Vineyard Open House Blog

Steve Besse Breaks Course Record, 'Penelope' on Course for Fall Title

Skipper Steve Besse at the helm of Apres, which recently broke the speed record for course No. 1.

By David Lott
Special to the Vineyard Gazette & MV Times
Photo by Susan Waldrop

The winds are rising and the temperatures are dropping, telling Holmes Hole sailors that they've not much more time on the water. One by one skippers are calling in to say that they've put up sails and are done for the season.

Last weekend it was Fall Series leader Mo Flam who made the lamented call to take take his Penelope out of the water, but was confident in doing so that the fall title was his. Second place Magic Time will need at least two firsts to overtake him.

He was joined on the sidelines last Sunday morning by captain Steve Besse and Apres, a J/120, but not before the sleek racer had set a new course record in covering course No. 1, twice around the harbor triangle, in just 54 minutes and 30 seconds. Besse beat his own record set last year, also on Apres, by two minutes and 31 seconds.

Winner on Corrected Time
Unfortunately, just because one does well getting around the course, it does not necessarily follow that you will score well in the race. In this case Lagoonah, a Columbia 32 skippered by Frank DeSimone, also sailed the course faster than his usual pace. In fact, it was much faster and was declared the winner.

Taking second was Magic Time, a Vineyard Vixen helmed by Dan Culkin. Third was Phil Hale aboard Tango, a J/100, and in fourth came Gloria, a C&C24 with Roger Becker at the wheel. And in, fifth, a case in which the first shall be last, was Apres.

The End Is Near?
Post race, the town dock was busy with Holmes Holers preparing their boats for winter storage and discussions arose on the odds of a final race this coming Sunday.

However, the weather for the week ahead looks sunny and with the prospect of good wind as well, there was hope that not only could a race could be planned, but perhaps there was still more good sailing to come. The season ain't over quite yet.

For more information, visit www.HolmesHole.org

 

Penelope Takes Over Top Spot for Fall, Master Handicapper Roger Becker Feted

 

Master-handicapper Roger Becker at the helm of Gloria, a C&C 24. Susan Waldrop Photo.

 

by David Lott

 

Mo Flam and his Alerion 28 Penelope notched two more qualifying races for the Holmes Hole Sailing Association Fall Series races and with them turned the standings upside down.

 

Following up on his winning summer, Flam took a fourth last Thursday and added a second on Sunday to leap from the sidelines to the top of the standings, pushing Dan Culkin and his Vineyard Vixen Magic Time to second.

 

Magic Time’s first on Thursday and third on Sunday were enough to keep her in close striking distance for the top spot.

 

A Fall Gem
Sunday’s race was yet another sparkling fall gem with north northwest winds pushing into the  harbor at 15 mph—enough to speed eight boats around Course No. 1 in less than an hour and a half.

 

Taking first on the day was Frank Sutula aboard Soma Holiday, a Hanse 335, which traversed the twice-around-the-buoys loop in 1:04:33 on corrected time.

 

Becker Feted
Gloria, a C&C 24 with Roger Becker at the helm, came in sixth on a day important on several fronts. First, the race put Gloria into a qualifying position for the Fall Series and, second, skipper Becker was later honored at a special lunch which recognized his critical contributions to Holmes Hole

over the years.

 

Several speakers noted, “Roger, you are the reason we have so much fun every Sunday. Your handicapping of the field, race calculations and post-race standings and commentary pull it all together. Your handicaps are also the source of so much animated discussion throughout the year.”

 

Becker keeps a tight ship on those rules and handicaps. The Hugh Schwarz Cup rules he recently outlined prove it: All races sailed count (no "throw outs") and there is no award for second place.

 

As for those famous handicaps, which are proprietary to Holmes Holes and created for the entire fleet as a labor of love, Becker once remarked with tongue somewhat in cheek," We create the  handicap ratings so no one can win."

 

Actually, he has it wrong. When Roger Becker is working his magic for Holmes Hole, everyone wins.

 

Thursday Results

Last Thursday 10 boats came to the line, showing the October strength of the fleet which now counts 19 boats having competed. Gusty variable winds mostly over 13 mph made for a crisp autumn sail.  One time around with West Chop the first buoy at about low tide with plenty of wind meant the currents played only a small part in the mix. 

 

Magic Time took the blue ribbon over second-place finisher Phil Hale aboard his J/100 Tango while third went to Adam Hayes and his new boat, Sophon Opus, a J 35C. Also in the mix were the recently joined Cape Dory 25 Sandpiper sailed by Kathy and Ernie Mendenhall.

