NEWS

Reported by Darrell Dwyer, President, Hudson River YRA

2023

Hudson River Race Recap

Nyack Boat Club’s “Hudson River Race” took place on Saturday, October 7^th, and once again Mother Nature threw everything at the racers to make things interesting. Light to non-existent winds greeted the boats showing up at the start line. As if this wasn’t enough, it rained throughout the day. None of this put a damper on the twelve boats that showed up to do this distance race. After a forty-five minute postponement, the RC set the race in motion. Using a “pursuit race” format, the boats started in descending order based on their PHRF numbers. The idea is to stagger the starts so that theoretically all the boats will be finishing in close proximity to each other. Each boat is given a time to start based on the distance of the course and the difference in the PHRF numbers between each competitor with the scratch boat starting last. The postponement had at least one boat miscalculating their new start time and this caused them a costly detour when they had to restart.

The spinnaker boats had a 12 nautical mile course while the non-spinnaker fleet traveled 7 nautical miles for this race. The wind was from the SSE at about 6kts. so the racers had a downwind start and first leg of the course. As the boats reached the first, and only, mark of their respective courses, the wind backed to the NW. With a new front arriving, the velocity increased to more than 20kts. with gusts reaching over 30kts. Spinnakers were not needed to complete the final leg of the race and needless to say it was a wild ride!

Thanks to all the folks at Nyack Boat Club for pulling off this innovative race and persevering in less than ideal conditions. With this race, the HRYRA racing season is officially over.

Last Chance Regatta Recap

Nyack Boat Club is the farthest south of the HRYRA member clubs. It is also the largest club, and while some clubs are small “mom and pop” affairs, NBC has a corporate feel, something like General Motors. General Motors has divisions; Chevrolet, Cadillac etc., while Nyack’s racing program is broken into eight fleets each with their own cadre of officers. The Cruising Fleet organizes the PHRF racing that makes up the HRYRA events held at NBC. I say events because Nyack is the only club that currently holds more than one HRYRA event each year. The other event being the Hudson River Distance Race traditionally held the Saturday after the Last Chance Regatta.

Once again, the weather conspired to wreak havoc with racing on the Hudson River at the Last Chance Regatta on September 30 – October 1^st. Torrential rain for Friday leading into Saturday caused several boats to postpone their delivery to Nyack Boat Club’s “Last Chance Regatta”. Saturday morning brought thick fog that caused one boat to skip the pea soup route to Nyack. Another brave soul made the trip in a solo adventure that speaks to how dedicated our HRYRA racers can be! Fortunately, by race time, the fog had lifted and the rain was over. The wind was averaging 20 kts with higher gusts. The RC had plans to do all windward/leeward courses and the racing area, well out of the channel, minimized the current effects. In other words, good conditions to put one’s boat handling and tactical skills to a test.

The first race was one lap around the aforementioned w/l course. The spinnaker fleet boats completed this race in about half an hour. Interestingly in both 1 and 2 fleets, the first finisher had a good lead but all of the subsequent finishers were quite close with thirty seconds to less than a minute separating all of the boats. With the strong winds, most boats, were not flying spinnakers so it was not surprising that the lead boat in Fleet 3 (non-spinnaker division) posted the fastest corrected time for this race at just under 30 minutes. Fleet 3 was also the largest fleet with eight boats starting in this race.

The second race of the day was the same course and again the boats had to complete one lap of this windward/leeward course. The results were almost a carbon copy (exact duplicate for anyone born in the digital age!) of the first race.

As in any sport, a long season takes its toll on competitors. Gear failure, injury, fatigue or just plain frazzled nerves have even the best teams coming up short at the end of a season. So, it was not surprising that at this third race several boats had retired for the day. As the last race of the day was to begin, the wind subsided a bit, averaging around 15 kts. The RC posted a two lap course for Fleets 1 and 2 with Fleet 3 going once around. This longer race, after a full day of racing resulted in boats finishing with more time between them. When the RC called it a day at around 3:00 pm., pretty much everyone had had their fill of excitement and competition for one day!

Sunday could not have been more different; no fog and bright sunshine greeted the boats arriving at the start line. The wind was also present in great abundance, a steady 20 kts. with many higher gusts. The wind, from the north was opposing the flooding current resulting in some big waves. The RC postponed for a bit while an ill member was ferried back to the dock. It’s not hard to imagine the cause of this unfortunate person’s malady given the sea state!

Again windward/leeward racing was the order off the day and a one lap course was set for all fleets when the postponement was over. Lots of small head sails and some reefed mains graced the boats as they struggled to minimize leeway upwind. With more wind than was needed to get your boat up to hull speed, and no spinnakers flown, it’s not surprising that the boats finished relatively close together in this race. A broken boom vang resulted in one less boat finishing in Fleet 1, Fleet 2 had one less boat, and Fleet 3 had two less than were on the start line on Saturday. Clearly the challenging conditions were having their toll on the HRYRA racers.

The last race for the day and the regatta was one lap around the now quite familiar course. There was some close competition for the first place finishers in the spinnaker fleets. The regatta winner in Fleet 3 was assured as one boat had scored nothing but bullets in the first four races. After two days with lots of wind and multiple races, it ultimately came down to one last lap around the marks to determine the winners in the Spinnaker fleets. Good competition, unpredictable conditions and a yacht club willing to host a great weekend of sailing certainly is what keeps us all coming back to engage in this seriously exciting sport.

Minisceongo’s Sutherland Regatta Recap

Minisceongo’s Sutherland Regatta took place on September 23 – 24th amid some of the worst weather predictions ever. To paraphrase one competitor (and Bob Dylan) “Even a weatherman doesn’t know which way the wind blows!”

The forecast predicted a tropical storm with torrential rain and winds gusting into the high 30’s. Several boats informed the RC at Minisceongo Yacht Club that they were not planning on attending. Hoping to salvage the weekend, the racing for Saturday was canceled and the after race dinner was moved indoors. Sunday was left open.

The storm stalled and the predicted weather never materialized. The good news was the dinner served up by the members of Minisceongo was a fabulous success and would have put any New York City steakhouse to shame. Not only was the steak cooked to order by a seasoned staff working the outdoor grills but the side dishes were plentiful and most tasty. But wait there’s more; a plethora of home baked deserts finished off this sumptuous meal and made the disappointment of no racing a bit more palatable.

Sunday’s forecast was worse than the one for Saturday. Again the weather predicting professionals must have taken the weekend off as the forecast could not have been more wrong. Little rain and light variable winds greeted the racers on Sunday morning as they headed out to the start mark. Unfortunately, the H mark was not in place to greet the boats that vainly looked for it. The RC found a white ball shaped fender and with the help of a seasoned racer, the H mark was replaced. More confusion ensued when a course was announced using an outdated course sheet. A snafu in the starting sequence led to a postponement of the first race. Eventually things settled in and a race got off. I should add at this point something my good friend George Samalot always said; “The only thing you should ever say to a Race Committee is; “Thank you!” So I’ll say it now; “Thank you,” to the Minisceongo Race Committee. They are a group of volunteers and we couldn’t enjoy our sport without their help.

The first race for all the fleets was a short windward/leeward course of about 1.2 nautical miles. Though a short course, it proved very challenging. The current was ebbing and if the light winds with constant lulls and gusts wasn’t enough to keep you on your toes, the 60 degree shifts certainly would! Someone commented after tacking in a header that seemed to never end; “My boat was pointing to Nyack instead of buoy “D”!” The conditions seemed to favor the lighter, more nimble boats. The spinnaker fleet boats finished this race in a little more than twenty minutes, that is except for one of the aforementioned “light and nimble” boats that completed the course in a little more than nineteen minutes corrected time. The non-spinnaker fleet had a really good turnout with seven boats (five from MYC) and their finish times were more spread out (23 to 33 minutes corrected) which reflects the large PHRF spread in this division.

The second race sent the spinnaker boats on a longer (a little more than 3 miles) triangular course that had an upwind finish. This race was characterized by “Lulls and shifts galore” as one racer put it and “Keeping your head out of the boat,” really paid off in gaining boat lengths on your competitors. Most of the spinnaker fleet boats finished this course in around fifty minutes with the lead boat in Fleet 2 besting everyone’s time, completing the course in around 49 minutes corrected time. Fleet 3 completed the same course they had sailed in the first race. This fleet was becoming a match race for the first two places and a battle for the middle of the pack finisher. In other words, good competition which always makes people bring their A game to the race.

The final race of the day was the windward/leeward course used for the first race except twice around for the spinnaker fleets and one lap for the Fleet 3 boats. The Fleet 1 boats had a three way tie for first place going into this last race which always makes for some good competitive racing. Two boats in Fleet 2 were tied for second place, and the non-spinnaker fleet had several boats vying for the third place award for the regatta (first and second places were basically locked up in this fleet). In this final race the battle for third place in the non-spinnaker fleet was the closest, with only twenty-five seconds separating two boats with equal PHRF’s at the finish!

The light fluky winds were certainly not in the prediction and are the kind of conditions that make racers from other locations come to appreciate the skill it takes to be successful racing on our Hudson River. Congratulations to all the racers for their perseverance under trying circumstances. Many thanks for all of the dedicated volunteers at Minisceongo Yacht Club for pulling off a great weekend despite the dire predictions for catastrophic weather.

Shattemuc Regatta Recap

Shattemuc Yacht Club held its 139th Annual Open HRYRA Regatta September 9-10th. If you were not there, you missed a really great and exciting event! The Shattemuc webpage touts the club as “Your Home on the Hudson” and it sure feels that way. (Full disclosure, Cc and I were Shattemuc members for more than 20 years.) The fairly recent, newly configured docks have an outer row that is reserved for transient boaters. So, for the Regatta, this transient dock is full of boats that traveled to race, making it a “neighborhood” of like-minded souls for the weekend. In addition, the club allowed visiting racers to keep their boats there after the Regatta gratis so that they didn’t have to travel back and forth for the next Fall Regatta at Minisceongo. Now that’s truly a home away from home!

The Friday storms, that affected several boats’ delivery to Shattemuc, were also in the forecast for the weekend. Unfortunately, absent from the weather forecast was any mention of wind. Luckily, as fickle as the winds can be on the Hudson so are the weather forecasts. Saturday was a beautiful day with no rain and a steady moderate wind from the north. Steady is the operative word here as the shifts were so slight that the race committee was able to “set and forget” the start/finish lines as well as the windward and leeward marks for the entire day of racing, with drop marks set about a mile apart. The Shattemuc Race Committee crew has a long history of working together (as well as acting as visiting PRO’s at this year’s Hudson Cove Regatta) and their experience was apparent as the first race went off exactly as scheduled.

All three fleets had a course that sent them on a one lap course of approximately 2.4 nautical miles. The start is usually a major factor when the wind is steady and the course is short. This seemed to be the case with this race. The finishes were close (29 seconds between the 2^nd and 4^th boats in Fleet 1 and 12 seconds between the 2^nd and 3^rd boats in Fleet 2 for example) . The non-spinnaker boats in Fleet 3 had a good turnout of four boats and their finishers were more spread out mainly due to the large difference in PHRF numbers.

