2015 Key West Race Week

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Florida Keys, Key West - There is no better sight than a steady stream of racing boats either sailing or motoring out of the Historic Seaport harbor around 10 a.m. on Monday. That’s a sure sign that the annual race week held off Key West is starting on time and with enough wind to get the regatta underway.
Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 got off to a strong start with the principal race officers on all three divisions able to complete two good races in 8-14 knot northeasterly winds.
“It was a good day of racing. Conditions were ideal and the courses were good,” said Hap Fauth, skipper of the mini maxi Bella Mente.
Fauth had reason to be happy as Bella Mente was atop the standings in IRC 1 after the opening day of action. Tactician Terry Hutchinson played the shifts well as the Judel-Vrolijk 72-footer posted results of first and second.

“Terry did a good job of putting us in sync with the puffs and our maneuvers were good,” said Fauth, who is breaking six new sailors into his crew of 18.
Hutchinson wasn’t happy about losing the lead in Race 1 as Bella Mente sailed into a patch of choppy air, which allowed the 66-foot Numbers to win on corrected time. Bella Mente must beat Numbers, which is being chartered by Florida resident Gunther Buerman, by just over three minutes in order to save its time over the smaller boat.
It was a very good day on the water for skipper William Coates and his crew aboard Otra Vez. The Ker 43 leads both IRC 1 and the High Performance Rule sub-class after getting two good starts and displaying superb upwind speed.

“We have a good boat with a great crew and we did a lot of preparation to get ready for this regatta,” said Coates, a resident of Houston, Texas.
Otra Vez made its debut at Quantum Key West 2014 and Coates said the program got better as the year went along, capturing class honors at the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta. Mike Buckley, an All-American sailor at Washington College, is calling tactics for Coates.
“This boat was designed for IRC racing, which is why we’re kind of surprised to being doing well in HPR,” Coates said. “Our motto is never give up. We were really deep in that second race and gained it all back on the last lap just by staying in phase with the shifts and puffs.”





Skipper Jason Carroll and the boys aboard Argo are the early pace-setters in the GC 32 class, which is making its debut in Key West. Winds weren’t quite strong enough for the high-performance catamarans to foil upwind, but they were easily able to rise out of the water going downwind. Cameron Appleton, tactician for Alex Jackson on Leenabarca, said staying up on the foils downwind and flying a hull upwind make all the difference in this class. continued

“This is the first time we’ve ever sailed the boat and the learning curve is steep,” Appleton said. “In relatively light and fickle conditions like we had today, it’s tricky to keep the boats moving at top speed. We made improvement from Race 1 to Race 2 so that’s a positive.”

Appleton, who has competed in just about every monohull class out there, said succeeding in getting these state-of-the-art catamarans into perfect sync is quite rewarding. The GC 32 is capable of reaching speeds of 35 knots while foiling downwind. “These boats are quite sporty and it’s very exciting sailing,” he said.
Ireland skipper Conor Clarke and his crew on Embarr posted a pair of bullets to seize the early lead in Melges 24 class, which has attracted 13 entries. Texas skipper Steve Rhyne, who has Mojo in second place after putting up a fourth and a second, said the Dublin-based Embarr had an extra gear when going downwind.

“We started well today and I thought we had good upwind speed, but we had a little trouble on the runs,” said Rhyne, who has previously raced a J/109 and Melges 32 here in Key West. “We’re new to the class and still figuring out the best way to sail the boat.”
Bermuda skipper Alec Cutler got off to a good start in his bid to repeat as Melges 32 class champion. Cutler, who has Canadian professional Richard Clarke calling tactics, placed second in both races on Monday.


all images © steve lapkin / www.h2omark.com




J/70 is the largest class in the regatta with 54 boats and the goal going into the first day was to avoid that deep finish that could prove costly. “You can’t win the regatta on Monday, but you sure can lose it,” Heartbreaker skipper Robert Hughes said. “You don’t want to sail your drop race on the first day.”
After finishing 11th in Race 1, San Diego skipper Bennett Greenwald got the gun in Race 2 and is the early leader while also earning City of Key West Boat of the Day honors. Hughes, who trails Greenwald by three points and leads Carlo Alberini (Calvi Network) by one, had a similar day with results of 13th and second. In fact, the top five boats on Monday all had one result of fifth or better and another result of 11th or higher.

“We almost had a great day,” said Hughes, who lost seven places on the final leg of Race 1. “I’m pleased with our speed. We have new sails and have made some changes to the rig setup. This is the best this boat has ever gone.”

Red is another boat that returned to the dock on Monday afternoon as the leader in two classes. British skipper Joe Woods corrected to first place in both races within PHRF 1 and thus also leads the Farr 280 sub-class.

“It’s an interesting and tricky boat to sail. It’s a 28-footer that feels bigger,” said Woods, who previously raced a Melges 24 in Key West and has just three days of practice under his belt aboard the Farr 280.

Gerry Taylor captured class honors at Quantum Key West 2013, but had to miss last year’s regatta due to work commitments. The Annapolis resident and his team on Tangent picked up right where they left off two years ago, winning both races in PHRF 2 on Monday.
Skipper Iris Vogel steered Deviation to victory in both races within J/88 class while fellow New York resident Robert Hesse is the early leader in J/111 after notching finishes of first and fourth.

Paul Cayard, tactician of Mini Maxi “Shockwave,” speaks with Bill Wagner at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015.
Paul talks about competition and racing at Key West, working with a great owner and crew and what lies ahead for 2015.

Terry Hutchinson, tactician of "Bella Mente," speaks with Bill Wagner at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015.
Terry has been named the 2014 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in recognition of a year that saw him atop the
leaderboard at major regattas more times than any other American sailor.
This is is Hutchinson’s second Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award.

Jason Carroll, skipper of GC32 catamaran “ARGO,” speaks with Bill Wagner at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015.
Jason talks about sailing a GC32 catamaran at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 and learning to sail a catamaran.

Dave Brennan, Division 2 PRO (Principle Race Officer) speaks with Bill Wagner at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015.
Dave talks about his long history at Key West Race Week, the great team he works with and challenges faced when working with a large division.


Place, Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country, Results, Total Points

Quantum Key West - Division 1 Course
HPR - Subclass (HPR - 5 Boats)
1. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 1 -3 ; 4
2. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -2 ; 4
3. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 4 -1 ; 5
4. True, Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart , Newport, RI, USA, 3 -4 ; 7
5. Hamachi, J 125, Greg Slyngstad , Sammamish, WA, USA, 5 -5 ; 10

Maxi 72 (IRC 1) (IRC - 3 Boats)
1. Bella Mente, Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2 -1 ; 3
2. Numbers, J/V 66, Gunther Buerman , Highland Beach, FL, USA, 1 -3 ; 4
3. Shockwave, Mini Maxi, George Sakellaris , Framingham, MA, USA, 3 -2 ; 5

IRC 2 (IRC - 10 Boats)
1. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -4 ; 6
2. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 1 -6 ; 7
3. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 5 -2 ; 7
4. True, Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart , Newport, RI, USA, 3 -5 ; 8
5. Better than.., Swan 42, Gosia Rojek , Brooklyn, NY, USA, 9 -1 ; 10
6. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA, 8 -3 ; 11
7. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Stuart, FL, USA, 4 -8 ; 12
8. Hamachi, J 125, Greg Slyngstad , Sammamish, WA, USA, 7 -7 ; 14
9. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper , Cane Hill, MO, USA, 6 -9 ; 15
10. SHINE, Grand Soleil 56, Giles Redpath , Southampton, Hampshire, UK, 10 -10 ; 20

Melges 32 (One Design - 5 Boats)
1. Hedgehog, Melges 32, Alec Cutler , Pembroke, BER, 2 -2 ; 4
2. Argo, Melges 32, Graham Landy , New Haven, CT, USA, 1 -4 ; 5
3. Goombay Smash, Melges 32, William Douglass , Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 5 -1 ; 6
4. Volpe, Melges 32, Doug DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 4 -3 ; 7
5. Delta, Melges 32, Dalton DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 3 -5 ; 8


Swan 42 - Subclass (One Design - 3 Boats)
1. Better than.., Swan 42, Gosia Rojek , Brooklyn, NY, USA, 3 -1 ; 4
2. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Stuart, FL, USA, 1 -3 ; 4
3. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA, 2 -2 ; 4

