Oakcliff Fall Invitational Wrap Up

Oakcliff Fall Invitational Wrap Up

Exciting and physical racing greeted competitors last weekend as the took to West Harbor in Oyster Bay, NY. Winds were WSW to NW and ranged from a steady 12 to a gusty 30 knots. A coordinated team boat handling technique was critical in order to prevent stalling and to maintain steerage during the luffing situations of each prestart. In these conditions a speeding SM 40 will travel 1 boat length every 2.5 seconds! This kept the tacticians busy and added an extra emphasis on time and distance as the clock counted down to zero.

Congratulations to Jon Singsen and his team of cadets from King’s Point for winning the 2011 ISAF Grade 3 Oakcliff Fall Invite with an undefeated 11-0 record. Peter Wickwire and his team representing the Royal Canadian Yacht Club finished second. Team Oakcliff rounded out the podium with a crew of bowman Kevin McKeon, pitperson Jordan Murphy, headsail trimmer Vladimir Shablinsky, tactician Mike Komar, and skipper Kevin Dooley. Special thanks to Race Officer Vicky Jo Niener, Chief Umpire Bruce Cook, and to all of those that donated their time and efforts to make this race possible.

The Next SM 40 Grade 3 Match Race at Oakcliff is scheduled for May 5-8, 2011.

STATS: Wind: WSW to NW at 12-32 knots. Variability >30 degrees. Temp 52f Flood current at .5kts. Average Race Duration 16 minutes. Starboard W2 Racecourse. 8 teams completed 22 flights of round robin and knockout racing in 6 SM 40’s on West Harbor.