The annual Holmes Hole Sailing Association (HHSA) race to Chappaquiddick was held on August 30th, another picture-perfect Sunday. Fourteen boats made the trip. The date was wisely chosen to take advantage of the tide both ways. The favorable current and a 12 mph southwest wind made for a lovely nine-mile sail. The very last part was a beat towards shore enlivened by the Edgartown class races. Tiptoeing through the Rhodes 19s, the Shields, the J/70s, the Herreshoffs, and others as they all skittered through the sparkle on their individual courses was good fun.
Masquerade, Michael Loberg’s Morris 36, won the A Division, with Escape, a J/100 sailed by Tom and Laurie Welch, in hot pursuit. Soma Holiday, a Hanse 335 skippered by Frank Sutula, came in third.
For the B Division, Julia Lee, Woody Bowman’s catboat, took the honors once again, and Isabella, a G&B Bella sailed by John and Lisa Stout, was second. A Vineyard 15, Tyche, with Bow and Katie Van Riper as skippers, was third.
Chappaquiddick is a bit of a shape shifter. It’s surrounded by sandy shoals that extend quite far out in all directions, so it’s particularly important for sailors to observe the marks. Even so, the underwater terrain can shift dramatically in a short time. A lighthouse is crucial. The Cape Poge Light, on the northeast tip of the island, has quite a history: it has been rebuilt four times since it was constructed in 1801. The present structure has been moved four more times due to erosion, the latest move being in 1987 when it was the first lighthouse shifted by helicopter. During the War of 1812 it was disassembled and hid in the cellar of a resident, presumably to confuse the British and lure them aground. Having been automated in 1943, the light is now solar-powered.
There was a high Holmes Hole turnout on the previous Thursday, August 27, as 21 boats took advantage of gusty winds and clear skies. The 16 to 20 mph breeze made for a speedy clockwise triangle around the harbor after a windward beat to Nun 6, and many positions were closely contested. The starting times for Thursday have been moved back half an hour, to 5:35 pm and 5:40 pm, to avoid furling sails in the dark if the wind is light.
For the A Division, Undine, a Morris 36 sailed by Ed Cerullo, came in just one minute ahead of Michael Loberg’s Masquerade. A Sparkman-Stevens, the lovely Aileen, sailed by Brian Roberts, took third place just 18 seconds later.
Julia Lee won the B Division. At Last, Jim Dixon’s Alerion 28, took second, and Isabella came in third, 45 seconds later.
Anyone interested in sailing in the George Moffett Race, an Island tradition to be held on Sept. 12, should visit holmeshole.org. Aside from the Moffett, there are just three more Holmes Hole races this season, one on Thursday and two on Sunday. All are welcome.