GC 32 (One Design - 4 Boats)
1. ARGO, GC 32, Jason Carroll , New York, NY, USA, 1 -2 ; 3
2. ARMIN STROM Sailing Team, GC 32, Flavio Marazzi , Bern, SUI, 3 -1 ; 4
3. ZouLou, GC 32, Erik Maris , Junal les Pins, Paca, FRA, 2 -3 ; 5
4. Leenabarca, GC 32, Alexander Jackson , Riverside, CT, USA, 4 -4 ; 8

Quantum Key West - Division 2 Course
Melges 24 (One Design - 13 Boats)
1. Embarr, Melges 24, Conor Clarke , Dublin, Ireland, 1 -1 ; 2
2. Mojo, Melges 24, Steve Rhyne , Kemah, TX, USA, 4 -2 ; 6
3. Tramp, Melges 24, Thomas Ritter , Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA, 3 -3 ; 6
4. Kleine Rainbow, Melges 24, Bent Dietrich , Hamburg, GER, 6 -4 ; 10
5. Zingara, Melges 24, Richard Reid , Port Credit, Ont, CAN, 2 -9 ; 11
6. Team RRH, Melges 24, Jan Frederik Dyvi , Oslo, NOR, 5 -6 ; 11
7. Party Girl, Melges 24, Jens Altern Wathne , Bergen, NOR, 8 -5 ; 13
8. The 300 , Melges 24, Steven Boho , Lake Geneva, WI, USA, 9 -7 ; 16
9. Brio, Melges 24, Manfred Schmiedl , Gig Harbor, WA, USA, 7 -10 ; 17
10. Zig-Zag, Melges 24, Marty Jensen , Charlevoix, MI, USA, 10 -8 ; 18
11. Black Dog, Melges 24, Dave Black , Mississauga, Ont, CAN, 12 -11 ; 23
12. Shaka, Melges 24, KC Shannon , Fayetteville, GA, USA, 11 -12 ; 23
13. Mikey, Melges 24, Kevin Welch , Anacortes, WA, USA, 14 -14 ; 28

J 70 (One Design - 54 Boats)
1. Perseverance , J 70, Bennet Greenwald , San Diego, CA, USA, 11 -1 ; 12
2. Heartbreaker, J 70, Robert Hughes , Ada, MI, USA, 13 -2 ; 15
3. Calvi Network, J 70, Carlo Alberini , Pesaro, ITA, 4 -12 ; 16
4. Flojito Y Cooperando, J 70, Julian Fernandez Neckelmann , Mexico City, DF, MEX, 1 -16 ; 17
5. Moxie, J 70, Cole Allsopp , Annapolis, MD, USA, 3 -14 ; 17
6. Rimette, J 70, John Brim , Palm Beach, FL, USA, 8 -9 ; 17
7. Reach Around, J 70, Thomas Bowen , Charleston, SC, USA, 2 -17 ; 19
8. Latis Racing, J 70, Doug McLean / David Ullman , Glendale, CA, USA, 17 -4 ; 21
9. PowerPlay, J 70, Peter Cunningham , George Town, CAY, 14 -7 ; 21
10. Black River Racing, J 70, Douglas Strebel , Dallas, TX, USA, 10 -15 ; 25

J 70 - Corinthian (One Design - 20 Boats)
1. Lifted, J 70, Jim Cunningham , San Francisco, CA, USA, 1 -3 ; 4
2. Muse, J 70, Heather Gregg , Boston, MA, USA, 4 -2 ; 6
3. B Squared, J 70, Brian Elliott , Bayport, NY, USA, 2 -5 ; 7
4. Jaya, J 70, Craig Tallman , Torrance, CA, USA, 7 -1 ; 8
5. Buttonfly, J 70, Andrew & Melissa Fisher , Greenwich, CT, USA, 5 -4 ; 9
6. Surge, J 70, Geoffrey Pierini , Perth Amboy, NJ, USA, 3 -14 ; 17
7. 425, J 70, Joe Baggett , Wrightsville Beach, NC, USA, 11 -6 ; 17
8. Nitemare, J 70, Amy Neill , Chicago, IL, USA, 6 -11 ; 17
9. Merlin, J 70, Kirk Reynolds , Skaneateles, NY, USA, 10 -8 ; 18
10. 378, J 70, Jeff Schaefer , Elm Grove, WI, USA, 9 -13 ; 22

Quantum Key West - Division 3 Course

J-88 (One Design - 6 Boats)
1. Deviation, J 88, Iris Vogel , New Rochelle, NY, USA, 1 -1 ; 2
2. Touch2Play Racing, J 88, Rob & Sandy Butler , Collingwood, Ont, CAN, 3 -2 ; 5
3. Instant Karma, J 88, David Betts , Southampton, NY, USA, 2 -3 ; 5
4. Night Owl, J 88, Richard Lohr , Youngstown, NY, USA, 4 -6 ; 10
5. Easy Eights, J 88, Joe/Jeff Pawlowski , Williamsville, NY, USA, 5 -5 ; 10
6. Saralysia, J 88, Chester Kolascz , Port Sanilac, MI, USA, 7 -4 ; 11



Farr 280 - Subclass (One Design - 4 Boats)
1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 ; 2
2. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, 2 -3 ; 5
3. D i e s e l, Farr 280, Tate Rusack , Eastport, MD, USA, 4 -2 ; 6
4. Ragin', Farr 280, Bob Moran , Reston, VA, USA, 3 -4 ; 7

J 111 (One Design - 7 Boats)
1. Lake Effect, J 111, Robert Hesse , Youngstown, NY, USA, 4 -1 ; 5
2. My Sharona, J 111, George Gamble , Pensacola, FL, USA, 2 -4 ; 6
3. Utah, J 111, Bradley Faber , Owosso, MI, USA, 3 -3 ; 6
4. Spaceman Spiff, J 111, Rob Ruhlman , Cleveland, OH, USA, 1 -6 ; 7
5. Wooton, J 111, William Smith , Chicago, IL, USA, 5 -2 ; 7
6. Wicked 2.0, J 111, Douglas Curtiss , South Dartmouth, MA, USA,
7 -5 ; 12 7. Heat Wave, J 111, Gary Weisberg , Gloucester, MA, USA, 6 -7 ; 13

PHRF 1 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 8 Boats)
1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 ; 2
2. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and Linda Edwards , California, MD, USA, 4 -2 ; 6
3. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, USA, 2 -4 ; 6
4. Teamwork, J 122, Robin Team , Lexington, NC, USA, 3 -6 ; 9
5. D I E S E L, Farr 280, Tate Russack , Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 8 -3 ; 11
6. Ragin', Farr 280, Bob Moran , Reston, VA, USA, 6 -5 ; 11
7. El Ocaso, J 122, Richard Wesslund , Miami, FL, USA, 5 -7 ; 12
8. SALT, C&C 30, Sardar Sardarov , RUS, 7 -8 ; 15

PHRF 2 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 5 Boats)
1. Tangent, Cape Fear 38, Gerry Taylor , Annapolis, MD, USA, 1 -1 ; 2
2. The Asylum, J 105, Jon Weglarz , Chicago, IL, USA, 2 -2 ; 4
3. Wired, J 80, Henry DeGroot , Newton, MA, USA, 3 -3 ; 6
4. VAr, VAr 37, Martin van Breems , Norwalk, CT, USA, 4 -4 ; 8
5. Grateful Red, C&C 121, Ken Johnson , Stoughton, WI, USA, 6 -5 ; 11

Results

[BobJ]

Great coverage guys - thanks!

[Photoboy]

Fighting The Light Air Blues




Florida Keys, Key West - During 28 years of running a regatta off Key West, Premiere Racing has a remarkable record of getting in a complete series. Because of the consistent conditions off the Conch Republic, there have been very few lost race days.
However, that does not mean that race committee officials compromise quality just to give the competitors some action. Fair and equitable racing is the hallmark of this event and organizers always make sure to adhere to that tradition.