 

For more information about Holems Hole Sailing Assoication, go to http://holmeshole.org/

September Light Warms up HHSA Fall Racing Series

Boats crowd the starting line on a Fall Racing Thursday. Photo by Susan Waldrop

 

by David Lott

 

In the movie “The Lake House,” Christopher Plummer’s character, a famous architect, passionately admonishes his son, an aspiring architect played by Keanu Reeves, with the words, “Ah, the light, the light, it is always the light!”

 

If you sail in Vineyard waters in September, that’s what you will be saying, too. The light is warm and alive, bringing a special vibrancy to everything it touches, especially as the sun begins to set.

 

Holmes Hole Sailing Association sailors know about that light. They race every Thursday and Sunday into September and October, continuing to venture out as long as the weather holds. And last Thursday the weather more than held, its was spectacular.

 

Thursday Results
A light 8 mph breeze lifted sails from the east southeast and greeted a dozen boats that crowded the start line for a 5:30 start in which the golden embers of the day were just as important as the first to cross the finish line. The course was the traditional triangle around the West Chop and East buoys and back home to #6.

 

Roger Becker skippered Gloria, a C&C 24 sporting a voluminous jib, which took to the light air as if born to it and flew past all but the two fastest boats in the fleet. Gloria grabbed the win on corrected time, beating out the sleek J/100 Tango and Phil Hale which took second. Third went to Mo Flam on the Alerion 28 Penelope.

 

Sunday Results
Last Sunday, Dave McDonough and his C&C 37 Trinity made their last race of the year--twice around the harbor buoys--a good one. With the wind coming out of the SE by speeds up 18+ mph, Trinity won the day by a substantial margin over a contingent of nine boats. With yet another first-place finish, Trinity makes the case that it should be elevated once more to the A Division next year.

 

Coming in second was Magic Time, a Vineyard Vixen captained by former Commodore Dan Culkin, follow by Mo Flam aboard Penelope.

 

Fall Series Update
With five races in the books for the Hugh Schwarz Cup, post-season racing is now an official series. The top three contenders are Providence, Magic Time and Tango.

 

Next race is set for Thursday, with an earlier, 5 pm start, and a weekend race is scheduled

for Sunday with a 10 am start. For more information, check the Holmes Hole website

at http://holmeshole.org.

 

 

Holmes Hole Fall Racing Season Begins

Providence earns a second and a first as Holmes Hole Fall Racing begins. Photo: Susan Waldrop.

By David Lott

One season ends. Another begins.
 
That’s how it goes for the sailors of the Holmes Hole Sailing Association who bid adieu to the summer series of races two weeks ago by crowning the season’s winners at the Annual Meeting and Pot Luck Supper at John and Lisa Stout’s Vineyard Haven home.
 
Three days later, they turned their tillers for Vineyard Sound in the 37th Moffett Race.
 
Then without missing a beat, the chase for the Hugh Schwartz Cup and the Fall Racing Series title commenced just five days after that when eight boats came to the line on a beautiful fall evening with winds coming out of the southwest at a leisurely 10 mph.
 
Thursday Results
Mo Flam and Stuart Halpert kicked off the competition on their respective Alerion 28s, Penelope and Providence, by notching a 1-2 finish separated by just three seconds on the traditional harbor triangle course. Commodore Jerry Goodale was third on Stormalong, a Pearson 31.
 
A special salute must be given to Frank DeSimone who employed his Columbia 32 as the committee boat and worked to fulfill all the race committee roles by himself--raising the course, counting down to the start, sounding the horns and taking times as the boats crossed the finish line.

Frank will admit that watching a sausage being made would have been a prettier sight. But once all the scores were tallied at the after-race gathering at Rocco's, the standings finally emerged.
 
Sunday's Race Results
Last Sunday eight competitors lined up for a double loop around the three harbor buoys in what was anticipated to be a quick race. The wind started enthusiastically from the north northwest at 15 knots for the 10 am start, but increasingly lost interest and stamina over the next two hours.
 
Two boats bailed on the second lap and a couple more struggled to the finish with the light air. In the end it was Providence taking first and an early lead in the fall series. Steve Besse grabbed second on Apres his J/120 and Jim Dixon aboard his Alerion 28 At Last took third.
 
Final A & B Summer Series Standings
The official standings for the summer series released at the Pot Luck revealed that Mo Flam and his Penelope had maintained their lead and took not only took the A division crown, but also the Frank B Jewett Award for the best overall score for the season. HHSA Commodore Jerry Goodale on Stormalong was second and Roger Becker aboard Gloria, a C&C 24, took third.
 
In the B Division, David Lott guided Avanti, a Cape Dory 270, to the B Division summer series title over Bow Van Riper on the Vineyard 15 Tyche and Dan Culkin on Magic Time, a Vineyard Vixen.
 