The second race of the day was the same course but this time the boats had to complete two full laps of the windward/leeward course. The longer course, with two spinnaker sets and douses, put more of a premium on crew work, especially noticeable with some of the close mark roundings. This is where the racing rules of sailing are so necessary, allowing boats to be in close contact in an orderly manner. It was great to see our Hudson River racers get around these marks neck and neck not only without incident but virtually in silence as boats ceded the right of way without having to be reminded of their obligation. Of course, on individual boats sometimes there was a bit more dialogue when sails failed to go up or down properly! This second race took about an hour or so and had the boats a bit more spread out at the finish. Still there was not much more than a minute between the top finishers in the spinnaker fleets. Fleet 3’s finishing line up was identical to the first race with the first and second place finishers having the closest race.

With the wind still blowing its’ steady and moderate flow and the day still young, the RC opted for a third race. Someone used the radio to remind the RC that the NOR had mentioned two races scheduled for each day. No one else chimed in. Although the thought of a cold brew ashore might cross anyone’s mind at this time, the wind still steady and the forecast for Sunday being not too bright, made more racing seem right.

The third race of the day (and for the regatta as it turned out) was another one lapper. This course, by now, had become something predictable; current, wind and mark locations were all dialed in. All that remained was to execute what was known. The finishes for Fleet 1 were the closest of the day with just a little over a minute separating first from third place in Fleet 1. Fleet 2 had even closer racing with just one second between first and second place and only 13 seconds between the rest of the fleet. Now that’s seriously close competition! Fleet 3 did not have a third race. The racing over, we motored in for food, libations and the part where you come up with a plausible story about how your good fortune on the race course was due to great decision making rather than a fluke of nature!

One unique aspect of Shattemuc Yacht Club is a fully stocked bar (brands of Tequila that are rarely seen north of the border!) where you can go to ease any sorrows acquired on the race course. Besides the tranquilizing effect of the liquids available there, the bartender also holds a doctorate in psychology providing a more professional bent to the process of soothing the wounded ego!

Plied with plates of burgers, hotdogs, salads and desserts, the crowd slowly retreated home or perhaps to their boat to sleep perchance to dream of heroic actions on the water tomorrow.

Whatever weather God that made Saturday such a great day of racing obviously took Sunday off from work, leaving us with a morning with no wind and the looks of an impending storm. The RC wisely postponed from shore while we all waited. Many racers hung out on their boats in the aforementioned “transient village” on the outer dock. Some racers took naps on their boat and some racers took their boats out on the water to hang out while we waited for wind. The wind did show up rather late, but so did the rain storm and with the storm the wind was shifting from north to south and back again repeatedly. When the storm left, so did the wind. Getting restless, a keg was tapped and food brought out. After about two hours, the RC wisely called it quits for the day, and abandoned the races that had been scheduled.

If you only had to have one day of racing, you couldn’t have had a better one than was had at Shattemuc regatta this year. Having good conditions to race is always a gamble in our sport but it’s what keeps everyone coming back; those perfect conditions where everything just clicks. It’s a feeling that can’t be beaten. If you missed your chance last weekend don’t fret Minisceongo Regatta is just around the corner (September 23^rd and 24^th) so don’t delay go register and get in on all the fun!

HRYRA Participation in the 2023 Around Long Island Regatta

The Around Long Island Regatta took place last week, starting on July 27, 2023. Hudson River racers were well represented by four boats. This grueling race was even more daunting this year with high winds and big seas at the start causing 16 boats to drop out early. Another 22 boats retired during the course of the race. All four HRYRA boats finished. “Random”, skippered by Bob Millstein from Shattemuc Yacht Club, took a 3^rd place in PHRF Fleet 4. “Ripple”, skippered by Mike Colucci from Chelsea Yacht Club, took a 4^th in PHRF Fleet 3. “A Boy’s Dream”, skippered by John Stephenson from Kingston Sailing Club, took 5th in PHRF Fleet 3. In the Double-Handed division, “Nereus”, skippered by Paul Engel from Hudson Cove Yacht Club, took a 4^th place finish. Mike Colucci reported that it was; “A trying race with heavy winds, times of no wind, following seas, wind on the nose and the occasional water spout [just to keep things interesting!].” Congratulations to our dauntless Hudson River sailors for their perseverance, seamanship and adventurous spirits.

Ilse Biedermann Women’s Challenge Cup Recap

Shattemuc Yacht Club hosted the first revival of the Ilse Biedermann Women’s Challenge Cup on July 8th and it was a resounding success! It was a revival because SYC member Ilse Biedermann first suggested this event in 1992 when she realized that though an avid sailor she was not well versed in all of the skills, systems and procedures that go into making a day on the water “smooth sailing.” Her original intent was to encourage women to take a more active role in sailing the family boat. After many years and several different venues and various configurations, it was wonderful to see this event return to its’ roots at its’ home yacht club.

Many thanks go to Vicki Arbitrio who made the whole thing possible. After a dedicated search of the Shattemuc archives Vicki even found the original Women’s Challenge Cup logo and Ilse’s letter proposing the event to the Commodore and Race Committee at the club.

The forecast, typical for Hudson River summers, was not too promising for sailing. Five boats showed up to race. Despite a forecast of thunderstorms and little or no wind somehow the weather cooperated enough and three races were held in light winds. The RC set windward/leeward courses. A spinnaker fleet and a solo non-spinnaker boat had a fine time chasing each other around.

I think that Ilse would have been proud to know that the only boat with an all women crew won the spinnaker division handily with three bullets (first place finishes)! Even in her original letter Ilse realized that it might prove difficult to always have all of the boats crewed with all women sailors. To help field more boats, the Notice of Race allowed for men on board provided that women helmed, skippered and navigated the boats. I know when I was onboard during a previous women’s regatta, my only job was to serve food and drinks!

Another fine tradition that Ilse started was that the after race party had some of the finest food that you could imagine. Ilse being a terrific cook and baker would again have been happy to know that this tradition was more than adequately upheld. Her son, and past SYC Commodore Andy Biedermann and another veteran SYC member Ted Rathjen orchestrated a barbeque banquet that was out of this world. Numerous appetizers, including many trays of freshly shucked oysters, were consumed before the attendees were fed some of the best barbeque ribs and chicken that you could get no matter how hard you looked. Barbeque in many parts of this country is something that evokes emotions usually associated with religion, politics or fanatical devotion to a sports team. Knowing this I approached the pit master gingerly as I tried to ply from him what seasoning he had used on the food. His resistance to my query was so resolute I probably would have had a better chance obtaining the nuclear codes from the White House!

Thanks again for all the Shattemuc members that came together to make this event such an amazing success. It was a women’s regatta but the event felt more like a family gathering with much good cheer and the prospect of looking forward to many more get togethers like this.

Hudson Cove Merberg Regatta Recap – June 24 – 25, 2023

This year’s Hudson Cove Merberg Regatta reminded me of something that Winston Churchill once said; “Never have so many owed so much to so few.” Hudson Cove Yacht Club’s membership is around thirty; plus with no clubhouse and surrounded by the hubbub of one of the largest commercial marinas on the East Coast, it is not the easiest place to run a regatta. This year, the management of Safe Harbor Marina at Haverstraw threw in their complete support for the gang at Hudson Cove and it certainly made things easier. Free slips on the south side of the Marina were available for all the racers (that’s where all of the amenities are) and a space to hold the after race festivities were included in the marina’s hospitality.

Good weather was not in the offing for this past weekend, but that’s life, especially on the mighty Hudson. The forecast was for thunderstorms and little wind. Some racers contemplated throwing in the towel early but the ability to duck into the marina and nab one of those free slips made the chance of bad weather seem more tolerable.

After a “harbor postponement” due to lack of wind and poor visibility, twelve boats showed up in the starting area for Saturday’s race. There were four boats registered in Fleet 3 which had been unrepresented at one regatta this year. This is progress, as this non-spinnaker division is typically where new racers begin racing in HRYRA.

The first race had all of the fleets sail a short windward /leeward course of 1.4 miles. The wind was light from the Southeast and the current was supposed to be flooding. The Hudson River didn’t consult the tide charts and the current switched much earlier than predicted. This made strategic decisions more guess work than usual. The downwind leg saw boats gain and lose the most in this race. Fleet 1 had a fair amount of separation between the first and last finishers. Fleet 2 had a really close finish with just 25 seconds between the first and second boats.

It took Fleet 3 over an hour for all the boats to finish, the combination of no spinnakers and light wind had them averaging just a little over one knot for this course.

The second race of the day was basically the same course for Fleets 1 and 2 but to a racing mark further South, making it 3 miles long. In an apparent move to save time, the RC had Fleets 1 and 2 start together. The wind was up a little but had shifted more to the east making it impossible to fetch the start line on starboard tack. All but one boat started at the pin on port tack. The shift in the wind made this race a proverbial “drag race” with no tacking or gybing on both legs of the course. Basically, where you started was where you finished. More than one Fleet 2 competitor complained later that starting with the faster boats under these conditions guaranteed that they sailed in disturbed air for the upwind leg.

Fleet 3 wisely was given the same shorter course that they had sailed in the first race. They had a close finish with just 38 seconds elapsed time separating the first two boats to cross the finish line.

Hudson Cove put on an after race party that was perfect for the event. There were plenty of cold drinks and lots of great food. The rain never materialized but a well-pitched tent was there to keep the elements off of the regatta celebrants just in case.

Sunday’s weather was more promising, the visibility was better and rain did not seem to be threatening to put a damper on things. The wind was from the Northwest but the current was starting to ebb hard as the race was scheduled to start.

The RC set the longest course for the regatta for all the fleets. Fleets 1 and 2 had a 4.5 mile course that sent them into the teeth of the current for the windward mark. Fleet 3 had the same windward mark but sailed a shorter downwind leg. The combination of a dying wind and a building current made getting to the windward mark a Herculean effort.

This race was a classic Hudson River battle of wind vs. current. As is often the case, the unrelenting current wins more often than not. The trick to this course was to hug the east shore out of the current and then tack out in the river once you were well north of the windward mark. Unfortunately, siren like puffs of wind blew temptingly, causing more than a few boats to tack out early hoping to get a jump on their competitors. Boat after boat failed to fetch the first mark only to have to fight their way back up current in increasingly rare puffs of wind. At least one competitor radioed the RC to ask if they had any thoughts about [changing] this race that was effectively stalled. No one had to anchor but there were times forward progress was more than halted. Upon rounding the windward mark, one boat’s crew could be heard cheering and crew members on another boat cracked open beers to celebrate the momentous occasion. Once around the mark, everything changed and the proverbial “tidy bowl” effect flushed the boats South sometimes with such speed that their spinnakers collapsed! Finishing the race looked doubtful as the time limit of two hours seemed likely to expire. When the fastest boat in Fleet 1 finished in time, it seemed that there wasn’t enough time for another boat to finish in the 45 minute window. At least these were the thoughts that were filling the heads of the racers that were still struggling to get around the windward mark! Ultimately the wind/current battle switched and the wind prevailed. All but one boat in Fleet 1 and another in Fleet 3 finished this grueling race.

This last race had the greatest separation in the spinnaker fleets with 37 minutes elapsed time between the first and last boats in Fleet 1. Fleet 2 had 25 minutes separating the first and last boat in their race. Fleet 3 had the closest race and this is most likely due to the RC wisely shortening their course.

Well, despite some disappointments, it is always better to have raced and lost than to not have raced at all! Seeing some new faces collecting regatta trophies was a delight. The enthusiasm of a couple of these winners would put a smile on even the most jaded person. The Hudson Cove members put a lot of work into making sure that the regatta was a success. The Shattemuc Yacht Club team of Peter Oden and Mick McGuire served as PRO’s (gratis I might add) and Safe Harbor came through with accommodations. So it was a mighty team effort and well appreciated by all who were there.