Tuesday at Quantum Key West 2015 brought dicey conditions that forced principal race officers make numerous tough decisions. There were some delays, a few false starts and even one abandonment, but by the time the day was over all three divisions had completed two races in shifty winds that ranged from 5 to 7 knots.
“We got two decent races and that’s pretty remarkable considering what the race committee had to deal with,” said Bennet Greenwald, skipper of the J/70 Perseverance. “Those guys were really on top of things. They did a very, very professional job.”



all images © tim wilkes www.timwilkes.com





J/70, largest class in the regatta with 54 boats, is sailing on the Division 2 course that is managed by Dave Brennan. A veteran principal race officer and Key West stalwart, Brennan was forced to delay several times in order to start races in stable winds.
“The breeze was very dodgy and moving through at 50 degrees so the trick was picking the right radial to kick the race off,” Brennan said. “We want the sailors to have a reasonably square line. Prior to Race 4, we had to postpone three times to reset the line.”

Brennan got the Melges 24 fleet started with a heading of 150 degrees and by the time he went into sequence for the J/70 fleet the wind had shifted to 180. He credited an experienced team of race committee volunteers for reacting quickly with regard to moving upwind marks and posting flags.
“We made the racing as good as we could. Actually, we were very fortunate that it was quite good,” Brennan said.

Division 1 PRO Ken Legler was forced to abandon the first race of the day while all the boats were on the course while Division 3 PRO Wayne Bretsch had to recall the J/111 class back to the starting area after a significant shift made the course unfair.
Veteran sailmaker Jud Smith was the daily winner in J/70 class, placing second in Race 3 then getting the gun in Race 4. That moved the Marblehead (Mass.) resident to the top of the standings with a low score of 30 points, just one ahead of the aforementioned Greenwald.





“We got out to the course early and had a nice tune-up session with another boat, which allowed us to get accustomed to the conditions,” Smith said. “I would have been happy with two Top 10 finishes on a day like this so I’m ecstatic to get a first and a second. We were fortunate to be in the right spots and I thought the team did a good job of changing gears.” continued
Smith, who is head of Doyle One-Design, has his daughter Lindsay on the boat along with Marc Gauthier and Will Felder. The former Rolex Yachtsman of the Year says the entire crew participates in tactics and strategy.

Irish skipper Conor Clarke and his team aboard Embarr continue to set the pace in Melges 24 class, which has attracted 13 entries. Clarke stayed hot with a third bullet to begin Tuesday before cooling off and finishing seventh in Race 4.
“The core group of this team has been together a while now and is excellent,” said Clarke, who placed third and fifth at the Melges 24 World Championship. “We made good tactical calls today and had an ability to change modes.”

Clarke, who hails from Dublin, is competing off the Conch Republic for the first time. “This has been a bucket list item for me personally. I’ve always wished I could do this regatta. To win in Key West would be a great accomplishment.”
Party Girl, sailed by Jens Altern Wathne of Norway, won the day in Melges 24 class with a fifth and a second – earning the Lewmar Boat of the Day Award. Jorgen Altern Wathne is calling tactics for his brother.

Bermuda skipper Alec Cutler steered Hedgehog to victory in Race 3 and a third place finish in Race 4 to extend his lead in Melges 32 class to three points.
Legler kept the four classes on Division 1 out a bit later in the afternoon in order to complete a second race. Minneapolis skipper Hap Fauth steered Bella Mente to victory in both races and now leads IRC 1 by four points over fellow 72-foot mini maxi Shockwave.

“It was a very tricky day, but our crew was very strong and managed to find the right gears,” Fauth said. “We got great starts and just managed to keep the boat moving.”
Dutch owner-driver Peter Vroon and his team aboard Tonnere 4 enjoyed a terrific day, posting a first and second to take over the lead in IRC 1. Kevin George is serving as tactician aboard Tonnere, a Ker 51, is doing its first regatta under Vroon’s ownership and the crew has gotten up to speed quite quickly.
“We are using this regatta as a trial run for our season campaign,” said Vroon, who will be heading to Antiqua and St. Barth’s after Key West. “We are spending this week learning how to sail the boat. Of course, we came a long way to race here so it would be nice to win while we are at it.”






Vroon, who resides in The Netherlands city of Breskens, is a two-time winner in Key West. Tonnere 4 now also leads the High Performance Rule sub-class after also posting a first and second under that scoring system on Tuesday.

After winning both races on Tuesday, New York skipper Iris Vogel tacked on a couple seconds on Tuesday to remain atop the standings in J/88 class. There is a new leader in the J/111 class after Florida skipper George Gamble (Pensacola) posted a pair of bullets on Tuesday.

Quantum Sail Design Group pro Scott Nixon is calling tactics for Gamble on My Sharona, which holds a four-point lead over Spaceman Spiff (Rob Ruhlman, Cleveland, Ohio).
“We got great starts and did not miss a wind shift all day,” Gamble said. “The racing is amazingly tight. We won today’s second race by about a boat length.”
British skipper Joe Woods remained the leader in both PHRF 1 and the Farr 280 sub-class. Woods has steered Red to a solid score line of 1-1-2-2 so far and his low score of six is half as many as Decision, another Farr 280 skippered by Stephen Murray of New Orleans.

Tangent, a Cape Fear 38 owned by Gerry Taylor of Annapolis, is another boat that has led at the end of each day’s racing. Chesapeake Sails professional Chuck O’Malley is tactician on Tangent, which has won three of four races and also counts a second.

Web Site: www.Premiere-Racing.com



Place, Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country, Results, Total Points

Quantum Key West - Division 1 Course
HPR - Subclass (HPR - 5 Boats)
1. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 4 -1 -1 -2 ; 8
2. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 1 -3 -2 -4 ; 10
3. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -2 -3 -3 ; 10
4. True, Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart , Newport, RI, USA, 3 -4 -4 -1 ; 12
5. Hamachi, J 125, Greg Slyngstad , Sammamish, WA, USA, 5 -5 -5 -5 ; 20

Maxi 72 (IRC 1) (IRC - 3 Boats)
1. Bella Mente, Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2 -1 -1 -1 ; 5
2. Shockwave, Mini Maxi, George Sakellaris , Framingham, MA, USA, 3 -2 -2 -2 ; 9 3.
Numbers, J/V 66, Gunther Buerman , Highland Beach, FL, USA, 1 -3 -3 -3 ; 10

IRC 2 (IRC - 10 Boats)
1. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 5 -2 -1 -2 ; 10
2. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -4 -2 -5 ; 13
3. True, Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart , Newport, RI, USA, 3 -5 -7 -1 ; 16
4. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 1 -6 -3 -7 ; 17
5. Better than.., Swan 42, Gosia Rojek , Brooklyn, NY, USA, 9 -1 -6 -3 ; 19
6. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA, 8 -3 -4 -4 ; 19
7. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Stuart, FL, USA, 4 -8 -5 -6 ; 23
8. Hamachi, J 125, Greg Slyngstad , Sammamish, WA, USA, 7 -7 -9 -8 ; 31
9. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper , Cane Hill, MO, USA, 6 -9 -8 -9 ; 32
10. SHINE, Grand Soleil 56, Giles Redpath , Southampton, Hampshire, UK, 10 -10 -10 -10 ; 40

Melges 32 (One Design - 5 Boats)
1. Hedgehog, Melges 32, Alec Cutler , Pembroke, BER, 2 -2 -1 -3 ; 8
2. Goombay Smash, Melges 32, William Douglass , Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 5 -1 -3 -2 ; 11
3. Volpe, Melges 32, Doug DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 4 -3 -5 -1 ; 13
4. Argo, Melges 32, Graham Landy , New Haven, CT, USA, 1 -4 -4 -5 ; 14
5. Delta, Melges 32, Dalton DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 3 -5 -2 -4 ; 14

Swan 42 - Subclass (One Design - 3 Boats)
1. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA, 2 -2 -1 -1 ; 6
2. Better than.., Swan 42, Gosia Rojek , Brooklyn, NY, USA, 3 -1 -3 -2 ; 9
3. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Stuart, FL, USA, 1 -3 -2 -3 ; 9

GC 32 (One Design - 4 Boats)
1. ARGO, GC 32, Jason Carroll , New York, NY, USA, 1 -2 -1 -2 ; 6
2. ZouLou, GC 32, Erik Maris , Junal les Pins, Paca, FRA, 2 -3 -3 -1 ; 9
3. ARMIN STROM Sailing Team, GC 32, Flavio Marazzi , Bern, SUI, 3 -1 -2 -3 ; 9
4. Leenabarca, GC 32, Alexander Jackson , Riverside, CT, USA, 4 -4 -4 -4 ; 16

