J/105 Fleet 23 2003 Season Highlights
2003 was the second year of
one-design racing for J/105s in Maine and, in spite of the fog that persisted for
much of the season, the Portland and Boothbay Harbor boats met frequently for
some keen competition. The Pilot race
was the inaugural fleet event of the season, and Ned Semonite’s
BLACK OWL started off the season where they left off in 2002, by winning both
days and the regatta. Don Logan’s
KEEMAH, always a strong competitor, came in second with Bill and Christie
Aronson’s HAIR OF THE DOG third.
KEEMAH and Ken Colburn,
racing ANAMCHARA as his new boat GHOST had kissed a rock and was under repair,
represented the fleet at Block Island Race Week finishing in sequence at 17th
and 18th in a very competitive 32 boat one-design fleet (nothing
like having your closest competitor in an away regatta being your fellow fleet
member).
The PHRF – Maine Regatta saw
the best turn-out of the season in Maine, with 7 boats racing (including Andy
Sawyer’s STRAW HAT and
Brian Harrington’s UPROAR from New Hampshire). Ken Colburn’s WITCH finished first in a very
tight contest followed by KEEMAH and BLACK OWL.
The fleet was close enough that a minor error by one boat provided
opportunities for the others.
At the Volvo Leukemia Cup Regatta
in Boothbay Harbor, KEEMAH took the honors followed by HAIR OF THE DOG, which
took advantage of a KEEMAH/WITCH tacking duel up the shore that was so intense
they both ended up overstanding the windward mark,
good move Bill!!! WITCH placed third.
While the southern fleet was
racing in Boothbay Harbor, Bill Wilkinson’s GREY EAGLE and Tom and Ginny Rolfe’s SIDEWINDER were competing in the popular Hospice
Regatta in Penobscot Bay.
The Sequin Island Regatta saw
some of the closest finishes of the season, a fact that really demonstrated the
tactical racing inherent in a one-design fleet.
On Saturday, all four boats competing finished the second race within 90
seconds of each other, with WITCH driving down at the finish to take the bullet
(second of the day) while Scott Fox’s CHARSAR, skippered by Jeff Sammis in
Scott’s absence, and KEEMAH, were battling together sailing hotter to try to
win the finish. A bit of local knowledge
at the start had helped WITCH get out ahead in the first race as she sailed
between her own mooring and her owner’s shore on a very nice lift - a tactic
that would only work at high tide in a moderate breeze. On Sunday, in the Pursuit Race, the wind was
howling and all the boats had to battle the elements for maximum speed (and to
avoid broaching on the reach leg of the course). CHARSAR and KEEMAH finished the 13 mile race
overlapped, with CHARSAR taking the finish.
CHARSAR and KEEMAH were first and second for the fleet as well having
both sailed a very impressive race. WITCH was third but won the tie breaker
with CHARSAR to take the honors for the event. All who saw the racing that
weekend were impressed with the competitiveness of the J/105s. The first annual
QUANTUM cup for the J/105s was won by WITCH, followed by KEEMAH.
The fleet split up in August
but the boats continued to race well, with KEEMAH, winning the MS regatta’s
Racing Class B and BLACK OWL finishing second in the Red Hook Regatta. Two members of the fleet represented Maine
well in the PHRF – New England’s in Marblehead finishing 4th (GHOST)
and 6th (KEEMAH) in a very competitive 15 boat fleet. Don Logan came
back to Maine to take top honors in the BHYC Challenge race over Labor Day.
GMORA season honors went to
Don Logan, whose consistently strong finishes paid off in the end. WITCH
finished second and HAIR OF THE DOG third.
At this writing GHOST and
CHARSAR are on their way back from racing in the 29 boat one-design fleet at Key
West Race Week, having fled the frigid temperatures for a reminder of why we
love the sport, a fair breeze and talented competition.