Last weekend on the Chesapeake

Reports from the Storm Trisails YC's IMS Mid-Atlantic Overall Trophy and beneteau 36.7 regatta in Annapolis

Dame Blanche a Beneteau 40.7 owned and skippered by Othmar Blumencron, dominated IMS Class 2 to win the 2003 IMS Mid-Atlantic Overall trophy in Annapolis on Saturday and Sunday November 1 and 2.

In doing so, Dame Blanche finished one point ahead of Class 1 winner, Talisman, a Farr 53 owned and helmed by Marco Birch, with Terry Hutchinson calling tactics.

Second in Class 1 went to Ramrod, a Farr 46, sailed by Rod Jabin, with Olympic Finn Class hopeful, Geoff Ewenson calling the shots. Third place in Class 1 went to Uarshek 2, a Farr 49, skippered by Ennio Staffini.

In IMS Class 2, Ed & Molly Freitag’s Beneteau 40.7, Down Time, placed second with Moon Racer, Ken Comerford’s Beneteau 40.7 finishing third.

For the third year in a row, IMS racing returned to the Chesapeake Bay with a very competitive fleet of many of the top IMS boats and crews from the east coast vying for overall honours in conditions that were more reminiscent of summer sailing than early fall on the Bay.

Four races were held rather than the hoped-for seven race series. Still 23 IMS boats in two classes challenged for the Championship organised and managed by the Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station, with on the water scoring by US Sailing’s Dan Nowlan. STC Commodore Dick Neville served as PRO. Wind conditions hovered in the 4-6 knot range as a high-pressure system straddled the area bringing sunny skies and air temperatures in the mid 70s.

Within IMS Class 1, five Swan 45s elected to race within the larger class, rather than compete as a one-design class as this growing fleet prepares for their first-ever Key West Race Week in January. Newport, RI-based Goombay Smash, owned and helmed by Bill Douglass captured the trophy for the top-placed Swan 45 in the Regatta.

Overall:
1. Dame Blanche (Ben 40.7), 5 pts (1-2-1-1);
2.Talisman (Farr 53), 6 pts (1-3-1-1)
3.Down Time (Ben 40.7),12 pts (4-3-3-2)

IMS Class 1:
1.Talisman (Farr 53), 6 pts;
2. Ramrod (Farr 46), 15;
3.Uarshek 2 (Farr 49), 23;
4. Javelin (Farr 49), 24;
5.Canvasback (Farr 49), 26;
6.Gaucho (Farr 44), 27;
7.Ptarmigan (NM 47), 27;
8. Goombay Smash (Swan 45),30;
9. Vim (Swan 45), 31;
10.Sjambok (1D48),34;
11. Alliance (Swan 45),36;
12. Bandit (Swan 45), 39;
13. Blue Angel (Farr 43), 47;
14. Capriceuse II (Swan 45), 55;
15. Devocean (Swan 45)

IMS Class 2:
1.Dame Blanche (Ben 40.7), 5 pts;
2. Down Time (Ben 40.7), 11;
3. Moon Racer (Ben 40.7), 14;
4.Wahoo (Sin 40), 17;
5.Endorphin (BH 36), 20;
6.Equilibrium (IMX 38), 22;
7.Chain Shot (Aero 38), 25;
8.Overlap (Ben 40.7),26.

Beneteau 36.7 regatta

A very competitive fleet of 10 Beneteau 36.7s saw Art Crowley’s First Look crowned as the 2003 East Coast Champion during the November 1-2 regatta. Crowley edged out Wild Onion, skippered by Jim Carkhuff, who suffered the effects of a DSQ in race 2 that blemished an otherwise perfect string of 3 bullets. Local Beneteau dealer, Garth Hichens’ Gijima Kakhula finished third.

The event was run by the Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station, in conjunction with the 2003 IMS Mid-Atlantic Championship. The overall regatta sponsor was internet-chandlery, pyacht.com with the local Beneteau dealer, Annapolis Yacht Sales, hosting the Friday evening party.

Four races were held rather than the hoped-for seven race series. STC Commodore Dick Neville served as PRO. Wind conditions hovered in the 4-6 knot range as a high-pressure system straddled the area bringing sunny skies and air temperatures in the mid 70s.

The challenging conditions placed a premium on tactics and clean starts among the competitive class with only 4 points separating the top four finishers.

Final Results:

1.First Look (Art Crowley), 13pts (2-1-2-8)
2.Wild Onion (Jim Carkhuff), 14 (1-DSQ-1-1)
3.Gijima Kakhulu (Garth Hichens), 17 (3-2-3-9)
4.Pegasus (Peter Firey), 17 (4-6-4-3)
5.Abino (Don Finkle), 20 (5-4-5-5);
6. Muchacho (Peter Bell), 22 (8-3-9-2);
7.Vitesse (Hal Denton), 23 (6-5-5-7);
8.Foxtrot Corpen (James Keen), 29 (DSQ-7-7-4);
9. Danegeld (Jack Connerney) 29 (7-8-8-6);
10.Cheap Sunglasses (Irv Buck), 40 (9-9-DNC-DNC).