Shelter Island Race Week Report

The 2025 edition of a week-long regatta was just hosted by the Shelter Island Yacht Club (SIYC). This was the event’s 5th year. 

Days one and two were for the Etchells and the Herreshoffs. The Etchells are sleek racing machines, with the club having a small but highly competitive fleet. World champions (club members) are often at the helm. 

The Herreshoffs are one of the defining features of the SIYC, since it has one of the largest fleets in the world. 

The next few days saw the youth take charge. Over a hundred sailors ages 14-18 from 10 visiting yacht clubs competed in spirited racing in Lasers and 420’s. The courses were set in Pipes Cove. The wonderful sight of all these young sailors doing windward/leeward mark turns was reassuring to anyone concerned that the sport is not attracting a new generation.  

Friday, Aug. 1 was the PHRF-rated big boat around the Island race. Twenty-three were at the start off the Greenport breakwater. This race, like all PHRF SIYC ones, is open to all, and Race Week now attracts boats from as far away as Newport. For days before the race, entrants kept a keen eye on the weather forecast since initial predictions were for near-gale conditions with lots of rain. Fortunately, as time evolved, the forecast moderated, and by the 1 p.m. start, the winds were 12-18 knots and the rain was over. What was unusual was the wind direction. It came over the town of Orient. Since the majority of the time the wind is southwest, a northeast blow means different tactics. 

The Race Committee (RC) set a clockwise course, so it was a beat to windward until the green bell off Bug Light. Then an off-the-wind leg into Northwest Harbor and across Mashomack’s southern end. From there it was downwind through South Ferry channel until an eastward turn at Jennings Point.

For the slower boats, in Divisions 3 and 4, the wind went light and it was a long slog to the finish line off Dering Harbor. Needless to say, the Division 1 boats flying spinnakers were back at the club first and their crews treated to the first tap of the keg at the after-party.

Saturday brought “round the buoys” races in Orient Harbor and Gardiner’s Bay. The RC, looking for wind, tried to align the divisions with the best wind so there were starts in both bays. 

Of note was the participation of seven Vipers. These are super-fast, V-shaped, low to the water boats that are athletic to sail. SIYC member Peter Beardsley, who actively campaigns them, has used Race Week to attract this new class of boats to the regatta. As they whiz by slower mono-hulls, it is hard not to admire their nimbleness and speed. 

Also of special note was Saturday’s Sonar women’s competition. These stable, keel boats are ideal since they have the characteristics of larger boats. Two teams, one from Orient and one from Shelter Island, battled each other over several races. In the end, team Orient was victorious. 

All in all, a very successful week of sailboat racing. One that showcased the beauty of our island and SIYC’s Race Committee and the numerous volunteers who put so much effort into making it all happen. A special thanks to Commodore John Sommi who made sure the organizations supporting the effort received the resources needed. 

For Saturday’s race results go to Yachtscoring.com and look up SIYC Race Week 2025.

  ROUND THE ISLAND 
  RACE RESULTS

Division 1 >

1st: David Fass-Club Swan 42-Zammermoos

2nd: Abhijeet Lele-J111-Varuna

3rd: Jeff Pribor-X 442-Renegade

Division 2 >

1st: Richard Mckinney-Essence    33-Twilight

2nd: John Sommi-J 88-Cloud9

3rd: Paul Ahern-J100-Wild Child

Division 3 >

1st: Andrew Baris-Sabre   402-IMPULSE

2nd: Niels Ruigrok-Essence  
   33-Coronet

3rd: Peter Swerdloff-J105-Wyvern

Division 4 >

1st: Doug Davis-Gypsy Moon-Cal 33

2nd: Isaac Halpern-Bristol 35.5-Ida G

3rd: George Zinger-Alerion  30-ZigZag.