George Winslow Memorial Regatta - 26 July, 1200

Note the time change for the first warning...1200 vice 1300! The CHNYC George Winslow Memorial Regatta is two weeks away. Three races with spinnakers, beginning at 1200. The earlier start will allow racers more time to return to their moorings and make it to the post race party at the Navy base that begins at 5PM. Your entry fee is covered as part of the racing fees for Shields Fleet 9. As in the past, if need be you can show and deliver your entry to the RC or mark boat on the water. If you can get me the names of those racing by noon on Friday, 25 July, I will ensure they have access at Gate 1 at the base on Saturday. Otherwise, I'll try to get them from your entry forms when I finish racing and get the names to the gate. The NOR is available on the CHNYC web site at www.chnyc.org Hope to see you there. Ron Oard Icea #15

Shields For Sale

#71 Painted white in 2007, bottom and rudder faired, new teak around cockpit, Harken traveler, and keel sump rebuilt. Includes 2000 Triad trailer. Asking $20,000.00 call Michael Brown 401-225-0190

Chris Withers finished his last race yesterday

Our friend, competitor, and reigning Fleet 9 Champion, Chris Withers, passed away yesterday, December 27. Chris steered Envy #138 to many a victory, much to the frustration of those of us who assumed that because we were younger we could beat him. He also had great success with the Navy boats for years before he got Envy, winning the Shields Nationals in 1983. His wife, Donnis, and four children survive him.

Overall 2007 Results

OVERALL RESULTS FLEET 9 2007

INDIVIDUAL RACE WINNERS – Wed. Evening

74, 107, 138, 145, 201, 202, 217, 224, 245, 254

SEAN CASSEDY MEMORIAL TROPHY - Spring Series

1. 224, Virginia, Clark

2. 138, Envy, Withers/Lotz

3. 232, Fox, Gowell

TOLAND MEMORIAL CUP – Summer Series

1. 138, Envy Withers/Lotz

2. 201, Raven, Burton

3. 232, Fox, Gowell

KENDALL TROPHY – Fall Series

1. 201, Raven, Burton

2. 245, Hawk, Mallory/Shoemaker

3. 74 Karaselet Alio/Shore

OVERALL WEEKEND WINNER – Spring, Summer, Fall Series

138, Envy, Withers/Lotz

Top Navy Award -- Overall Navy Champion

163, Ann, Patterson

Aloha Cup -- Winner: 138, Envy Withers/Lotz

Wed. Night Spring Series, This was a 4 way tie for first, broken as follows…

1. 138 Envy Withers/Lotz

2. 201 Raven, Burton

3. 74 Karaselet Alio/Shore

Wed. Night Summer Series This was a 2 way tie for first, broken as follows. . .

1. 107 Grace, Burnham/Baer

2. 145 Rhythm Fisher

3. 201 Raven, Burton

Wed. Fall Series

1. 74 Karaselet, Alio/Shore

2. 138 Envy, Withers/Lotz

3. 145 Rhythm, Fisher

John Robertson Memorial Trophy Overall Wed. Night Series

1. 74 Karaselet Alio/Shore

2. 145 Rhythm, Fisher

3. 201 Raven, Burton

The Manice Trophy -- Overall Fleet Champion

Cumulative scores of both Wed. Night and Weekend Series

(Owned by Hawk, 245, the last umpteen years)

Winner: Envy, 138 Withers/Lotz

Beck Memorial Trophy

Top Ida Lewis boat, cumulative scores of both Wed Night and Weekend Series

Winner: 201, Raven, Andy Burton

Timothy Dwyer Award -- Most Improved on Wed. evenings

Raven, 201, Andy Burton

Annual Meeting and Awards Night

Shields Fleet 9 Annual Meeting & 2007 Awards Dinner Wednesday, November 14th, Carnegie Abbey, Portsmouth 6 p.m. - Cocktail hour begins Brief Annual Meeting to ratify new bylaws & elect new officers (All are welcome, owners only may vote; bylaw details in sent email)
Dinner 7:15 p.m.
Awards Dinner Menu:
Salad, Rolls and Butter
Chicken Chardonnay
Or New England Baked Scrod "Ritz Style" whipped potatoes and seasonal vegetables
Chocolate Mousee , tea/coffee
$52.00 per person

Please RSVP (no phone calls) to Nicole Alio at healthwealth@hotmail.com Provide sail no. & no. of people attending, plus number selecting fish or chicken
RSVP no later than Friday Nov. 9th

P.S. Thanks to Nicole for arranging this event. Please bring your whole crew!

