a super organizer, a take-charge skipper who made all the decisions during the race. Katarina credited the crew with a team effort, “everybody did their job.” Skipjack Captain Stony Whitelock was an onboard supporter and spectator, not allowed to give advice. Katarina quipped, “We had to duct tape and tie him up a couple of times.” Stony’s support and encouragement were critical, however, for this project and for the ongoing restoration of the Skipjack Kathryn. There were 10 skipjacks in the fleet: five working boats still equipped with heavy dredging gear and five restored boats now used as excursion boats and museum pieces. This occasioned some controversy about boat weight, comments not unfamiliar to sailors everywhere. But the old adage “It’s the skipper and crew, not the boat” remained true. The fully equipped City of Crisfield skippered by 93-year-old Art Daniels sailed to an easy third place. The working Skipjack Somerset which just edged out the lighter Nathan of Dorchester, a former race winner, was fourth. The Ida Mae with John Price at the helm finished second. Imagine a 60-plus foot 25-ton centerboard boat with a 60-foot mast and 1500 sqare feet of bagged-out sails to have some idea of the difficulties. To understate the case, Katarina described the rig as “fragile.” As in a pram an Opti or an IC or Penguin, high pointing equals stalling: the tracks equated with lots of leeway when the boats went to weather. Tacking can be a long, slow process and gybing downright dangerous in any kind of breeze. Fortunately this year’s race was sailed in a reasonable 10-knot southerly, enough to make things interesting but not too interesting. “We are hoping that ... sailing with an all-female crew in the traditionally maledominated Skipjack Races helps raise awareness of the endangerment of the Maryland State Boat, the skipjack,” says Ennerfelt. The Helen Virginia will be on display at the National Sailing Hall of Fame docks for the U.S. Sailboat Show. For the full story about her restoration and more before and after photos, visit spinsheet.com/ skipjack. Reporting by Katarina Ennerfelt and Melissa Baily-Descoteaux
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##The Skipjack Helen Virginia before her renovation. Photo by Julie Moser
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westmarine.com/rigging SpinSheet October 2014 35