The Peconic Bay Challenge was sailed on Sunday, September 5th, 1999. After a great free lunch a
pursuit race was started right from the beach. Thanks to Greg Gove for doing the calculations and
setting up the whole event at Cedar Beach.

The race was sailed in moderate to strong winds under ominous clouds but towards the end of the
race it was bright sun and a blue sky. Gotta love those accurate weather reports. Glad we didn't stay
home! Too often the weather turns out just fine and a great day is wasted. Just do it!

Ten boats participated including a Hobie 17, three Hobie 18s (two sailed solo), a super modified
Hobie 16 (Calvert mylar square top main and mylar jib!), a Taipan 4.9 sloop, two Nacra 5.0s (one
without jib), a Nacra 5.5Sl and a Prindle 19 (Standard model). The start was from knee high water
and in order of rating with the slower boats starting first. The faster boats waited a calculated amount of time and then started their pursuit. This really worked well and gave the slower boats a chance to
deal with finding the marks and having all the pressure of being in the lead.

The Taipan 4.9, co skippered by Steve Bellavia (downwind) and Joe Seluga (upwind) again showed
good form. It finished first overall and first on corrected time sailing with a total crew weight of 320 lbs. CT was used as a means of checking the accuracy of the staggered starting times. We understand that Glenn Ashby is in the process of designing a spinnaker for the 4.9. What a pocket rocket.

Additional details and perspectives on this race will appear here in about a week or two so check back.

Special thanks must go to Rich and Bob Partenfelder who stopped racing to assist a solo Hobie 18
sailor who had capsized. This is sportsmanship at its best. Thanks to Steve Bellavia for making sure
we didn't go hungry and helping out with the calculations.

The next Peconic Bay Challenge is scheduled for the weekend of September 18th and 19th at the
same location.  We will be there rain or shine since the weather man never seems to get it right
anyway. If it pours rain we will go do something else, who knows, bring your bowling shoes. Plans
are also in the works for a modified distance race on the weekend of October 2th and 3th. It may be 21, 42, or 63 miles depending on the wind conditions.

The Peconic Bay is deep, clean, and beautiful. It is not too far from Heckscher and a very short drive from the ferry. Hey you New England guys double deck some boats to cut the cost of the ferry and come on down. There is only a $10 entry fee and the racing is fantastic with a huge beach, large parking lot and easy launching!

The GSB 60/60/120 took place on August 14th and 15th at Heckscher State Park, Islip, Long Island, New York. It is unfortunate that the weather and the scheduling of races in the Northeast did not cooperate. We will work on the scheduling for next year.  In addition, we plan to run the race earlier in the year when the calendar is not as crowded and when there are no weeds on the bay.

For those of you who were not able to attend here is some information which may help you understand what the 60/60/120 is all about. The race is organized, staffed and run by Division 12 volunteers. It is set up so that you can race one day or both days. The need for a road crew is eliminated since the start and finish are at the same location. The race course allows the committee to control the length of the race if the weather or wind become uncooperative. Although 60 miles is not the Worrell 1000 it is one heck of a distance to sail in one day. You might like to try it.

Although the weather started off simply horrible on Saturday, the race went off about an hour or so after the scheduled time. Seven racing teams participated in an exciting 50 mile event in great winds under cloudy skies. The 25 to 30 mph winds from the south never materialized and we sailed in 10 to 16 with some higher gusts all day. The race ended in a building southwester in bright sunshine. We probably could have done the additional 10 miles to make the full 60 but no one seemed disappointed. The two Nacra 6.0NAs with chutes finished within less than a minute of each other after all those miles. The Inter 20s had a hard time with the weed due to the narrow boards and rudders. One I 20 abandoned the race after completing 30 miles. Next year we will run the race at a time of year when there is no weed on the bay so that the Inters can have a better go at the race. The two 5.5 Sls had a fun battle while the Taipan 4.9 surprised everybody by taking line honors on Saturday against some well sailed boats.

