Virgin
Gorda, BVI, November 5, 2004 — Ed Baird, the current World Match Race
Champion, and Tom Leweck, the famed Curmudgeon of Scuttlebutt, teamed up to win
the Bitter End Yacht Club’s Dry Creek Vineyard Pro-Am Regatta. This unique
event uses a ‘triple racing’ format – a three-boat match race where only the
first place boat collects a point. Sailed in two divisions – ‘Juniors’ and
‘Masters’ – the scoring is a combination of each team’s total points. The
Juniors race the event in matched Hunter 216s while the Masters sail in the
Bitter End YC’s venerable Freedom 30s. But what makes this event truly unique
is that guests of the Bitter End get to crew in both divisions for the
well-known skippers.
After a
slow start, Baird ‘caught fire’ and won all of his last four matches to become
the high point skipper in the “junior” portion of the regatta. His total also
pushed his team into a slim one point lead over the Rod Johnstone/Carol Cronin
and Keith Musto/Russell Coutts teams going into the last afternoon schedule of
Master’s races. The first match on that schedule had all three Masters from the
top teams on the race course together. When the Curmudgeon won that match, the Baird/Leweck
team mathematically clinched the regatta with two races to spare. The same pair
also won BEYC’s Pro-Am in 2001.
Guests
of the Bitter End not only have the opportunity to sail with such noted
skippers as Russell Coutts (3-time America’s Cup winner), Betsy Alison (5-time
Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year), and Lowell North (Olympic Gold Medalist and
creator of North Sails), to name a few, they also socialize at a variety of
cocktail parties, wine dinners, and prize-giving functions.
At the
final awards ceremony, Regatta Chairman John Glynn thanked the expert race
management team of Tom Farquhar (Senior ISAF Umpire), Brad Dellenbaugh (famed
America’s Cup umpire), and Dobbs Davis (USSA Umpire), as well as Honorary
Regatta Chairs Peter and J.J. Isler (perhaps best known for authoring “Sailing
for Dummies.”
In
keeping with the theme of the event, Glynn recognized Lowell North as winner of
the Sportsmanship Award, while Event Director Jason Meeuwig recognized
long-time repeat guest Chuck McNeil as the winner of the Spirit and Enthusiasm
Award. This was McNeil’s sixth Pro Am.
Final
Results
1. Baird (4pts)/Leweck (2pts), 6 points
2. Cronin (3)/Johnstone (2), 5 points
3. Coutts (1)/Musto (3), 4 points
4. Betsy Alison (2)/Lowell North (1), 3
point
5. Andy Burdick/Butch Ulmer (2), 2 points
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