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Contender Midwinters 2013 Report
Written by Simon Leung   
Wednesday, 13 February 2013

The 2013 Contender Midwinters Report

 

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From February 8-10, 2013, while the Eastern seaboard got snowbliterated, several contender sailors from all over North America demonstrated a rare flash of above average intelligence by trekking down to the Gulfport Yacht Club in Florida for the 2013 Contender Midwinters. At this charming no frills club located on Boca Ciega Bay, the sailors enjoyed temperatures in the low to high 20s and breezes ranging from 3-22 knots over the three days of the regatta.  With the bay enclosed by expensive looking condos, the racing happened on relatively flat water, with the usual Floridian obstacles of moored boats and crab pots.

Several sailors made it into GYC on Thursday morning and went out for a quick sail in about 15 knots to discover what they had rigged wrong and/or left at home.  Some realized they should have brought kick up rudders as the beach launch into a shallow bay was met with mixed success and some newly sand and oyster polished foils.

The first day of racing on Friday started with 8 knots which built throughout the day to about 13 for race 5. What was noteworthy was that several of the Contenders busted their gate start cherries at this event. Fortunately for most, no one on the RC boat was packing a pesky recording device, because the starts on the first day were so bad that you could hear the dolphins laughing. Ethan Bixby scored straight bullets to be the hero of the day, which probably did absolutely nothing to help his case at home, as he had agreed to billet 80% of the visiting Contenders.

I would like to say that the fleet had mastered the gate starts for day 2 of racing, which was in 10 knots dying to 5, but that would be a colossal lie. Once again, Ethan was untouchable in the flukey conditions, but three-time Canadian Champion Roger Martin had found his groove, except in the third race when a monster shift caught most of the fleet with their pants down and their tighty whities not being very white at all. Being non-windy, the fat boys, and Gil Woolley with the experimental fathead sail, were punished for their gluttony, but their fortunes changed on day 3. 

On Sunday, with two races to be held, the day opened with a solid 15 knots gusting to 20. Roger decided to get his reaching dump out of the way before racing began, but snapped his aluminum tiller in the process. Fortunately, he had a spare. Unfortunately, he didn’t have electrical tape and wanted to secure the joint. Enter yours truly. I sailed up to his boat and tossed him the tape, but in a moment of distraction, Roger’s boom got caught in my shrouds, and he wound up dumping to windward. At some point during the capsize, Roger’s rudder tore out of the carbon case, meaning his day was done. Again, in the super puffy breeze, Ethan did what Ethan does best and swept the podium. Peter Hale, in his plastic Bonezzi was second, and Roger managed to hang onto third, despite two DNSs.

A big thanks goes out to the volunteers at GYC who got the races going with no delays, and especially to Dave Ellis, our PRO. We’re all looking forward to next year’s regatta!

Photo Here 

Result Here

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 February 2013 )
 
Peter's big adventure
Written by Simon Leung   
Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Peter's big adventure

Ohio sailor (and owner of a for sale boat with Mike Tyson's tattoo on the bow) went out for a spin in breeze that went from 15 knots to 40 - and discovered it's not easy to sail without a trapeze...Enjoy!

 

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 October 2012 )
 
2012 results
Written by Simon Leung   
Monday, 15 October 2012

 

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Contender Canadian Championship 2012

Third time for a charmer


The 2012 Canadian Contender Championships took place on September 29 and 30 on Lake Ontario, hosted by the Outer Harbour Centreboard Club. Despite being middle-aged, time has not taken its toll on this little boat, with its clean, solid, and sleek hull continuing to seduce all who gaze upon her. In fact, over the years, the Contender has only gotten sexier, with the addition of carbon poles raked back like a model's hair in a wind machine. In 15 knots of breeze with four foot waves and the sun shining over you, there is arguably no better singlehander to be out in than a Contender, which planes along any sea state like a trust fund baby - without a care in the world! Unfortunately, these were not the conditions we found ourselves in for our two day regatta. Instead, day one of the Canadians saw three knots dropping to minus one. The 505s, also running their national championships on the lake, were bobbing along with spinnakers as flaccid as a 90 year old man whose Viagra prescription had run dry. Day two was marginally better, with three to four knots and the wind gods tossing in a 180 degree wind shift just to make sure everyone was still awake (some weren't). Proving again that he's not just good at making trucks and disobeying his wife's rules on nutrition, two-time champion Roger Martin took back the trophy for a third year in a row, and in the course of his domination, did not threaten any of the on-course photographers with physical violence. Take that, Ben Ainslie!

 

Skipper Sail # Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Total Posn
Roger Martin 2399 3 Abandoned 1 1 3 8 1
Joel Magnan 1664 1 Abandoned 4 5 1 11 2
Mike Smits 2397 2 Abandoned 6 2 2 12 3
Peter Hale 2537 5 Abandoned 3 4 4 16 4
Pete White 1771 7 Abandoned 2 3 6 18 5
Stephanie Mah 2525 4 Abandoned 5 6 5 20 6
Frank Whittington 1599 6 Abandoned 13 7 7 33 7
Bernie Bieber 81 8 Abandoned 13 8 8 37 8
Don Haddow 53 13 Abandoned 7 9 9 38 9
Rick Needham 2372 9 Abandoned 8 13 13 43 10
Dave Seiple 197 10 Abandoned 13 10 10 43 11
Charles Wakefield 473 11 Abandoned 13 11 11 46 12
                 
Notes:                  
Frank Whittington and Bernie Bieber RTD race 2          
Don Haddow DSQ race 1              
Dave Seiple and Charles Wakefield DNS race 2          
Rick Needham RTD race 3 and DNS race 4            

 

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 February 2013 )
 
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