J/Teams Prevail in Another Tricky Round Island Race

ByStuart Johnstone
Sailboat racing on the open sea.


Wired logo with a pixelated design.

(Edgartown, MA)- As they have for decades, the Edgartown Yacht Club rolled out the proverbial red carpet to welcome sailors from all over the world to their cozy confines on the water in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. Their annual Edgarton Race Week is a regular stop for many New England sailors for one primary reason- the 60.0nm dash around Martha’s Vineyard Island and the huge awards celebration party afterwards at the yacht club! Here’s how it all took place in this year’s challenging, finicky race.

PHRF 3 Division
Winning this fleet was Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO, a repeat performance for Joe and his crew, Round the Island! Second was Robert Littleton’s J/111 SHE’S NO LADY 2.0, and fourth place was Robert Reifess’s J/120 MURMUR.

PHRF 4 Division
It was a J/109 sweep of the podium of this fleet. Leading the way was Eliot Shanabrook’s HAFA ADAI, followed by Ed Dailey’s RAPTOR in second, and Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING in third place.

PHRF 5 Division
The two J/teams in this fleet sailed well, with one making it onto the podium. Taking the bronze medal was Phil Stathos’s J/110 AIRBENDER, then finishing fourth place was Olwen Huxley’s J/35 RESILIENCE.

PHRF 8 Doublehanded Division
Sailing any boat double-handed around Martha’s Vineyard is always going to be a challenge. It’s not a straight line to a mark 60.0nm away, where you just set sails and send it! In the Round Island Race, you’re always going clockwise, turning right around each point of land. So, changing sails and setting them for speed is an ongoing challenge! In the end, Henry Sesselberg’s J/105 UBUNTU sailed a strong race to take the silver medal in this class!

For more Round Island/ Edgartown Race Week sailing information and results
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16270