The fact that it took the same amount of time to complete a triangle around the harbor on Thursday as it did a nine-mile dash to Chappaquiddick on Sunday tells the Holmes Hole Sailing Association story for this week. Although it’s always a treat to be on the water, Thursday’s sail powered by a slight breeze, combined with a slack tide and overcast skies, was more contemplative than exciting.
Sunday was the opposite. A 15-mph NE wind combined with a favorable current sent all 11 flying under sunny skies to the finish as fast as they could go, in some cases faster than their skippers thought they could go. Roger Becker used the words “rip-roaring” and “considerable seas,” while Wendell Colson said it was “wet, wild, and fun!” The only windward leg was the first mile to Can 23 and a short, close reach at the end. This race had a pursuit start, in which each boat starts according to its handicap, the object being to arrive at the finish at about the same time. And that’s the way it turned out, with only a seven-minute difference on corrected scores in both divisions.
Michael Loberg sailed Masquerade, a Morris 36, into first place in the A Division. Sienna, Jerry Goodale’s Catalina 34, loving the heavier weather, took the second spot, and Frank Sutula’s Hanse 335, Soma Holiday, was third.
Tashmoo, a Shields sailed by Bruce Stewart, came in first in the B Division. Second was Alan Wilson’s Stuart Knockabout, Altius, and Gloria, a C&C 24 skippered by Roger Becker, nabbed the third spot.
The more stately race on the Fourth also had 11 starters altogether. For the A Division, a Brenta 38, Starfish, owned by Sail Martha’s Vineyard, was first, with Phil Hale’s Tango, a J100, less than a minute behind. Apres, a J120 sailed by Steve Besse, took third. Roger Becker, aboard Gloria, won the B Division, and Tamu, an Alerion 28 skippered by Tom Wescott, was second. In third was another Alerion 28, Angelina, sailed by John and Lisa Stout.