Quantum Key West - Division 2 Course
Melges 24 (One Design - 13 Boats)
1. Embarr, Melges 24, Conor Clarke , Dublin, Ireland, 1 -1 -1 -7 ; 10
2. Tramp, Melges 24, Thomas Ritter , Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA, 3 -3 -3 -6 ; 15
3. Zingara, Melges 24, Richard Reid , Port Credit, Ont, CAN, 2 -9 -4 -3 ; 18
4. Party Girl, Melges 24, Jens Altern Wathne , Bergen, NOR, 8 -5 -5 -2 ; 20
5. Team RRH, Melges 24, Jan Frederik Dyvi , Oslo, NOR, 5 -6 -2 -8 ; 21
6. Mojo, Melges 24, Steve Rhyne , Kemah, TX, USA, 4 -2 -8 -9 ; 23
7. Kleine Rainbow, Melges 24, Bent Dietrich , Hamburg, GER, 6 -4 -7 -10 ; 27
8. Zig-Zag, Melges 24, Marty Jensen , Charlevoix, MI, USA, 10 -8 -10 -1 ; 29
9. The 300 , Melges 24, Steven Boho , Lake Geneva, WI, USA, 9 -7 -9 -5 ; 30
10. Brio, Melges 24, Manfred Schmiedl , Gig Harbor, WA, USA, 7 -10 -11 -4 ; 32

J 70 (One Design - 54 Boats)
1. Africa, J 70, Jud Smith , Marblehead, MA, USA, 21 -6 -2 -1 ; 30
2. Perseverance , J 70, Bennet Greenwald , San Diego, CA, USA, 10 -1 -8 -12 ; 31
3. Hooligan: Flat Stanley Racing, J 70, Trey Sheehan , Put-in-Bay, OH, USA, 17 -10 -3 -6 ; 36
4. Latis Racing, J 70, Doug McLean / David Ullman , Glendale, CA, USA, 16 -4 -15 -2 ; 37
5. Heartbreaker, J 70, Robert Hughes , Ada, MI, USA, 12 -2 -20 -8 ; 42
6. Lifted, J 70, Jim Cunningham , San Francisco, CA, USA, 11 -13 -7 -14 ; 45
7. Running Wild, J 70, Peter Vessella , Miami, FL, USA, 8 -20 -6 -13 ; 47
8. Black River Racing, J 70, Douglas Strebel , Dallas, TX, USA, 9 -15 -1 -23 ; 48
9. Helly Hansen, J 70, Tim Healy , Jamestown, RI, USA, 6 -25 -13 -7 ; 51
10. Reach Around, J 70, Thomas Bowen , Charleston, SC, USA, 2 -17 -24 -9 ; 52

J 70 - Corinthian (One Design - 20 Boats)
1. Lifted, J 70, Jim Cunningham , San Francisco, CA, USA, 1 -3 -3 -1 ; 8
2. Muse, J 70, Heather Gregg , Boston, MA, USA, 4 -2 -7 -3 ; 16
3. B Squared, J 70, Brian Elliott , Bayport, NY, USA, 2 -5 -4 -5 ; 16
4. Buttonfly, J 70, Andrew & Melissa Fisher , Greenwich, CT, USA, 5 -4 -2 -6 ; 17
5. Surge, J 70, Geoffrey Pierini , Perth Amboy, NJ, USA, 3 -14 -6 -4 ; 27
6. Nitemare, J 70, Amy Neill , Chicago, IL, USA, 6 -11 -5 -8 ; 30
7. Jaya, J 70, Craig Tallman , Torrance, CA, USA, 7 -1 -12 -12 ; 32
8. Merlin, J 70, Kirk Reynolds , Skaneateles, NY, USA, 10 -8 -10 -7 ; 35
9. Mojito, J 70, Catharine Evans , Annapolis, MD, USA, 13 -15 -1 -9 ; 38
10. Tea Dance Snake, J 70, Peter Bowe , Baltimore, MD, USA, 8 -17 -11 -2 ; 38 11.

Quantum Key West - Division 3 Course
J 88 (One Design - 6 Boats)
1. Deviation, J 88, Iris Vogel , New Rochelle, NY, USA, 1 -1 -2 -2 ; 6
2. Touch2Play Racing, J 88, Rob & Sandy Butler , Collingwood, Ont, CAN, 3 -2 -1 -1 ; 7
3. Instant Karma, J 88, David Betts , Southampton, NY, USA, 2 -3 -4 -3 ; 12
4. Easy Eights, J 88, Joe/Jeff Pawlowski , Williamsville, NY, USA, 5 -5 -3 -4 ; 17
5. Saralysia, J 88, Chester Kolascz , Port Sanilac, MI, USA, 7 -4 -5 -5 ; 21
6. Night Owl, J 88, Richard Lohr , Youngstown, NY, USA, 4 -6 -6 -6 ; 22

Farr 280 - Subclass (One Design - 4 Boats)
1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 -2 -1 ; 5
2. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, 2 -3 -1 -4 ; 10
3. D I E S E L, Farr 280, Tate Rusack , Eastport, MD, USA, 4 -2 -3 -3 ; 12
4. Ragin', Farr 280, Bob Moran , Reston, VA, USA, 3 -4 -4 -2 ; 13

J 111 (One Design - 7 Boats)
1. My Sharona, J 111, George Gamble , Pensacola, FL, USA, 2 -4 -1 -1 ; 8
2. Spaceman Spiff, J 111, Rob Ruhlman , Cleveland, OH, USA, 1 -6 -2 -3 ; 12
3. Lake Effect, J 111, Robert Hesse , Youngstown, NY, USA, 4 -1 -6 -2 ; 13
4. Utah, J 111, Bradley Faber , Owosso, MI, USA, 3 -3 -3 -5 ; 14
5. Wooton, J 111, William Smith , Chicago, IL, USA, 5 -2 -5 -4 ; 16
6. Wicked 2.0, J 111, Douglas Curtiss , South Dartmouth, MA, USA, 7 -5 -4 -6 ; 22
7. Heat Wave, J 111, Gary Weisberg , Gloucester, MA, USA, 6 -7 -7 -7 ; 27

PHRF 1 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 8 Boats)
1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 -2 -2 ; 6
2. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, USA, 2 -4 -1 -5 ; 12
3. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and Linda Edwards , California, MD, USA, 4 -2 -5 -8 ; 19
4. Teamwork, J 122, Robin Team , Lexington, NC, USA, 3 -6 -3 -7 ; 19
5. D I E S E L, Farr 280, Tate Russack , Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 8 -3 -4 -4 ; 19
6. El Ocaso, J 122, Richard Wesslund , Miami, FL, USA, 5 -7 -8 -1 ; 21
7. Ragin', Farr 280, Bob Moran , Reston, VA, USA, 6 -5 -7 -3 ; 21
8. SALT, C&C 30, Oleksandr Ivanov , Ukraine, 7 -8 -6 -6 ; 27

PHRF 2 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 5 Boats)
1. Tangent, Cape Fear 38, Gerry Taylor , Annapolis, MD, USA, 1 -1 -2 -1 ; 5
2. The Asylum, J 105, Jon Weglarz , Chicago, IL, USA, 2 -2 -3 -2 ; 9
3. Wired, J 80, Henry DeGroot , Newton, MA, USA, 3 -3 -1 -3 ; 10
4. VAr, VAr 37, Martin van Breems , Norwalk, CT, USA, 4 -4 -4 -4 ; 16
5. Grateful Red, C&C 121, Ken Johnson , Stoughton, WI, USA, 6 -5 -6 -6 ; 23


Full Results

[Runs_with_sissors]

Did Bella survive her crashing into whatever submerged item she hit yesterday?

The bulb did not look too bad, but with the recent keel dropping incidents, they have to be concerned!

[Photoboy]

Day 4 from Key West Race Week came with good breeze and an early seat to make up for the lack of sailing on Wednesday. The drama from the big boats (Bella Mente hitting something) was the talk of the town and the climax of the [B]J-70 fleet was imminent as they were three races scheduled for the day. [B]USA 32 was keen on getting out early to see what the racecourse was looking like.

When the breeze came in it was refreshing as it quickly built to a steady 10kts. Racing was tight and the leader board started to get organized with a few different groups forming.

USA 32 has a mediocre day with two over early races really making things tough. Flojito Y Cooperando won two of three races using their new Ullman Main and propelled themselves into third place. The Italian contingent "Cali Network" have sailed very consistently and with the throughout they are sitting top of the leaderboard.

