J/111 NO SURPRISE and J/70 BRUMBY Win @ 65th Ugotta Regatta
(Harbor Springs, MI)- Sailors from across the USA headed to Harbor Springs for one of the nation’s best-known sailing traditions: the Little Traverse Yacht Club’s “Ugotta” Regatta. The “Ugotta” brings some of the best sailboat racers in the country to sail in one of the world’s best sailing venues in Little Traverse Bay. The event took place after the two Mac races (Chicago & Bayview). This year the Little Traverse YC celebrated the 65th running of the Ugotta Regatta! Participating are the J/111 and J/70 one-design classes, plus ORC handicap racing fleets. Here’s how it all went down over the three-day event.
J/111 Class
With one of the strongest turnouts in years, the dozen-boat fleet enjoyed excellent racing on the Bay. As has been the case in previous years, the battle for class supremacy at the top of the leaderboard was the same two protagonists- NO SURPRISE and SHAMROCK. After splitting the first two races with 1-2 records, it looked like Jeff Davis’s SHAMROCK team from Cleveland, OH would have the final upper hand on the local hotshots aboard Scott Sellers’ NO SURPRISE. Going into the final race, SHAMROCK held a 2-point lead over NO SURPRISE. However, a disastrous and extremely disappointing final race for SHAMROCK sent their dreams of glory and celebration straight “down the mineshaft”, posting an 8th place to NO SURPRISE’s 2nd. In the no-discard-race series, Sellers’s NO SURPRISE team were elated, winning the regatta with a total of 11 pts, 3 points clear of Davis’s SHAMROCK.
Rounding out the podium was a superstar team from Lake Charlevoix, MI, a few miles south down the coast from Harbor Springs. George Golder’s TERRIER crew sailed a solid series to take the bronze medal with 22 pts total.
The balance of the top five included Brad Farber’s UTAH in fourth with 32 points, narrowly beating the crew of MOMENTUS, skippered by Kevin Saedi, by 2 pts.
J/70 Class
The seven-boat fleet featured several local heroes battling it out for hometown supremacy and bragging rights! Winning was Merritt Keffer’s BRUMBY with 9 pts, followed by Polk Wagner’s ESCAPE team taking the silver medal with 14 pts, and Mike & Mary Lee Duff’s MEASURE TWICE team taking the bronze medal with 17 pts total.
ORC B Division
Sailing this nine-boat fleet was Brad Kimmel’s new J/45 GOLDEN GIRL from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. In their first season of a race campaign on their new J/45, they’ve managed to get on the podium in the Mac Races and take a silver medal in ORC B Division in Harbor Springs. They’re learning fast, posting a 3-1 for 4 pts, just missing the win in the regatta by 1 pt!
ORC C Division
This thirteen-boat fleet featured two J/Teams sweeping the top of the podium. Winning with two bullets was Sam Logan’s J/122 BLITZKRIEG; Mike Hendrie’s J/109 BULL followed them with a 4-2 tally for 6 pts to take the silver medal.
For Ugotta Regatta race results
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu/50563
For more Little Traverse YC Ugotta Regatta sailing information
https://ltyc.org/ugotta-regatta