Just three days after LUCIE was back in the water in Newport, RI she participated in the 33rd annual Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by PANERAI. This event brings well over 70 classic Yachts to the starting line in Newport to celebrate fine yachting and regatta racing.
LUCIE raced in the 6 Metre division and again met FLAPPER which was her travel companion to Sweden. Winds on Saturday were moderate with an 8 to 10 knot breeze from the north west, clicking north by 25 deg during the race. Due to the recent full moon the tide was strong and became a major factor for the fleet, with some wrestling at the first mark (up to 3 knots of tide, right of the Dumplings) and then a game of finding the back eddie inside Jamestown Harbor. Shortly after the first mark the fleet split into those boats tacking up thru the mooring field off Jamestown and some others seeking their luck in the main shipping channel without obstacles but fighting the outgoing tide. Going thru Jamestown Harbor turned out to be the much better choice and by the time the fleet reached Newport Bridge the field was split. LUCIE defended her leading position she had held after a perfect start and found herself fighting off only FLAPPER at the windward mark. From there it was a downwind leg back to the finish line but at the last offset mark off Rose Island FLAPPER managed to slip thru. A great race and needless to say that the LUCIE crew was only half happy having to give the first bullet to the rule 3 boat FLAPPER.
Sunday morning greeted all yachts with essentially no wind which was great for the harbor parade of classic boats – a tradition for the Museum of Yachting Annual Regatta. LUCIE went out with the first little wrinkles on the water, checked in – and patiently waited thru an hour of AP hoisted to finally get on with racing. Finally some sea breeze had built and 5 to 7 knots were enough to get racing under way. The start for the second race of this regatta was a bit unusual as it not only favored the pin end of the line but as the wind was still shifting it turned out to become a port tack start for most boats. A very tight start at the pin followed with one boat over early and another pushed off the line – LUCIE was clear but found herself in third position shortly after the start. But a quick tack under shore to Fort Adams provided a very clear lane to the first turning mark and LUCIE got around the mark as the leading boat. Downwind to the northern leeward mark north of the Newport Bridge again became a game of strategy and finding the lesser tide, this time Rose Island was the choice. A lift from the bridge and LUCIE had gained a ten boat length lead at the leeward mark while FLAPPER had to defend her second place against BELLE. Then back to the finish line between Goat and Rose Island and LUCIE had won the race and the tie breaker with FLAPPER, making LUCIE the winner of this regatta.
The crew celebrated this victory with a Newport Harbor Burn, a quick drink for the crew, some lunch and the obligatory support dog that came on board for the round. LUCIE performed flawlessly this weekend and is back at the IYRS dock now.
The event was sponsored by PANERAI and was closed with a beautiful awards dinner under the tent at the Museum of Yachting at Fort Adams. A full evening of boat talk, regatta stories and awards. And as this is a Classic Yacht Regatta the prices are not made from silver, but from wood…
Best,
Jens
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