Thursday served up a delightful evening for the 6 pm harbor race, and 20 boats were pleased to participate. As often happens when a large fleet shows up, eight positions were claimed by margins of less than 30 seconds. In the A Division, Mike Powers won the coffee cup aboard Artful Dodger, a Tartan 3500. Second place was taken by Encore, an Etchells sailed by Don Cohan, and, in third, 12 seconds behind Encore, were Tom and Laurie Welch at the helm of their J100 Escape.
Sandpiper, a Cape Dory 25 skippered by Kathy Logue, came in first in the B Division. Bow Van Riper was second aboard Tyche, a Vineyard 15, and the third spot was won by Stuart Halpert’s Alerion 28, Providence.
Sunday’s race was a three- to four-hour trip across the Sound and back, honoring some marks along the way. It was a long windward beat to the other side, and a powerful ebbing tide was a challenge to even the most experienced sailors. A variety of strategies were tried to compensate for or to minimize the set from the current, some more successful than others. In the end, Phil Hale proved the most savvy, sailing his J100 Tango to victory for the A Division. King Kiwi, a Sabre 38 sailed by Irving Gates was second, and Escape came in third.
For the B Division, three Alerion 28s took the top three spots: Heimkehr was the winner. Skippered by Mead Wyman, she finished five minutes ahead of Penelope, sailed by Mo Flam. Rounding things out, Tom Westcott’s Tamu finished in third place.
Adding a third red vessel to the fleet, the Soling Andiamo II sailed by Anthony Johnson reappeared after an absence of a few years. Andiamo II was owned by Bob Jewett and Harry Duane for 20 years. Harry was a sailing guru who knew the local currents, tides and winds like no other, and competed fiercely in the Holmes Hole races, usually prevailing no matter what his handicap. Many sailors benefited from his expertise. Holmes Hole would like to welcome back the Andiamo II.
Holmes Hole Sailing Association races are held on Thursdays and Sundays. All are welcome. Please consult holmeshole.org for details.