Chelsea Regatta Recap – June 10 – 11, 2023

Chelsea Yacht Club held their Annual Open Regatta last weekend. It was one of the best attended HRYRA regattas in recent memory. The great turnout might have something to do with how friendly and welcoming the sailors at Chelsea are noted for being. Concierge mooring service greeted the many traveling yachts as the launch motored out and escorted you to your assigned mooring. One skipper noted that; “I was welcomed like an old acquaintance by Sven [our launch driver].” After making sure your boat was secured, you were instructed to give them “a call on the VHF when you’re ready to head to shore,” before the launch motored off to help the next boat. Now that’s how to make someone feel welcome! The welcoming didn’t end with the mooring but virtually “every club member we ran into made us feel at home,” throughout the weekend one attendee proclaimed.

The forecast for the much needed ingredient for yacht racing, i.e., wind was not too favorable for the weekend. Saturday morning the current seemed to be ebbing at a faster speed than the southerly wind. After a brief postponement, the RC sent Fleet 1 off on a fairly short windward/leeward course. The current was a major factor, especially in having to avoid being over early at the start. The light fluky wind had Fleet 1 finishing their race in a bit less than an hour with the boats fairly spread out. Second place was hotly contested with two boats finishing with just 20 seconds separating them.

Upon finishing, it became apparent that Fleet 2 was in a postponement having not started their first race. At least one Fleet 2 skipper could be heard voicing a strong opinion about how unhappy this situation was. Midway through Fleet 2’s rolling start, with the wind getting lighter, the RC had hoisted the AP flag to postpone. Then things really got interesting for the eight boats in this fleet.

Maybe the RC had a technical issue one competitor surmised, but after the initial postponement, the warning flag was hoisted with everyone getting back to prestart race mode only to have another postponement. What now??? Everyone was wondering after the third time an AP flag was put up signaling yet another delay. “By this time I was totally confused;” remarked one Fleet 2 skipper. The confusion of all these flag hoistings wasn’t helped by the fact that with not much wind, it makes it hard to see the flags.

With rolling starts, the first race finally began for Fleets 2, 3 and Chelsea’s Ensigns. The start of Race 2 for Fleet 1 followed. The wind was light, but enough to sail in. The wind decreased as the boats sailed to the windward mark and big shifts were the order of the day. With the faster boats starting last, there were some exciting moments at the windward mark with some of the smallest boats getting sandwiched between the larger ones. That’s what the racing rules are all about and though some eyes might have widened, everyone got around the course without mishap. That is unless you encountered one of the hazards at Chelsea; namely the shallows just south and east of the mooring field. Two boats ran aground there (one from Fleet 1 and the other in Fleet 2). It was the first trip for both of these skippers to this regatta (“Nothing like learning local knowledge the hard way!”). Prompt seamanship freed the Fleet 2 competitor and the Fleet 1 boat had to use its’ engine and then rightly retired from the race. Going out into the river seemed to work as there was more wind to be found there. Fleet 2 had some really close racing with only 26 seconds corrected time between the first and second finishers.

Fleet 3 saw more separation between their boats but this fleet also had the largest PHRF spread. Still there were some close finishes with several of these boats correcting over spinnaker boats. The final race of the day, and for the regatta as it would turn out, had the wind shift to the west. The RC used the same course as for the previous races so by now everyone had learned their way around. The wildcard, as usual on the Hudson, was the wind. It died, for most of the boats, at the windward mark which caused for some crowded mark roundings. Gybing away from the crowd, and confused air, seemed to pay off. The shifty wind picked up again on the downwind leg. Fleet 1 had boats that made three spinnaker sets and douses on this one leg! The lead in this fleet also changed several times. It was the kind of racing that really keeps you focused, as anything can happen. This was the closest race for the regatta. In Fleet 2, there was a virtual drag race to the finish with a mere 36 seconds between the first and second place boats. Fleet 1 had some similar close finishes with some gusty winds that had boats working hard to keep from rounding up at times. Fleet 3 had their closest and quickest race of the day with one of their boats posting the fastest elapsed time around the course for any boat in the regatta. As one competitor put it; “Another typical Hudson River day of haves (wind) and have-nots ([no] wind)!”

Sunday was a total bust with no wind to be had. The RC canceled the day’s event after an hour and a half of boats milling about.

The post-race party Saturday night featured a guest of honor in the form of a roasted pig and all the fixings. Chelsea is known for their great parties and they really outdid themselves this year. It is amazing how much work goes into putting on such a great regatta but it sure put a
smile on everyone’s face!

Kingston Maritime Regatta Recap – June 3 – 4, 2023

Kingston Sailing Association put on their annual HRYRA Maritime Cup Regatta last weekend and Mike Colucci’s comment of “who knew there is more fun when the wind blows?” has me kicking myself for missing this event. We’ve cruised our boat to Kingston several times and, again to paraphrase Mike (and Yogi Berra as well); Kingston is so popular it’s hard to understand why more people don’t go there! It is a long trip, especially from Nyack, but once you arrive Kingston Sailing Association is a most welcoming club, and with your boat on a dock the many sites and fine restaurants are but a mere stroll away for crew and family.

Saturday was cool with the wind building from the north. The RC got off a short race in about 10 kts. of wind. The boats, in both fleets, finished relatively close to each other reflecting a fairly steady breeze. The second racecourse of the day was longer (just less than 6 miles). Unfortunately, the wind turned fluky with major shifts in direction (“a little north, a little south”) and not as strong in velocity with boats becalmed for a short period. The fickle winds allowed Fleet 1 to finish early enough for the RC to (wisely) not wait to get another race started while Fleet 2 were still battling to finish. The final race of the day (the fourth for Fleet 1 and the third for Fleet 2) was another short race (just a little over a mile) but giving Fleet 2 another chance to compete. This last race of the day provided some of the closest racing for the day in both fleets.

Of course, a regatta wouldn’t be a regatta without a chance to catch up with your fellow racers and have some refreshments. Kingston hit all the right notes and Mike Colucci proclaimed the food as being “amazing!” Besides the proverbial dogs and burgers Moroccan Stew as well as salmon and venison were not to be missed.

Sunday provided the racers with the aforementioned wind, and plenty of it! An overcast and cool day; the winds started at a moderate 10 kts. and built to 14 to 18 kts. at times. The first race of the day was a 4.75 mile course that had the boats finishing on a downwind leg. The last race of the day, and the regatta, was the longest and with two laps was also the most challenging for crew work and sail handling.

Sadly, no boats showed up to race in the non-spinnaker fleet but it was nice to see “Innovator” back on the race course and “Hee Soo” made the long trip from Nyack to compete. So let’s see if we can get a few more boats (especially in Fleet 3) to race at the Chelsea Open Regatta this weekend (June 10 & 11). Spread the word “Sailboat Racing is more fun than________” (fill in the blank with whatever excuse someone gives you for not racing or crewing!!).

PHRF Seminar Recap – February 26, 2023

Despite still being in the clutch of winter, last weekend was a busy one for Hudson River sailors. Following Saturday’s Race Management seminar at Shattemuc Yacht Club, there was a PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Formula) seminar at Minisceongo Yacht Club on Sunday afternoon, February 26th. HRYRA PHRF handicapper Mike Colucci graciously donated his time and expertise to guide people through the intricacies of obtaining a PHRF certificate in order to race their boats. Mike went over the new PHRF regulations, how to measure a head sail correctly as well as completing the form needed to get your certificate. Besides being HRYRA’s PHRF expert, Mike is also a member of the YRA of Long Island’s PHRF committee which sets the standards for our handicap racing on the Hudson.

Mike’s seminar was well attended with about a dozen people coming out. Pizza and drinks also helped to make it a “nice afternoon.” Thanks Mike and Minisceongo for making this important event a success!

Though it’s snowing, writing about sailing events, even if not held on the water, is starting to make the sailing season feel closer!

US Sailing Basic Race Management Seminar Recap

Last Saturday, February 25^th, Shattemuc Yacht Club hosted a full day US Sailing seminar in “Basic Race Management.” The event was a fantastic success! Nineteen people attended (two additional people had signed up but unfortunately came down with COVID and had to bow out) representing Shattemuc Yacht Club, Nyack Boat Club, Hudson Cove Yacht Club, Chelsea Yacht Club and Kingston Sailing Association. Both NBC and HCYC had four of their members attend this event.

US Sailing provided the curriculum. The instructor was Cynthia Parthemos, the YRALIS Coordinator of race training programs for Certified Race Officers and other race officials. The response from the attendees was quite enthusiastic; “Cynthia Parthemos is the best sailing seminar speaker…she kept us engaged all day!” The benefit of a live experience as opposed to an online course was also a plus of this event as attendees benefited “from the experiences of others.”

Breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages were provided by the members of Shattemuc and the cost was picked up by HRYRA. They provided a sumptuous array of food to help keep everyone’s brain fueled for the full day of activity.

Major thanks to Peter Oden, HRYRA’s Rules and Appeals Chair, for coordinating this seminar, Shattemuc Yacht Club for hosting and making everyone feel welcome and Cynthia Parthemos for sharing her knowledge and experience with our Hudson River sailors.

2022

2022 HRYRA / HBRA Awards Presentation

This year’s joint HRYRA/HBRA awards ceremony was held on December 3rd and it was an outstanding event! Once again Minisceongo Yacht Club graciously allowed us to use their beautiful new club house for the awards. Jean and John Nonenmacher (HBRA) as well Cc Dwyer (HRYRA Treasurer) and Liz Sugg (HRYRA Secretary) did a great job of putting the whole affair together.

Entertainment included some amazing sailing videos of world class sailors as well as some of us Hudson River sailors (some of whom are world class sailors too!). The food consisted of hot and cold appetizers, sandwiches and an array of desserts that would put any restaurant to shame

It was a great opportunity to socialize with other sailors and quaff some beverages while recalling past sailing events (perhaps some you’d prefer not to remember as well!) The award winners this year were an eclectic group. Of course, there were many of the same old faces, but also some racers new to HRYRA won awards. One winner announced that it was their first season racing and the Overall series winner was a young woman also new to skippering.

John Nonenmacher, when presenting the HBRA awards, mentioned that the large turnout of both boats on the water and number of attendees at this year’s awards shows that sailing on the Hudson is growing in attendance and enthusiasm.

Instead of kicking yourself for missing a really fun event make a mental note to attend more HRYRA regattas and definitely put the awards ceremony on your calendar for next year!

Distance Race / Last Chance Regatta Recap

Nyack Boat Club’s Last Chance Regatta was rescheduled this year due to the arrival of the remnants of hurricane Ian in our area. The old saying that; “It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good,” was certainly in effect in this case as the resulting two days of racing last weekend was absolutely spectacular. The weather, both days, was brisk but sunny and the winds were bountiful. The combination of a distance race on Saturday with all windward/leeward races on Sunday was unique and challenging. It was a perfect weekend to be out on the river sailing and what better thing to do with your boat than race it?