End of the Season

Results Fall Series #5: Wind Speed 13: Direction SSW Start Time Wednesday, September 26, 2007 17:15:00

Pos	Order	Sail	Score	Note
1	1	217	1
2	2	74	2
3	3	145	3
4	4	138	4
5	5	232	5
6	6	201	6
7	7	226	7
8	8	108	8
9	9	202	9
10	10	107	10
11	11	59	11
12	12	181	12	Protest Pending
13	13	101	13
14	14	224	14
15	15	15	15
16	16	36	16
17	17	166	17
18	18	17	18
19	19	76	19
20	20	143	20
21	21	254	21	Protest Pending
22	22	222	22	Protest Pending
23	23	163	23
24	24	164	24
25	25	1	25
26	26	14	26
DNC		21	----
DNC		29	----
DNC		33	----
DNC		39	----
DNC		53	----
DNC		71	----
DNC		121	----
DNC		127	----
DNC		160	----
DNC		165	----
DNC		185	----
DNC		188	----
DNC		245	----

Oh boy, the last race of the season, five boats in the hunt for the season series, 20 knots from the southwest, and a good-sized fleet on deck. The start was set just east of Rose Island, with a beat against a strong flood tide to Hammersmith, back to a leeward gate by the bridge and a short beat to the finish. We’d brought our whole crew (6 of us!) and felt fast in the warmup; the tough question was whether to sail up to the Fort and short tack the shore from there, or to hit the righthand corner hard, a move that’s been working all season but didn’t seem such a sure thing with the breeze truly southwest (a little bit right of some nights) and a stronger breeze and flood tide.

Robin, Fun, Dan, and company set a good long starting line but we still managed to arrive late in a congested part not far from the weather end. The gun sounded with us sucking bad air in the second row behind Jay Gowell in 232 alongside Chris Withers in 138. Both of us tacked after a minute to clear our air and found a good lane going over to the Cone of Rose Island, but as we came up past the green can, 138 started pinching us off and we had to take a clearing hitch.

Here we made mistake number 2: Our angle on starboard looked good, aiming up past the Fort, and it seemed as if we had the bulk of the fleet to leeward in good control, so rather than tacking back with Chris to the right, we sailed back to the left side and soon proved (again, I think, because I’ve tried this once or twice before) that you can’t play both sides of this particular beat. Our angle got a little worse and the boats coming out past the Fort got the current relief they’d been seeking. Soon we were into the ping pong tacking game, just past the Fort, and watching 217, 145,and 74 forge ahead. Only 2 or 3 boats can play that game comfortably, and we weren’t going to be one of them. And now here came Chris out of the right corner, comfortably in about third place, along with Andy Burton in 201, maybe in sixth.

Things deteriorated from there for us, almost hitting the mark with Chuck in 202 alongside grumbling that we’d finished our tack inside the two length circle; then I pulled a surprise jibe on the crew and we had a really most excellent spinnaker snafu for the first few minutes of the run. (I take all the credit for that!)

But…looking on the bright side, it was a beautiful breeze on a beautiful night, and it’s been a fun season of good competition and time spent on the water. Reed, Rachel, Matt, Pete, and Ted have been consistently aboard 107 with me, keeping us going fast and handling the sails really well. Also, based on a review of the scores, I think I’m going to have to share the tiller with some of them more next year.

Overall, our fleet seems stronger than ever—just ask Pete Denton in 226 how easy it is to win the Nationals and then come back and get no respect on Wednesday nights. And we have new boats such as 17, 76, and 108 who are only going to get faster next year.

Congratulations to Nicole and Bill on 74 on winning the Wednesday night season series; according to Nicole, they almost didn’t sail last night’s race; they were sailing around the anchorage under jib alone looking for a fourth crew to pick up, and they found one. Ted on 145 sailed an excellent season—and Nationals—as did Chris on 138. I think our fleet captain, Andy Burton, may have made the biggest improvement over last season and got some silverware for it. Nice going, Andy. We’ll see you in Right Cornersville next spring.

John Burnham, 107

Photos

photos submitted by Reed Baer