David Frazier wins the Maine Laser Championship!

From Tom Jamieson


The Maine Laser Championship (MLC) series concluded on October 16th with the "Hippo Cup" in Thomaston, ME. The five month, best three of five regatta series brought in 44 different sailors from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusets and Connecticut. The overall winner was David Frazier of Granby, CT with a dominating score of three wins. In second was Hank Thorburn of Harpswell, ME with 1 second and 2 thirds, third was Gary Orkney of Stongington, CT. with a second, third and fourth, in fourth was Fred Boursier of Warren, ME. with a second, a third and a fifth, and fifth was Tom Jamieson of Belfast, ME. with a third, a fourth and a ninth. Sally Sharp of Enfield, NH won the women's division and Jack Giblin of Marblehead, MA won the youth division. All of the regattas were one day affairs featuring 3 to 8 short races and wonderful hospitality.

The first regatta of the season was held at the Portland Yacht Club on June 26th, under the capable direction of PRO Jack Zinn. Jack bailed us out at the last minute after our other regatta site fell through. Thank you Jack! Six races were held in light to medium winds. Ed Rowe of South Portland convincingly beat 14 other sailors to win the event. Syd Sewall of Hallowell, ME finished second, Hank Thorburn or Harpswell, ME finished third, Stu Nickerson of Portland, ME was fourth and Fred Bousier of Warren, ME was fifth.

The second event was held on July 16th at the Thorburn family farm on scenic Clarks Cove in Harpswell, ME. The first race started in medium wind but built steadily through the afternoon. By the last of eight races all he 22 sailors were exhausted. One of the college age competitors was heard to say "I don't know how these old guys do it, I'm exhausted". Another challenge was the tide which was pushing competitors over the starting line early. PRO Hank Thorburn, tried all manner of strategies to keep competitors back but needles to say general recalls were the norm. First overall was David Frazier of Granby, CT followed by Jack Zinn of Falmouth, ME in second, Tom Jamieson of Belfast, ME in third, Gary Orkney of Stonington, CT in fourth and Stu Nickerson of Portland, ME in fifth. After the racing we were treated to a great dinner.

The third event was held on August 20th outside the harbor entrance to Belfast, ME. The event was part of the "Belfast Marine Heritage Festival" that also included rowing races and a boat building competition. PROs Sandra Squire and Margie Spencer-Smith took the thirteen Laser sailors through 6 races in a steady medium wind. David Frazier showed no mercy as he won five out of the six races and threw out of second. Hank Thorburn finished second in four races and won the last to finish second overall. Fred Bousier was third, George Hazelton of Rockport, ME was fourth and Syd Sewall was fifth.

The fourth event was the "Loon Cup" held on September 17th on Lake Cobbosseecontee in Manchester, ME. PRO Syd Sewall grappled with light and wildly shifting winds and managed to salvage three races for the day. The racing was so close that one point separated the top four boats at the end. After it was all hashed out Duane Delfosse of Windam, ME won a the tie breaker for first over Fred Boursier. And Gary Orkney won the tie breaker for third over Tom Jamieson. Stu Nickerson finished fifth. Our hosts, the Cobbossee Laser Fleet did a fantastic job with the dinner afterward.

The final event was the "Hippo Cup" at the head of the Saint George River in Thomaston, ME. on October 16th. It was an exciting day of racing with gusty winds of 10 to 25 mph. PRO Peter Clapp gave the fleet a variety of courses including the "Harry A" which involved sailing a second reach from the reaching mark to the starting pin and down to the leeward mark. Needles to say there were some wild crashes and in one race Hank Thorburn crossed the finish line while capsized. David Frazier finished first overall with Gary Orkney second, Hank Thorburn third, Stuart McNeil was forth and Tom Whitmore was fifth.