Fall racing continues on Sunday with a 10 am start. Check the Holmes Hole blog for complete fall racing updates.

Schooner Phra Luang Wins 37th Moffett Race

by David Lott
Photos by Susan Waldrop
 
The schooner Phra Luang and captain Jeff Robinson won the 37th running of the George R. Moffet Race on Saturday Sept. 6 and with the win enjoyed the cheers and hoots of an appreciative crowd that had assembled post-race at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. It was Phra Luang’s second win in seven years.
 
Following the tradition that the final results are read aloud, beginning with the last-place finisher and working one by one up to the winner, bone-tired skippers and their crew grew almost as anxious as they had been nearly six hours earlier when the signal flags counted down to the 11:20 am start time.
 
39 Boats Hit the Line
Thirty-nine boats set out in two divisions in blustery conditions featuring cloudy skies and winds blowing 20 mph out of the southwest. Thirty-four finished. The traditional season-ending race is held each year in honor of Holmes Hole Sailing Association co-founder George Moffett, a veteran sailor who campaigned his yacht Guinevere for many years.

 

The race is named for one of the founders of the Holmes Hole Sailing Association, George Moffett, a veteran sailor who campaigned his yacht Guinevere for many years, including victories in the Bermuda and SORC Races. He donated Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary to the Island.
 
Brock Callen of Sail Martha’s Vineyard led the committee boat and selected a 20-mile course that featured two loops around a triangle that took the fleet down the Sound on the back of an ebbing tide toward Falmouth, then over to Middle Ground and then back up to West Chop against the current.
 
Wind & Challenge Builds
The wind continued to build during the day throwing out ever deeper waves and higher gusts that challenged crews to stay on task on rock-and-roll windward beats while dodging water that gushed over bows and into cockpits. Boats then rode the crests of following seas that pushed speeds to well over 12 knots on the final leg that took them up the North Shore and past West Chop to the finish.


Isabella, a G&B Bella class boat, finishes in the money in fifth place with skipper John Stout.
 
Grabbing line honors was Steve Besse (winner in 2009) aboard his J/120 Apres which completed the course in just two hours and thirty-eight minutes. He was followed by four other streakers who also came in under three hours: Scott DiBiaso on Juno, Brian Roberts on the Sparkman & Stephens beauty Aileen, Phil Hale on the J/100 Tango and Damian McLaughlin (2005) on the  42-foot Walter Greene.
 
The boats continued the finishing parade off Eastville Beach for another hour and 16 minutes when Jim Pringle’s 22-foot Sailmaster Myfanwy brought the scoring to a close.

Winners Announced
But the magic of PHRF ratings, which allowed such a wide diversity of boats ranging from 16 to 75 feet to compete together in the same race, is what determines the final standings. The ratings are also what creates such drama post-race because the names of the ultimate winners are almost always a mystery.

Following Phra Luang in a money finish on corrected time was previous Moffett winner and Holmes Hole Commodore Jerry Goodale (2008) aboard Stormalong just 58 seconds behind. Jim Lobdell (1989) captained the schooner Malabar II to third.

 

Woody Bowman, whose summer appeared lost when his catboat was dismasted in July, came in fourth aboard Wonder, a G&B Tern that he quickly learned how to sail and more than salvaged the year with. And in fifth place came John and Lisa Stout in the G&B Bella-class Isabella.
 
A special certificate was awarded to the last-place competitor Aurora, a 48-foot Derreckor yawl skippered by Bradley Abbott, which stated he would not have to pay an entrance fee for the 2015 Moffett Race.

Mr. Abbott smiled his assurance in the spirit of the sportsmanship that pervades the competition, saying that he would indeed use the certificate and return next year. “That’s the secret to success,” several tired, but happy sailors concurred as the after-party stretched on into the evening: “Keep showing up.”

Holmes Hole SA Sailors Make Their Mark on the 2014 Vineyard Cup

Morris 36 sailboats Masquerade and Undine competed in the 2014 Vineyard Cup.
 

The just completed 2014 edition of the Vineyard Cup featured 66 competitors

and a full third of that number—22 boats--came from the ranks of the Holmes Hole

Sailing Association. Over the 3-day, 3-race event weekend (July 11-13), the hometown

fleet captured one first, two seconds and two thirds. Overall, HHSA skippers finished

in the money in all of the four divisions in which they competed.

 

The races featured a Jekyll-Hyde wind profile with Friday's race being canceled

due to winds so benign that the fleet was becalmed. The wind turned on its

heels mid-race Saturday to allow bobbing boats that had remained on the water
to suddenly come alive and finish. Sunday, the pursuit race enjoyed southwest
winds which rose to 25 knots and more as the fleet finally had some power to show

off its skills.