Sunday was very overcast with the wind out of the north. During the first 30 miles of the race it blew rather strong and provided a close reach to the mark and a broad reach back to the checkpoint. This section of the course did not present a weed problem. It was great fun going so fast for so many miles. Beyond the Heckscher checkpoint the wind lightened up a bit and could not make up its mind as to whether it should go northeast or northwest. The two 6.0NAs and one remaining Inter 20, all with kites, raced a full 60 miles while the smaller boats, one Nacra 5.7, one 5.5Sls sailed one up without jib and one 5.5Sl sailed two up as a sloop raced 50 miles. The other 5.5 retired after 30 miles. The 5.7 again proved how well it does on a reach and corrected out to first. Line honors went to the 5.5Sl two up. The battle between the 6.0NAs went down to the final 5 miles. A change in wind direction and the use of a chute determined the final outcome.

If you think that you would like to try a true distance race the GSB 60/60/120 is a great introduction. It offers a challenge of 60 miles without the many special arrangements which are often necessary to participate in a distance race.

There are always a few people who make these races happen. Special thanks to Jim Matthews and Milt Dinhoffer who did a great job of starting and scoring the race right from the beach. Thanks to Bob and Rich Partenfelder for all of their help with breakfast and drinks each day. Thank you to all of the teams who decided to take a chance with the weather and attend the event. They traveled great distances and were most supportive to the organizers under the most difficult of conditions. Thank you and congratulations to all who attended. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

A Brief Report Day One The Great South Bay 60/60/120                          by Eric Anderson
(As posted on the Cat Sailor Forum)

As far as the first day of the GSB goes, Glen did kick our ass pretty soundly. He got a great start and reached out to a commanding lead on the first leg. The two 6.0's, myself and Barry Moore, had problems at the start. We were both about 20 seconds late (we broke the trampoline lacing on our last tack before the start and had to fix it). We tracked Glen down about 12 miles later just before the first mark
under jib reaching conditions. Barry popped the chute behind us as we got a big lift. We followed suit when we were about 1/2 mile from the mark. Barry, Glen, and Chris Brown (I20) gybed behind us as we overstood the mark by about 1/3 mile (my bone headed Nav error) We rounded 4th, it was Glen, Barry, Chris and myself. The next leg started as a reach but soon became close hauled. The seaweed was very thick (toward the western end of the course) and we were clearing boards and rudders constantly. We caught the Inter 20 about 2/3 of the way to the next mark. The Inter was pointing higher than we were but we were faster. By the time we hit the mark we passed Barry and were ahead of him by about 20 seconds. The I 20 was about 3 minutes behind and retired at that point because of difficulty with the weeds. Glen was long gone ahead of us. He definitely smoked our bags upwind. The spinnaker was not a factor, we used it for about 1/2 mile on the first leg, and the last 6 miles from the bridge.

Editors Note:  The winds were out of the North and the weeds were troublesome because of unsettled wind conditions for several days before the race. The bay usually has winds out of the southwest. Great for running a kite. I sailed on Tuesday after the race. The wind was southwest, no weed, sunshine. Go figure.  Joe Seluga

Last weekend we went to Heckscher State Park on Long Island, New York. Now you would think that battling New York traffic with a couple of Taipans on board would be a REAL problem, in fact it’s fairly simple, this area is isolated from the main New York area and is mainly residential in nature. The real surprise is the park, here in the N.Y. city area is a 1400 acre park, 4 lane access road, neat as a pin, extensive parking areas, AND hardly a sole there. This park is so under utilized that it defies belief. Boat launching is easy from the flat beach adjoining the car park. The wind is a steady 15-20 each day.

We arrive on Friday afternoon and talk to a few locals who have turned up early. The usual reaction to our taipans is they are so light and so beautiful. Those lucky enough to get a sail are equally impressed with the Taipans performance. Glenn takes new crew Dave Chamberlain out for a spin; Dave is not used to spinnakers and needs time for practice. Then Disaster strikes, a pin on the forestay has its keeper ring removed by the spinnaker sheet and the rig comes down. Fortunately they are only 100 yards off shore and they drift in safely. There is no damage, except to the mast step. Within the hour Glen and David are sailing again.

Saturday is the regatta, a disappointing turn up of only 20 boats, the organizers are devastated, but the lack of numbers is more than made up for by the friendly atmosphere. Racing starts at 11.00 and here in America they do it properly. We average a race every hour for the next 4 hours with just enough time for a starting sequence in between.