Unfortunately, no team was able the win the Maine Team Championship trophy. In it's inagural year, the trophy was to go to the best combined score for a team consisting of one adult man, one adult woman and one youth. The mounted Laser transom was created and donated by Laser sailor Nick Robinson of Castine, ME. The MLC advisors put up the trophy as an incentive to get more women and youth interested in Laser sailing. But it was not to be, no team could come up with the necessary members this year, so the trophy was awarded to the Thomaston Laser fleet as they were the only Maine fleet to have three member compete in at least three events.

Maine is a beautiful place to sail and we invite all sailors to come next year and bring their families.

Overall Results

Marblehead Frostbite report - week 6

14 year old Bryce Andreasen leading the fleet

Report from Tom Dailey


Week 6: Richardson Wins in 5-8k Right-Trending Easterly/Southerly


In a day of firsts, four different skippers won heats before Ben Richardson prevailed in the seven races series on Sunday. Gene Ho won his first race, as did 14 year old Bryce Andreasen (pictured), marking the first time a junior (under age 18) won a race in the three-year history of Laser Frostbite sailing at Eastern yacht club. Young Andreasen also led the fleet at several marks in different races, showing flashes of speed and smarts that make him a name to watch in the four remaining weeks of the season. Veterans Sam Altreuder and Richardson were the other winning skippers. On the day Richardson won with second-place finishes in the four races he did not win. Andreasen’s antics were just good enough to beat Wayne Colahan and Spring Champ Stein Skaane – all within one point. Phil Smith sailed consistently with the top group in claiming top Corinthian (top finisher who had not previously won the day), and Gene Ho’s strong finish secured his position as the day’s top Gypsy (finisher from outside Essex County).

Proving again the futility in predicting this ocean’s breeze, a lovely 6-8k westerly at 1000 veered 100 degrees right, settled in a range for a couple of hours before bolting right again, as the last race was finished in a southerly. Without postponement, the race committee kept the races coming, moving the marks between every heat. Racing continues for another 4 Sundays, until just before Thanksgiving. The fleet loaner boat is available this weekend, contact tom.dailey@gfk.com if interested.

Cedar Point YC Fall Regatta - November 5th

CPYC Frostbite Fleet

Cedar Point has a large and competitive Laser fleet so this should be a fun regatta! The NOR is posted so sign up!


NOR

Opening day for Fleet 413 & Winthrop Sailing-November 6th

Winthrop Frostbite Sailing Club -  November 6

Join the Winthrop Frostbite Sailing Club on opening day, November 6, for short course racing followed by pub food and drink at the Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, MA.   Racing will begin at 1:00 PM, but  plan to arrive at or before 11:00 AM.      Details:

• NOR available at http://www.mass-frostbite.org/racing/nor
• Registration:  10AM to Noon or register for the season at http://www.mass-frostbite.org/join/dues .    Laser full frostbite season fee, INCLUDING boat storage is $190 if not a CPYC member, $150 if a CPYC member.  The daily entrance fee is $10 and junior memberships are available at a reduced rate.   
• Contact: Duane Delfosse duane.delfosse@comcast.net

NOR

Newport's Fleet 413 -  November 6

The NOR/SI for the 2011-12 season are attached. They'll also soon be online at 

http://www.newportlaserfleet.org/frostbite.htm

This is also where you'll go to register online. However, DO NOT REGISTER YET. We're still in the process of clearing out last year's data. I will let you know when registration is officially open. 

NOR/SI

Marblehead Laser Frostbite: Week 5: Shope Wins Day 5; All Safe as Many Capsize

Andrew Burton, doing it the hard way.

Report written by Tom Dailey:

Peter Shope bested Ben Richardson and the rest of Marblehead's Laser fleet on a windy day that offered 30 knot winds smack dab in the middle of the harbor. Shope, the only skipper not to capsize, used the same dry technique this summer to beat Richardson in the 1:1 final of the 2011 St. Francis Heavy Weather Slalom. A few days later Richardson would claim the Laser World Championship (Apprentice Masters), setting up the rematch in our harbor Sunday.

