An Easterly Breeze Challenges All Competitors on the Final Day

Libby family members are no strangers to the winner’s circle in the annual three-day Annapolis Sailing World National Offshore One-Design Regatta.

Arthur A. Libby III’s Pearson 30 RESULTS has thrice won in class. But this year the family expanded its winning ways to the Cal 25 class where son Arthur Libby more than matched his father’s nearly perfect 8 point score in the Pearson 30 class to win with 7 bullets in the Cal 25 class.

Sailing Cal 25 LOVE SHACK with his brother, Ken, and his brother’s fiancZe, Erin Guitierez, in this perfect performance, the younger Libby nailed the newest trophy of the regatta, the Farmers’ Family Award, given by presenting sponsor Farmers Insurance Group to the top-scoring family crew.

Libby confessed that he was surprised by the win in the opening regatta of the 2001 Chesapeake Bay season.

“This is our first regatta with the boat. We’ve had it for a year but redid a lot of things this winter,” he said, adding that he and his crew have sailed together for a long time on a J-22 which undoubtedly worked to their benefit.

Conditions during the sunny spring weather regatta didn’t make racing easy for any of the 233 competitors in 16 one-design classes. On Day One fickle seabreezes of 5- to 10-knots shifted from an initial southerly to the southwest, turning the day into a current strategy game. By Day Two a cold front had brought a steadier 10- to 15-knot northeasterly to the competitors, but reading the tidal pattern continued to be the challenge, Libby said.

On the last day an unusual easterly filling the sails with puffs between 10- to 20-knots gave the class fleets plenty of chop and plenty of work adjusting the lines and backstays. But the shifts also gave the players plenty of chances to gain or lose, according to Terry Hutchinson, Annapolis native and tactician aboard Owen Kratz’ first place 1D35, JOSS.

“We were leading going in to the day,” said Hutchinson, who had startled Kratz early in the day by saying he’d never seen such conditions on the Bay. The breeze was due east at 90 degrees, going from 12 to 20 knots with 20-degree shifts. “We had a tough start,” Hutchinson said, “but just stayed patient and hit two really good shifts and rounded the first mark in second. From there it was just a matter of staying on the same side of the course as WINDQUEST (Douglas DeVos, of Ada MI) and finishing in the top five.”

Kratz was pleased. He has owned the boat for three years and won the class at Key West this year as well. “Every regatta we’re getting a little better,” Kratz said.. “It doesn’t hurt when you’re sailing with Terry Hutchinson. We shoot to be in the top five for every race. Any one race can’t win it but it can lose it.”

Ray Wulf, of Annapolis, skipper of NORTHERN AGGRESSION, won in the J/22 class, but not without some intense competition in the 34-boat class. The J/22 spectator boat counted 28 separate times that boats on the course did a 720 to absolve an infraction in the tight quarters. Although NORTHERN AGGRESSION is a new boat and new to the crew, Wulf said they had put in six days of practice before the Annapolis NOOD. The crew concentrated on making good starts and staying out of the protest room.

A number of the J-22s were skippered by women, warming up for the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, scheduled to be raced in Annapolis in the fall. Kristen McClintock, of Bristol, RI, with skipper Nancy Haberland, of Annapolis, was the top women’s team, placing fourth in the class with a point score of 45.

Alexander Cutler, of Annapolis, in HOOKED ON TONICS, won in the second largest class at the Annapolis NOODthe J-105 class. With 30 boats off the line on every start, the major tactic was finding clear air, noted Nat Schubert, tactician aboard second place J-105 INIGO, owned by Jim Konigsberg, of Fairfax, VA.

Rolph Townshend, of Severna Park, MD, once again won in the Alberg 30 class, taking home the Alberg 30’s 2001 Maple Leaf Trophy, raced during the Annapolis NOOD. Russ Potee, of Glen Burnie, MD, became the J-24 District Championship for his win at the regatta.

Mumm 30 class winner, Timothy W. McCarron, of Winnetka, IL, has a leg up on the Mumm 30 North American Championship series, thanks to his fine sailing at the Annapolis NOOD. Kratz can count his win as a plus in the 1D35 East Coast Championship circuit, which also counts the results of class racing at the Annapolis NOOD in its seasonal championship.

In every class, the competitors were psyched by the challenging sailing conditions. In the tough Melges 24 fleet, Henry Filter, of Stevensville, MD, not only won in class but also was crowned the Lewmar Boat of the Day on Friday. In the J-35 Class F.N. Sagerholm Jr., of Ocean City, NJ, won in class and received the Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day trophy on Saturday. The Boat-of-the-Day awards are given each day for excellent performance in a particularly competitive class.

In other classes, Kevin Young came all the way from Pepper Pike, OH, to win the Henderson 30 class. John Ebell, of Annapolis, took home the top prize in the Catalina 27 class. Kerry Klingler made the most of his trip down from the Bronx, NY, winning in the J-80 class. John Esposito, of New Rochelle, NY, continued his winning streak in J-29 HUSTLER. John White, of Severna Park, MD, sailed to a 25-point finish in the J-30 class, 9 points ahead of second place R. Dorsey Owings, of Millington, MD.

The Annapolis NOOD, now in its third year, started in 1999. With 208 boats in its first year, the event drew the largest inaugural fleet in the history of this national circuit organized by Sailing World magazine (Newport, R.I.) and presented by Farmers Insurance Group. Support sponsors for this steadily growing event include: Hall Spars & Rigging, High Sierra Sport Company, Lewmar, Mount Gay Rum, North Sails, Samuel Adams, and Sunsail. The Annapolis NOOD was hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club, with the assistance of the Eastport Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club of the Chesapeake.

The next events in the 2001 NOOD series will be held on the Great Lakes. The Detroit NOOD is June 1-3, and the Chicago NOOD is June 15-17.

Unseasonal light North East sea breezes provided slow head wind sailing conditions for the Air Niugini Cairns to Port Moresby yacht race

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J-24 and IOD leaders bumped in final Race

An Easterly Breeze Challenges All Competitors on the Final Day

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