US cream heads for Annapolis

Big players will be competing at the US-IRC East Coast Championship in early November

Blue Yankee, Bob and Farley Towse’s RP66, Sjambok, Michael Brennan’s RP 45, and Decision, Stephen Murray’s TP52 are all knotted up at the top of the Gulf Stream fleet going into the US-IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis the first week in November. It’s the final regatta of the series. The event is a must sail for Blue Yankee to win. They are leading, but need a Group 3 event to qualify for the 2nd annual Gulf Stream Series. Blue Yankee is the current US-IRC National Champion after taking first overall at the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week.
 
With Blue Yankee on the course, Decision and Sjambok would be battling for second after the 2007 series that started back with the Acura Key West Regatta and included the top IRC events in the Caribbean and up the East coast, following the Gulf Stream all the way to Halifax. If Blue Yankee doesn’t take the challenge for the East Coast Championship, it will be up to the Decision crew from Louisiana to put some boats between themselves and Sjambok to take the Gulf Stream Trophy for the year.
 
The US-IRC East Coast Championship, presented by the Storm Trysail Club Chesapeake Station will be sailed out of Annapolis 2-4 November under the direction of PRO Dick Neville and Chairman Bill Kardash. Weather permitting, Friday November 2nd will be a distance race of about 50 nm for the big boats and 30nm for balance of fleet and Saturday and Sunday will be multiple windward-leeward courses.
 
“The big boat fleet is really shaping up,’ said chairman Bill Kardash. “ We have John Kilroy’s Samba Pa Ti and Stephen Murray’s Decision signed up. We expect Michael Brennan’s Sjambok to be coming home from The Big Boat Series in San Francisco. John Brim’s new Rima2 should be hitting her stride for this regatta.”
 
“Of the 14 boats already signed up at this early date, most are big hitters. The new Numbers should be ready for her first race, and we expect four NYYC Club Swan 42s including the recent North American Champion Alexander Jackson’s Amelia. The US Naval Academy will also have 2-3 of their boats on the line with the possibility of the first, new Navy 44 making its debut.
 
Kardash is excited about the big boats, but also pointed out that this year there is no lower rating limit and has hopes that there will be a large local turnout.  Two Beneteau 40.7s and two 36.7s are already signed up along with a J109, a J122 and a Shock 35.
 
“Remember, Kardash said, “US Sailing and US-IRC are offering a 50% discount for new 2007 certificates issued after September 30th. The event requires a only a valid IRC certificate so owners who want to try out IRC can get a non-endorsed IRC rating while others may race with endorsed certificates they already have.  We want a big group to come out for the last Chesapeake regatta of the year.  It’s going to be a great event.”