But Marblehead hero Richardson, found ashore as 3 races started, sang that he had retired to 'save lives' as the winds increased. Denied their showdown, spectators bobbing on moorings ringing the shore were buoyed by Shope's pledge to return one day. On the Lasers themselves, there were no capsized smiles: top junior and lady, Christina Magnosa commented: "It looked worse than it was, and if there were another way to learn to sail on a windy day... but, there just isn't, is there?"

Racing resumes this Sunday with the first heat at 12:30. Race days continue until November 20th.

For more information contact Tom Dailey at Tom.Dailey@gfk.com

Sail Newport Presents... a night with Puma & Rambler-hurry and get your tickets as they are going fast!

Puma as she prepares to for the start of the VOR

Rambler 100 overturned at Fastnet Rock

Get your tickets now, as this event will sell out!

Come listen to Ken Read talk about Puma and her crew as they ready to get started on the first leg of the 2011-2012 VOR in less than a month. Also hear Jerry Kirby's first hand account of what it took to survive the ordeal at Fastnet Rock. Lastly, get an update from Sail Newport's Brad Read about Newport's preparation for the America's Cup World Series.

As it was so well put by fleet 413 fleet captains, Stu Streuli and Dave Reed, "If you've seen the Kenny/Brad/Jerry Kirby show before, you know it's not to be missed, if only to see how much fun they make of each other."

Purchase tickets here

Tuesday, October 18th at 6:00 pm

Jane Pickens Theater

Newport, RI

$30 per Adult for Non Sail Newport Members

$25 per Adult for Sail Newport Members

$200 for 10 Tickets -- Sail Newport Members only

All local youth sailors under 18:  FREE

For more information contact Katie Barker or call 401 846-1983

October Regattas

Last Blast Regatta (October 8th)
Quannapowitt YC, Wakefield, MA. NOR

NH Seacoast Regatta (October 15th)
Great Bay YC, Dover NH. NOR

Maine Championship (October 16th)
St. George River, Thomaston, ME NOR

Duane Delfosse wins The Loon Cup

                                    

Report/photos from Syd Sewall:

The Loon Cup ....we sail off of a small island connected with a dirt causeway on Lake Cobbosseecontee west of Augusta, ME. It's a beautiful lake, and we often are entertained by Loon and Osprey calls, as well as passing by herons and eagles. 

This year's race was on a beautiful but light day. We got in two reasonable W5 type races with a shifty northerly 3-6 kn before the wind died completely. Occasional ripples showed up briefly for the next hour to tempt us to start, but nothing was sustained. Then a consistent S-SW showed up, and we had one more race in 1-5 before hitting shore for a cookout. Results and a photo attached....we had great attendance, with only a half dozen from our local group and the rest from "away".  

The last event in our "Maine Series" is in mid October in Thomaston.

Loon Cup results

Ben Richardson wins the 2011 NE Masters Championship!

Ben Richardson

Ben is on a roll!

The true sign of a great sailor is one that can dominate in all conditions and Ben has done just that. Fresh off from his win in the Apprentice Master's fleet at the Laser Master Worlds in windy San Francisco, Ben came home to take the win in the super light conditions off of Third Beach in Middletown, RI.

45 sailors came to Third Beach to compete in the 2011 NE Masters Championship and while Third Beach is known for providing a variety of conditions, an unusual weather pattern showed up and light air was all she could squeak out.

Due to the conditions, only 3 races were completed in the two days but the prizes made up for it from a new centerboard and rudder to many more amazing giveaways!

Congratulations to Lynne Shore who finished in 12^th as top female in a very competitive fleet!

Results

Marblehead Laser Frostbite Week1/Ponce de León regatta: 14 boats, beautiful 10k breeze

Nick La Chance, Marblehead HS Senior, soon to be widely known sail boat racer, and winner of Race 1 on his forst day out, announced his arrival by smoking the fleet on the first beat and never looking back. If you were there you saw how good he is - if you missed it, come out and try to beat him in a couple races before its too late.