On Saturday, the RC sent the spinnaker boats on one of the longest courses for this race, a bit over 19 nautical miles from Nyack to buoy 26 just off of Haverstraw Marina and back to Nyack. The non-spinnaker fleet had a bit shorter course of just under 14 nautical miles that had them rounding buoy 22 in the south of Haverstraw bay as their windward mark. The wind was from the NNW and steady at 10 to 15 kts. with some higher gusts. Some good sized waves built with the long fetch and this added to the challenge of finding the fastest route on this long race. The options were; staying in the most wind, avoiding current and waves or covering your competition. The wind got a bit fluky on the downwind leg and being quick to gybe and avoid holes seemed to pay off. The last dash to the finish was really close especially considering how much ground all of the boats had to cover in this race. The two first finishers were about a minute apart and all of the spinnaker division boats finished in less than four hours. The fastest non spinnaker boats finished in just under 3 hours and a mere 5 seconds corrected time separated first from second place in this fleet!

As mentioned Sunday’s races were all windward/leeward and the RC had to work efficiently as all the races had to occur within a window of time between 9:30 and 12:30 as a NBC pursuit race was to be held that same afternoon. With the punctuality of a Japanese train system, the RC sounded the first warning signal at 9:30 sharp. Unfortunately, there was hardly a breath of wind at the appointed time. A wise skipper and NBC member using great diplomacy radioed the RC to inform them of the fallacy of their actions. Without further comment, the AP was hoisted and the race was (thankfully) postponed. The wait wasn’t long and soon enough the wind settled in from the south. During the postponement, the RC and chase boats were actively moving marks to set up a true windward/leeward course and have a start line that was square to the wind. Their precise work (e.g., “Leeward boat move 200 feet east”) was admirable and speedy. Ultimately, the RC managed to get three one lap windward/leeward races off in the allotted time. In the first race, the winds were shifty and being in phase with these shifts really paid off. The first boat in Fleet 1 finished the race in just under thirty minutes corrected time and there was only 8 seconds separating the 2^nd and 3^rd boats in this fleet. Unfortunately, only one boat was registered to race in the Fleet 2 and the RC gave them their own start making for a wide open race course for them. The non-spinnaker fleet had six boats in it and they had some close races. In race one, thirty seconds corrected time separated the first two boats and the three boats vying for third place were all within striking distance of each other.

The second race saw some crazy wind shifts (you know the ones where two boats are headed in the same direction but on opposite tacks) which had boats going from last place to first place on the final leg. These shifts, and some big holes in the wind, had the effect of spreading the boats out a bit more at the finish. There were six and thirteen minutes separating the first and last finishers respectively in Fleets 1 and 2 for this race.

The final race for the day, and for the HRYRA season, was perhaps the most exciting. A wild wind shift at the windward mark made the run to the leeward mark a really tight reach and with boats just on the edge of broaching it kept everyone on high alert. One crew member said of the windward mark rounding that you had to: “point the boat where you wanted to go and figure out what to do with the spinnaker later!” Eventually it became evident that the leeward mark couldn’t be fetched under spinnaker and the jibs came out as boats headed up to make the mark. The last beat was another tight reach with no need to tack.

Nyack Boat Club pulled off a spectacular event: the weather could not have been better and the competition was fierce. The food was autumnal and warming (butternut squash soup and chili) and the guest moorings secure. I hate to see the season end but it certainly ended on a most memorable event.

Minisceongo’s Sutherland Regatta Recap

The Sutherland Regatta, hosted by Minisceongo Yacht Club, took place last weekend and boy was it a blast. Not only did it feature the most boats racing in a HRYRA regatta this season, it also had the most races of any regatta so far this year. If that wasn’t enough, the weather, especially on Saturday, was spectacular! Six boats that don’t normally travel from their home clubs to compete in HRYRA events showed up to race. There was one new boat from Safe Harbor Marina in Fleet 1, two boats in the 2 fleet were new (one from Half Moon Bay and another from NBC) and three boats in the 3 fleet (two from NBC and one from Safe Harbor) traveled to race.

Twenty three boats in all were registered for this regatta but a mishap struck early when one of the boats in Fleet 2 had to withdraw before the first start on Saturday when their mainsail halyard parted. “Where’s George” I heard the skipper lament as he cruised around under a lonely jib enjoying the beautiful day on the water despite his boats inability to compete.

After a brief delay the RC set a short course (1.58 nautical miles) for all the fleets. The course sent the boats to the nearest upwind government mark and back to the start/finish line. While it was probably a good decision to get a short race off while the wind was settling in, the race resulted in a one tack beat and a reach with no gybes necessary for the return leg. In other words, a proverbial “drag race,” where the start, and of course boat speed, are everything. With such a short course, most of the boats finished in close proximity to each other. Other close calls happened as the boats in the different fleets passed each other on opposing legs of the course as they were all traveling on the narrow rhumb lines between the windward mark to the finish. It certainly added a bit of a thrill to a fairly uninspiring sprint.

The second race of the day was the same course except twice around for the spinnaker fleets and one lap for Fleet 3. The wind had filled in to a steady 10kts with some good gusts which kept everyone a bit more on their toes (or ears in some of the gusts!) for this race. The current had strengthened and this added a factor to the race strategy. A shift in the wind also made the downwind legs more challenging as it was prudent to gybe in order to find the fastest (if not the most direct) way around this course. This race took the faster boats just a little over forty-five minutes to finish, which some would consider the “sweet spot” in time spent racing bigger boats. All of the fleets had the same marks, but since it was twice around, the spinnaker boats got spread out a bit more and the upwind/downwind passing situations seemed a bit less tense.

Race three was the best course of the day. The wind was finally solid and with plenty of oomph. The RC sent all the fleets on a course that had the same upwind leg from the start as the previous races but then a long downwind leg with a subsequent long upwind finish approximately 4.5 nautical miles total of tactical racing. Having to factor in all the elements of current, wind strength and direction plus the tactics of covering other boats in your fleet is what makes yacht racing the ultimate combination of “speed and smarts.” This race had it all and was an exciting way to cap off a fun day of racing on the Hudson River. Fleet 1 had a particularly close race with three boats finishing with less than three minutes between them. Fleet 2 also had a close race, less than a minute between the first and second boat crossing the finish line. Unfortunately for the first finisher in Fleet 2 in this race, the other boats higher PHRF ratings resulted in their finish going from 1^st to 4^th with just over a minute separating second from fourth place. This was one of the hardest fought races of the day. Fleet 3 also saw a close finish with the top boats finishing a little over a minute corrected time from each other. The two top finishers in Fleet 3 were head to head all day, one finishing ahead of the other only to have the results reversed in the next race, truly a water borne duel!

The after race party is always a treat at MYC; and this year’s affair was no different. Although I did hear more than one racer lamenting the absence of the “endless punch bowl” of regattas past. The new clubhouse is spectacular, and the pavilion that was the site of a sumptuous steak dinner is so well appointed you good live there if you put up a few walls to keep out the elements.

Sunday was a bit overcast and the wind was light at 6 to 8 knots from the south with holes in it. The current seemed to be the big factor as it was already quite strong as the start time neared. The RC signaled a postponement hoping that the wind would settle in. The course was a short one, approximately 1.4 nautical miles for all the fleets. The conditions were not ideal for racing, (sitting in a hole of the wind while your competitors sail away has to be one of the most frustrating aspects of yacht racing) but “they were manageable” as one experienced racer put it. Fleet 2 had the most dramatic finish with the top four boats finishing within 15 seconds of each other! One second separating the first and second place finishers in this fleet for this short race.

The current continued to build; a strong flood now dominating the race course as the wind continued to be light and spotty. The RC signaled a longer course for the next race, almost 4.5 nautical miles for the spinnaker fleets with the windward mark in the teeth of the strong flooding current. Fleet 3 had a shorter course (approximately 1.5 nautical miles) to a windward mark that also bounded the strongest area of current on the river. The strategy that worked best was to stay out of the current while playing the left side of the course where the wind was strongest. This race saw boats go from last place to first back to last again as the wind shifts reshuffled the boats. My good friend George Samalot once dubbed the Hudson River “The Great Equalizer” for sailors and boy was this true in this race! Boats that tacked early for the windward mark saw all of their good progress go for nothing as the current overcame the wind that had shut off close to the mark and under the high cliffs that dominate the west shore of the river. Boats that over stood the mark on starboard tack, sailing far up current and tacking for the mark on port made out the best. It’s a lot more like playing pinball than yacht racing but it’s what you are forced to do. The RC seeing how much difficulty the spinnaker fleet was having making the mark wisely chose to shorten the race. The final leg would be from the windward mark to the finish eliminating what would have been a reaching leg to a racing mark in the middle of the river. The final insult occurred as boats were about to round the windward mark the wind completely died. Having nimble anchor work paid off in getting a good place to wait for what would happen next. The problem with anchoring in a sailboat race is that you can become complacent and lose your focus. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t too long and soon a light southerly wind started to fill in. The boats anchored most up current to the mark got a jump on the wind, managed to slip around the mark, raise their spinnakers and start the race over again to the finish. The wind strengthened just in time as the first boat in Fleet 1 finished just seven minutes from the time limit. Fleet 2’s first finisher had just two minutes to spare from having the race be abandoned due to the time limit being reached. There’s a certain ambivalence involved in enjoying a race that has so many challenges that don’t necessarily involve sailing skills, or tactics, but that is often what happens when the weather is one of the major elements of your sport. In the end, it resembles life itself in that whether you like it or not you have to be ready for whatever is thrown at you.

After such a long ordeal, the RC decided enough was enough and as the boats finished we were instructed that there’d be no more racing and that we should; “Go have some chili!” The awards ceremony was accompanied by another fine spread of food including the aforementioned chili in both spicy and mild form plus hot dogs to round out the meal. Of course it wouldn’t be a regatta without a keg of beer and after such a long day it was quite a welcome sight!

The RC did an admirable job; getting off five races for the weekend was a great accomplishment. Running a mistake free regatta is almost impossible to do and they came damn close to doing it. In the end, the only thing you should ever say to a Race Committee is “Thank You!” I’ll try to remember that for next time myself!

Shattemuc Regatta Recap

Shattemuc’s 138^th Annual Open HRYRA Regatta was September 10 – 11th. As always, it was a well-run and memorable event. Shattemuc Yacht Club does not derive its’ name from the consistency of the composition of river bottom, it is rather one of the names used by the first inhabitants of the area to describe what we now call the Hudson River. The Wappengi and Mateawan tribes called the Hudson by the name Shattemuc. The first Captain of the Shattemuc Canoe Club wrote in 1905 that Shattemuc means “the river that rises in the mountains and flows to the sea.” Other sources state that it means “the river that flows both ways.” However it got its’ name, Shattemuc Yacht Club, nestled snuggly under Croton Point, enjoys one of the prettiest views on the Hudson River. Their clubhouse also has a wonderful covered porch from which to enjoy this view. These features were greatly appreciated on Saturday of this year’s regatta. With no wind on the river and not much in the forecast, we sat and chatted on the porch as the RC boat remained in its slip.

There were seventeen boats registered for the regatta with several new boats in Fleet 3. One boat traveled from Chelsea Yacht Club to attend their first Shattemuc Regatta. Even with no wind in sight, most of the boats headed out to be on the water. Soon swimming, swinging from halyards Tarzan style and scrubbing boat bottoms became the sports of the day. The boats that remained at their slips had their crews enjoy the gracious hospitality of SYC and went for a swim in the pool that also enjoys the spectacular view. The wait seemed endless, but after an hour and a half or so some wind fluttered in. The RC boat headed out and the fleet gathered around in anticipation of a start.

