The 13th annual Vineyard Cup regatta is in the books with light winds but a heavy warm front of fun sweeping over three days of racing on Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds.
![Vineyard high school sailing team crewed aboard Starfish Brenta 38, a high-tech racing sloop. The team sailed well, scoring two thirds and a sixth place finish for fifth overall in their class.](https://vineyardgazette.com/sites/default/files/article-assets/main-photos/2018/re_vineyard_cup_starfish.jpg)
Among the class winners was Aileen, owned by Brian Roberts. Aileen is a brand new Sparkman & Stephens custom sloop which arrived in Vineyard waters just 10 days ago. She won the PHRF non-spinnaker first division with two wins and a fourth place finish in three recorded races.
Winning the PHRF non-spinnaker second division was Providence, an Alerion 28 skippered by Stuart Halpert, with a third, a first, and a second over three races.
Vineyard Haven resident Stephen Besse captured the PHRF spinnaker division with two wins and a fifth place finish aboard the J/120 Apres.
The Classic division winner this year was Gentian, a New York 32 sailed by Ben Sperry. She was second in Saturday’s race and first in Sunday’s race.
In the catboat division, Pax, owned by Alice Goyert, finished first in the race sailed Sunday.
Sail Martha’s Vineyard program director Andrew Nutton declared the regatta a success despite the light air over the three days of racing.
“It was fantastic, all we needed was a little more breeze," Mr. Nutton said. “Competitive, but friendly racing, which is what we hope this event is all about.”
Mr. Nutton skippered a new venture this year, sailing the donated Brenta 38 Starfish with crew from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School sailing team. The Brenta 38 is a high-tech racing sloop, and the high school team sailed it well, scoring two thirds and a sixth place finish for fifth overall in their class of 15 boats.
“I’m not sure they quite realize what they have,” Mr. Nutton said. “To be able to go on a boat like that, basically for free, is what Sail MV is all about. To see them at the end of the day, high fives, really pleased about how they’ve done, making calls, is great.”
![Vineyard Haven resident Stephen Besse captured the PHRF spinnaker division with two wins and a fifth place finish aboard the J/120 Apres.](https://vineyardgazette.com/sites/default/files/article-assets/main-photos/2018/re_vineyard_cup_apres.jpg)
The highlight of Saturday’s after race party was a demonstration of a water rescue that involved a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Hundreds of sailors watched as a Coast Guard swimmer jumped from the helicopter into the harbor near the Packer wharves to rescue a training mannequin in mock distress.
Arranging the demonstration was no small feat, according to Sail MV executive director Brock Callen, who secured permission from the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the town of Tisbury, the harbor master and three different divisions of the Coast Guard.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the people here have never seen something like that close up, and haven’t had explained what they were supposed to do,” said Mr. Callen of the demonstration that served as a training mission for the Coast Guard. “It was fun to see people’s reaction, and how impressed they were with what these people do. The teamwork was mind boggling.”
Mr. Callen, who along with his wife Hope have served as a Sail Martha’s Vineyard executive director team for more than a decade, is retiring this year.
“What a great ride,” he said as he hustled about tending to duties for the Sunday evening awards ceremony. “What an opportunity Hope and I had. The time was right to move on.”
All proceeds from the Vineyard Cup go to support Sail MV programs for Island kids.
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