In race two Nick did some remedial work on staying up right while JB Braun led the fleet around the course. In race three JB was at it again, alone in front, before the swirling chop got hold of him on leg 2, sending his daggerboard skyward; a pile up at the bottom mark opened the door again, and he recovered to 4th. Race 4 was a blur, don’t remember it. In Race 5, with JB with in position to win the day, he banged out to the right, where he so selfishly had been hording - but denying - more wind. True to form, he tacked and was to cross the port tackers by about two lengths. Then it happened. It was beautiful. A dark blue 35 foot 'racing sailboat' parked itself just inside the starborad tack lay line to hoist its main sail. Beers in hand, puttering forward at about 1kt, main flogging wildly, oblivious to JB's hard-hiking form, the bog boat crew got the sail up most of the way, but it got stuck, or maybe they got tired, and the situation lingered. JB, now bouncing in the chop, going slower, not heading quite as high - he was not going to cross after all. Joy and laghter from the port tackers. And that was it, he finished 2nd.

Nick took top Junior, Christina Mignosa was our top radial, and Jason Yarrington, in 4th place just behind Chris Hufstader, was our top Corintian - well done all!

Thanks to Cheryl and Suzie for RC, another flawless day

PS RC volunteer positions still open - act fast!

Program Reminders

**Sail on Sundays**

Longer season: start Sunday 25 SEP; finish Sunday 21 SEP

More boats: last Fall we averaged 14 on the line

Pool House open for post-race party from Day 1

Prizes

Daily first

Corinthian Daily first: low-point score among those who’ve not previously won the day or the Corinthian

Season top 5, top Junior, Ironman: starting 100% of races in the season (not been done yet… go for it)

Amenities

Hot showers, cold beer

Schedule

People who make the first start arrive: 1145

Skippers Meeting: 1215

Harbor Start: 1230; First Signal: 1300; Last Signal: 1500

Presentation of Prizes: 1600

Fall sailing thru 21 Novermber

Spring Tentative: 6 Sundays– 16 April thru 21 May

Other details: just show up

Eastern Yacht Club
47 Foster Street
Marblehead

Other

You probably don’t need it until Spring, but Team1 has good deals on dry suits, etc.

http://www.team1newport.com/

NE Master's pre-register here!

Avram Dorfman has set up a website for the NE Masters where competitors can preregister, see the list of entries, and get the results.  He will  be entering the scores on the water, so sailors will be able to get the results very quickly on their smart phones. 

All regatta fees will be collected at the site

http://www.diamondwire.org/fleets/new_england_laser_masters/series
 

Updated NOR's

Please check the D7 Calendar for updated NOR's : The NE Master's (September 24-25) and The Last Blast Regatta (October 8th)
D7 Calendar

New England Masters Championship (September 24-25th)

Hi Masters sailors,

Yes, there will be another NE Masters Championship and, yes, again off Third Beach in Newport, now for the 8th time at this venue, New England's best, which is why it was chosen for the last US Laser and Radial Olympic trials. The date is September 24-25. Directions and accommodation suggestions are shown on the NOR. 

Online pre-registration, unfortunately, is not available at this time. We are still working on it and will inform you when it is set up.  

There is a reason for the rather late onsite registration and commencement of racing on Saturday, and that is because of a triathlon that takes place that morning on the roads around Third Beach. Please do not arrive much before 10 a.m. at which time the roads should be open again.

And please notice that rig switching will be permitted throughout the regatta. There should be no reason not to sail. Of course, it is too early to predict the weather, but the summers are getting longer. We are optimistic.

See you soon, and please spread the word,

Peter Seidenberg

Regatta Chairman

401-846-2618 H

401-954-8496 C

From Fleet 413: Ted Green update

Ted Green sailing for SUNY Maritime

During the weekend, we hope you can each spare a thought, prayer, and/or some positive energy for fellow Fleet 413er Ted Green Jr. who has been a big part of the fleet's youth movement over the past few years, regularly coming back to show the old guys how it's done.

