Menantic Yacht Club’s luck holds with racers and weather
Mother Nature is truly smiling on the Menantic Yacht Club (MYC) this season.
With the wind blowing from the southwest at between 7 and 11 knots, it was another gorgeous day on the water for all 21 sailors who participated in the sixth series of Sunfish races this past Sunday. Unlike last week, when the wind was relentless, this week it came in puffs, allowing sailors a little time to rest.
For those of you who have not been following this column this summer, for the time being, Commodore and Sallie Bethge are at their home in Florida, and Debbie and I are sheltering in place at our home in New Mexico. So, I am writing about the goings on of the MYC based on a weekly after-race Zoom meeting with Tom McMahon, Linda Gibbs and Peter and Rachel Beardsley, and occasionally a couple of other sources. I promise I don’t employ poetic license, but I do have a vivid imagination.
Welcome back, Ruth Hackenson and John Colby, and welcome to our two newcomers this week, a husband and wife team, Matt Hebert and Eleni Asimacopolous. Neither Matt nor Eleni had ever sailed a Sunfish before, and both did really well right up until beaching their boats at the end of the day. Approaching Wades beach, Matt pulled up his dagger board and promptly rolled over, followed by Eleni, much to the amusement of the onlookers at the beach. I’m sure they were happy that the unintentional swim was at Wades Beach and not on their usual sailing grounds, the not-so-pristine Charles River in Boston, which Eleni said used to require an ER visit if you fell overboard.
The MYC not only has a diverse group of sailors, but a diverse collection of boats, ranging from new to 30 years old. John Colby’s boat fits into the latter category, while Charlie Modica’s is relatively new. John borrowed Charlie’s boat and had one of his best days ever on Sunday. Does this mean there’s a new boat on the horizon for John?
Paul Zinger used his dad George’s brand new sail on Sunday. As Peter Beardsley commented “he was only checking out the sail ties for George.” Paul had his second best series of races on Sunday, placing second overall. Know that your sail was properly broken in, George, and that the entire fleet wishes you a speedy recovery. Just remember to keep your new sail away from Linda!
Peter Beardsley wasn’t sailing up to his usual standards for the first two races, prompting Joe Sullivan to ask “did you miss the first two races, I didn’t see you?” Joe took first in both of those races to Peter’s sixth and 11th place finishes. Peter made up for it later, placing third overall. Joe placed fifth overall after being disqualified in one race. He sailed up to the Race Committee and asked “did they all sail the wrong course or did I?” Griffin Sisk, the 19-year-old who sails for Fordham University, won the day, beating Paul by 4 points.
John Modica had a good day as did Rachel. For the second week in a row she placed ahead of Linda in the standings. Keep it up, Rachel! As of now, John appears to be beating his brother Charlie for the season, but there are still four weeks to go. The rivalry continues. Kyle Hvidsten discovered the beauty of a ratchet block and how much easier it is on your arms instead of a plain block. Some of us non-purists use cam cleats. Dave Olsen, Mary Vetri and Will Lehr also had some good races.
Jonathan Brush ran Race Committee on Sunday for only his second time ever, along with Betsy Colby, Anita Brush and Judy Hole. They ran six races and did a superb job, despite it being, in Jonathan’s words, “a bit hectic.” There was only one general recall for over early.
Billy Sulahian captained the chase boat along with Joni Campbell, Billy’s niece Madeline Hansen, and Betty Bishop. A few sailors, including Jodi Sisley and Joe Sullivan, flipped but did not need any help. Bill Martens was seen sliding off his boat during the windward leg of one race and Tom McMahon managed to keep dry, but it required performing his patented yoga move to do so. It occurred right at the finish line, and was quite a Hollywood finish. Was he showing off or was it luck? Tune in next week to find out.
We are a very congenial club, open to all, with no dues, no fees and no clubhouse. The sailing is great, the camaraderie is superb, and we just have tremendous fun. Normally, all sailors, novice to expert, are welcome, but, due to COVID-19, for the time being the club is only allowing experienced Sunfishers who are physically capable of righting their own boats so as to avoid unnecessary contact with the chase boat crew.
Contact Peter Beardsley if you want to reserve a loaner boat for the Sunday races, on a first to reserve basis at 917-696-8229, or email [email protected]. Unfortunately, this season reservations are available for experienced Sunfishers only.
See you on the water!
Results:
Name PTS Place
Griffin Sisk 14 1
Paul Zinger 18 2
Peter Beardsley 25 3
John Modica 27 4
Joe Sullivan 40 5
Matthew Hebert 48 6
Rachel Beardsley 49 7
Linda Gibbs 52 8
Ruth Hackenson 53 9
Denise Fenchel 55 10
Eleni Asimacopolous 55 11
Will Lehr 62 12
Bill Martens 70 13
Dave Olsen 82 14
Tom McMahon 88 15
John Colby 95 16
Ellen Leonforte 96 17
Stu Homer 108 18
Mary Vetri 111 19
Jodi Sisley 118 20
Kyle Hvidsten 122 21