The first race really went well for Julie and me. First, we put the Inter 20 about in a Port & Starboard near the first mark.  The resulting language made it clear as to how they felt about being head to wind drifting backwards. Then Glenn & Dave on the Taipan 5.7 hit the 1^st mark, or should I say towed it down the course a bit. That left us in the lead, then I remembered why I normally have no mainsheet cleat, just as the mast hit the water. Julie has decided to fine me a dollar every time I swear on the boat, that just cost me $5 as well. Then we find out something really interesting, weed from all over the bay has drifted into this little corner where we are racing. I takes 2 races to work out a strategy to deal with the %#@!*$ $#@!& $#@&*^ stuff! Julie collects enough money in swear fines to last her the rest of our trip.

With 4 races in a row the details are a bit hard to remember. We had good racing with the Nacra 5.5Sl sailed by Joe Seluga and his crew Cori Miller, the Taipan 4.9 having a sight edge. They took 2 races and we took 2. The Inter 20 and the 5.7 had good racing, again the Taipan had the slight edge in speed, but minor problems like a rudder lock down pin failure and sailing the wrong course prevented a clean sweep.

For the second day the faster boats do part of the upcoming Great South Bay 60/60/120-distance race. These distance races are so much fun, tactics are quite different, the overall weather picture is so important, and you get to actually go some where. As on the previous day the Taipan 5.7 disappears into the distance closely followed by the Inter 20.

The weed is almost nonexistent as we wild thing the 15 miles downwind to the mark at the east end of the bay. Joe and crew on his 5.5Sl slowly slip back into the distance. Not knowing exactly where we are going, we cover Joe from in front. We look for the returning "big boats"; it seems to take forever to see them again, the 5.7 a few hundred yards in front hard on the wind. Frantic arm waving ensues as they try to tell us where the rounding mark is located. The general message seems to be it’s a long way yet. We decide to check out some channel markers and the first one is the right color and the right number. We can’t believe that we would have sailed straight to the rounding mark after 15 mile, so we decide to wait a few minutes for Joe. Sure enough he rounds that mark! This puts us back together, a good situation as we have someone to race again and also lets us look after each other should one boat get into trouble.

As we sail up wind the breeze starts lightening off. Anxiously I look across to the windward shore and I can see the keelboats are in new wind. Joe is more to that side of the course. My focus becomes get between Joe and the new breeze. Fortunately Joe co-operates and sails back to our side of the course, what luck, no time for mercy now, we hit the new breeze, still light but enough for trapeze while Joe sits becalmed. We finish 3^rd over the line.

The real 60-60-120 is on the weekend of August 14^th and 15^th. It's easy to get to Heckscher and you should give it a go. We will be at another regatta sailing our Taipans due to a previous arrangement so we will miss out.

On Saturday and Sunday, July 17th and 18th, Jim Boyer, his daughter Julie and Glen Ashby, world champion A Class sailor, attended the 1999 Division 12 Mid Summer Classic held at Heckscher State Park.  Julie and Jim sailed on the 4.9 Sloop, while Glen sailed on the 5.7 with spinnaker. They both did a great job demonstrated the speed of these fine boats.

I had the good fortune, along with many others, to sail on both the Taipan 4.9 and the Taipan 5.7.  It is safe to say that you can not sail these boats without walking away very impressed. The 5.7, at only 300 lbs al up, is an 18 foot 8 inch boat that thinks it's 20 feet long. The smooth ride and exhilarating acceleration are just incredible.  The 4.9, at 231 lbs. all up, is very responsive and accelerates with every puff. They are just amazing boats and sailing something this light and responsive is a real treat. It really makes it difficult to get back on to that "heavy" beach cat you were sailing.

All at the Classic seemed to have a great time. The racers were divided into several divisions: Hobie 16 A & B, Hobie 18, PN  >719 and PN of 720 or greater. The PN  >719 group sailed four buoys races on Saturday and the eastern half of the Great South Bay 60/60 on Sunday, a 30 mile race in moderate to light air to the end of the bay and back. Both the Hobies and the 720 an up groups sailed five races on Saturday and three races on Sunday. It is too bad that more people don't take advantage of this fine sailor's regatta. The results can be found here.

