NORTHEAST REGIONAL ENSIGN REGATTA
We had a great Northeast Regional Regatta on July 22 and 23. Nine visiting boats joined eight BHYC boats for one of the largest Ensign regattas occurring anywhere this year. Three visiting boats came from North Haven/Vinalhaven; the others came from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Many of the visitors are top ensign racers: four visiting boats finished in the top 20 at Ensign nationals last year, with one finishing fourth
Saturday was cloudy with the odd shower, but still a good sailing day: we finished four races. At the end of the day Puff, sailed by James Knowlton (skipper) and Chris and Phil Knowlton, was first by 32 points. And only 3 points separated 5 boats, in 4th – 8th place. Sunday was a “Great Maine Day”: sunny with a good breeze. We completed seven races in the two days, about as much as you can hope for in a weekend.
Puff won overall by 2 points, with visiting boats Magic and TeamWork taking second and third places, and two more BHYC boats, Cayenne (skipper Dave Kurt) and Cayenne (Matt Wormser) finishing fourth and fifth.
We received very good feedback from the visitors. Visitors appreciated the strong local competition on the water, the smooth and professional work of the race committee (headed by Jonathan Foot), the beauty of our East Penobscot Bay location, and the quality of the hospitality and logistics we provided off the water. Several commented they would come back to BHYC whenever possible. The Ensign Class invited BHYC to host the Regional Regatta every four or five years.
Kudos to the 25 BHYC volunteers who made this great weekend possible.
BHYC is proud to host this year’s annual Northeast Region Regatta, July 22 and 23. Officially named the 2023 Ensign Region II/III Championship, 18 boats with racers belonging to the Ensign Class Association will come here from around New England, from North Haven and Buzzards Bay to the Connecticut shore, and of course BHYC. The only ensign regatta larger than this is the national championship. We plan to run 5-7 races on July 22 and 23.
Not only does this elevate our own racing program, it also gives us the opportunity to race with a large fleet that includes top ensign sailors. The response from the ensign class has been enthusiastic, despite the long haul required to bring boats up from Southern New England. This reflects the interest ensign sailors have in visiting and sailing at Bucks Harbor and the respect they have for our fleet.