With military precision the RC anchored and chase boats, set a start line and a short (1.5 nm) course for all three fleets was posted. With the wind light and fluky after the start, the boats became quite spread out. For a race that took the top finishers a little more than twenty minutes to finish, the spread from first to last finishers was eleven minutes (Fleet 1), seven minutes (Fleet 2-the smallest with three boats racing) and twenty minutes (Fleet 3). The boats were so far apart that Henry Galler in Fleet 3 told me; “I thought that the three top finishers were the only boats in the fleet but there were seven.”

After the spinnaker fleets finished their first race, the wait began again as the RC decided to let Fleet 3 finish before starting the next race. Time did not improve the racing conditions as the wind on the water was starting to show holes and the velocity was hovering around 4 kts. Finally the last boat in Fleet 3 crossed the finish line. The chase boats roared into action setting a windward/leeward course with the intention of having the spinnaker fleets do two laps and the non-spinnaker fleet do one lap around. The first windward leg was perfect (lots of time was spent making sure the start line was square to the wind and that the first mark was well positioned) and paying attention to shifts helped get you to the mark quickly. After rounding the mark however, the wind decided to “take a snooze” as one competitor recalled. With the tide ebbing, getting to the leeward mark became more challenging, especially for the fleets starting after Fleet 1. Staying close to shore seemed to pay out most likely because of less current rather than any wind which was in short supply no matter where you were on the race course.

The RC wisely shortened the course for Fleet 1 to the windward mark on the second leg. They directed Fleets 2 and 3 to finish at the RC completing one full lap of the course. Again, the uncooperative wind left the fleets with quite a bit of distance between the first and last finishers. The exception was in Fleet 2 which had the two finishing boats correcting within three minutes of each other. Sadly one of the boats in Fleet 2 literally got the signal crossed at the leeward mark and failed to finish the shortened course. The RC did a great job under really trying conditions. The fact that any racing happened at all is a testament to how well organized and experienced the men and women of Shattemuc’s racing team are.

Working so hard to go so slow to cover so little ground was challenging, frustrating and fun all at the same time. So what do you do next? What all good sailors do after a regatta; gather together and spin some tales while quaffing some excellent draft beer. The after race party was well attended (making it free to all the crew on each boat must have helped) the food was yummy and endless and the sunset spectacular as always.

Sunday there were again two races scheduled. The RC and their well-appointed chase boats went out on time but again the wind failed to show up for this event. Everyone drifted, chatted, looked in vain for some semblance of a ripple on the water and waited. More swimming and boat cleaning with reports of never previously seen green sheets of “kudzu” like substances growing on people’s boat bottoms. Perhaps the lack of rain and greater salinity levels in the river had something to do with it? A local diver who cleans boats for a living reported seeing a bull shark recently while cleaning a boat at Shattemuc. I’m sure people will be happy that they did not know this while in the water last weekend!

After an hour and a half or so of hoping the wind would join us for some fun on the water, the morning was becoming afternoon. The RC abandoned the races for the day. Everyone “raced“” back to the docks for some more food and drink and to cap off the regatta with the awards. Shattemuc’s Regatta and Racing Chairperson Vicki Arbitrio started the proceedings with a tasteful moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack before the trophies were handed out. She also had a long list of people to thank for all their help in organizing and running the regatta. I witnessed the beehive of activity (while waiting on the aforementioned porch) and it was mind boggling how much effort was put into preparing and running this most successful event.

Hudson Cove Merberg Regatta Recap

Hosting a regatta is a bit like conducting an orchestra. They both involve lots of dissimilar elements that when put together in perfect harmony create a majestic experience. Unfortunately, regattas afford no opportunity for practice, and the main ingredient for the opus, namely wind is both uncontrollable and not reliably forecasted. Hudson Cove Yacht Club is the smallest club that hosts a HRYRA regatta every year. This is ironic as HCYC is located in what has been called the “largest commercial marina on the east coast,” as Safe Harbor (formerly Haverstraw Marina) at one time consisted of nearly a thousand slips. Being a small entity within a large corporate facility didn’t make it easy for HCYC to run their regatta this year. At the last moment, it was learned that the marina’s manager was not giving visiting regatta attendees a discount on their slips; something that had always been done in the past. Some quick phone calls and a “nasty gram” seemed to make a difference. Slips were offered for free as well as additional peace offerings of free rides to and from the event and breakfast bagels. This accommodation came a bit late as most yachts in need of a slip had found a complimentary overnight home at neighboring Minisceongo Yacht Club. A big thank you to the folks at MYC for their generous hospitality to our visiting yachts.

Saturday was a delightful day to be on the water, unless you wanted to sail. The weather forecast was spot on, one to two knots of breeze if you were in the right place for a few moments. It was however a great day to sun yourself and then go for a swim when you got too hot. Some adventurous folks took to swinging on their halyards Tarzan style before taking the plunge into the murky Hudson. Needless to say, the race was postponed and after a long hour’s wait abandoned by the RC. With picnicking and more swimming being the main activities, another hour passed and after consulting the boats on the radio, the RC wisely abandoned any hope of getting a race off for the day and sent everyone home.

The forecast for Sunday was for a bit more wind, 8 knots or so from the south and building in strength as the day progressed. As the time for the first race approached, the RC announced the intention of starting on time even though the wind was fairly light. It turned out to have been the right call. Though the boats were barely moving, it was enough to get a clean start off and finish a short 1.3 nautical mile course as the wind filled in just as predicted. Trying to find wind in these conditions is always a good strategy but the switching current seemed to be a competing factor in picking the right course. Something that can never be predicted had a lot of effect in this light air race, namely powerboat wake. Some really big “rollers” generated by our brethren “stink potters” had sails flopping about as they spilled what little air was available and slowed boats that weren’t going all that fast to begin with. Oh well. They have a right to be out on the water too but that’s not exactly what I was thinking at the time! The finishing times reflected the benefit of picking the right place to sail as ten or more minutes separated the first from the last place finishers in all three fleets even though it was such a short course.

The second race used the same course but the added pressure of the building wind made for a faster race. By now the current had switched and, with more wind, picking the right strategy became a bit easier. The boats completed this same course much quicker for Race Two. The relatively consistent conditions had the fleets a bit more consolidated. About two minutes separated the first three boats in the spinnaker fleets. Fleet Three had a near “photo finish” with just six seconds elapsed time between the two boats in that fleet.

With two races sailed, the top three boats were still fairly close in both Fleets One and Two. The third race was sailed in the most wind of the day and was also the longest race. Another windward /leeward course, this one twice as long as the first two races was announced by the RC. With things being close, several boats were in relative match races; covering tacks not wanting the competition to get away from them. This race proved to be the closest of the day, especially in Fleet One where twenty seconds of corrected time separated the first from the third-place boats. Fleet Two had three boats finishing within about a minute of each other vying for second place in this race.

A longer course, or two, perhaps an upwind finish; you can always try to improve almost anything, well maybe not the “Mona Lisa” or “Sistine Chapel” but the point is that few things are perfect. Given the wind and the time constraints, the RC did a great job in less than perfect conditions. With racing done, it’s time to perhaps guzzle a few adult beverages and try to come up with a logical and believable explanation of why you had such a brilliant strategy when in fact you lucked out and caught a favorable windshift! In other words, the after race “get together” where you also eagerly await the posting of the race results. Since HRYRA switched to time on time scoring, it is not easy to calculate where you finished while on the water. Thankfully, we have computer programs to help sort out who finished where. As we waited under the tent by the lawn (another Safe Harbor change had us ousted from our former poolside venue with the fine view of the river) next to the former Samalot Marine store (we miss you George and Barbara!) things started to get tense. Where’s the results? Finally, they are posted. Someone incredulously notes that several boats actually finished one race before their starting gun? How can this be? At the very least those boats’ ratings are going to get seriously hammered! After a while, several texts and some phone calls, Sherri Hill (HRYRA scorer) comes to the rescue and sorts out the glitch that caused the scoring mishap. The results are posted and all is well.

Hudson Cove Yacht Club did an admirable job running their annual Merberg Regatta, especially in light of the lack of support from the marina where they all are long time residents and customers. The RC pulled off a great job that involved precise timing that would make a NASA rocket’s reentry procedure seem simple; and most importantly everyone had fun doing what we all love, sailing and being on the water!

CHELSEA REGATTA RECAP

The Chelsea Open Regatta hosted by Chelsea Yacht Club is now in the record books. As the racers arrived at CYC on Saturday morning, things were not looking promising. The memory of last year’s regatta (where the weekend resulted in one race being started with only a single boat finishing within the time limit) was brought to mind as there wasn’t enough wind to measure let alone fill a sail. The mood was brightened by the appearance of the Whitbread Round the World champion yacht “Maiden” as she slowly motored by the mooring area on her way south after her visit to the Maritime Museum in Kingston. Maiden got a booming salute from CYC’s canon as all eyes were on this magnificent vessel.

The RC postponed from shore and after a while a slow trickle of people started taking the launch out to their boats; mostly for an alternative to hanging out at the club rather than to prepare for racing. Gradually, ever so slowly the wind started to appear from the south. Two knots, three knots, and finally the newly appointed Chelsea RC boat arrived on station and the two-hour postponement was over as a fairly steady light breeze filled in from the south.

The race courses at Chelsea always remind me of a golf course complete with “dog legs” and various hazards. The hazards range from mild; the CYC mooring field, to moderate; the “flats” just south of the mooring field to major; the proximity to the channel and the numerous commercial vessels using it. These factors can be challenging but they are also a test of one’s ability to adapt and seize opportunities.

With a race impending, the fleets arrived at the race course which is pretty easy at Chelsea. The RC anchors just outside of the mooring area in order to avoid conflicts with those pesky commercial vessels! Fleet 1 had six boats show up at the start line as did fleet 2. With four boats registered in fleet 3 and two boats competing in a one design Ensign fleet, the start line began to look smaller. The RC announced that all starts would be rolling and announced a single course for all of the fleets. The current can be fierce at this part of the river, mainly because the channel takes up so much real estate. With the current flooding and the wind still light from the south, the RC wisely shortened the course to once around what would have been a two-lap race.

The light and variable wind and the ever-present current helped separate the boats as they sailed upwind. A longer downwind leg resulted in more separation. The finishes in the Fleets reflect this as there were minutes separating the boats in elapsed times and often in corrected times as well. Fleet 3 had a particularly close race with a little more than two minutes corrected separating second from fourth place. It was good to have gotten a race started and finished and to have cast off the curse of last year’s Chelsea “Nopen!”

Sunday was cloudy and the threat of rain had many racers donning their foul weather gear in anticipation. The essential weather ingredient, wind, however was present and much appreciated. The wind was from the south, of moderate velocity with some gusts resulting in shifty conditions. In other words, typical Hudson River sailing that we’re all used to.

As the RC arrived on station and the start time approached a brief postponement was initiated to adjust the start line, always better to be a wee bit longer rather than too short; especially when the RC is at the leeward end! The course for the first race of the day took the boats south to a government buoy and then downwind to a Chelsea racing mark north and east of the mooring area, the aforementioned dog-leg. The winds held and being nimble and quick to spot areas of more pressure paid off on this course. The finishers were close, especially in fleet 2 where less than a minute corrected separated second and third places.

