Northeast Harbor Fleet
Independence Day Series
IOD and Luders classes
July 4-5
The Fourth of July was a fun day at the sailboat races with a warm west wind coming off the Manset shore. From Rice Point off Sutton, sailors had a tight beat up into Manset and Mark N.
A long run to Seal Harbor had some interesting moments as Freight Train and Ludicrous rounded an incorrect mark and let everyone else catch up.
The long beat to windward all the way to N had some interesting strategies as the tide was ebbing hard out the Eastern Way. The edges were good and crossing the middle was generally costly.
Windshifts got a bit more wacky as the fleet approached the lee shore and then a run to Sutton for the finish had some good mustard on in the puffs.
The father/ son team of Art and Nat Paine won the day and the June Luders Series.
Independence Day
series final results
1 Art Paine Ludicrous
2 David Folger VooDoo
3 Otto Smith Freight Train to your Love, Baby
4 Wells Bacon MaryJane
5 Tom Rolfes Palladin
6 Ken Brookes Sweet Chariot
Northeast Harbor Fleet
IOD Class July Series
Saturday started with a southwest breeze and abundant sunshine as all sailors and spectators gathered up at the starting area to honor the late Harry Madeira.
“Chief was a champion racer in the class and was still observing every single IOD Class race on the Great Harbor of Mount Desert in his senior years,” Fleet Director Fran Charles said. “He was without any doubt the most active boater at the Northeast Harbor Fleet for all of his years and he volunteered to be a leader as a flag officer and personally managed Clifton Dock, too.”
The day’s race, with Rick Echard assisting in the mark boat, started between Sutton and Gilpatrick Cove with a windward mark half way out the Manset shore towards Seaview.
The start was a fierce battle with most competitors within a half boat length of the line at go. The usual flip to port tack and drag towards Southwest Harbor strategy didn’t work, as the breeze backed left and sailors who held towards Sutton carried the better wind pressure most of the way to the top mark.
The run looked like a beam reach parade until the breeze went aft and everyone needed to gybe to get to the gates at Northeast Harbor.
Moewe rolled Gambler but had to bear away to get to the marks. At this point the race committee changed and lengthened the race course as the approaching squall line would not allow a safe second race to be held.
Of course, the Great Harbor gives to some but also takes away. The breeze turned sketchy on the way out to Spurling Point mark Q and Mischief, Eagle, and Live Yankee played the Southwest Harbor side of the course.
The leaders, Gambler, Moewe and Auriga got back to be players for the final run to the finish line.
Gambler, Eagle and Moewe pretty much pointed at the finish line. Live Yankee reached up for the fresh breeze filling off Manset. The leaders sailed into the glassy skating rink most of the way to the finish and their sails went limp. Live Yankee sailed up and around everyone to grab victory.
July Series
Standings after one race
1 Tom Fremont Smith Live Yankee
2 John Henry Gambler
3 Courtney Jenkins Eagle
4 David Folger Dakota
5 Alec Fisichella Moewe
6 Bill Dowling Mischief
7 Gary Madeira Auriga
8 Sean Beaulieu Aurora
9 Fred Ford J’Ellie Bean
10 Sydney Roberts Rockefeller Satin Doll
11 Nicholas Schoeder Puff
12 Mia Thompson Freyja
13 Jean Burden Cygnet
Northeast Harbor Fleet
Henry Reath Trophy Pursuit Race
The first pursuit race of the season, held Sunday afternoon in fluky wind conditions, saw 17 boats of all classes on the line.
Magic Bus was the first IOD across the finish line, skippered by Terra Ehrhart, a rising high school senior and sailing instructor who has multiple Junior Olympics trophies under her belt.
Final results
1 Cybele David Rockefeller
First spinnaker boat
2 Ranger Ken Weg
3 Fleetwing Henry Brauer
First all family
4 Lynnette Mike Cook
5 Ohana Peter Rogers
6 Biscuit Jean Beaulieu
7 Sidewinder Tom Rolfes
8 Watermark Chris Hopkins
9 Dreadnought Joe Weber
10 Magic Bus Terra Ehrhart
First IOD, first youth, first woman
11 Scarlett Bee Mark Kryder
First non-spinnaker
12 Romp Bill Horner
First Luders
13 Beckon Peter Horneffer
14 Dulcinea Mike Thompson
15 Mimicat Alix Smith
16 Grateful Red Ken Johnson
17 Woodie Morgan Roberts
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