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Heineken Regatta Final Day

Posted 8 months, 27 days ago

Heineken Regatta Final Day
The final day of the Heineken Regatta wasn't quite as windy as the previous two days, but it was close, with windspeeds from 18 to 25 knots. Our goal on the Cookson 50 Privateer was to maintain our second-place position, and if possible, beat the TP52 Panthera for the day. We had talked about our goals the evening before, and one of our crew, Billy Burke, a Newport, R.I. resident who is originally from Ireland told us that if we managed to beat Panthera for the day, he'd dance an Irish jig twice; once on the way through the drawbridge into the lagoon, and once again on the big stage during the prize-giving ceremony tonight. After a phenomenal dinner on the French side of the island last night, well-lubricated with a few glasses of his favorite wine, he demonstrated his technique, enthralling not only our table, but everyone else in the restaurant. To say that it gave us a goal for the day was an understatement. We ended up Saturday's race on the French side of the island, in Marigot Bay, but then sailed back to Simpson bay, and our dockspace at the marina at Port de Plaisance on the Dutch side. The next morning, we motorsailed at high speed back to Marigot in order to make our start on time. Most of the fleet stayed in Marigot for the party, so the line of boats waiting for the drawbridge this morning was negligible, which gave us plenty of time to get to the starting line on time. Our course was a 27-mile petite-ditance race which took us up the French side of the island, then across Anguilla channel to a rock formation called Blowing Rock, then back to Simpson Bay. It was another great day of sailing, although the breeze was slightly lighter and the waves weren't as huge as they were the day before. We had a magnificent run down the Channel, once again match-racing the TP52. Boat speeds were once again in the high teens. We'd managed to get to the weather mark slightly ahead of the TP52, and took off like a rocket ship once our kite was up and pulling. We managed to stay ahead of Panthera for a large portion of the run, and I have to say that t was one of the more exciting downwind duels I've ever experienced. Panthera would get on a wave an accelerate, then we would, and if we looked as good as they did, it was as much fun for them to watch us as it was for us to watch them. Both of these boats are off-the-wind beasts; they accelerate fast, surf great on waves, and get downwind at an amazing rate of knots. By the turning mark off Blowing Rock, they'd managed to pass us, which given what we've seen all week, wasn't all that surprising. The final leg back into Simpson Bay was a tight reach that turned into an upwind beat by the time we neared the finish line. They crossed well ahead, which assured them the class win, but we'd managed to achieve our other goal, which was to beat the larger maxis, the two ULDB's Equation and Donnybrook, the Farr 60 Vemon (nee Rima), Hexe (nee Boomerang), and the Open 60 Pindar. This assured us yet another second-place finish (I'm assuming, as Internet connectivity for me here has been problematic, to say the least). Panthera sailed a great event, and deserved their win. As we took down our sails after finishing, we motored by them and gave them a standing ovation for a job well done. Then came the fun part, a three-hour wait for the next bridge opening. Rather than motoring around, dodging the bareboat fleet, we were able to raft alongside the anchored Swan 100 Aquarius, which was loaded with people we all knew. They were anchored very close to the drawbridge, so we were able to be one of the first boats back in the lagoon, which is a very good thing. As we motored through the bridge, we looked astern to see hundreds of boats jockeying for position, some more polite about it than others. Luckily enough, the Swan 100 and their large RIB tender helped stave off the boats trying to bust through the more-or less orderly queue. We had an intense crew de-brief , talking about what we'd done well, and what we could have done better. It's hard to argue with a second overall, but there's definitely room for improvement, and both the boat and the crew have a lot of potential. As the tactician, I was grateful for the boat's ability to dig us out of holes I'd put us in. A 50-foot boat that sails at 9.5 knots upwind, and in the high teens to twenties downwind, allows you to make a lot of time up on boats like the Swan 601, to which we owed time. It's been a great regatta, and there's more fun to come. Shaggy is the headline act tonight after the awards ceremony, which is held on a beach across the street from the St. Maarten YC. It's not just a party for the thousand of racing crew; the whole island shows up, and the party lasts all night long. There'll be a few more Heinekens consumed by yours truly this evening, and a rewarding trip up to the stage for our trophy. Tomorrow may be a slightly painful day of travel, but the memories of a great, windy regatta, and a couple more icy cold Heinekens should help smooth out the rough edges. I hope the sounds of my snores don't disturb too many people during our flights back to Rhode Island tomorrow. Full Story »

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