 

Spinnaker

Frank Satula led the way aboard Soma Holiday, taking first place in the Spinnaker

Division followed by Steve Besse in 3rd in Apres.

 

The PHRF - Non-Spinnaker - Class 1 Division was a near-HHSA convention with 10 of
18 boats participating. Mo and Pam Flam guided their Alerion 28 Penelope to second

while Commodore Jerry Goodale came in fifth on Stormalong. Positions 8 and 9 and

11 through 18 was all HHSA.

 

In PHRF -Non-Spinnaker - Class 2 it was Andy Berry who skippered his Cal 33 Isobar to

a third-place finish. Trinity (David McDonough) and Escape (Tom and Laurie Welch)

battled each other all weekend and finished tied for fifth.

 

And in the One Design Division, John and Lisa Stout helmed Isabella to a second place

finish.

 

Beck Colson returned home to skipper the family Nonsuch Silhouette in the competition
and escaped a scary moment in Sunday's pursuit race when the steering cable broke. The

crew smartly threw out an anchor and then pulled out an emergency tiller (!) which enabled

the boat to return home safely.

 

Sunday Robinson's Hole
The next HHSA race will be on Thursday with a 6 PM start. Sunday features the annual

Robinson's Hole Rendezvous Race with a 10 AM start.

 

--David Lott

 

        Pos                     Name            Type            Skipper/Owner    Race 1      Race 2    Race 3

       
        PHRF -Non-Spinnaker - Class 1

        2.     USA 437     Penelope     Alerion Xps 28     Mo & Pam Flam     19/TLE     3     3                25.0   

        5.     USA 65       Stormalong     Pearson 31     Jerry Goodale            19/TLE     4     4                27.0   

        8.     USA 442     At Last     Alerion 28     James Dixon                  19/TLE     19/DNF     8       46.0   

        9.     USA (Blank)Providence     Alerion 28     Stuart Halpert       19/TLE     19/DNF     9      47.0   

        11.     USA 13      Magic Time     Vnyd Vixen 29     D J Culkin        19/DNC     19/DNF     11     49.0   

        12.     USA 22      Myfanwy     Sloop                      Jim Pringle         19/DNF     19/DNF     12     50.0   

        14.     USA 22703 Lagoonah     Columbia 32   Frank DeSimone 19/TLE     19/DNF     14       52.0   

        15.     USA 4         Avanti          CD 270                 David Lott          19/TLE     19/DNF     15        53.0   

        17.     USA 635     Flying Bugster CD 25 Bill Coogan 19/DNF     19/DNF     19/DNF                57.0   

        18.     USA 51       Silhouette     Nonsuch     Beck Colson       19/TLE     19/DNF     19/DNF     57.0   

 

        PHRF -Non-Spinnaker - Class 2

        3.     USA 42805     Isobar      Cal 33     Andrew Berry                        20/TLE     4     4               28.0   

        5.     USA 93035     Trinity     C&C 37  David McDonough                 20/TLE     7     10              37.0   

        6.     USA 89             Escape             J 100     Thomas Welch             20/TLE     8     9                37.0   

        9.     USA 57       Undine             Morris     Edward Cerullo            20/TLE     20/DNF     2     42.0   

        12.     USA 22      Masquerade     Morris36M/M Loberg               20/TLE     20/DNF     6     46.0   

        13.     S38             King Kiwi     Sloop     Irving Gates                      20/TLE     20/DNF     7     47.0   

        19.     USA 50             Tango             J 100     Philip Hale
20/DNC     20/DNS     20/DNS     60.0   

 

        PHRF - Spinnaker

        1.     USA 307     Soma Holiday     Hanse 355 Francis Sutula                3         3               2     8.0   

        3.     USA 50454     Après             J 120     Stephen Besse                     5         6              1    12.0   

        7.     USA USA 598     Amonini     J 70     Daniel Pesch                   10/DNC     10/DNS     3    23.0   

       

        Sound Courses Racing    One Design Division    PHRF - Catboat

        2.     USA 4     Isabella     Bella     John Stout                     2             2.0   

        6.     USA NA     Julia Lee     Catboat Charles Bowman      6             6.0   

 

FULL STATS - 2014 The Vineyard Cup Regatta on Yacht Scoring  http://bit.ly/1nm9Kwz

Flying Bugster Captures 36th Annual Moffett Sailing Race in Vineyard Sound

Happy crew of Flying Bugster (Cape Dory 25) stands next to the George Moffett trophy along with Holmes Hole Commodore Dan Culkin (right). All Photos by Susan Waldrop

After nearly 4 hours of racing against a fleet of 40 boats, Flying Bugster--with just 10 seconds to spare--won the 36th Annual Moffett Race on Sat., Sept. 7 .

