Shelter Island’s Menantic Yacht Club report: Shifting winds, intense competition

The Menantic Yacht Club (MYC) held its third series of Sunfish races this past Sunday, July13, in light, shifty winds blowing between 2 and maybe 8 knots, with some dead spots, all of which I managed to find. The competition was intense as always, since the MYC has some top-notch racers.

We now have two 14-year-olds sailing with the fleet, Maddie Saladino and Timothy Mitchell. Will Lehr, formerly the youngest member of the fleet, arrived late to the races because he first watched his mother, Sui Zee, throw the first pitch at Sunday’s Shelter Island Bucks vs. South Shore Clippers game. Peter Beardsley gave Timothy a slightly used sail, and loaned Maddie one of his Sunfish for the season, which Maddie put to good use placing first in one race and 11th overall. Way to go.

And way to go, Peter, for helping the newcomers. It’s great having some younger people in the club. We’re looking forward to the day that Rosie Modica joins the fleet. Rosie is only 6 years old, and she’s already sailed with the MYC a few times along with her Dad, Charlie Modica Jr.

Peter Due, who has sailed with the MYC for three years, usually sails over from Cedar Beach, but on Sunday, he received a tow from his wife, Julia, and son, Kresten, making it a family affair. Being towed was a very wise decision in the light wind; otherwise, Peter would still be coming up the South Ferry channel.  

We had 24 sailors participating on Sunday, and everyone had a good time. There was a lot of talking and joking between races, but that doesn’t mean the racing wasn’t competitive. The start line was very crowded, especially at the favored pin end. So much so that there were a number of general recalls until the Race Committee flew the “One Minute Rule” flag. Charlie Jr. took two firsts and first overall.

A first-place finish doesn’t necessarily translate into one of the top spots, however. Consistency is what pays off. Just ask Derek Webster, Peter Beardsley, and Paul Zinger who placed second, third and fourth, respectively without placing first in any race. 

John Modica is really pulling ahead of his older brother, Charlie Sr. In fact, I beat Charlie Sr. in a couple of really close races, and told John that if I could do that he was golden. Paul-Jon Patin, past president of the International Sunfish Class Association and former world champion, among other accomplishments, raced on Sunday, and gave John some tips that really paid off. 

Betty Bishop captained the chase boat, crewed by Denise Fenchel, who answered my request for a volunteer. Thank you, Betty and Denise. Because of the shifty winds they were kept pretty busy assisting moving marks. They also had another problem — their transmission went rogue, and by the end of the day, they could only go in reverse. Matt Fox captained the mark boat along with Lucy Brown and Kerry Mitchell. They also had to move some marks, especially for the last two races when there was a complete reset because of a major wind shift. Moving the marks on and off shore is time consuming, and the crews worked really hard on Sunday. Thank you, all.

Betsy Colby ran six races along with her trusty crew of Amy Cococcia and Marian Thomsen. Betsy and Matt were in constant communication throughout the day about moving marks due to the shifty winds. Betsy also received a lot of help from the chase boat crew as well. Thank you all for doing a superb job. 

Next week, July 20, we may hold the races outside West Neck Harbor, depending on weather conditions. You will be notified in advance, so please arrive early. Also, Jonathan and Anita Brush will host an after-race party. You all know what to bring.

We are a very congenial, family-friendly club, open to all. We may not have a clubhouse, but the sailing is great, the camaraderie is superb, and we just have tremendous fun. All sailors, novice to expert, are welcome.  Just show up in West Neck Harbor at 2 p.m. on any Sunday through Labor Day, check in with the Race Committee, giving them your full name and sail number, and be sure to bring your life jacket. Non-sailors are also welcome to assist with the Race Committee boat and the stake boat. You can get more information about the MYC on Facebook at Menantic Yacht Club, or from Bob Harris at [email protected] or 505-235-5844. Steve and Melissa Shepstone have a fleet of loaner boats available on a first-to-reserve basis. Contact Melissa at [email protected] to reserve your boat. 

See you on the water. 

   Results:           Pts    Place

  Charlie Modica Jr.     19 1

   Derek Webster   25 2

   Peter Beardsley 32 3

   Paul Zinger     33 4

   Kate Bogart     35 5

   Paul-Jon Patin   39. 6

   John Modica     40 7

   Alicia Rojas     51    8

   Melissa Pumphrey 54 9

   Joan Butler 55    10

   Maddie Saladino 63    11

   Charlie Modica Sr. 69 1. 2

   Bob Harris 81 13

   Peter Due 90 14

   Jennifer van Zandt 92 15

   Kate Duff 95 16

   Tim Mitchell   101 17

   Will Lehr 102 18

   Peter Zahn 110 19

   Jonathan Brush     113 20

   Jodi Sisley 116 21

   John Colby 120 22

   Isabel Parra 128 23

   Brett Mintz 138 24