Steve Besse won an unprecedented third trophy in the 39th annual Moffett Race held Saturday. It was his second victory in a row. His first win was in 2009.
In keeping with the rules established to limit repeat wins, Steve was assessed a hefty penalty of 15 seconds per mile because of his win last year. He never even noticed.
Sailing his J170, Après, he blew by the entire fleet, crossing the finish a full twelve minutes before his closest competitor in elapsed time and two minutes ahead on corrected time. Aboard were two of his crew from his triumphant Bermuda Race finish in June, Adam Hayes and Geoff Gibson, as well as his sister Anne Besse, also an accomplished sailor.
Steve said that the race hit the perfect “sweet spot” for Après in terms of wind and course, allowing him to use his racing sails, including his Genoa. The race committee chose a perfect course for the 37 competitors: 10.9 miles in a zigzag pattern over to the Cape and back. The wind was between 9 and 11 miles per hour, the tide relatively tame, and unlike other years, there was hardly any chop along the way. All in all, a very pleasant and drama-free sail.
The start, however, was a little fraught for both divisions. As the majority of the second division (which started first) clustered near the committee boat, four boats were forced over early and had to circle back to cross again. Two boats crossed early in the first division as well. After that, smooth sailing.
Phil Hale, sailing Tango, his J100, improved on his fourth place finish in 2015 to take the second spot. Clearly a force to be reckoned with in the future. Andy Berry, obviously enjoying his retirement from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, finished a strong third on Isobar, his Cal33. Two other regular contenders, Aurora, a 48-foot yawl, skippered by Brad Abbott, and Ardent, an Avance 33 sloop sailed by Ged Delaney, finished fourth and fifth respectively.
George Moffett, one of the founders of the Holmes Hole Sailing Association, was a passionate and intrepid sailor. Upon his death in 1977, his wife Lucia established a trophy in his honor for a race in September, when the winds were likely to be fresh. Any sailor with a boat between 15 and 70 feet is welcome. For further details, please visit holmeshole.org and click on “Moffett” in the toolbar.