Keith Magnussen: "In the first race we were looking ok but did not stick to the game plan as we had in previous races. As the clouds and systems came through before the start we tried to tune the rig accordingly. We might have been a little behind but felt good when we found a lane." I think that a little more time in the boat as a team will be really beneficial in the future as this is our first regatta in the boat. I am super positive about tomorrow and know that this will be a success as I have learned a lot about the [B]J-70 and more about big boat management."

Grek Koski: "Over early can be very costly and it took us out of our game plan. We were more prepared for the light air because that is what we practiced in and were a bit un prepared as the breeze came on."

Erik Shampain: "Today was hard. Again I learned the lesson "Stick to the game plan." On the first beat of race 1 we went against our pre race game plan and it hurt as we rounded the first mark very deep. Luckily with a little speed and clean crew work, we were able to climb into the 20's. The next two races were harder as we pulled the trigger early and were called OCS. With shorted legs and few passing lanes, we were only ably to climb to around mid fleet. But we're staying positive and looking forward to getting three races back in on tomorrows final day.

Doug Mclean: "Tough day on the water and I am still learning the boat. Time and distance was critical and we obviously missed that on two starts. Team was a little disappointed but we are upbeat and looking forward to tomorrow. It is great to be out here representing California Yacht Club and the West Coast."


Results

[Photoboy]

Day 3 of racing featured light winds. "Red" still managed to sail fast even in the little breeze available.

4 Farr 280s are in Key West for the event - the first of the 2015 calendar. This is the first opportunity to see the boats and teams competing against each other.

[Photoboy]

Day 3 Report

January 21, 2015 – For Immediate Release
Breeze and Sunshine at Quantum Key West Race Week
Bill Wagner, Press Officer

Florida Keys, Key West - Based off early morning forecasts, it appeared a lay day might be in the cards for competitors at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015. Some sailors might have already been making plays to play tennis or go fishing during an hour-long dockside delay.
However, organizers with Premiere Racing saw a small pocket of sailable conditions and sent the fleet out to the three race courses. Division 1 completed two races while Divisions 2 and 3 both got in one to keep the regatta moving along.

“We actually had pretty good pressure coming off the northerly beach,” said Scott Nixon, tactician aboard the J/111 My Sharona. “It was about seven to eight knots from the northwest and we had a decent race.”
Ken Legler, principal race officer on Division 1, had a building breeze on his course and decided to hold a second race on Wednesday. It proved a wise decision as the wind piped up later in the afternoon.
“We saw seven to 10 knots in the last race today, which was kind of surprising,” said Alec Cutler, skipper of the Melges 32 Hedgehog.
Dave Brennan, principal race officer on Division 2, said the decision to send the boats out on the water came after organizers received live on-water reports from boats that had been sent out to determine exactly what conditions were.

“We were cautious because the forecast was not very promising,” said Brennan. “We had boats out on the water and were watching the progress very carefully. We felt there was a good chance the breeze would stick and that we could give the sailors a race.”
Brennan said conditions on his course, which includes the Melges 24 and J/70 classes, were perfectly fine for Race 5. However, the breeze steadily died and dipped below five knots, which is the threshold Brennan believes is necessary to start a race.

“We got in one good race on a day we didn’t think we would have any so that’s a plus,” he said. “This regatta has always been about quality over quantity and we didn’t think a second race today would be very good so we decided not to get greedy.”
Some of the best racing of the regatta has come in IRC 2, which includes the five boats competing in the High Performance Rule sub-class. Tonnerre 4, a Ker 51 that owner Peter Vroon is racing for the first time here in Key West, continues to lead IRC 2 after posting a third and a sixth on Wednesday. However, Tonnerre is winning a tiebreaker with the Ker 43 Otra Vez, which also has 19 points.


Skipper William Coates steered Otra Vez to a second and a fourth erase a three-point deficit to Tonnerre 4 and earn Mount Gay Rum Boat of the Day honors. True (Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart) and Spookie (Carkeek 40, Steve Benjamin) have also sailed well and are trail the leaders by just four and six points, respectively. continued
“We’ve been having some wonderful racing out there with both classes. There are a lot of good boats on the course,” Benjamin said. “I, for one, like that we are being dual-scored. I think it shows that both systems are working.”

Tonnerre 4 is winning the HPR sub-class with a low score of 15 points, just one better than Otra Vez and Spookie. Benjamin, who helped develop the HPR rule, said conditions make a big impact on the results as all the boats perform differently in various wind ranges.

There are three Swan 42-footers in IRC 2 and those boats also comprise a sub-class. Impetuous, owned by Paul Zabetakis, is tied with John Halbert and his team on Vitesse. All five boats in the Melges 32 class have proven to be well-sailed and things are tight after three days with skipper Alec Cutler and his crew on Hedgehog leading the father-son tandem of Dalton and Doug DeVos by two and three points, respectively. Dalton DeVos is skippering Delta, which is currently in second place by one point over his father on Volpe.

“We have a small fleet, but everyone is either a world champ or a national champ or the College Sailor of the Year,” said Cutler, the latter title being held by Argo skipper and Yale All-American Graham Landy. “I don’t think there has been more than 30 seconds between the first and last boats in any race so far.”
Canadian professional Richard Clarke is calling tactics for Cutler, the defending Key West champ who has not finished lower than third in any of the six races. “We’ve gone from first to third a couple times and we’ve gone from fifth to third a couple times. It’s real easy to gain or lose in a hurry. Today, it all came down to who was able to get into that little vein of wind.”

Irish skipper Conor Clarke and his crew on Embarr continue to increase their lead in Melges 24 class. Stuart McNay and Dave Hughes, who are mounting an Olympic campaign together, are serving as helmsman and tactician aboard Embarr, which won Wednesday’s lone race and now counts four bullets.
Jud Smith remained the leader in J/70 class for the second straight day, sailing Africa to sixth on Wednesday and adding two points to his advantage over Bennet Greenwald and Perseverance. Trey
Sheehan steered Hooligan to third on Wednesday and is now tied with Perseverance on points.

“Everybody is working together very nicely and the boat is moving real well,” said Michael Sheehan, who is crewing for his brother. “We were saying on the way back into the dock that we are not going to change anything. We are just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

Brad Boston is tactician on Hooligan, which has a home port of Put-in-Bay, Ohio and a team comprised of close friends who grew up together in the greater Cleveland area. Hooligan is part of the Flat Stanley Racing program, which also includes a Melges 32.

“We’ve been able to get off the line clean and we haven’t taken any flyers,” Michael Sheehan said. “Brad is really sharp about looking up the course and seeing what we’ve got coming.”
Skipper Iris Vogel and her team on Deviation along with skipper George Gamble and his crew aboard My Sharona have been leaders of the J/88 and J/111 one-design classes at the end of each day’s racing.

Veteran Quantum professional Kerry Klingler is calling tactics for Vogel, who has finished first in three races and second in the two others. This is the first one-design regatta for any of the J/88s competing here in Key West and Vogel said she’s somewhat surprised to be the pace-setter.
“We’ve only being doing PHRF racing so we really don’t know how we good we were,” Vogel said. “It’s exciting to be here competing against other J/88s and finally finding out if we’re fast or slow.”
Nixon, an Annapolis-based Quantum professional, said the My Sharona team put in a lot of time practicing prior to the regatta and that effort is paying off. “We’ve been pretty fast in all conditions,” he said.

Rob Ruhlman, skipper of second place Spaceman Spiff, has been impressed with My Sharona’s ability to accelerate off the start line. “My Sharona is killing it off the line. Today they got out there with clean air and just launched on the whole fleet. We have to do a better job of starting if we want to have any chance of beating them,” Ruhlman said.
Tangent has been the dominant boat in PHRF 1, which is somewhat surprising since the Cape Fear 38 is a heavy displacement boat that doesn’t normally perform well in light air. However, skipper Gerry Taylor and tactician Chuck O’Malley have handled the conditions well.

“I give all the credit to Chuck and the crew. They are accustomed to sailing in light wind on the Chesapeake Bay and that experience has helped us here so far this week,” Taylor said. “We’re very happy to be in this position and are looking forward to Thursday and Friday when the wind is supposed to be about 15 knots or more, which is right in our sweet spot.”
Single digit winds are also not the preference of sailors aboard the GC 32 catamarans, which need a bit more breeze in order to foil upwind. Skipper Jason Carroll and the Argo team have been the most consistent of the four entries, winning three races and placing second in two others.

