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HomeSailDiversity Marks Winners at 24th Annual Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta

Diversity Marks Winners at 24th Annual Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta

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A diverse fleet of boats set to the seas for the 24th annual
Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta, sailed out of
St. John, November 25 and 26.

With 66 vessels competing in one of 16 classes over the two
day event, regatta director, Dick Burks, said, “It was hard to decide
which class would be the overall winner and the big prize winner of a haul-out
at Independent Boatyard. So, we let the winners in each class pick from a
hat.”

St. John’s Larry and
Lee Best aboard their Luders 44, Osprey, an old
Navel Academy
yawl designed in 1937 and built in 1966, won the PHRF 1 Class and the haul-out.

“We had a great crew and some great racing with
another boat in our class, Tempest, from St.
John,” says Larry Best. “We broke our spinnaker
halyard right before the start and they blew their spinnaker just before the
finish. It maybe saved us a half-minute, but it was really close. Ratings
aside, the close racing to me counted more than the final result. It was loads
of fun.”

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Best, who lives aboard Osprey, added, “We were really
lucky to win the haul-out. We really needed it.
There’s no bottom paint left on the boat. I need to scrub it every time I
want to sail.”

St. John’s
Denise Wright, who won the PHRF Class last year aboard her Cal 27,
Online Vacations, summed up the spirit of the regatta best when she explained:
“We had a novice racer on our
boat, who turned out to be a wonderful crew member.  When he told us that
he thought the experience one of the best days of his life, I reflected on what
it is about racing that attracts us so. I believe it is because we are so
concentrated, particularly in windy conditions like we had this weekend that we
stay in the moment. No choice but to be in ‘the here and now’. No
thinking about past or future. That feels so good and is what many of us
work so hard to attain on a daily basis. A thrilling sail gives us that
gift.

The first day of the regatta saw single-handeders and
gaff-rigged boats race, while the following day the PHRF classes, traditional
and cruising yachts, as well as 420s and Lasers sailed.

Breath, a 42-foot Coral Bay-built
ketch placed second in the Gaffers Over 35-foot class. At the helm and crewing,
respectively, were owners Peter Muilenburg
and wife Dorothy. It was back in 1982 that Peter and a group of friends who had
all built their boats in Coral
Bay decided to start the
Coral Bay Yacht Club.

Dorothy Muilenburg explained: “The goal of the club
was two-fold: First, to fix the dock. Second, to have a fun
race or two. Finding a time was difficult between regattas scheduled in
Tortola and St. Thomas.
But, eventually we decided on Thanksgiving weekend. It was just after hurricane
season, most of the boats were back in the water or back from traveling either
north or south. Plus, it’s an up-spirited time of year.”

RESULTS

 

FRIDAY
Single-Handed and Gaff Rigged Race

Gaffers 35 feet and under

1. Penelope, 34-foot schooner, Les Anderson,
St. John (3:26:47)
2. Callabreeze, Cowhorn 30, Larry Flewelling,
St. John (3:28:48)

Gaffers over 35 feet

1. Ushuana, Custom 49, Morgan MacDonald,
St. John (2:58:55)
2. Breath, 42-foot ketch, Peter Muilenburg,
St. John
(3:09:05)

Single-handed under 30 feet

1. Amelia, Soling 27, Surfer Gary,
St. John (2:46:50)
2. F-Stop, Pearson Ensign 22, Jason Dmitrieff,
St. John (2:53:30)
3. Willful, Bristol 27, Nate Emerich,
St. John (2:55:30)

Single-handed 30 to 40 feet

1. Tiger Maru, Gadansk 37, Julien Davies,
St. John (2:24:25)
2. Lilly, S&S 38, Bear,
St. John (2:34:15)
3. Odege, Camper Nicholson 32, Sara O’Neill,
St. John (2:38:48)

Single-handed over 40 feet

1. Chancy, 40-foot sloop, Luis Escardo,
St. John (2:45:32)
2. Levana, Island Packet 49, Sasha Kegus, Mass (2:55:55)

Saturday
All Classes
Traditional under 40 feet

1. Penelope, 34-foot schooner, Les Anderson,
St. John (2:26:08)
2. Callabreeze, Cowhorn 30, Larry Flewelling,
St. John (2:26:55)
3. Seanonda Rose, 18-foot keelboat, Bobby Danet,
St. Thomas (2:51:50)

Traditional over 40-feet

1. Ushuaia, Custom 49, Morgan MacDonald,
St. John (2:41:15)
2. Breath, 42-foot ketch, Peter Muilenburg,
St. John
(2:44:20)

Cruising 1 under 30 feet

1. Slideways, Cal
27, James Julien, St. john (3:41:15)
2. Amelia, Soling 27, Surfer Gary,
St. John (3:44:25)
3. Willful, Bristol 27, Nate Emerich,
St. John (3:55:08)

Cruising II over 30 to 40 feet

1. Lily, S&S 38, Bear,
St. John (3:14:45)
2. Glory B, O’Day 39, Max Harcourt,
St. Thomas (3:34:15)
3. Sweet Lelee, Beneteau 32, Don and Kate Porter,
St. John (3:34:43)

Cruising III over 40 feet

1. Simone’s Voyage, Catalina 42, Chuck Pessler,
St. Thomas (2:55:50)
2. Snap, 52-foot schooner, Rob Hoyt,
St. John (3:07:25)
3. Romp, Newport 41, Willis O’Neill,
St. John (3:16:17)

Multihulls

1. Soma, Custom 40, Nils Erickson,
St. John (1:43:06)
2. Wings, Newick Native 38, Dave Poole,
St. John (2:43:10)

PHRF 1
1. Osprey, Luders 44, Larry Best,
St. John (2:29:28)
2. Tempest, Beneteau 38, John Haracivet,
St. Thomas (2:33:02)
3. Senior Moment, J/27, Chris Thompson,
St. Thomas (2:42:30)

PHRF II

1. Tiger Maru, Gadansk 37, Julien Davies,
St. John (2:33:09)
2. Online Vacations, Cal
2-27, Denise Wright, St. John
(2:41:11)
3. F-stop, Pearson Ensign 22, Jason Dmitrieff,
St. John (2:45:49)

Separate Class
Silver Cloud, Elliott Hooper (2:21:25)

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Carol_Bareuther
Carol_Bareuther
Carol M. Bareuther, RD, is a St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands based marine writer and registered dietitian.
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