This one was fast — Heatherton Trophy 2025

There was a palpable sense of giddiness at the 9:30 a.m. skipper’s meeting Sunday held at the Shelter Island Yacht Club (SIYC) sailing center. With good reason. 

The forecast was for lots of wind, 12-plus knots at the start, building through the race. A dozen sailors were in attendance as Director of Sailing Jeff Bresnahan went over the potential courses and discussed the logic behind the four classes of boats. It was assumed the 11 pages of race instructions, courses, and their marks had already been digested.

At 1 p.m., the theory became reality as 23 boats in four divisions started to race deep into Orient Harbor. The Race Committee (RC) set up two spinnaker divisions, one spinnaker/non, and one cruising. All boats are PHRF handicapped. All PHRF events run by the SIYC are open to all and sailors from surrounding towns are encouraged to participate. 

Jeff told us, “The RC’s goal is to get everyone back to the club at the same time.” So the divisions were sent on courses of different lengths based on boat speed.

Because of the force and direction of the wind, it was decided to try a westward course into Peconic Bay, something that had not been done for eight years. 

After a windward mark, it was a tacking duel up Shelter Island Sound toward a rounding at Jennings Point (Camp Quinipet) and from there to marks deep into the Peconic. Beating into the wind is never easy, especially with holiday Sunday maritime traffic and the North Ferry’s frequent crossings. It was also wind — 23 knots at times — against tide as the ebb ran against the fleets, forcing them to seek shelter behind breakwaters and peninsulas. 

After escaping the Sound, sheets were eased a bit as the long leg south saw even more wind pressure the sails. The spinnaker divisions went to mark “P” in the Peconic and the non to mark “N” in Noyak Bay. The sight of brightly colored spinnakers flying full against the hazy summer sky as they headed back to the SIYC was a reminder of the sporting majesty sailing can be. 

The downwind leg was a relief from the endless tacking, and the more level boat a platform for relaxed conversation and some time to just look around at the beauty of the land and sea. 

The finish was right off the mooring field in Dering Harbor. 

The boat with the fastest time and the class 1 winner was Bravo sailed by Andrew Ward who had his father Sedge and his junior sailing champ son aboard. Jeff Pribor’s Renegade was next, followed by Katherine Sudol’s Ghost.

Class 2 winners were Commodore John Sommi’s Cloud9 (1st), Harry Di Orio’s Pronto (2nd), and Paul Ahern’s Wild Child (3rd).

Class 3 winners were Andrew Baris’s Impulse (1st), Mike Rouzee’s Starlight (2nd), and Peter Swerdloff’s Wyvern (3rd).

Class 4 winners were Doug Davis’s Gypsy Moon (1st), Scott Matthew’s Fantasy (2nd), and George Zinger’s ZigZag (3rd).

If there was one boat to notice at this race it had to be the Sudols’ new X4.6 Ghost. She was helmed by their daughter Katherine, a graduate of the SIYC junior sailing program and Brown University’s team. X boats are fast, well-built Dutch racer/cruisers and as beautiful inside as out. 

The awards ceremony featuring food, drink, and music on the aft deck of the SIYC was decidedly upbeat because the anticipation of great racing that took hold at the skippers’ meeting was more than fulfilled as strong wind met filled sails.