“I just think we have a little bit more time in the boat than the other three teams,” Carroll said. “The light air has been a bit of a game-changer, but the boats are still fast and fun even in the conditions we’ve had so far.”

Skipper Alex Jackson kept Leenabarca ashore on Wednesday because of damage to a carbon-fiber sprit. Repairs were made and that GC 32 will be back on the course Thursday when the wind should be ideal for the high-tech cats.


Place, Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country, Results, Total Points
Top Three in Class
Quantum Key West - Division 1 Course

HPR - Subclass (HPR - 5 Boats) 1. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 4 -1 -1 -2 -3 -4 ; 15 2. SPOOKIE, Carkeek HP 40, Steve & Heidi Benjamin , Norwalk, CT, USA, 1 -3 -2 -4 -1 -5 ; 16 3. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -2 -3 -3 -4 -2 ; 16

Maxi 72 (IRC 1) (IRC - 3 Boats) 1. Bella Mente, Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi, Hap Fauth , Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2 -1 -1 -1 -1.25 -1.25 ; 7.5 2. Numbers, J/V 66, Gunther Buerman , Highland Beach, FL, USA, 1 -3 -3 -3 -1 -1 ; 12 3. Shockwave, Mini Maxi, George Sakellaris , Framingham, MA, USA, 3 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 ; 13

IRC 2 (IRC - 10 Boats) 1. Tonnerre 4, Ker 51, Peter Vroon , Breskens, Zeeland, NED, 5 -2 -1 -2 -3 -6 ; 19 2. Otra Vez, Ker 43 Custom, William Coates , Houston, TX, USA, 2 -4 -2 -5 -4 -2 ; 19 3. True, Kernan 47, Leo van den Thillart , Newport, RI, USA, 3 -5 -7 -1 -2 -5 ; 23

Swan 42 - Subclass (IRC - 3 Boats) 1. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Stuart, FL, USA, 1 -3 -2 -3 -1 -1 ; 11 2. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert , Dallas, TX, USA, 2 -2 -1 -2 -2 -2 ; 11 3. Better than.., Swan 42, Gosia Rojek , Brooklyn, NY, USA, 3 -1 -3 -1 -3 -3 ; 14

Melges 32 (One Design - 5 Boats) 1. Hedgehog, Melges 32, Alec Cutler , Pembroke, BER, 2 -2 -1 -3 -3 -3 ; 14 2. Delta, Melges 32, Dalton DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 3 -5 -2 -4 -1 -1 ; 16 3. Volpe, Melges 32, Doug DeVos , Macatawa, MI, USA, 4 -3 -5 -1 -2 -2 ; 17

GC 32 (One Design - 4 Boats) 1. ARGO, GC 32, Jason Carroll , New York, NY, USA, 1 -2 -1 -2 -1 -3 ; 10 2. ZouLou, GC 32, Erik Maris , Junal les Pins, Paca, FRA, 2 -3 -3 -1 -3 -1 ; 13 3. ARMIN STROM Sailing Team, GC 32, Flavio Marazzi , Bern, SUI, 3 -1 -2 -3 -2 -2 ; 13

Quantum Key West - Division 2 Course
Melges 24 (One Design - 12 Boats) 1. Embarr, Melges 24, Conor Clarke , Dublin, Ireland, 1 -1 -1 -7 -1 ; 11 2. Zingara, Melges 24, Richard Reid , Port Credit, Ont, CAN, 2 -9 -4 -3 -2 ; 20 3. Team RRH, Melges 24, Jan Frederik Dyvi , Oslo, NOR, 5 -6 -2 -8 -3 ; 24

J 70 (One Design - 54 Boats) 1. Africa, J 70, Jud Smith , Marblehead, MA, USA, 21 -6 -2 -1 -6 ; 36
2. Perseverance , J 70, Bennet Greenwald , San Diego, CA, USA, 10 -1 -8 -12 -8 ; 39 3. Hooligan: Flat Stanley Racing, J 70, Trey Sheehan , Put-in-Bay, OH, USA, 17 -10 -3 -6 -3 ; 39

J 70 - Corinthian (One Design - 20 Boats) 1. Lifted, J 70, Jim Cunningham , San Francisco, CA, USA, 1 -3 -3 -1 -3 ; 11 2. B Squared, J 70, Brian Elliott , Bayport, NY, USA, 2 -5 -4 -5 -2 ; 18 3. Muse, J 70, Heather Gregg , Boston, MA, USA, 4 -2 -7 -3 -4 ; 20
Quantum Key West - Division 3 Course

J 88 (One Design - 6 Boats) 1. Deviation, J 88, Iris Vogel , New Rochelle, NY, USA, 1 -1 -2 -2 -1 ; 7 2. Touch2Play Racing, J 88, Rob & Sandy Butler , Collingwood, Ont, CAN, 3 -2 -1 -1 -4 ; 11 3. Instant Karma, J 88, David Betts , Southampton, NY, USA, 2 -3 -4 -3 -2 ; 14

Farr 280 - Subclass (One Design - 4 Boats) 1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 -2 -1 -1 ; 6 2. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, 2 -3 -1 -4 -2 ; 12 3. D I E S E L, Farr 280, Tate Rusack , Eastport, MD, USA, 4 -2 -3 -3

J 111 (One Design - 7 Boats) 1. My Sharona, J 111, George Gamble , Pensacola, FL, USA, 2 -4 -1 -1 -1 ; 9 2. Spaceman Spiff, J 111, Rob Ruhlman , Cleveland, OH, USA, 1 -6 -2 -3 -3 ; 15 3. Utah, J 111, Bradley Faber , Owosso, MI, USA, 3 -3 -3 -5 -2 ; 16

PHRF 1 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 8 Boats) 1. Red, Farr 280 , Joe Woods , Torquay, Devon, UK, 1 -1 -2 -2 -1 ; 7 2. Decision, Farr 280, Stephen Murray , New Orleans, LA, USA, 2 -4 -1 -5 -2 ; 14 3. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and Linda Edwards , California, MD, USA, 4 -2 -5 -8 -3 ; 22

PHRF 2 (PHRF_Triple_ToD_2_ToT - 5 Boats) 1. Tangent, Cape Fear 38, Gerry Taylor , Annapolis, MD, USA, 1 -1 -2 -1 -1 ; 6 2. The Asylum, J 105, Jon Weglarz , Chicago, IL, USA, 2 -2 -3 -2 -2 ; 11 3. Wired, J 80, Henry DeGroot , Newton, MA, USA, 3 -3 -1 -3 -3 ; 13

[Photoboy]

Jan 22 Report








Key West, FL (January 21, 2015) – It probably won’t be a late night on Duval Street for the sailors competing on Division 2 and 3 at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015. After doing three races in strong winds on Thursday, there are no doubt a lot of sore muscles, aching bones and tired bodies.

Not that anyone was complaining. Light winds on Wednesday led to just one race on Division 2 and 3, and organizers with Premiere Racing were keen to make up for that on Thursday. So the six classes competing on those two courses were sent out an hour early so the race committee could take advantage of east-southeasterly winds that held steady between 10 and 15 knots.

“The wind was absolutely gorgeous, and also quite stable. We never moved a mark during a race all day,” said Wayne Bretsch, principal race officer for Division 3. “It was just a beautiful day for sailboat racing. The only way I would have enjoyed myself more is if I was racing.”

Bradley Faber, skipper of the J/111 Utah, said it was a long day on the water and the crew aboard his boat enjoyed every minute of it.

“It was an exceptional day out there. Classic Key West conditions,” Faber said. “We came here to go racing so the more, the better.”





Utah got the gun in two of three races on Thursday, finishing third in the other only because of a blown out spinnaker. That strong performance earned Utah the Industry Partner Boat of the Day award and also enabled the Michigan entry to put pressure on My Sharona, which has led the J/111 class at the end of each day’s racing.

Skipper George Gamble and his team on My Sharona takes a four-point lead into Friday, which is forecast to have similar wind conditions as Thursday. Race organizers plan to hold two races on Divisions 1 and 3 and they should reach the 10-race series that was scheduled. Division 2 can have as many as 12 races and they will come close to that with an earlier start and three races planned for Friday.

“We had a really great day. The boat and the crew both performed very well,” Faber said. “We still believe we can win this thing. We’re ready to do battle with My Sharona and see what happens.”

