Sports
By Don Lyons - July 12, 2007
The MV Rowing Club's men's team finished second in the 3-mile triangular race, Saturday. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Vineyard Cup weekend a triumph
The wonderful weather put icing on the cake of a highly successful Vineyard Cup weekend of racing and feasting and congeniality, all of which contributed to fruitful fund-raising efforts.
Below, find Vineyard Cup 2007 race results using the Holmes Hole Sailing Association handicap system.
Juno, a schooner skippered by Scott DiBiaso, finished sixth in the Holmes Hole Racing Assn. Heritage Class race 1, Saturday, and was first to finish in race 2, Sunday, for a winning total score of seven. Sunday's race was especially challenging with high seas and winds gusting to 25 knots.
Winner of race one, Saturday, was Jim Pringle in Myfanwy but Myfanwy was forced to quit Sunday when her spreaders detached from the stays.
Sometimes tight, sometimes solitary, never becalmed during a weekend of friendly racing. Photo by Louisa Gould
Summertime, a Luders 27 sailed by Don Cohan, was second overall at 12, tenth in race one and second in race two.
Scott Bryant in Alerion was third, also at 12, followed by Jerry Goodale in Stormalong, John Amabile in Solitude, and Bob Jewett in Andiamo II, all at 13.
Then came (7) George Delaney in Ardent, (8) Jerry Coe in Indian Summer, (9) G. Gibson in Latonka, (10) Phil Hale in Mischief, (11) Jeff Robinson in Phra Luang, (12) M & M Loberg in Masquerade, (13) Irving Gates in King Kiwi, (14) Hugh Martin in Moira Elizabeth,
(15) Peter Strock in Arion, (16) and Tom Welch in Eastaway.
(17) Bruce Slater in Sly Fox, (18) Jim Malkin in Taronga, (19) Jim Lobdell in Malabar II, (20) and M.J. Mintz in L'Amarre.
Twenty-one registered boats either did not finish or did not compete in one or both of the weekend races.
15 year old Solvig Sayre keeps the family tradition of championship windsurfing alive, winning the East Coast Junior Windsurfing title. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Rowing gigs
The Martha's Vineyard Rowing Club hosted visitors from Plymouth, Gloucester, Fairhaven, and Belfast, Maine for a full day of rowing races, Saturday.
Teams of rowers competed in one-nautical-mile sprints Saturday morning. The women's team from Buzzard's Bay (Fairhaven) won the women's sprint in the Vineyard gig "Cassie" in 9:39. The Team Saquish men of Plymouth won the men's sprint in 9:08. A crew of men and women from Belfast, Maine, won the mixed crew sprint in 10:41.
Saturday afternoon the gigs were challenged by a three nautical mile triangular course. Team Saquish women won their race in 43:00. The Team Saquish men were also victorious, finishing in 33:04. A men-women mix of rowers from Belfast, Maine, won the mixed category race in 34:56.
With a combined race total of 42:12, the Saquish men proved to be the overall champions.
Windsurfing champs
The East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships, a U.S. Junior Olympic event, was held at he Vineyard Haven Yacht Club Friday and Saturday, July 6 and 7. The event was also a part of the Sail M.V. Vineyard Cup weekend. Sailors under the age of 19 came from as far away as Jacksonville, Florida, Lake Bluff, Illinois, and Vannes, France. Sailors enjoyed ideal conditions with winds ranging from five to 15 knots and gusts up to 20.
Fifteen-year-old Solvig Sayre was crowned East Coast Champion, mastering her home waters off Vineyard Haven in the Gold Fleet. Ryan Kaszynski, 17, of Atlanta was second and Rasmus Sayre, 9, was third overall and first in the under 15 division. Nick Watts of Sudbury, Mass., finished first in the Silver Fleet.
The weekend was a highly successful fund-raisier for Sail Martha's Vineyard and its program to teach sailing to Island youngsters without charge.
Eleni Collins scoops a hard bouncer at shortstop. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Whipping boys no more
Last Monday the winless Boilers took the Loose Cannons into extra innings before conceding. Thursday the Boilers succeeded in posting their first win, defeating the Riptide, 5-4. The loudest blow of the game was Boiler Eric Wolfe's two-run homer in the fourth. Monday the Boilers failed to score against the Treds and bowed, 12-0.
In other action, the Highlanders upset the Brewhas, Thursday, dropping them out of a first-place tie with the Hurricanes. Monday the Scottish team lost its contest with the 'Canes, 10-3. The only home run in the game was Ben Gunn's solo shot in the third.
Also Thursday, the Riptide took the Brewhas into an extra inning.
The Tide scored six in the first and three more in the next two innings, one on Bill Belcher's second-inning blast. The Brewhas scored three times in each of the first three innings and the score was even at nine after three.
Riptide posted two more runs in the top of the fifth and another in the seventh. The Brewhas tied the score in the bottom of the seventh; with two outs and one on, John Van Putten sent the ball over the right field fence.
The Tide ebbed quietly in the top of the eighth. In the Brewhas half, Karl Kallinich led off with a ground-rule double, then scampered home on Kevin Hatt's line drive single.
Some teams are stronger than other teams, no doubt, but it is clear that this year none can be taken for granted.
Jill Benevides slides under the tag of Ryan Gold at third.
Standings as of Tuesday
Hurricanes 8-1
Brewhas 7-2
Treds 5-3
Highlanders 5-4
Wildcats 4-4
Cannons 3-4
Riptide 1-7
Boilers 1-8
Women's softball League
The undefeated Mocha Motts Creamers kept their record clean in spades, Monday evening at Tisbury's Veterans Park, by trouncing the Dockside Dentistry Drillers, 23-1, in two and a half innings. The mercy rule was applied early at the request of the Drillers. Teri Arias, the Creamers pitcher, forwarded her cause with a three-run homer in the second inning.
In other action at the park, The Dairy Queen Swingers edged the Island Entertainment Late Fees, 14-13. The Fees scored three runs in the top of the seventh (final) inning to tie the score at 13, but the Swingers pushed a winning run across the plate in their half of the inning.
Also Tuesday, the Shady Ladies got by the Long and Meehan Snaps in a well-played game, 4-3, and the Wharf Pub Honeys topped the Edgartown Pizza Toppers in a mercifully shortened game, 25-2.
