, put the reef back in prior to rounding Race Point, but kept the genoa on to the finish.  Going up the west shore of Fishers, I often thought of taking out the reef, but thought better of it with the next gust; with another on the rail we certainly could have. We corrected to third and Petrel won, not sure but I think Hot Fudge was second.  I was content just to have finished with no damage or injuries. 

Eighty-nine boats started, seventy-two finished. We got the first place Island Cup Non-spinnaker Award for the best out of all three Island Races: Ram, Mason & Fishers.  About time for a new lapper!?

After the motor home, Jeff, Seth & I wound down a bit more with a couple drinks at the Seahorse. Now two days later my shoulder is talking to me.

Link to chart 1
Link to chart 2

   Yacht            Type           PHRF    Elapsed   Corrected

1  Petrel            Luders 30    213      179.06    155.03 
2  Hot Fudge     Sadler 34     184      172.39    155.77
3  SeTherin       Catalina 22   293      205.29    159.35
4  Starchaser     Hunter 34    172      179.88    165.53
5  MastTransit    J-27            145      175.47    168.45
6  Blind Date      Sabre 38 II  134      172.64    168.70
7  Magic III        Catalina 36   163      181.88    169.72
8  Orion            Hunter 36    171      191.70    176.68 
9  Sonja           CapeDory27  257     228.76     186.24
10 Irish Lady     Ranger 26    216      227.50     196.12
11 Chewaba     Chance 32    156      DNF
12 Puffin          Aloha 32      181      DNF
13 Halcyon       Nonsuch 30  192      DNF
14 Tern Royale Tartan 30     196      DNS
15 Shoshin       Contest 29              DNS