May 5, 2026 @ 14:45:05 EDT
Racing got underway at 1030AM in a 10kt southerly. 10-15 degree shifts and significant pressure variations kept the racing exciting throughout the day. The RC tweaked the course multiple times to accommodate the breeze changes and keep the race length correct. 77 total races were run across the President's/Terk Trophies. With no need for a competitor's meeting tomorrow, sailors should plan to begin rigging at 930AM. Water shuttles to ILYC will leave the rotation docks at 930AM. Racing tomorrow will begin at 1015AM with races 41-43 of the President's Trophy to be immediately followed by races 38-40 of the Terk Trophy.
A strong northwesterly breeze filled overnight requiring a venue change to farther into Brenton Cove find a little more protection from the wind and waves. Teams set up camp on Admiral's Pier by Sail Newport and racing commenced at 1015AM in a shifty 15-20kt breeze. The unstable breeze required a few course relocations throughout the day to keep the courses square. The second round robin wrapped up around 145 and the final four commenced at 2pm. Both final four round robins were sailed and racing finished at 445pm. One breakdown required race 65 to be re-sailed after Brunswick's jib lead was repaired. Congratulations to St. George's School on their impressive performance to remain undefeated through all 4 stages. Another congratulations to St. George's School and Tabor Academy whose performances earned them berths to the Baker Trophy in two weekends at Christchurch School and lastly to Brunswick School and Barrington High School who both earned berths to the NIT at Milton Academy. A regatta like this can be quite an undertaking and this event, in particular, would not have been possible without the many volunteers who offered their weekends to help in various ways. PRO Roy Williams kept the start box rolling and managed the overall race course with the help of Janet Thacker Costello and Beth Holland in the start boat. John Alofsin and Taylor Rock tirelessly moved marks to keep things square. NESSA President Chris Crane managed the complaint(and compliment) department as the NESSA reps. NESSA Statistician Carl Zimba kept the tech score gremlins at bay. Sail Newport kindly chartered their fleet of E420s which, in conjunction with St. George’s FJ fleet, kept the two regattas moving along smoothly. Lastly, ChUmp Greg Kiely’s crew of umpires dealt swift justice on the water. Serving as umpires was: Joakim Karlsen, Miles Bailey, Andrew Houghton, Rob Hurd, Jancy Grayson, Mike Campbell, Brittney Manning, and John Pratt.
