Conanicut Yacht Club Around the Island Race 2021 >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Favorable winds, a favorable tide and warm weather provided the 94th Round Island Race of the Conanicut Yacht Club with excellent conditions for the 90 boats which, on September 6, sailed the 18 miles around Jamestown, Rhode Island. When the scores were calculated, it was the smallest boat in the fleet, the 18-foot VXOne, that hoisted the Commodore John Quinn Trophy for the fastest corrected time of 2:47:27.

Nick Woviotis of Newport and Mike Komar of Jamestown aboard SPACE CADET won by almost 10 minutes over Jim Madden from 2nd place with his new Carkeek 47, STARK RAVING MAD IX, and 3rd place (and winner of the 2019 overall classification ) Chris Cannon’s Alden 62, VERISSIMO. Madden also won the Commodore Bruce R. Brakenhoff Memorial Trophy for the fastest elapsed time.

“As the smallest boat in the fleet, she has always been on the throttle and handling the waves has been key to our success,” said Woviotis. “Mike [Komar] Got through them perfectly and we were both about to come out of the stern to get around that 3-5ft around Beavertail and then we were just trying to keep a clean track as all the faster boats caught up with us. CADET DE L’ESPACE considered 15 knots to be its top speed for the day in winds ranging from 10 to 18 knots.

The competition ranged from 40- to 66-foot racing machines to the VXOne fleet and 20- to 30-foot cruise ships in nine PHRF-rated classes.

“The big part of CYC’s signature event is that serious sailors and family cruisers all participate,” said Patrick Muldoon, a 20-year-old veteran of the annual race and co-chair of the event. “Everyone moved safely, so we can’t ask for more than that. ”

Almost 25% of all PHRF certificates at Narragansett Bay attended the annual event. “Ninety boats is the perfect number for us,” said returning co-chair Alan Baines. “It’s manageable and coupled with great weather, we couldn’t ask for more. ”

Departures of the individual classes started at 1100 with the highest rated non-spinnaker boats with faster boats starting later. The winds were blowing from the south all day, making the race a real upwind and leeward course. The crews started upwind heading for Beavertail with the tide, skirting the southern end of the island as the tide turned and heading towards the northern tip of Conanicut Island before heading upwind to complete the yacht club.

Race details – Results – Pictures

Source: Kate Wilson Somers