Seven teams represented LICSA at the July 4th, 1999 Statue of Liberty Race hosted by Fleet 250.  This 40 mile marathon course starts just off of the Sandyhook Catamaran Club, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, goes under the Verrazano Bridge, into New York Harbor, around the Statue of Liberty and back to Sandyhook.  Miss Liberty is just spectacular from on the water and so is Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline, but who had time to look. (We did!)

The wind started out from the west with sudden shifty gusts changing back to light breezes. On the way to the Statue it was a relatively light wind reach all the way under the bridge and into the harbor.  It filled in a bit in the harbor and on the way back it really started to build providing a hold onto your pants (and boots) reach to the finish. Maybe the thunder we heard and the lightning we saw over Manhattan had something to do with the increase in wind strength and sailing intensity. We didn't hang around to find out.

There were a total of 81 boats registered. A Supercat 22 took line honors by a small margin followed closely by a Nacra 6.0 without spinnaker.  Peter Cogan was  third over the line on the Taipan 5.7 with a spinnaker. The course never really gave the spinnaker boats an advantage. Peter beat all of the Hobie 20s and all of the Nacra 6.0s but one. Great sailing Peter, Jim Boyer, the boat's designer from down under, and Jim's twelve year old daughter, Julie. They were on the heavy side as far as crew weight was concerned and on a smaller boat but that didn't seam to matter. The Taipan is really a beautiful piece of superior craftsmanship, light, strong and very fast. At 18 feet 8 inches long the Taipan 5.7 is as fast as most 20 footers.

LICSA members did very well at this regatta. Four LICSA teams finished in the top 20 and three teams finished well ahead of most of the competition. This is a wonderful accomplishment for all involved. The LICSA teams corrected out as follows:

4th Place               Peter Cogan, designer Jim Boyer & daughter Julie on Peter's Taipan 5.7 
9th Place               Joe Seluga and Dennis Lemek on Joe's Nacra 5.5 SL  (smallest boat in the top ten)
18th Place             Danny Butler and novice Margie White on Danny's Nacra 5.7
20th Place             Rich and Diane Belkin on their Nacra 5.0
23rd Place             Steve Bellavia and Chris Burian on Steve's Nacra 5.5 Sl
27th Place             Rich and Bob Partenfelder on their Nacra 5.5 SL
32nd Place            Milton Dinhoffer and Jack Masor on Milt's 5.5 SL
 
Congratulations to all for representing LICSA in such an outstanding manner at this fun event. Thanks again to Fleet 250 for a great experience and a totally fun day on the water. Hope to see everyone there again next year.

The Around Shelter Island Race took place on July 10th 1999 starting at the Southold Yacht Club, Southold, New York, under a cloudy sky in moderate breezes. The 20 to 25 mph forecasted winds never appeared and 10 to 12 was the order of the day. This 25 mile plus marathon began at 12:30 PM. It was a fun race for all who choose to make the effort to attend. The air at the start was moderate and we were off on a downwind course from Southold to Greenport.  Greg Gove took an early lead on his P19. These were perfect conditions for the P19 with its 247 square feet of sail and its relatively light weight of 385 lbs. At the first turn to starboard we found ourselves again in a moderate breeze but this time more of a close reach. This allowed us to sail directly to our second turning point. From there the breeze freshened just a bit and we again sailed on a close reach to the narrows. The wind seemed to wrap around the island and there was little tacking up to this point in the race! So much for the numbers. At the narrows, site of a ferry crossing, some of the boats pointed directly to the next turning point while others had to add a tack or two. After rounding the final turning point it was a close hauled course to the finish with a tack onto starboard necessary for most boats to cross. Line honors went to Greg Gove on his Prindle 19 in 113 minutes followed by Joe Seluga and Cathy Firmbach on a Nacra 5.5 Sl at 119.13 minutes and the Bellavias on another Nacra 5.5 Sl in 120.00 minutes elapsed time. The actual corrected time finishes and overall results for all of the participants can be found here. This race offers beautiful scenery and a look at how the other half lives. The homes along the shore on Shelter Island are not to be believed. The Southold Yacht Club puts on a good time that is attended by a friendly group of sailors. Congratulations to all the participants. Special thanks to Ken Richter for organizing the race.