The winner--Flying Bugster, a Cape Dory 25.

Skippered by Bill Coogan, the Cape Dory 25 (2:58:48) eeked out its win over the second-place finisher Providence (2:58:58), an Ensign helmed by Stuart Halpert.

Glorious light bathed the day on the water, here with Soma Holiday in front.
 
The fleet followed Course No. 2 in reverse—a track 18.5 miles long that took the competitors to Waquoit, Wreck Shoal, the east end of Hedge Fence and back.
 
Sailboats jockey at the start of the 36th Annual Moffett Race in Vineyard Sound.

Sailing under a nearly cloudless sky in conditions of 15-20 knot winds that blew consistently out of the Southwest all afternoon, tired and happy sailors later praised what they universally called perfect conditions. With the race concluded, the Holmes Hole Sailing Association summer season officially comes to an end.

Boats built by Gannon & Benjamin did well, here's Isabella, which finished 9th out of the 40 boats that started.
 
The top 5 boats finished in the money.
 
The schooner Charlotte, captained by Nat Benjamin, captured third, missing second place by 41 seconds. Jim Dixon's At Last, an Alerion 28, was fourth and in fifth was Soma Holiday, a Hanse 355 with Frank Sutula at the helm.

The schooner Juno, a B&B-built boat, came in 6th.

Hurricane Sandy Hits Vineyard Haven Harbor, Martha's Vineyard

Boats in Vineyard Haven, Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, MA, get tossed around amid Sandy's fury on Monday.

Last Holmes Hole Race of the Fall A Beauty with Stunning October Light & Memorable Views

Avanti heads for the finish and the setting sun.

Thursday Oct. 25th was the final fall race for the Holmes Hole Sailing Association on Martha's Vineyard. Light winds from the SE and a flooding tide provided yet another lesson in how to use the tides in the approach to bouy 23A at East Chop. The opposing wind and tide created a lee bow on the leg from West to East Chop and the alert skippers tacked towards the bouy earlier than those not paying attention and were rewarded with an easy fetch thanks to the 2 knot tide.

But the best part of the race was the final leg into Vineyard Haven where boats sailed into the setting sun to create a lasting image that will inspire thoughts about next year, which can't come soon enough!

Holmes Hole SA Celebrates at Mid-Winter Dinner, Offers Visions & Boating Updates

More than 30 sailors and spouses attended the Holmes Hole Sailing Association mid-winter dinner at the Wharf in Edgartown on Sunday, Feb. 13.

New Commodore Dan Culkin spoke after dinner welcoming everyone and gave out brass plaques to the season series winners who attended.

Roger Becker (above left), the erstwhile handicapper, unveiled a new boat rating system in which he was assisted by his PhD daughter. Looking at his charts you could understand why. The fleet is anxiously awaiting his final numbers.

One of the three options for dinner, this was the salmon (verdict: very good!).

HHSA News Shorts
Here are some mid-winter updates from those who couldn't make the dinner.

"Our Sonar is in RI at Waterline Systems getting repaired.  It was a sad day when she hit the beach, but I feel confident that Waterline will do a good job.  It took some time to get the insurance company and Waterline to work together, but I think all is going to be ok."
 
"We are in FL until April avoiding the snow up north.  I have been working on the YHYC Yearbook with Jack Gagnon and Margot Weston. Jack is doing a great job on layout and design and Margo has put in a ton of hours trying to get the directory as complete and correct as possible."-- Mary Worrell
 

Encore under sail in an earlier time.

"Greetings from Jackson Hole WY where we’ve had an excellent winter to date, 325” up on the hill. Are you aware that Tom Graham sold/traded SWALLOWS and bought ENCORE, one of G&B’s early boats and Nat is in the midst of a major redo? Cheers from us both." John & Lisa Stout

"Jill and I are doing well, but looking forward to the summer at VH and being with u all. We now have two grandchildren, William (2) who has been with us on the boat at VH, and our new grandchild of 2 weeks, Emma,---9.8 lbs!!! All doing fine.  'Arrant Rose' is having some inside work done, but we plan to take her back home to VH late May"-- Rich Glaser

Finally, I bumped into Mo Flam on the ferry as I was leaving the island. He was on his way to Rhode Island to look at his new Alerion28. He later sent me a photo, see below!

This new Alerion28 will join the HHSA fleet in 2011.

Send your Holmes Hole updates to David Lott.