Sail Newport Regatta July 12 & 13
written by Teddy Newport ( Ted Green III )

Well another great weekend of sailing was had by all those who were able to make the trip to Newport, RI for the 2014 Newport Regatta. The conditions were pretty wet this weekend as we had a solid sea breeze and strong ebbing tides creating some confused seas with gnarly chop, a good condition to learn to master. The 2.4mR class was one of the five classes on our race circle, luckily we had a great race committee, and with no real run ins with other classes (including the 40+ boat laser fleet) we were able to get off eleven competitive races. At the end of the weekend the local kid, Ted Green, came out on top followed up by Daniel Evans and Tim Ripley. Looking ahead everyone is getting all ramped up for the IFDS Worlds in Halifax, Nova Scotia and events like the Newport Regatta are always great events to gauge where you stand against your competition. Summer sailing in Newport is always a great time, hope to see as many as possible out there next year as the 2015 Newport Regatta should fall within a week of the 2015 Clagett.

Results

2014-07-16

2014 C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Regatta

NEWPORT, R.I. (June 15, 2014) –  Newport turned on the charm for the start of the final day of racing at the Clagett.  After two days of testing conditions on Narragansett Bay, the three classes racing took to the water an hour early to take advantage of the northerly breeze. 

Heading into the final day Ted Green III (Newport, RI) led the 2.4mR fleet with a nine point lead over Peter Wood (Ottawa, Ontario).  In a 12 knot northerly the fleet got underway for race five of the series and  Mark Bryant (Estero, FL) took advantage of a good start to win the first race of the day with another Floridian Daniel Evans ( Miami, FL) taking the second place and Peter Wood scoping third.  Overnight leader Green III retired from race five after damaging his headsail in a mark rounding incident.  Race six of the series and Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, CT) returned to the top spot with Green III back in the hunt finishing second and Wood taking his second third place for the day. 

After a drop in breeze strength for race seven, which ended up being the last race for the series, the current around Goat Island became a determining factor in where the competitors finished.  Green III finished off the regatta on a high note taking the final gun for the series.  Tony Pocklington (Fort Meyers, FL), who is the boat builder for the 2.4mR class, crossed the line in second and Wood completed the top three.  With a seven race series completed a drop result came into play and Ted Green III came out on top of the 2.4mR class.  Wood took the silver medal place and Pocklington rounded out the top three 2.4mR's in the bronze medal spot.

"It's been a very tough regatta and after my first race today I was really hoping we'd get the seven races in so we could drop a race.  I have been sailing to 2.4mR for one year, my first regatta was the Clagett in 2013 and ideally I'd like to be at the 2020 games but if I made Rio even better.  This event is great as you can benefit from the clinic and then put the skills and techniques into your game plan during racing.  Next for me is the Newport Regatta then I'm going to the IFDS Worlds in Halifax.  I had a good result on a tough couple of days," commented 2.4mR class winner Green III.

Results

2014-06-17

2014 Summer
Sail To Prevail / 2.4mR Class

Sail To Prevail in Newport, RI, is offering free dockage (space permitting) for any 2.4mR sailor who will be sailing in Newport this summer. As many of you know, the Sail To Prevail docks are located at Fort Adams State Park and are fully accessible.  Hoyer lifts are available to anyone who utilizes them. When not tending to their program needs, the staff always tries to do their best to help out aspiring Paralympians or any 2.4mR Class member. To make a reservation, please contact Chad.

2014 Hibiscus Cup Regatta
Punta Groda, Florida

This weekend 5/17/14 the 8th annual Hibiscus cup regatta was held off the shores of Punta Groda, Florida. It was the Tenth Annual Festival for the Hibiscus, which is the flower of the city. After the second year we heard about it and decided to hold an annual regatta so the festive goes could see sailboat racing up close. The regatta is held just off the shore as close as possible so they can get a real view of what goes on. If the tide is up you can actually shake hands with some on the pier. This year the level was down due to the cold front that just came through with north winds from 15- 20 the day before which blows the water to the south in the Gulf of Mexico and that takes the tide out of the harbor about 8 inches more than normal. How ever we still got close enough to see those on shore.

The 2.4mr’s were mainly the only boats that came out due to the level of wind predication being forecast the day before. However those that have sailed Charlotte Harbor know you just got to be there to see what actually happens. Let me note again that four of the five 2.4r’s that went out were sailed by AB’s with one Being sailed by a DA. This speaks great to the effort of trying to show that the 2.4mr’s are a great boat to sail and race for everyone. There is great interest being generated locally and in the surrounding area to the advantages of sailing the 2.4mr. Every week now I have someone wanted to sail one. This will be good for the class as interest is built and people see that it is more than a boat for DA’s. They understand that they can be beat by a DA, which makes them realize that the 2.4mr is an equalizer vessel for accessible sailing.

Well on about the regatta, winds started out from dock about 8-10 but about half way across the harbor the predicted winds started to build. However it never got as high as predicted it did get up to 18 or so with a steady 15 for the first few races. And the rest of the races were run in about 10-13.

The first start found most of the fleet about 3 second late for the start but a couple of boats were pushing each other at the start, which made for an interesting view. The first boat was able to clear just enough air to port tact the second boat shortly after the start and go for the right side of the field. The feeling was that since the current was going out and the left side was where there was more current flow and stepper waves most took to the right side. Now you have to understand that we also we near a bridge which you know what that does to the wind (challenge anyone). There was a certain sailor that was given a nickname of Velcro, but what was really happening was he was just trying to stay in sync with the other boats close to him. Interesting racing as we came into the weather mark.

