2014 Island Heights Wanamaker - Report

Thirteen teams attended the Wanamaker Regatta on June 14, 2014. The fleet sailed three races in a puffy 10-12 knot north-westerly on the Seaside course. PRO Chip Hillyer and crew (thanks again Chip for running all these preseason events!) set windward-leeward courses with an average race time of 45 minutes. It was a great feeling to stretch the legs after most of the preseason short course sailing on the more protected waters of the Toms River.

Race 1 saw T-1 Billy Warner, taking the helm from his father this regatta, and a younger crew lead from start to finish.  This race was very much about connecting the puffs and staying underneath the clouds. Billy and team did a great job downwind protecting their lead as T-73 passed a few boats and closed the gap to a few boatlengths at the finish.

Right at the start of Race 2, the breeze dropped out as the clouds went away and current became more of a factor. Brendan Hogan tacked onto port and worked the right side in less adverse current than the rest of the fleet to take a huge lead from start to finish. With the current and a new more westerly breeze filling on the first downwind, there were many position changes. At one point on the first downwind run, most of the fleet was stacked evenly laterally as the back of the fleet began to overtake the front.

Special note: Brendan Hogan, a prior Island Heights Sailing Foundation (“IHSF”) Boat Grant participant, is skippering his own boat this season. He’s getting better every race as he works out the kinks in their new to them boat. In fact, on more than half of the boats this weekend there were IHSF participants crewing. A successful program for sure.

There were a number of lead changes in Race 3. Carl Horrocks T-17 worked the left side of the course on the first downwind and second upwind to build a nice lead and take the race. T-17 had many successful downwind runs with Carl taking direction from his spinnaker trimming fiancé Molly Kempton.

Jeff Bonanni with crew Mike O’Brien, Grace Lucas and Andy Goetting took the win, with Carl Horrocks taking second and another strong showing from Dave Magno in third.