The wind, though still about 10 knots, got a bit puffier for the second race on Sunday. The RC announced a triangular course with all starboard rounding’s. The port end of the line seemed favored but only one boat dared a port start at the committee boat and she barely caused a “Ripple” of concern as she pulled it off! The commercial traffic started to become a factor as the RC seemed to be announcing the arrival of a new moving obstruction to the fleets on a fairly regular basis. Depending on your position, the barges were either a hazard to avoid or an aid if your competition had to alter course while you crossed the barge and were able to scoot ahead. The triangular course had some tight reaches and this, and the gusty conditions were cause for at least one broach I personally witnessed up close! The tight reaches also saw Fleet 2 boats drop their spinnakers as they headed for the leeward mark. This race certainly kept everyone alert and made good sail handling and seamanship things to be prized. The reaching legs also saw some close mark rounding’s which is where you learn to appreciate the Racing Rules of Sailing, without which yacht racing would make a demolition derby look like a serene ballet performance! The final upwind leg was a battle to the finish line in both fleets 1 and 2. The finishes were the closest of the regatta, especially in fleet 1 where 10 seconds separated first from third place and the first and second place boats, with equal PHRF’s, finished within 2 seconds of each other.

What keeps you racing your boat and coming back even after poor showings, rain-soaked weekends or even regattas with one or (horrors) no races are events like this past Chelsea Open Regatta. It had everything, drama, boredom, exciting wild rides but mostly close hard racing and wonderful gracious hosts. The CYC sailors (you have to love a club of all sailboats!) are among the most hospitable people on the river and they always throw a great party (that nobody wants to miss) as well as a terrific regatta!

KINGSTON MARITIME REGATTA RECAP

The first HRYRA regatta of the 2022 season is now a fond memory. After many rainy and cold weekends this spring, two delightfully sunny, warm days (with mostly good breezes) were had by the racers at Kingston Sailing Club’s “Maritime Cup Regatta” this past weekend.

Eleven boats participated, three boats in Fleet 1 and eight boats in Fleet 2. I know at least one boat in Fleet 1 that was planning on racing but missed the regatta due to “boat issues.” There are also at least two new HRYRA Fleet 1 racers that recently filed for their PHRF certificates so hopefully Fleet 1 will have more boats at the Chelsea Open Regatta on June 11 – 12^th.

Greg Allen (KSC Regatta chair) provided a comfortable pontoon boat including chairs and tables making the work of the RC much easier. No one from the usual pool of PRO’s was available for this weekend so John Nonenmacher (“Breakout”) and Cc Dwyer (“Madly Mad Hatter”) graciously stepped up to take on the duties of PRO and help run the races. They were ably aided by Celeste Kopich and Amy Hahn.

The wind was a fairly steady 10kts blowing from the south on Saturday as the racing began. The first race was extremely close in Fleet 1 with all of the boats finishing within seconds of each other. Fleet 2 had a similar finish for their first four boats as there was less than two minutes separating them.

As my good friend George Samalot used to say; “The Hudson River is the great equalizer” for sailboat racing. The winds got shifty as the day progressed having the downwind leg of a race change into the upwind leg. The two subsequent races sailed by both fleets saw more separation between boats at the finish line.

Sunday was another picture-perfect day to be on the water but initially there was no wind to be had. Fortunately, after postponing for over an hour, the wind started to fill from the south with just enough pressure to get one race off for the day. The finishers again were fairly close with a couple of “photo finishes” in Fleet 2 that certainly kept the people calling finishers on the RC on their toes!

Here’s a link to the regatta results:

Sailwave results for HRYRA 2022 at Series Scores 2022

I asked HRYRA Secretary Liz Sugg (“Surprise”) for her impressions of the regatta and she responded:

“The Race Committee’s communications were clear and concise. The [Kingston Sailing Club] was warm and welcoming. The facilities were comfortable, as always. Racing was both fun and challenging, although more competitors would have been welcomed. Even if you come from a distance, the opportunities for affordable and well-kept Airbnb’s in the Kingston area are numerous. The restaurants offer great variety with good service. The trip up and down river always reminds me of how lucky we are to live in and around the Hudson Valley and to be able to play on the majestic Hudson. Always a perfect long weekend I highly recommend, even to more casual sailors, but certainly to racers.”

Don’t miss out on all of the fun both on and off the water to be had at the next HRYRA regatta to be held at Chelsea Yacht Club the weekend of June 11th & 12th. Here’s a link to register: http://www.chelseayacht.org/2022cycopen.html

Hope to see you all there!

Darrell Dwyer, HRYRA President

Hi Hudson River Racers,

With the new sailing season coming up, I’m sure you’re all busy getting your boats ready, but I thought I’d take a moment to update you on what’s new with the impending HRYRA racing season.

At the November HRYRA board meeting, it was decided that we’d return to the Low Point Scoring System for the 2022 racing season. An Averaging System had been used during the uncertainties of the pandemic and it was felt that as things are returning to normal, the Low Point System should be reimplemented.

The YRALIS PHRF committee has issued new YRALIS PHRF Regulations for 2022 which, HRYRA also uses. The full version can be found on the HRYRA website (2022 PHRF Regulations – Hudson River Yacht Racing Association (hryra.org). In the past, HRYRA has used the Windward/Leeward PHRF ratings for all boats in all races. However, one of the clarifications in the 2022 PHRF Regulations involved the use of “Distance” versus “Windward/Leeward” PHRF ratings. In the upcoming season, boats will be rated with their “Distance” PHRF rating for all races that do not involve the use of “drop-marks/movable inflatable buoys.” For Windward/Leeward races (last year these occurred only at NBC’s “Last Chance Regatta”) we will continue to use the W/L ratings. The ratings for all boats can be found on the HRYRA website.

On a final note, PLEASE as soon as possible, renew or apply for your 2022 PHRF certificate. Getting your PHRF certificate taken care of early makes everything work smoother so thanks in advance for doing so.

See you out on the water!

Darrell Dwyer

hryra.president@gmail.com

Reported by Eric Baumes, President, Hudson River YRA (2019 – 2021)

RECAP – Hudson River Race – Reaching for it…

The final racing event of the 2021 Hudson River YRA is now in the books. Eighteen boats, in two divisions—ten spinnaker and eight non-spinnaker, came out for race on a day the promised a 10+ knot easterly.

The Race Committee sent the fleet out on long courses with the Spinnaker Division sailing nearly 20 miles and Non-spinnakers sailing 15. As the race started the wind had enough northerly in it to make it a close reach to Haverstraw Bay. The Non-spinnaker Division had a little more of a beat as their course took them further east to round buoy 16 on their way north. On the return trip the wind clocked more east as predicted which pretty much ruled out spinnakers as the apparent wind was forward of the beam. Conditions made for a fast race with the first non-spinnaker boats finishing after just two hours and spinnakers after two and a half.

In the Spinnaker Division Raptor (Conway) took an early lead and managed to keep it for the entire race. Random (Millstein) found her reaching legs to take second and the J24 Tramontana (Knezevic) kept close enough to the bigger boats to take third.

In the Non-spinnaker Division Madame Baud II (Galler) managed to hold onto first by 16 seconds, corrected, while Encore (Morretti) took second and Dolce (Marsh) took third.

Until next year!

RECAP – 2021 Last Chance Regatta –

Race ‘em if you got ‘em,

That was the goal of the Nyack Race Committee on the first day of the 2021 Last Chance Regatta. With the prospect of no wind on Sunday, they were going to squeeze everything they could out of Saturday. And squeeze they did.

Two quick races were fired off. Not wanting to make things too easy, the mighty Hudson offered up one of its notorious wind shifts. After a brief pause and reset of the course, the RC got four more short races off for the Spinnaker divisions for a total of for the day. A seventh was offered, but most crews opted for beer and soup ashore. Non-spinnaker sailors enjoyed a total of four races for the day.

Sunday morning saw a light 4-6 kt southerly (and that’s being generous). Not wanting to waste any breeze, RC got things rolling. The spinnaker divisions managed to eke out another two races, while the non-spinnakers ran up against the time limit on their longer course. In the end Spinnaker Divisions sailed a total of eight races and non-spinnakers four for the regatta.

The competition at the top of Division 1 remained fierce with Mayhem (May) taking 1st with 15 points. Flatline (Smart) took second with 16 points and Madly Mad Hatter (Dwyer) was always within striking distance with 19 points for 3rd. This race saw the debut of Polli (Soll), a Sapphire 27. It would be nice to see that boat make regular appearances.

Breakout continued to steamroller Division 2 to claim 1st. Persistence (Moore) was the only one who managed to take a nip out of her in the fifth race, denying her eight bullets. It was enough to take 2nd by 1 point over Tramontana (Knezevic) who sported a team of mostly MYC Junior Sailing Program alums.

Light turnout in Division 3 did not make racing anymore competitive. Encore (Morretti) took 1st on an Appendix A tiebreaker over Madam Baud II (Galler). Sheba (Martin) was not far behind in 3rd. Had the Division finished the race on Sunday, the podium could have looked a lot different.

RECAP – 2021 – Minisceongo’s Sutherland Regatta

This past weekend Minisceongo Yacht Club hosted 20 boats for the 2021 edition of the Sutherland Regatta. Visiting racers were greeted with a swag bag containing two mini bottles of prosecco and a handwritten note from Regatta Chair Jessie Fitzgerald.

Going into the weekend, the forecast did not look promising for either day. That forecast held true on Saturday and the first race was abandoned after a 1-hour postponement. After waiting another ½-hour and with just enough wind to get the divisions off RC started a race. Despite the light conditions, for a while it looked promising. But soon the fleet piled up at the one rounding mark where the wind had completely shut off. Racers in Divisions 2 and 3 who were able to see what was happening to Division 1 and kept south were eventually swept up to the mark. With more than half the allotted time elapsed and no real wind in sight, RC abandoned the race. Aeolus claimed “Mark Honors” being the first of only two boats to actually round the mark.

After racing, while beer and stories flowed the MYC put on their steak dinner to the delight of the racers.

Sunday’s conditions were a complete turn around from Saturday’s and as the fleet set out it was already blowing in the mid-teens. RC sent the fleet on a quick up and back that lasted barely a half hour, then a two-lapper that didn’t take much longer, they chose a longer race while the wind crept into the upper teens with several minutes of 20kts sustained mixed with 7kt lulls. That made for fun, particularly in the Spinnaker Divisions where there were at least a couple of good broaches. With three races and tired crews, it felt like an entire regatta.

In Division 1, Hatter (Dwyer) battled Flatline (Smart), who returned from college to sail the regatta, until the third race when some equipment problems dropped Flatline to the back of the pack putting them tied for points with Mayhem (May) but prevailing on Appendix A. We also saw the return of Surprise (Sexton) to HRYRA.

In Division 2 Breakout (Nonenmacher) dominated with three bullets. Last year’s fleet champ Persistence (Moore) fended off Tramontona (Knezevic) to hold second.

Division 3 was dominated by boats from Nyack. Nerosh (Kurtulus) took first place. Sheba (Martin) took second place. And Aeolus (Luce) took third.

This coming weekend, October 2-3rd, the racing continues at the Last Chance Regatta hosted by Nyack Boat Club. After that there will be one more opportunity to race in the Hudson River Race on October 9th at Nyack Boat Club.

Click here for Notice of Race and Registration info.

RECAP – 2021 – 137th Shattemuc Regatta

This past weekend kicked off the Hudson River YRA 2021 fall series at Shattemuc Yacht Club. After last year’s hiatus it was great to be back at SYC. Thirteen Hudson River Racers enjoyed two days of moderate to fresh breeze (on the Beaufort Scale) that kept crews and skippers working to make the best of the ever changing conditions.

Division 1 was the lightest with only three boats. That did not dampen the competition as Madly Mad Hatter (Dwyer) had to keep a close eye on Mayhem (which had both Mark and Guy May aboard) to maintain first place. Mayhem took second and Hee Soo (Baumes) took third.