This was pretty much the story in all the races with a couple of exception of the other competitors ganging up on a competitor to push him over early, didn’t happen but did put him in a bad spot to have to fight back out of. Once he caught the leader he decided that it was better to tack away than climb the transom and that is just about the time a big wind shift hit. Oh crap, now go back, yep your header was the other guy’s lift. Your sunk, just make the best of it and hang in there. It was really a get time on the water laughing and talking with each competitor. What a great day for a regatta.

Now I must add that the new US OD builder Edge Sailing was pushing us around the coarse or should I say making it very difficult for me to just sail a clean clear race. Not that he was doing anything he shouldn’t, he was doing everything he should and I just couldn’t leave that alone. May I also note that at the last minute and I mean last minute we had another sailor wanting to race and this was at 8:30 AM and we were leaving the docks at 9:00 AM. So I yelled to Tony what could we do? I said I would let him sail my boat if you can put me in one of yours. And that just how easy it was, Tony went for the sail as we got boat ready and with joint effort of all competitors with had another boat sailing. Now that’s how it works around here. On shore friends, on the water competitors, but friendly (well--- what do you call friendly) oh yes it was friendly but tight with the occasional yell of starboard heard on the course, that means tight because there were crosses that were only inches apart at times but no one had to change course. Than a word or two and a laugh back and forth.

After the racing awards were handed out at the Festival with free drinks for every one.

Finish results

1. Dennis Peck, Port Charlotte
2. Tony Pocklington, Fort Myers
3. Robert Hill, El Jobean
4. Logan Boucher, Gardens of Gulf Cove
5. Tony Sanpere, Virgin Islands

2014-05/17

Our Newest Member

On Friday (5/9/14) I graduated from New York Maritime College with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Operations as well as a USGC Unlimited 3rd Mates License.

It has been a good experience and I have learned a lot since I have started there. I look forward to the next chapter of my life as I plan on doing a lot of 2.4 sailing out of Newport, RI.

These next couple of months should be a great. The Clagett Regatta is a month away and last years event had both solid conditions and competition..... The Newport Regatta has always been on my calendar, this time I will be sailing in the 2.4 fleet, looking forward to some good competition as some are gearing up for the IFDS Worlds which are just a month after that. There is just so much happening so soon and so close, graduating has now opened up to a much more flexible schedule, making it easier to shift focus to what I enjoy the most, sailboat racing.

Look forward to seeing you all on the water.

Ted Green III

The Charlotte Harbor Regatta

by Dennis Peck

February 8th & 9th saw 9, 2.4mr's in the Charlotte Harbor Regatta. Sailed on Charlotte Harbor on circle one, the regatta hosted 12 divisions of one design racing with 4-5 classes per circle.

Interesting action on circle one, the 2.4mr course. Saturday saw fog in the morning and the start was delayed for a short time until some breeze showed. It wasn't steady but did create some interesting changing of places that day.

Sunday the second day came with a North breeze which held for the races with some shifts when you sailed to the weather mark off the northern shore of Charlotte Harbor, (actually the Peace River which becomes Charlotte Harbor) but the locals call it all Charlotte Harbor for the river is the other side of the bridges.

The current and shifty wind on the starts made for some interesting times. Some got hit hard on the starts as you can tell by scores (me and I am local and should have known) and others came out on the goods side.

What was really neat about the regatta was the closeness of all the 2.4 sailors and the fellowship between each. Just as in most of the 2.4 regattas we all had some good laughs. It was one of the first regattas that I was able to sail in just for the good time and it was great. It was good to get back into the boat after not getting much time in it since most of the time we are getting others out in them. Interest is growing in the area for the able bodied and starting to get the minds of the able-bodied into the boat, about time. Four of the nine boats where able-bodied sailors, interesting mix the way it should be for all. The results say a lot about the mix.

Mark Bryant found his grove and stayed with it as the rest of the fleet worked at finding that grove. Good sailing Mark, and the rest of the group.

International 2.4 Meter

By Dave Ellis

Look at that beautiful sailing yacht in the distance! What a classic. Wait…is that a giant head sticking out of the deck?

There is a good reason that this little boat looks like a classic 12 Meter of America’s Cup fame. In 1983 sailboat designers in Sweden used the “8-Meter” rule to create a much smaller single-handed keelboat. No, the 2.4-meter designation is not the length of the boat. Back in the day the “meter” designation was arrived by applying a formula:

At the 2.4-Meter level, it produces a boat about 13.5 feet long with about 80 square feet of sail area. This little boat weighs 600 pounds with 399 pounds of that as lead in the hollow keel. Happily, that lead can be removed on shore for trailering.

As with other “Meter” boats, there was some leeway to the design of the boat. It caught the imagination of some talented folks who produced boats to the rule. Wing keels, or other untraditional features like the 12 Meters had late in their America’s Cup life, are not allowed.

Read the rest of the Article at SouthWindsMagazine.com (make sure you zoom in if needed)

2014-01-04

Winter 2013 Racing Results:

Dec 6 - 8, America's Regatta, St Petersburg, FL
Results

Dec 10 - 12, US Midwinter Championships, Charlotte Harbor, FL
Results

Dec 14 - 15, US Nationals, Charlotte Harbor, FL
Results