American YC Spring Series Preview

ByStuart Johnstone

(Rye, NY)- Spring sailing in the northeast of America is always a fickle thing; as the region is on the receiving end of the goofy, stormy weather patterns experienced over North America. Remarkably, the forecast for this weekend’s sailing in American Yacht Club’s annual Spring Series Regatta looks reasonably good for three solid days of sailing.

The sixty-boat regatta is popular with J/Teams- 35 boats (58.0% of the regatta!). There are one-design fleets of J/99s, J/105s, J/100s, and J/44s along with a dozen other J/PHRF teams.  

J/44 Class
Starting with the five-boat J/44 One-Design Class, we find New York Yacht Club Commodore Bill Ketcham racing MAXINE with his family crew. Chasing Bill will be none other than Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE, and June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5.

J/105 Class
The five J/105s are certain to see good competition all weekend. Leading teams include Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU, John & Marisa Koten’s GRAY MATTER, Dave Willis’s SOLUTION, and Richie Palmer’s TOLO.

PHRF Divisions
In the world of PHRF handicap racing, there are three divisions.  

In the dozen-boat PHRF 1 division, the Kings Point US Merchant Marine Academy is sailing the J/111 RED SKY IV and Ron Richman will be helming the J/133 ANTIDOTE. Joining them are Constantine Baris’s J/122 DIRE WOLF, Steve Brownline’s J/133 ASSARAIN IV, Len Sitar’s J/160 COUGAR, and last year’s winner- Erik Asgeirsson & Tom Stokes’s J/45 ACADIA. 

In the eight-boat PHRF 2 division, there are three J/Crews; Richard West’s J/120 CHARLOTTE, William Ingrham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, and Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II. 

In the dozen-boat PHRF 3 Divison is mostly all J/Teams, including five J/99 teams that will also be competing for one-design class honors! Those teams include Ray Warner’s AGENT 99, Mike Kohler’s EVENTYR, Todd Aven’s THIN MAN, Kevin Marks’s VELOCITY 2, and Adam & Shannon Zakka’s WIZARD. Other J/Crew in the division include two J/109s (Bob Schwartz’s CAMINOS & John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT), Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER, and Jim Townsend & JC Zucconi’s J/92 EASY RED.

PHRF Non-spinnaker
This nine-boat division includes five J/100s competing for both PHRF and one-design class honors. Those teams include the trio on BLUEFIN (Tom Boyle, Bob Clyatt, & Doug McKiege), the duo on FREEDOM (Drew Fung & Pat Jakobson), Bill Hennes on LIBERTY, Nick Everett’s RESOLUTE, and John & Corinne Forster’s SALTIRE.

For more American YC Spring Series sailing information
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16312