2008 ISLAND CREEK PENGUIN FROSTBITE REGATTA

The 2008 ICPFR was sailed on November 15^th at the Corkran Estate and featured two surprises.

The first was the nuclear blasts of wind which sank two boats before the start of the first race. The big breeze caused everyone racing (of 17 boats which posted, 12 raced the first race and nine completed all three) to raise their board by one-third just to sail to weather. Swampings, auto tacks, round-ups and wild jibes were the order of the day. Downwind control was non-existent. Sailors moved as far back as possible, rode the hairy edge and hoped they were not in one of the super-huge blasts at the jibe mark.  Those who were, simply waited to jibe, and waited, and waited.

Jonathan Bartlett and Kyle Comerford had so much vang on that the sail was inside out and the mast pin appeared likely to shear off. Read and Read Beigel used less vang and let the top of the sail twist off in the puffs. Emily and Cookie Dupont showed that good boat handling can make very old boats, in this case Yellow Boat by Dupont boatworks, go in the monster breeze. Mike and Rachel Hecky demonstrated the same outstanding form evident in the Internationals. Taylor Penwell sailing with Jeff Cox crewing in the crew race pulled a horizon job on the rest of the fleet. This was great sailing for this standout high school sailor.

Scott Williamson and Aubrey Barringer, Sandy McAllister with April Elliott, Bill Lane and Katie Carraher and Sean and Harry Callahan also survived all three races.

Matt Lane and Grey Benson and Bud Dailey and Andreas Adam retired wisely after two races.  Very new Penguin sailors Ken and Willy Comerford wondered about the sanity of the fleet after the first race. They watched the last two from the relative sanity of the shore. Welcome to the fleet, Ken and Willy. We also sail in gentler breeze.

The also-rans who went out, but never started the first race, included Sewall Cox and Kelly Lane, Charlie and Douglas Krafft (when you pull hard those bailers come right out of the plastic boats) and Del Walter and me.

The great big party which is the real excuse for this huge event featured oysters donated by Richard Slaughter and cooked by Tex Bringman and Mike Greenhawk, chili by Colin and Mick Edgill and expert boat launching and retrieval by John Danley (who also designed the chart), Joe Balderson and Bob Greenlee.  David Cox MCed a totally suspect trophy presentation assisted by (even more suspect) Veronica Wainwright and Kara Millicent. Karen also made hot buttered rum, breakfast cake and helped with just about everything. As always Linda Laramy did a great job with the scoring.

Tot O’Mara did a wonderful job running the races on Mike Firth’s boat expertly handled by Doug and Becky Firth. She had Nancy Dupont and others for good advice. Victor Dupont and Steve Requardt ran one of the crash boats.  Beau Firth prepared the Bloody Marys. Everyone thanked Beau. The finishers especially thanked him.

The list of people who contributed time and support is longer than the list of participants and we apologize to anyone not included. Thank you all.  

How can we thank Kim Corkran and her extended family and neighbors and friends enough for this wonderful regatta? All Penguin sailors have more fun and enjoyment at this regatta than can ever be expressed.

Here’s the other surprise.

Most sailors, like astronomers, scientists, archeologists and other professionals who work in areas in which new discoveries are possible, long, pine even, to have their name appended to a new device, technique or discovery. Just as new stars, chemicals and plants and animals are named after whoever found them first, a new device or technique (the Cunningham comes to mind in sailing) must be named after the sailor who first developed and made it perfect. The 5^th ICPFR featured a fascinating new technique by our own Pucky Lippincott. She and Laura Beigel were hit by a monster blast of wind while preparing to start the first race. Pucky, in fear for her life and the life of her skipper, prevented the boat from sinking and saved the day by executing a beautiful double backflip off the Penguin. She did this so adroitly that Laura kept sailing without her and was only aware of her absence when another competitor asked where her crew was. Pucky was by this time rescued, as she cleverly executed her exit next to a crash boat.

After careful consideration his new technique now has a name: Puckup.

We will send a notice for a winter meeting in the next few days.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Regatta results saved: Saturday, November 15, 2008 1:21:09 PM EST

Division: PENGUIN (17 boats) (top)

Notes

Information is provisional and subject to modification

Principal Race Officer: TOT O'MARA

Version 5.1.04: Regatta scoring by JavaScore, an Open Source project available at http://www.gromurph.org/javascore