Department of Corrections ■■ In Aimée Poisson’s “Eastern Shore Racing Beat” on page 70 of the November issue, the winner of the 57th NASS Race to Oxford was incorrectly printed. David Shiff on Odyssey was the winner of the 2011 Aloha Cup as well as firstplace finisher in PHRF C. The Odyssey crew took first in class and first overall the next day in the Hammond Memorial Race back to Annapolis.
A Challenging Baltimore Harbor Cup
■■ We failed to print the name of the photographer for the photo accompanying the article on the Constellation Cup on page 68 of the November issue. His name is Olivier Rousset.
##The Harbor Cup start at Baltimore Light. Photo by Adam Podbielski
by Raymond Peroutka Jr.
T
he Baltimore Harbor Cup was challenging for the 53 boats that started this 20-mile classic. Unlike some prior years in which racers faced near gale conditions, this year’s edition presented light and variable (but generally favorable) winds. The race north from Baltimore Light to the Craighill Channel Lower Range Light was a single close-hauled tack for most of the fleet with winds varying between five and nine knots. But as the fleet approached the Craighill Light, the winds became extremely light and unpredictable. The beat up the Patapsco gave everyone a taste of the shifting conditions they would experience inside the Key Bridge. Inside the bridge, those who favored the southern shore did considerably better. Although local wisdom normally predicts better winds along the Dunkalk and Seagert Terminal walls, those boats that went north were punished with lighter winds and generally lost time to those who stayed south. Inside Fort McHenry, commercial wharf buildings produced swirling eddies to challenge everyone’s race skills. Andrew Eyring and Hero Squad took the gun for line honors, as the first boat to finish in the A fleet as well as first overall. Second and third in the A fleet were Bandit and Problem Child, respectively—only nine seconds apart. Flying Circus, Triangle, and Lola3 finished first and tied for second in the multi-hull fleet. Incredibly, Triangle and Lola3 both finished in three hours, 57 minutes, and 15.8 seconds on corrected time. In the B fleet, top honors went to Flying Circus (the Pearson Flyer), Incommunicado, and Torch.
The C Fleet was led by Red Streaker, Actaea, and Swell. The nonspin fleet was led by Bumble Bee, Kolohe Anakiawia, and Dogwood Bark. Luckily for the race committee, the majority of the fleet was able to finish before a 540-foot bulk carrier departed the Domino Sugar plant and motored across the finish line, with only a few feet to spare between the boat and the pin buoy. Coordination with a very gracious harbor pilot allowed this to make for an exciting, but uneventful finish, and a great example of the challenges to racing in Baltimore. Following the race, many boats tied up at the Broadway Pier in Fells Point and their crew found their way to Shuckers for food, drinks and awards. It is a loosely guarded secret that Baltimore’s Harbor Master never seems to get down to Fells Point to collect dockage fees from those later-day pirates who haunt the bars and spend the night tied up to the city docks. Three cheers for rum and tax evasion! Find complete results at cbyra.org.
2011 Island Creek Penguin Frostbite Regatta by Paul Hull
A
fter so many years of relentlessly big breezes and almost winter conditions this year’s eighth Island Creek Penguin Frostbite Regatta seemed very unlike what has become a traditional ICPFR (Icy Puffer). There were, of course, oysters, chili, and lots of good food provided by not only the contenders as entrance fees but by the dozens of ICPFR spectators. Warm and puffy southerly breezes dictated shorts as the sailing outfit of choice and the crash boats saw no action on this fine spring like day. Nineteen Penguins competed in what has become the
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season’s most popular Penguin regatta. Long time Penguin sailors David Cox and Bill Lane were jointly responsible for four of the top ten boats. Jeff Cox with Jane Delashmutt and Matt Lane and Luke Dufore have, over the past few years, gradually taken over their dad’s boats; although both had to beat Bill in this event since Jeff borrowed a third Alice in Wonderland boat. Jeff’s sister, Sewall crewed for Patrick Penwell in David’s Fox’n Sox. Scott Williamson and Aubrey Barringer sailed another very old Penguin, Thunder Chicken; the big and
SpinSheet December 2011 67