Oyster Regatta BVI 2008 continued Those couples in the five-figure mileage category exchanged thoughts about being in such close company with spouses over extended periods. "There is the front of the boat and the back of the boat," Ray Charmak said with a smile. He and his wife, Birgitta, have put 15,000 miles on their Oyster 53, Out of India. Ray practiced accounting and then ran a house construction company before he bought his boat and went sailing. "But you know," he said, "in the last couple of years maybe we have sought out opposite ends of the boat five times. Communication is the key, and a love of sailing. It’s the freedom of sailing, not racing or making passages, those are just excuses."
TUESDAY The BVI provides an ideal arrangement for point-to-point day races. Skippers and crews got a perfect example of how good it could be today as they drag raced around a 26-mile course in steady, 20 knot winds out of the southeast. The only marks were needed at the start and finish lines. The other turning points were provided by islands with intriguing names: start off Slaney Point near Road Town, Tortola – BVI’s capital; sail through the cut off Deadman’s Bay, then round Peter Island Bluff at the south end of Peter Island; round Norman Island, staying to the east of Flannagan Island; round Steele Point on the west end of Tortola, staying between Frenchman’s Cay and Little Thatch; finish off Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s north shore. It was just one of those totally enjoyable sailing days, without a lot of tacking to spoil the fun. The starts were well-contested, especially the start of Class 2. Principal Race Officer (and Oyster Joint Managing Director) Alan Brook said he had never seen such a bunch up at the weather end, where eight boats vied for the weather berth, all within 10 seconds of the gun. Then crews trimmed with care and let the stately Oysters do their thing, powering upwind toward Deadman’s Bay. On board the Oyster 53, Arbella owned by Mike and Vicky Wallace of Annapolis, Maryland, it was also a noteworthy day. This was their first race, ever. They’ve done a couple of Caribbean passages, but never raced their five-year-old boat. Mixing it up in the pre-start traffic was slightly traumatic for them (remember your first time?) Vicky hid her eyes at one point as a guest helmsman picked his way through the crowd at the weather end of the line. Then Arbella was off and running, and there were smiles all around. Mike, an electrical engineer by training, a nuclear energy expert by trade, had that look in his eye -- this race would definitely not be his last.
BELOW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Trevor Silver’s Oyster 655, Roulette v.2
In Class 1, David Yelloly’s Oyster 72, Spirit of Montpelier led the fleet to the finish. No surprise. Spirit is the super-light, tall-rigged boat Richard Matthews built a couple years ago to win on the racing circuit, which he did. But it was the Oyster 82, Ravenous II, Bill Dockser’s new boat from Annapolis, that finished just behind Spirit. Dockser saved his time and took class honours on the day. Guest helmsman aboard was Richard Matthews.
Chase Leavitt’s Oyster 72, Holo Kai Close racing between Ray Charmak and Birgitte Ribsskog’s Oyster 53, Out of India and John and Jane Marren’s Oyster 56, Cinderella III FAR RIGHT: David Yelloly’s Oyster 72, Spirit of Montpelier
16 www.oystermarine.com
But the story of the day was the comeback engineered by Chase Leavitt’s crew on board the Oyster 72, Holo Kai. Holo Kai had problems at the start (no details available), getting off the line a whopping three minutes late. Then they shifted into high gear, passing their sister boat, Cookielicious, with a slick jibe off Norman Island. Oyster Joint Managing Director, Murray Aiken, who was on board, said he had no idea how they did it. "The washing machine was going,