A perfect day for the Menantic Yacht Club’s Sunday races
All last week I didn’t know what Sunday would bring for the Menantic Yacht Club’s eighth series of Sunfish racing.
Rain was predicted right up until Friday, with very light wind for Sunday morning. We would have sailed in the rain, but the after-race party was a different matter. However, Sunday turned out to be perfect with great wind, and the rain didn’t start until the after-race party was winding down. In the words of Peter Beardsley, there was “some carnage and chaos around the course.” A number of boats wound up with broken parts and early retirement. In all honesty I’m writing this piece on hearsay, because I was under the weather and couldn’t sail or attend the after-race party.
Early in the week, Jonathan Brush informed me that his boat, which he generously loans to the MYC for the Race Committee (RC), might not be available due to mechanical issues. The MYC is dependent upon volunteers and their equipment for the running of our races. When one person or boat is not available, generally someone else will step up when asked. In this case Charlie Modica Sr. loaned the fleet his 21-foot Boston Whaler, which MYC PRO Betsy Colby informed me worked out really well. Thank you, Charlie and Jon.
The only thing missing was a bimini top for shade, so the intrepid RC attached two beach umbrellas. Unfortunately, one of those umbrellas, again in the words of Peter “twice decided that it no longer wanted to be a part of the boat.” Quick to the rescue were Paul Zinger and Peter with their Sunfish.
As the wind picked up on Sunday, so did the activity on the race course. Not only did sailors perform rescues but the safety boat crew was kept busy. At least one sailor flipped, and at least three sailors suffered broken parts and had to retire early. Joan Butler flipped at the start of a race but immediately righted her boat and continued on her way. Timothy Mitchell’s rudder broke in half, so even if he were old enough to remember “MacGyver,” it wouldn’t have been repairable.
Tim’s was not the first boat to be towed to shore. Jonathan Brush’s tiller broke, causing him to miss the last two races. John Modica managed to MacGyver a broken spar on his boat and was able to finish racing. Will Lehr’s spars split and he had to be towed to shore. All in all, not too bad for a windy day.
Congratulations to Timothy Mitchell. Prior to being towed to shore due to his broken rudder, he placed first in one race for the very first time, and I’m sure it won’t be his last by a long shot. Not a bad 15th birthday present. Alicia Rojas, Jim Koehler and Eric Ryan also placed first in a race. Peter took two first place finishes but was badly fouled in a couple of other races, leaving Paul in first place overall, with no firsts but consistent sailing. Rachel Beardsley, Alicia and Linda Gibbs have all been showing improvement all season, with a third, a fifth and a sixth finish overall. Welcome to Gary Menk, who raced with us for the first time on Sunday.
Welcome back Luke and Max Ryder, Matt Fox’s twin nephews, who joined us for the first time this summer and shared a boat. Their parents (Peter and Thuy who visit Shelter Island from time-to-time), were incredibly gracious hosts when Debbie and I visited Vietnam this past winter. Eric Ryan and Matt Wenztler also shared a boat.
The mark boat, captained by Matt Fox and crewed by Mike Donlon, set marks and stayed fairly busy as the wind strengthened and shifted considerably throughout the day. At one point they filled in for the safety boat when Betty Bishop and her crew of one, Rich Masse, were occupied helping disabled sailors and towing boats to shore. It was a very busy afternoon for all the volunteers and I hope not too stressful. Thank you all.
Betsy Colby, our PRO, ran RC, crewed by Marian Thomsen, Kerry Mitchell, Susan Donlon and Mary Vetri. The RC ran six races. Many thanks, you all did a superb job.
Matt and Shelly Fox hosted the after-race party on Sunday, featuring Matt’s famous low country shrimp boil, which I can report first-hand was delicious, thanks to Shelly, who sent my wife home with a very generous takeout order for me. All the trimmings were excellent, including Marian’s special deviled eggs, and my favorite dessert, Betsy’s key lime pie that was also included in my care package. The party was very well attended, despite the absence of certain book club members. Many thanks, Matt and Shelly.
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 RC, 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 RC 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. Remember that you are out there to have fun.
See you on the water.
Results: Pts. Place
Paul Zinger 13 1
Peter Beardsley 23 2
Rachel Beardsley 28 3
Kate Bogart 39 4
Alicia Rojas 43 5
Linda Gibbs 48 6
John Modica 61 7
Charlie Modica 62 8
Denise Fenchel 68 9
Jim Kohler 77 10
Peter Zahn 82 11
Joan Butler 82 12
Susanne Hulme 87 13
Tim Mitchell 88 14
Eric Ryan 94 15
Kate Duff 95 16
Theo Schoen-Waelder 98 17
Max Ryder 102 18
Tom McMahon 104 19
Ellen Leonforte 107 20
John Colby 122 21
Luke Ryder 123 22
Isabel Parra 127 23
Gary Menk 130 24
Matthew Wenztler 133 25
Jonathan Brush 139 26
Will Lehr 160 27