If you haven't heard, on Aug. 24, Ted was involved in a horrific accident and very nearly died. Here's an excerpt from an email we received a few days ago:

"What I understand is that he was taking down a tree and went to move his safety lines down and when he raised his arm over his head it was 3 feet from a 7000 watt line which arced and zapped him.  Who knew that electricity in covered lines can still shock you 3- 5 feet away without touching them!!!  Big lesson learned. Everyone has been filling in the blanks for him as to what happened but what he does know is that he had his last rites read to him 2 x at two different hospitals - He said if it was not for the speedy response of the Largess crew to get help Ted would not be here with us today. School is on hold - recovery will be well over a year.  He is hoping to have movement in his hand and fingers and arm but it is all up in the air.
 
He welcomes all calls and visits.  Ted Sr was there and his family is hanging in there. Reports on his facebook page are encouraging. But it will still be a long road to recovery."

If you feel comfortable calling Ted, don't hesitate. He has his cell phone and we're sure he would love to hear some words of encouragement. You can also leave him a note on his facebook page.

As we hear more about his progress and what we, as a fleet or as individuals, can do to help, we will pass that along. In the meantime, keep him in your thoughts.

Best Regards,

-Stu & Dave

Niantic Yacht Club Regatta cancelled

Due to hurricane Irene, the NBYC Laser Regatta scheduled for August 27th is now cancelled.

2011 San Francisco Heavy Air Slalom!

Photos from the 2011 Laser Master Worlds

Photos from the Master Worlds and some from the Laser Heavy Air Slalom can be found at the below links:

Chuck Lantz
http://www.pbase.com/chucklantz/root

Chris Ray
http://www.printroom.com/pro/crayivp


Also, people, please check out Laser D7 on Facebook (Laser District 7) and feel free to promote your events, items for sale and any comments there. Many people are on FB and check it frequently!

2011 Master Worlds, Halfway Report from Fleet 413

Ben Richardson

Bern Noack

Peter Shope

Brian Fisher

Dave Armitage

Scott Ferguson

Mark Bear

James Jacob

Mike Matan

Fleet 413ers,

Our compatriots are holding their own on wind-whipped San Francisco Bay. They're halfway through a grueling series that's seen the Bay deliver just what everyone expected in terms of wind.

Ben Richardson is cleaning house in the Apprentice Masters Division, having won 5 of 6 races, with Dave Armitage and Brian Fisher also in the hunt for a podium finish. Was it just a week ago that Armo was in the Sailing World offices bemoaning the forecast and predicting that he was going to get "crushed" by the breeze and the competition. I guess "getting crushed" is Kiwi-speak for fourth place. 

After a tough start, a 10th for Scott Ferguson and a 22nd for Peter Shope, both have come on strong in the Masters Division. Ferg is currently 3rd, with Shope in 7th. Mark Bear is little further back.

Finally Peter Seidenberg has also recovered from a disappointing first race and is currently 5th in the Great Grand Masters Division.

I think that's everyone. Full results can be found at http://www.sailingresults.net/sa/results/default.aspx?ID=17.4.1

Also don't forget to check out Kim Ferguson's blog, http://lasermasterworlds2011.blogspot.com/

And finally, we'd be remiss in not mentioning Lucas Adam's eighth-place finish at the 2011 Laser Nationals in California, http://www.calyachtclub.com/files/11_LNAC_S1-12b.htm

The NOR for the New England Master's Regatta is posted here. A great chance to come see how much better than you all these guys have become!

That is all!

Stu & Dave

Photos by Kim Ferguson (Faces in the standard fleet)

Inaugural Laser Race Around Shelter Island, NY (July 30th)

This looks like a fun event being run by the Southold Yacht Club

NOR

Area A Winners: Mark Bear and Callie Naughton

Results can be found here