In Division 2 Breakout (Nonenmacher), who dropped down from Division 1 after changing to a smaller headsail and taking a PHRF credit, took four bullets. Ripple (Colucci) was consistent with four 2nds and Random (Millstein) took 3d on an Appendix A tie-breaker with T Rex (Lombardi).

Division 3 was competitive, but Elusive (Longo) managed to fend of Zoom (Brieant) to take 1st by a point. Madam Baud II (Galler) was not far behind in 3rd.

Results are available on the SYC Website. (https://shattemucyc.org/pdf/SYCRegatta2021Results.htm)

The fleet has the next weekend off to recover and get their boats back into shape before the Sutherland Regatta at Minisceongo Yacht Club on September 24-26th.

RECAP – 2021 Maritime Regatta, Kingston, NY

June 5th and 6th, Kingston Sailing Club hosted the return of the Maritime Cup after a 2020 hiatus due to, well, you know why. It was good to see a healthy turnout of twelve boats for what has been traditionally the opening event of the annual HRYRA Series.

As the racers gathered on the Rondout Creek Saturday morning the air was still and some wondered if we would be sailing. However Sailflow reported 10kts from the south at the breakwater and the forecast was for gusts up to 20kts.

Out on the course the forecast delivered. Wind was gusting from 10 to 20kts and with 30 degree shifts within a matter of seconds. The Race Committee got off two solid races. Crews worked hard in the shifting conditions and after the second race the fleet was split on whether to go for a third. The Race Committee erred on the side of mercy and sent the fleet in for the day.

At the end of the first day, in Division 1 Ryan Smart’s Flatline, a J92 new to the HRYRA scene, had a clear lead with two bullets. In Division 2, the results were not as clear cut. Ripple (Mike Colucci) and Persistence (Jeremy Moore) were tied on points.

After racing on Saturday, with loosening Covid restrictions, Kingston Sailing Club were able to host their traditional BBQ.

Sunday started with a lighter breeze and the Race Committee was able to get another solid race in. At the end of the second day of racing Flatline locked up their podium 1st with a third bullet and Ripple was able to claim 1st with a bullet in the 3rd race.

Racing Update – Fall 2020

Hudson River Racers,

The abbreviated HRYRA Season kicked off this past weekend with the Sutherland Regatta at Minisceongo Yacht Club on September 26th and 27th.

Despite a slow start on Saturday, the breeze eventually filled in as forecast and 18 boats in two divisions enjoyed an afternoon of three races in conditions that were as good as it gets on the Hudson River.

For divisions used to having only 5 or so boats on the line, having 8-10 made the starts more interesting than usual. With only one spinnaker division and ranges in handicap of 125 seconds and LOA of 11 feet, competition was fierce as smaller boats fought hard not to be blanketed by the bigger boats at the start and faster boats dodged slower boats.

As usual on the Hudson, current could make or break a race. The winning move after the start seemed to be to get on port and sail out to the right. There was a little more wind and a favorable current.

With one day of racing complete the big surprise in the spinnaker fleet was Jeremy Moore on the C&C 29-2 Persistence, a newcomer to the HRYRA series. They had an impressive day with finishes of 1, 2, 2. In the first race they nearly claimed line honors finishing less than a minute after the first boat. Breakout and Madly Mad Hatter battled for second ending up tied for points with Appendix A in favor of Breakout.

The non-spin fleet was dominated by Rik Kaufman on the Hunter 28.5 Hard A Tack. They claimed 3 bullets for the day. Tony Martin on Sheba ended the day in second and Jim Morris on Old Norris sat in third.

While there was no organized party Saturday night, racers celebrated on their boats and in small groups on the MYC grounds.

Alas, the meager wind forecast for Sunday did not show up and after an hour and a half of patiently waiting RC abandoned racing for the day. A wise choice as the wind only peaked between 3 and 4 sustained. The results after day 1 stood.

Many thanks to MYC and Jessie Fitzgerald-Keller for organizing the event. And thanks to Wayne Mitts and his race committee for making the most what wind was available.

The HRYRA mini-series continues this upcoming weekend at Nyack Boat Club for the Last Chance Regatta. Register online only and NoR/SIs are only available digitally at https://www.nyackboatclub.org/last-chance.

Racing Update – August 2020

Hudson River Racers,

On Tuesday, August 18th the Hudson River YRA Board met to discuss the remainder of the 2020 Season.

The good news is that PHRF Racing is alive on the river. Kingston Sailing Club is running informal races. Chelsea Yacht Club has regular club racing. Wednesday Night Racing is alive and well at the The Haverstraw Bay Racing Association. And NBC is running regular Wednesday and Sunday Races.

The bad news is that the majority of regattas that constitute the HRYRA Series have been cancelled. There was some hope that spring regattas that had been postponed might be rescheduled. However the reality of managing during a pandemic and the challenge of trying to carve alternative weekends out for racing has meant that all postponed regattas are now cancelled and the first fall regatta (Shattemuc) has been cancelled.

A survey of the HRYRA Racers revealed that there is still commitment to compete in inter-club events. Alternative formats for the fall season were surveyed (including a Hudson River Race Week). And while there was some interest among racers, in discussions with member clubs, the logistics of supporting new formats was deemed to be a challenge even in a normal year. And with clubs operating at reduced levels would be out of reach this year.

Barring any changes in NY PAUSE/FORWARD, Minisceongo is still planning on hosting the Sutherland Regatta on September 26 – 27. NBC is hosting the Last Chance Regatta on October 3 – 4 and the 11th Annual Hudson River Race on October 10. At this point, in order to maintain social distancing, these events are planned as “on the water only” without the usual breakfasts, parties, award ceremonies etc.

2020 RACING – Update July 1, 2020

Hudson River Racers,

I want to update you on the status of racing and the 2020 Fall Regatta Series. The good news is that racing is starting back up on the River. Chelsea has begun its club racing series. Nyack has started Wednesday Night Racing and Sunday one-design racing begins on July 5th. Shattemuc is kicking off its Pedlow Cup Series as well on July 5th. Haverstraw Bay Racing Association (HBRA) has started their Wednesday Night Racing.

As usual, if you are ready to jump back into racing, please make sure you have a 2020 PHRF Certificate. It helps maintain fair racing on the River.

It looks like this season all the action will be on the water as clubs have dialed back their social events. All clubs are following NY on PAUSE and NY Forward directives and some are taking a more conservative approach. For the Fall Series, all regattas are still planned, however clubs have either outright cancelled regatta parties (Minisceongo and Nyack) or are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Unfortunately, not all clubs are able to operate in a limited fashion. Kingston Sailing Club, which depends on the Hudson River Maritime Museum, has cancelled their season. However with boats in the water, there is some informal Racing. Hudson Cove, which operates within the Haverstraw Marina has cancelled their regatta this year. The Chelsea Open is still officially postponed and may happen if there is an opportunity this season.

The Board has decided to meet again in mid-August to discuss the Fall Series along with alternate racing formats (double or single-handed) and the possibility of different events. We will be sending a survey to members that will help clubs plan for participation in the fall season.

Please be safe out there. And have a great summer on the water.

February 19, 2020

Hudson River Racers,

Believe it or not, in a little more than a month we will be scrambling to get our boats prepped and back in the water to start another season of racing.

As we go into the renewal cycle for 2020 there are some changes to note. As a reminder, you may renew your certificate here –> http://www.hryra.org/phrf-racing/2016-hryra-and-phrf-applications/ (ignore 2016 in the URL, these are the current instructions.)

Here are the highlights with more about each item below.

Base fees for PHRF certificates will be $45 this year due to the need to replace the aging PHRF system.
Additional Membership levels available when you renew.
We will be looking to raise additional funds for the upgrade of the PHRF System.
There are clarifications to the PHRF Regulations for the use of sails like Code 0s that are free-flying forward of the headstay.
We have new branding for the website.

Fee Structure

In 2011, we launched the automated rating system that is still in use today. After nearly 10 years, this system will need to be replaced. The cost of this will be substantial (estimated to be a multiple of the current annual budget). The Hudson River YRA runs a break-even budget and the Board voted to increase fees over the next couple years in order to be able to set aside money for this initiative. This year the fee for PHRF certificates is $45.

Membership Levels

This year we are adding additional membership levels. Basically if you want to give us more money, you can. All memberships above the base level entitle the member to a PHRF Certificate.

Membership	Amount	Benefit
PHRF Certificate/HRYRA Membership	$45	HRYRA Mailing List, PHRF Certificate
One-design/HRYRA OD Supporter	$45	HRYRA Mailing List, Support HRYRA OD Series
Friend	$100	HRYRA Mailing List, PHRF Certificate, Recognition on HRYRA Website
Patron	$250	HRYRA Mailing List, PHRF Certificate, Recognition on HRYRA Website
Visionary	$500	HRYRA Mailing List, PHRF Certificate, Recognition on HRYRA Website

Fund Raising

By simply raising the annual fees, we will not be able to raise enough money fast enough to replace the current system without running substantial risk that it will stop working. This year we will be looking at other ways to raise funds for the system upgrade. We are open to ideas as to how best to do this. If you have ideas or experience in this area please feel free to reach out to me or your HRYRA Representative.

PHRF Regulation Changes

The Hudson River YRA follows the YRALIS PHRF Regulations. For 2020, YRALIS has added additional measurement requirements for Code Zero type headsails–particularly those sails that can be used close winded and do not meet the measurements for spinnakers. If you fly one of these sails while racing under PHRF on the river, you will need to declare it on the form in the Modifications field.

Hudson River YRA Branding

In 2019 we rolled out new branding. You may have noticed an updated logo on the website and in communications. This elegant design was done by Jessie Fitzgerald-Keller and accomplishes two things. First it is an updated, more modern look. And second, rather than maintain the acronym HRYRA we have shifted to using “Hudson River YRA”. This places emphasis on the amazing venue in which we race.

As always, I like to hear from our members. Please send feedback or questions to hryra.president@gmail.com.

Last Chance Regatta

The 2019 Hudson River YRA Season wrapped up this past weekend with tons of racing in conditions that ranged from ghosting to gear busting.

As the racers gathered Saturday morning for breakfast and the skippers meeting, the sun was shining and an autumnal chill was in the air and a brisk northerly swept down the river. The forecast was for the wind to clock east and all but disappear. This did not deter PRO Bill Cook who promised he would try his best to get in some racing before the wind died completely.

As the fleet gathered at the starting area, a short windward/leeward course was set for the spinnaker divisions and likewise for the fixed-mark non-spinnaker division. Hoping to get at least one race in before with wind died, RC shortened the first race to a lap and a half. As the spinnaker divisions re-assembled near the starting area, there was just enough wind for a start. Conditions remained challenging as major wind shifts resulted in significant lead changes, particularly in Division 3

After the second race, it appeared that the day would play out as forecast and racing would be done by 1 pm. Undeterred by the lack of wind, RC sent the patrol boat south to assess what appeared to be a southerly that was starting to build. As the fleet drifted up the river with the current, the wind did indeed fill in and RC was able to get two more short courses in for the spinnaker divisions.

On Sunday, it seemed that October has indeed arrived. It was overcast and grey and the wind was forecast at 10 kts with gusts up to 30 kts. The wind delivered and crews had to work hard to keep their boats from rounding up or broaching. RC got off three races in quick succession as the wind continued to build.