Faber said Wally Cross, a professional with title sponsor Quantum Sail Design Group, has made a big impact on his program. “We have a pro onboard who has really helped us a lot on how to sail the 111. Wally is doing a great job of teaching us the dynamics of the boat,” Faber said.



all images © Steve Lapkin / h2omark.com




Light winds that had predominated during the regatta were frustrating for Teamwork, the J/122 that has struggled to save its time on the smaller, lighter Farr 280s in PHRF 1. Skipper Robin Team was thrilled to see the breeze pipe up to double digits then went out on the water and took full advantage. North Sails professional Jonathan Bartlett is calling tactics on Teamwork, which won all three races on Thursday.

“Heavy air resuscitated us! The conditions we saw today were a definite advantage to the 122,” Team said. “It feels extraordinarily good to have a day like this.”

Teamwork jumped from fourth to second in the overall standings thanks to the three bullets. Red, a Farr 280 skippered by Joe Woods of Great Britain, still holds a commanding 11-point after placing first or second in all five races held Monday through Wednesday.

“It’s mathematically possible for us to win, but we would need a lot of help from the other boats in the class,” said Team, who won PHRF 1 in 2013 and finished second in 2014.

It was surprising to see reigning J/70 World and North American champion Tim Healy sitting in 15th place two days into the regatta. Perseverance skipper Bennet Greenwald predicted that Healy would battle back to be there in the end and he was spot on.

Healy and his crew aboard Helly Hansen have steadily climbed into second place in the 54-boat fleet, making a major move on Thursday thanks to a tremendous score line of 2-2-1. Tactician Geoff Becker, trimmer John Mollicone and bowman Gordon Borges comprise the crew aboard Helly Hansen, which trails class leader Calvi Network (Carlo Alberini) by three points.

“Our starts weren’t great and some things didn’t go our way,” Healy said when asked about the slow start. “We’ve dug our way back by doing a little better job of playing the shifts and passing boats.”

Healy, president of North Sails One-Design, captured J/70 class at Quantum Key West in 2013 and 2014. The veteran professional said the fact he had to fight back into contention is further evidence the fleet is getting deeper and stronger.

“People are learning the boats while the crews are getting better with more experience,” he said.

It’s basically a battle for second place in the Melges 24 class as Irish skipper Conor Clarke and his crew aboard Embarr have built a commanding 18-point lead. However, the runner-up position is very much up for grabs with Canadian skipper Richard Reid and his crew on Zingara holding a two-point lead over Mojo (Steve Rhyne, Kemah, Texas) and Team RRH (Jan Frederik Dyvi, Oslo, Norway).

Heavy air made for some spectacular racing in the GC 32 class with the foiling catamarans simply flying up and down the course. French skipper Erik Maris said his boat achieved 25 knots of speed while foiling downwind.






“These are the most fun boats I’ve ever sailed because of the incredible speed,” Maris said. “When you are up on the foils and going 20-plus knots, the feeling is incredible. We go by the mini maxis like they are dead in the water.”

Maris steered ZouLou to results of first and second on Thursday to take the overall lead away from skipper Jason Carroll and the Argo team. Those two entries both have 16 points, but ZouLou wins the tiebreaker based on posting the most recent first place finish.

“I’ve had many, many sailboats and this is just the best. It is very different than anything I’ve ever been on before,” said Maris, who resides in the city of Junal les Pins. “It is a totally new dimension because of the speed, which can be a bit scary.”

Flavio Marazzi, skipper of the Swiss entry ARMIN STROM Sailing, said Thursday’s winds were not quite enough to enable the GC 32s to foil upwind. However, Marazzi said the high-speed cats can easily fly a hull and hit 14 knots of speed while sailing the same similar angles as the maxi monohulls. Competition within the class continues to develop and on Thursday there was only 30 seconds between the first and fourth finishes.

Competition in IRC 1 class tightened up before the three mini maxis left the dock on Thursday. Bella Mente, the Judel-Vrolijk 72-footer skippered by Hap Fauth of Minneapolis, had received redress from the International Jury on Wednesday night after running aground on a shipwreck.

That redress hearing was reopened on Thursday morning and new facts were presented that prompted the Jury to reverse its decision to award average points to Bella Mente for Races 5 and 6, reinstituting the Did Not Finish and third place results the boat originally posted and propelling Numbers into a tie for the overall lead.

Bella Mente and Numbers remain tied after both posted a first and second on Thursday. Gunther Buerman, a resident of Highland Beach, Florida, has chartered Numbers for this regatta and is very pleased to be battling for the victory going into the last day of racing.

Stephanie Roble, Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, at Quantum Key West 2015

Doug and Dalton DeVos talk about racing at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015


“It’s very exciting to be here and the racing has been quite fun,” said Buerman, who has fuor-time America’s Cup champion Brad Butterworth as tactician. “The racing has been very, very close and every second matters. What happens tomorrow will depend largely on the breeze and the length of the courses. There are a lot of factors with these boats and the results can be very weather dependent.”

Things have come down to the wire in Melges 32 class as well with Bermuda skipper Alec Cutler and his crew on Hedgehog maintaining the lead for the fourth straight day. However, Michigan skipper Dalton DeVos and the Delta team are just three points astern and those two boats will duke it out for overall victory for the second straight year at Quantum Key West.

“It is very similar to last year. Alec is a great sailor with a great team and that boat doesn’t make many mistakes,” said Dalton DeVos, a 23-year-old college student. “We just have to go out and sail our own race, go as fast as we can and try to make sure we are on the right side of the shifts.”

Tonnere 4, the Ker 51 skippered by Peter Vroon of The Netherlands, held onto first place in IRC 2 with a pair of bullets on Thursday. Tonnere 4 is getting pushed hard by skipper William Coates and his team on the Ker 43 Otra Vez, which was second in both races on Thursday and trails by two points in the overall standings.

“We have a little bit of an advantage because we are the biggest boat in this division so we are able to get clear air and have control of our closest competitors,” said Kevin George, tactician aboard Tonnere 4, which leads Otra Vez by four points in the HPR sub-class.

Results

[Built to List]

Did Bella survive her crashing into whatever submerged item she hit yesterday?

The bulb did not look too bad, but with the recent keel dropping incidents, they have to be concerned!

Found this on SW's blog:

After finishing the one long, hot race, the race committee pulled the plug, and wouldn’t you know it…the northerly delivered a beautiful two-hour-long sail into the harbor. The talk of the dock when we got in was Bella Mente’s hitting a marked wreck in their first race, after stuffing Shockwave out at the start with some incidental contact (“that’ll buff out!”). I’m told they were hooked on the wreck for nearly 30 minutes before Spookie’s tender pulled them off, stern first. They sent a diver down to inspect the bulb and deemed it mangled, but good enough to race the second race.
While hauling it out at the Trumman Annex with a crane and single-point lift strap, Bella Mente’s Sean Clarkson said they hit the wreck at 10 knots, the boat come to full stop. Once the boat was airborne and the keel bulb visible the team started on it immediately, prepping for a night of grinding, coating, and fairing.
As they were inspecting the bulb, Bella Mente’s Mike Sanderson received word they’d been granted redress in the days two races, putting the onus on the race committee for setting a course in an area with known hazards.
Redress was granted, strange as it may seem, but that wasn’t the end of it. Shockwave’s tactician Paul Cayard lamented in his nightly email blast that fault lied with Bella.
“19:00 UPDATE: I just went to yachtscoring.com myself and saw that Bella Mente asked for redress for both races today, based on their running into the wreck. Hard to imagine. Whats more, the jury award them redress for each race. They gave them a 1.25 score for each race rather than the 4, 3 that they scored. What could be the basis for that decision? I could not find any “facts found” issued on the official jury notice board.
So get this; you are sailing along, no other boat within 200 meters of you, you run into something and tell the Jury it was someone else’s fault? The wreck is marked by a government buoy! It is marked on the navigational charts! Further, the race committee has warned the fleet about it each day before racing. Never heard of anything like that. I don’t know what is more unbelievable; the asking or the getting.
21:00 FURTHER UPDATE “I am now told the Jury is reopening the hearing in the morning."
By the morning Bella will surely be back in the water ready to race. If redress is overturned and they pile on points, I’m sure it will only fire up the Bella boys. There’s a good little rival between the two maxi camps. Big boats, big crews, and an even bigger desire to make good for their respective owners….

