Menantic Yacht Club report: Brutal conditions preparing for championships

Mother Nature kept us in suspense all last week. Storms were predicted until they weren’t; wind was predicted as well until it wasn’t, which made getting to and from the race course a tad bit longer than usual. 

The Menantic Yacht Club (MYC) held its fourth series of Sunfish races this past Sunday, and for the first time in modern history, the races were held outside of West Neck Harbor in preparation for the New York Downstate Championships the club will be hosting in mid-September. The races were held in Shelter Island Sound outside of Shell Beach in order to give sailors some practice racing in a current. 

Sunday was brutal between the heat, the humidity and, at times, the lack of wind. In fact, during the third race some sailors were pulled through the finish line by the current without finishing because they couldn’t make it to a mark that needed to be rounded. Steve Shepstone, a retired U.S. Sail judge, informed one sailor that trying to rock your way around the pin end of the start line, even in windless conditions, was not allowed, and that doing so three times during a regatta would result in disqualification from the whole regatta. About a third of the fleet timed out on that race, I believe a first for our fleet in the 23 years I have been sailing with the MYC. 

Several sailors retired early and headed to shore rather than endure the heat and lack of wind, although the wind finally filled in for the last race. During the third race, Paul Zinger called out that he was taking a DNF as he drifted by the Race Committee. The wind was such that during one race the usual group of lead sailors gave way to some of the slower sailors and ended up in a position that they are not used to, watching others finish in front of them, a position with which I am all too familiar. 

Derek Webster placed first overall with 18 points, followed by Melissa Pumphrey, also with 18 points, but Derek had two first-place finishes to break the tie. Congrats to Maddie Saladino for finishing third overall and placing first in a race, followed by Kate Bogart.

On another front, Charlie Modica Sr. beat his brother John on the day, but still has a ways to go to catch up on the season. In fact, he was sailing so well that he almost beat Charlie Jr. in one race that Charlie Jr. ended up winning by a nose, or I should say a bow.

Betty Bishop, using Charlie Sr.’s inflatable rib, captained the chase boat along with Mary Vetri and Ben Gonzales. The chase boat was easily recognizable with a beach umbrella attached to the center console. Matt Fox captained the mark boat along with Lucy Brown and Dave Daly. Both boat crews were kept busy moving marks all afternoon, including a complete reset. Many of the anchor lines used for the marks had to be shortened or lengthened depending on the water depth, which took time and patience. Thank you all for a job well done in challenging conditions.

Steve was PRO on Sunday, while Betsy Colby took the day off. Steve, who will be co-PRO at the NY Downstate race, wanted to test the waters where the regatta will be held. He ran four races, assisted by Amy Cococcia, Kerry Mitchell, Marian Thomsen and yours truly, with Timothy Mitchell on board as an observer. Amy, Kerry and I went swimming to cool down, as did a number of sailors and other crew members. Thank you all for doing a superb job. 

Jonathan and Anita Brush graciously hosted the after-race party assisted by Rita Gates using her expert grilling skills. Everyone brought their favorite side or dessert with Marian’s deviled eggs going fast. A good time was had by all.

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

Derek Webster 18 1

Melissa Pumpfrey 18 2

Maddie Saladino 21 3

Kate Bogart 21 4

Charlie Modica Jr. 24 5

Charlie Modica Sr. 28 6

Joan Butler 31 7

Alicia Rojas 32 8

Eugene Van Rynbach 40 9

Paul Zinger 41 10

Paul-Jon Patin 45 11

Bill Martens 45 12

John Modica 47 13

Denise Fenchel 48 14

Peter Zahn 49 15

Will Lehr 55 16

Isabel Parra 56 17

Sharon Wicks 59 18

Kate Duff 63 19