There was a lot of racing with a total of 17 starts across the Divisions:

Division 1 — 7 races

Division 2 — 6 races

Division 3 — 4 races

As expected, overall fleet standings were on the line and that added an extra edge to the competition as boats were racing for both standings in the regatta, but also focused on their nearest competitors.

In Division 1, Mark May on “Mayhem” edged out Andy Sexton on “Surprise” by 1 point for the regatta, but “Surprise” will maintain its overall season lead in the series. This places “Mayhem” in 2nd overall. 3rd place in the regatta went to Matt Schlanger in “The Office”. There was a fierce battle between “Hee Soo” and “Yellow Rose” for 3rd overall in the season. With equal PHRFs it was boat for boat racing. Provisionally, it looks like they are tied for points and with an Appendix A tie-breaker, “Yellow Rose” will place third overall.

The competition in Division 2 was likewise fierce as both regatta and season silver were on the line. The following are provisional as there are protests that will affect the regatta. As of now, Predrag Knezevic on “Tramontana” is sitting in 1st with Mike Colucci on “Ripple” in second and John Sheehan on “Imagine More” in 3rd. However, it looks like “Ripple” has first overall in Division 2 for the season.

In Division 3, Tony Martin on “Sheba” took 1st in the regatta. Charlie Brieant on “Zoom” took second and Osman Kurtulus on “Nerosh” took third. Pentimento went into the regatta with a significant lead and was able to stay in 1st for the season by a comfortable margin. “Sheba” is in 2nd and “Nerosh” 3rd overall.

Provisional Season Standings

While the racing may be over, keep a look out for the 2019 awards ceremony.

10th Annual Hudson River Distance Race

Hudson River Racers,

Sixteen boats came out to race in the 10th Annual Hudson River Race hosted by Nyack Boat Club. And while recent years have seen light wind and challenging conditions, the 2019 edition delivered 7kts at the start building to the mid-teen by the finish. As a result the Spinnaker Division finished the 20-mile course in just over 3 hours with the leaders finishing in under 3. Likewise, the Non-spinnaker Division sailed the 14-mile course in around three hours with the first boat finishing in just over 2.5 hours. Noticeably missing was any autumnal chill as the temperature approached 80 under sunny skies.

In the Spinnaker Division “Raptor”, with the Conway brothers, took the start and lead for the entire race. Andy Sexton on “Surprise” took a close second finishing only 50 seconds corrected behind “Raptor”. Gregg Allen on “Yellow Rose” took third. In the Non-spinnaker Division, Osman Kurtulus on “Nerosh” took first place. Bob Millstein on “Pentimento” took second and Tony Martin on “Sheba” took third.

Minisceongo’s Sutherland Regatta

Hudson River Racers,

The 2019 Sutherland Regatta is now one for the history books. Saturday saw a lot of racing under leaden skies and a consistent (for the Hudson) 9-10 kt southerly. The rain mostly held off with only a brief shower. RC quickly got of 2 races and decided to go for more. Spinnaker divisions got in 4 races and non-spinnaker had 3 races. This showed foresight as Sunday morning a somewhat hopeful looking northerly faded just before the warning signal. The wind never filled back in and racing was abandoned. Turnout was great with seven boats in Division 1, four in Division 2 and ten in Division 3.

Mark May on Mayhem took first place in Division 1 besting John Nonemacher on Breakout by just one point. Jessie Fitzgerald on Gusto decisively took 1st in Division 2. And Osman Kurtulus on Nerosh showed no mercy on Division 3 with straight bullets.

The MYC social committee and Regatta Chair Jessica Fitzgerald-Keller put on a fantastic event with a full breakfast and steak dinner on Saturday and chili on hot dogs for the awards.

Racers will get a weekend off before the final two events in the series. September 28th is the 10th Hudson River Race and the weekend of October 5-6th is the Last Chance Regatta. Both are hosted by Nyack Boat Club. Moorings are available for the week between regattas.

These two events will definitely decide the winners in Divisions 1 and 2 as less than 2 points currently separate 1st and 2nd. While Division 3 has much wider points spreads, these are must-do races for Division 3 leaders as a DNC now carries a hefty 18 points for each missed race. So there is still a chance there could be a shakeup at the top.

135th Annual Shattemuc Regatta

Hudson River Sailors,

This past weekend kicked off the Hudson River YRA fall series with the 135th (wow!) Shattemuc Open Regatta. Seventeen boats came out to race across three divisions.

Saturday seemed like it was going to be an all-to-familiar day on the river. The morning started with a fresh northerly that laid down just as racing was starting. There was enough wind to start and RC sent the fleets off on a short course. All boats in Divisions 1 and 2 managed to finish. However some Division 3 boats ran out of time. The 2nd race started in light and shifty air but the breeze slowly built again from the north and all divisions got a second race in. Not wanting to waste the wind (with a not-so-great forecast for Sunday), RC sent everyone out for a third race in near ideal (9 kts sustained) conditions.

Sunday surprised the fleet and although the wind was variable and shifty, there was enough to get in three more races for all divisions (5-10 kts sustained).

Shattemuc fielded their A-team and it showed in the results. Mark May on Mayhem (Frers 30) dominated Division 1 with 4.5 bullets (tying one race with Hatter). Kurt Bierderman in Jurassis Dragon (J 22) took division 2 with 4 bullets. Guy May on Freya (Tartan 31) and Charlie Brieant on Zoom (Tartan 10) took 1st and 2nd respectively in Division 3.

Results: shattemucyc.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SYCRegatta2019Results-.htm

Off the water Shattemuc PRO and Hudson River YRA Rules Chair Peter Oden was honored for his many years of service to the Club, Regatta and Hudson River Racing

Shattemuc put on a fantastic Brazilian BBQ after racing with plenty to feast on the following day for the Awards presentation. Thanks to Shattemuc for putting on a great event and the Shattemuc RC for 2 great days of racing.

Next week is the Sutherland Regatta at Minnesceongo Yacht Club. Register now! http://www.hryra.org/notice-of-race-sailing-instructions-phrf/ The Fall series is heating up and there competition will be tight for overall honors in each division.

Hudson Cove Merberg Regatta

Hudson River Racers,

The Hudson River YRA 2019 spring season is now one for the record books.

Fourteen boats showed up to race in the Hudson Cove Merberg Regatta. Conditions proved challenging with a brisk breeze for two races on Saturday, and wildly varied conditions for a single race on Sunday.

In Division 1, the downriver boats answered the call with Breakout, Mayhem and Raptor making their first 2019 appearances providing for competitive racing and 7 boats on the line. The newcomers battled at the top of the fleet with only two points separating first from third. The Conways on Raptor (J105) took first overall. John Nonemacher dusted off the classic Breakout (J-27) to claim second. Mark May on Mayhem (Frers 30) took third. Mark dropped his furling credit this year which put the boat in Division 1 and made a strong showing in his debut.

Unfortunately after strong turnout in the first two regattas only one Division 2 boat showed up. MIke Collucci on Ripple (S2 9.1) joined Division 1 for the starts on Saturday and gave good chase to the Division 1 boats.

Six boats were on the line for Division 3. Bob Milstein on Pentimento (Tartan 31) took top honors with three bullets. Tony Martin on Sheba (Nonsuch 30) took second place and Daniel Leon on ¼ Impulse Power (Impulse 21)

The series will start back up in September with the Shattemuc Regatta on September 7-8. But before that, don’t miss the Women’s Regatta (date TBD). Also, there is plenty of racing for PHRF boats on the River. Kingston Sailing Club has a regular Sunday Series; and Chelsea Yacht Club, Haverstraw Bay Racing Association and Nyack Boat Club all host Wednesday Night Racing.

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Chelsea Regatta:

Hudson River Sailors,

This weekend Chelsea Yacht Club hosted the Chelsea Open, the second regatta in the Hudson River YRA Spring Series. A total of 15 boats turned out to race in Divisions 1-3. Division 2 had 9 boats on the line and was the biggest division turnout in recent memory. The boats showed up to play, but sadly the wind decided to make only a brief appearance before packing up its toys and going home. Race committee tried to make the most of the wind, and so did the boats.

After the first race timed out, the fleets started again in light wind. After rounding the weather mark, racers found themselves fighting a foul current in extremely light air. Boats flying asymmetrical kites had to jibe pretty much constantly to stay in the narrow band of wind just west of the mooring field where there was slight relief from the current.

Andy Sexton in “Surprise” broke away downwind and never looked back taking first in the race. Greg Allen on “Yellow Rose” and Eric Baumes on “Hee Soo” battled down wind with multiple crossings. “Hee Soo” eked out a narrow lead to take second with “Yellow Rose” in third.

Racing was again tight in Division 2. Local knowledge may have given Will Gordon on “Madame Du Pois” the 30 second advantage needed to take first place. The two Merit 25’s, David Wightman on “Skelton Crew” and Terry Baldwin on “Innovator” tried to finish what they started in Kingston last week. “Skeleton Crew” finished a mere 5 seconds ahead of “Innovator” to take second with “Innovator” in third.

Unfortunately the clock ran out Bob Millstein on “Pentimento” and Mike Schwartz on “Tiburon” in Division 3.

That did not stop the Dixieland band from playing on at the BBQ after the race that also featured some mystery rum punch and a mudslide if you were one of the late hangers on.

Sunday came with no wind and a ripping ebb tide. An attempt at a start was quickly abandoned as boats swept over the line were unable to sail back to recross. A postponement was signaled and the fleet waited for the forecast southerly to fill. What looked promising ultimately did not hold and racing was abandoned for the day with the standings from day one remaining.

Full results are available online (http://race.chelseayacht.org/race/2019resultso.htm?fbclid=IwAR1zNpSdWtDCUa76v3-HmEE9S1gPLD4f_6Z0UWf0f-akTkXAhP25uJA1Gjs

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HRYRA 2019 Spring Series Update:

The first regatta of 2019 is now under our belt. Despite a not-so-great forecast that included not much wind on Saturday and heavy storms on Sunday the RC managed to get off 5 races across 3 Divisions. The wind filled in and the storms held off.

In Division 1 Andy Sexton and Surprise (Beneteau 10R) held on to first place by 2 points. In second place Yellow Rose (Olson 30–formerly Espresso) made an impressive debut with new owner Gregg Allen swapping bullets with Surprise. Eric Baumes and Hee Soo returned to the course after a year-long hiatus from the circuit to grab third.

Local knowledge ruled in Division 2 with the two hometown Merit 25s–Terry Baldwin on Innovator and David Wightman on Skeleton Crew winning first and second respectively. Mike Collucci on Ripple (formerly Shooting Star) managed a solid third in the first appearance of the S2 9.1 in several years.

Division 3 had only two local boats but racing was wholehearted with Tom Burt on NoName taking first and Kevin McHugh on Au Revoir (Beneteau 285) taking second.

Thanks to Kingston Sailing Club for organizing another great event with plenty of Sailing and a great party on Saturday Night. Thanks also to the Hudson River Maritime Museum for providing dockage and a place to party.

If you missed this Regatta, there is still plenty of time to join in. This weekend (June 8-9) Chelsea Yacht Club hosts the Chelsea Open (http://www.chelseayacht.org/chelseaopen2019.html) and June 22-23 Hudson Cove will host their annual regatta in Haverstraw.

News

NEWS

Reported by Darrell Dwyer, President, Hudson River YRA

2023

2022

Reported by Eric Baumes, President, Hudson River YRA (2019 – 2021)