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Final Results 2015 Quantum Key West Race Week





Final Reults

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2015 QKWRW Final Report: The Wind Gods Deliver!

Florida Keys, Key West - Most of the marquee classes at Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 came down to the last day of the regatta, which delivered the toughest conditions of the week. Howling winds and rough seas challenging the competitors on Friday, forcing the top contenders to raise their game in order to claim overall victory.

That was certainly the case aboard Bella Mente, the mini maxi skippered by Hap Fauth of Minneapolis. Fauth steered the Judel-Vrolijk 72-footer to first place in both races on Friday to hold off a stiff challenge from skipper Gunther Buerman and his team on Numbers.

“Our plan was to be in position to win going into the last day and that is what happened. The wind Gods cooperated today and gave us great racing. We rose to the occasion and were able to win both races,” Fauth said. “I thought the whole crew did an impeccable job. We sailed hard in both races.”








Bella Mente wound up winning six of 10 races in posting a low score of 19 points, two better than Numbers, which had four-time America’s Cup winner Brad Butterworth aboard as tactician. Fauth captured his fourth victory in Key West despite a grounding incident on Wednesday that caused the team to absorb seven points in two races. Bella Mente was unable to finish Race 5 then limped to third in Race 6 due to a damaged keel bulb.

“We basically tanked two races and that was very hard to overcome, especially against this caliber of competition,” Fauth said. “Numbers is very quick and very well sailed. Gunther, Brad and their guys did a terrific job and really pushed us the whole way.”

Veteran professional Terry Hutchinson, who was recently named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for the second time in his career, praised the performance of Fauth and the rest of the crew. Hutchinson, an executive with Quantum Sail Design Group, is a relative newcomer to the Bella Mente program.

“Hap has a lot of experience racing this boat and does an outstanding job on the helm,” Hutchinson said. “The one constant we had all week was superb starting and tremendous boat-handling. Every member of the crew really did a great job.”




Images © Ken Stanek & Steve Lapkin






Race committee personnel reported wind gusts of nearly 30 knots during the second race on Friday and that made for some spectacular racing. Sailors aboard the GC32 catamarans were hanging on for dear life all day as the high-tech speedsters were bouncing off waves and coming completely out of the water. Ken Legler, principal race officer on Division 1, said the foiling catamarans completed a downwind leg in just six minutes.

Skipper Flavio Marazzi led the Swiss entry ARMIN STROM Sailing to a one-point victory over ZouLou, the French entry skippered by Erik Maris. Keith Swinton served as tactician while Diego Stefani was headsail trimmer aboard ARMIN STROM, which finished first or second in eight of 10 races. Argo and Leenabarca were unable to compete in the last race after sustaining rudder damage in the rough conditions.






“The last two days were really fun. These are very cool boats and they were absolutely flying,” Marazzi said. “Today was a bit tricky because of the swell. It’s hard to find the fine line between pushing and backing off. It is very exciting, but also very dangerous.”

Alec Cutler and his crew on Hedgehog carried a three-point lead into the final day and decided to cover the second place boat in Race 9. Cutler finished fourth, but forced Dalton DeVos and the Delta team to absorb a fifth. That gave Hedgehog the breathing room it needed and Cutler repeated as class champ by a two-point margin over Argo, skippered College Sailor of the Year Graham Lundy of Yale.

“All five boats were very good so the competition was real tough,” Cutler said. “Every boat won a race and we were the only boat that didn’t finish last. It was real close racing and you could lose two or three boats in a hurry with the slightest mistake.”
Richard Clarke, who has represented Canada in the Olympics several times, called tactics for Cutler. Adrian Stead, a veteran professional from Great Britain, was aboard as strategist.








Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 was the first regatta for Tonnerre 4 under the ownership of Peter Vroon of The Netherlands. It didn’t take the crew very long to figure out how to make the Ker 51 go fast as the Dutch entry led IRC 1 class for the final four days.

“We are very pleased to win such a strong class. I have an excellent bunch of sailors on the boat and they do all the work. My contributions are ballast and writing the checks,” Vroon joked. “Obviously, the bigger breeze of the last two days was good for our boat.”

Kevin George served as tactician for the 84-year-old Vroon, who won Key West for the second time. “It was just a case of putting the building blocks together and gaining momentum. We focused on getting good starts and just tried to sail a clean regatta,” George said.

Tonnere also won the High Performance Rule sub-class, which consisted of five of the IRC 1 entries. Tonnere edged the Ker 43 Otra Vez (William Coates) in IRC 1 and the Carkeek 40 Spookie (Steve and Heidi Benjamin) in HPR. Impetuous, skippered by Paul Zabetakis of Stuart, Florida, topped the Swan 42 sub-class.

J/70 was the largest class of the regatta with 54 boats and featured a slew of top professionals. It was a week-long dog fight that saw constant changes at the top end of the standings. Skipper Carlo Alberini and his Italian team on Calvi Network emerged as overall winner thanks to single-digit finishes in nine of 11 races.

Branko Brcin served as tactician while Sergio Blosi and Karlo Hmeljak handled the trimming aboard Calvi Network, which closed the regatta with a second after posting a steady string of fourths and fifths. That remarkable consistency in such a competitive class earned Calvi Network the ultimate prize at Quantum Key West Race Week – Boat of the Week.
“The talent level in this class is very high. We came to Key West because we are very excited about the J/70 fleet and want to race against the best boats,” said Alberini, who won the European Championship last year. “To win here is the best feeling. This might be the most important win of my career because we beat the world champion on the water.”








Calvi Network totaled 49 points, eight better than the Mexican entry Flojito y Cooperando that is skippered by Julian Fernandez Neckelmann. Italian pro Vasco Vascotto called tactics on Flojito, which closed the regatta strong with a first and second on Friday. Tim Healy, the reigning J/70 World Champion and two-time winner here in Key West, finished third after pushing the line and being ruled on-course side (OCS) in the last race.

Gannon Troutman, the 12-year-old skipper of Pied Piper, was the talk of the regatta after finishing fifth in the talent-laden J/70 class – winning a race while also posting a second and third. San Francisco skipper Jim Cunningham captured the Corinthian Division of J/70 class, which had 20 boats.

Irish skipper Conor Clarke competed in Key West for the first time and came away with an impressive victory in Melges 24 class, winning eight of 11 races and beating the second place boat by 23 points. Stuart McNay and Dave Hughes, who are mounting a 470 Olympic campaign together, were helmsman and tactician aboard Embarr.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to win in Key West,” said Clarke, a Dublin resident who’s had the regatta on his bucket list. “Today’s sailing was just amazing. We had perfect conditions… just what the brochure said it would be like.”

J/88 class was decided on Friday with Rob & Sandy Butler sailing Touch2Play Racing to victory in both races. That clutch performance gave the Canadian entry the same amount of points as Deviation, skippered by Iris Vogel of New Rochelle, N.Y. Touch2Play won the tiebreaker by virtue of more first place finishes.
“We kind of put the pressure on (Deviation) by winning the last race on Thursday. We still trailed by two points so we knew we had to come out and win both races today,” Rob Butler said. “Our crew was really dialed in and we had very good boat speed. I’m proud of the team for doing what we had to do in order to win the regatta.”

J/111 also had a one-design class and Florida skipper George Gamble steered My Sharona to a wire-to-wire victory. Quantum pro Scott Nixon called tactics on My Sharona, which displayed superb boat speed in all conditions in winning five races and placing second or third in four others.

British skipper Joe Woods and his crew on Red set the pace in PHRF 1 from the outset and led at the end of each day’s racing. Dave Lenz served as tactician aboard the Farr 280, which won five races and placed second or third in four others.

“Joe has sailed a Melges 24 and a Melges 32 so he’s used to being on sport boats,” Lenz said. “This entire crew has sailed with Joe on the 32 and that familiarity seemed to give us a slight edge from day one. We just had a little extra click of speed than everybody else.”
Red closed the regatta with a pair of bullets and received the Quantum Sail Boat of the Day award. Woods was also the runaway winner of the Farr 280 sub-class, which had four boats.
Gerry Taylor secured his third class victory in Key West, steering Tangent to a wire-to-wire victory in PHRF 2. Veteran sailmaker Chuck O’Malley called tactics while headsail trimmer Jay Corcoran anchored a strong crew aboard the Cape Fear 38, which won every race but one.

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Final Results

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Nightmare is going to have nightmares of Sail22 for some time!