With only five races remaining for the official Holmes Hole Sailing Association season, the top spots are still up for grabs. Masquerade, Escape and Tango are jostling for first in the A Division as of August 23. Gloria may have an edge in the B Division, but Isabella and At Last are not far behind. High drama on the high seas!
Shifty winds, confusing currents and mysterious waves presented challenges to the 24 boats racing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 20. Most sailors of both divisions made for the East Chop shore to get away from the waves and to take advantage of a supposedly falling tide while beating to the dreaded can 23A off East Chop. Not a lot of traction near shore, however, as the current proved nonexistent, the waves persistent and the breeze capricious.
Gloria, a C&C 24 sailed by Roger Becker, chose an imaginative, contrary course heading straight out the middle of the harbor. A canny strategy, as it turned out, as Gloria swept the B Division handily. The next four spots were all taken by four Alerions in close competition. In second place was At Last skippered by Jim Dixon, followed by Mo Flam’s Penelope in third.
In Division A, Amonini, a J/70 with Dan Pesch at the helm, came in first. Soma Holiday, Frank Sutula’s Hanse 335, took second place, and the VHYC Sonar sailed by Pieter Pil was third. These three were separated by only 66 seconds.
Sunday, August 23 brought misty, foggy, moist, light air to the 10 a.m. race of two trips around the harbor triangle. Still, there was a respectable turnout of 12 boats in the two divisions. Again the intrepid Gloria won the B Division with At Last again in hot pursuit, and Jerry Goodale’s Pearson 31, Stormalong in third place. In the A Division, Escape, a J/100 sailed by Tom and Laurie Welch, came in first, with Masquerade, Michael Loberg’s Morris 36, one minute behind in second. Sheggia, a Brenta 38 skippered by Tim Gollin, took third.
By 2 p.m. the wind had picked up a bit, and the course was reversed. The elapsed time of the afternoon’s fastest boat and first place winner, Masquerade, was 10 minutes shorter than that of Escape in the morning. Second place in the A Division was taken by Phil Hale’s J/100, Tango. Sheggia, once more in the running, placed third. For the B Division Julia Lee, a catboat sailed by Woody Bowman, won yet another (coffee) Cup, and Isabella, a G&B Bella, came in second. Gloria was edged into third this time.
It’s surprising how quickly grass and other unidentified green items can grow on the hull of a sailboat. There are professional hull-scrubbers in business on the Vineyard who use diving gear to get under the boats, and then hold onto the boat while working using a handle with suction cups. In the end, it’s worth slogging through the well-worn jokes, as a clean bottom really does make a noticeable improvement in speed through the water.
Registration for the 38th annual George Moffett Race is now open and available through holmeshole.org. Regular Holmes Hole races are held on Thursdays and Sunday’s. All are welcome. Please visit the website for further information.
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