3rd Annual Manhattan Regatta May 18-19

Despite the fact that several Fleet 10 J/105s are still on the hard due to the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, this year’s Manhattan Regatta was still able to sustain its reputation as an exciting and challenging event for J/105s in the NY/NJ metro area. 8-10kt winds on Saturday and 10-15kt winds on Sunday gave seven teams enough power to push their J/105s around NY Harbor and tolerate the soaking rain. And as always, the currents, ferries and barges did not disappoint. Paul Beaudin’s loulou won the coveted Libby award with finishes of 1-1-3-1-1-2. Planet Claire, helmed by John Koten, finished second and Dave Spence’s Synergy grabbed third. Marcus Wunderlich’s Stratos showed a much stronger second day with a couple of thirds and second place finish, but not enough to break their 24pt tie with Circe, whose bullet on Saturday gave them the decision and a fourth place finish. Though on paper the scores seem pretty consistent, the reality was anything but. Many legs of the windward/leeward courses saw several place changes across the entire fleet. And everyone, especially the winners, had their share of mishaps, including swamped spinnakers and hitting marks. As one racer noted, “This is the regatta that reminds you all the things you forgot over the winter.”