2023 Penguin Internationals

August 26 & 27, 2023

Tred Avon Yacht Club, Oxford, MD

Photos by Will Keyworth - Penguin Nationals 2023 - SpinSheet (smugmug.com)

 

The 2023 Penguin Internationals are now in the history books with the team of Jonathan and Annie Bartlett unseating 4-time winners Bill Lawson and Colette Preis to claim their 5th International Championship.  Bill and Colette got off to a good start taking a bullet in the first race and it seemed like they would sail away to an easy victory, with Jonathan and Annie taking 5th in the shifty northerly.  However, in race 2, the Lawson team found themselves at the back of the fleet recovering to an 8th place finish, which was going to typify the weekend with a jumbled scoreboard for most of the fleet.  The first four races featured four different race winners with Charlie and Cairn Krafft leading wire to wire in race 2 and Chris and Diana Conway doing the same in race 3.  Jonathan and Annie took a bullet in race 4 and then held onto that formula to win all of the subsequent races, despite some close challenges from the Lawsons and Jeff and Ellie Cox.   Sandy McAllister sailing with Athena Arnold had a couple of 4th place finishes and ended up 6th overall.  Bill Lane, sailing with his granddaughter Annabelle Lane took the Len Penso Classic Penguin award home, besting Scott Leppert sailing with his son Elliott.  Read Beigel sailing Zoom Zoom solo remembered to bring knee pads on Sunday, as getting around in the Burtis Penguin is tough on one’s knees.  Mike Baugh, sailing with his son Rodric had a 4th in race 2, beating out Martin Krafft sailing with Stephanie Larson on a tiebreaker.  At 91, John Majane, sailing with LeAnn Myhre was the oldest sailor in the fleet, and the regatta as well, reported he found tacking difficult, although his super crew LeAnn managed the mainsheet at times, which made the process much smoother. It was good to see Tripp Ewers, sailing with his daughter Caroline in Chesire Cat ( a boat he acquired from Bill Lane a couple of years ago) back on the race course.  And kudos to our youngest skipper, 8-yr. old Heneage Baugh, sailing with his mother, Sarah.  Sailing in a fleet of senior Penguin sailors didn’t phase him as he competently navigated the course.  Jonathan was awarded the Dick Tennerstedt GrandMaster award for the highest placing skipper over age 60, and he and Annie took home the Lawson Family Team award for the highest placing family team.  It is worth noting that 10 of the 13 two-person teams were eligible for the family award.

Mike and Rodric Baugh – photo by Will Keyworth

Henneage and Sarah Baugh – our youngest skipper (8 y.o.)

Bill Lane gnawing on his mainsheet as granddaughter Annabelle Lane adjusts the shroud.

Bill Lawson – all smiles. Photo by Will Keyworth.

Jonathan and Annie Bartlett, on their way to winning yet another of their four races.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

John Majane, the oldest Penguin sailor at 91, and super crew LeAnn Myhre.  (note LeAnn’s grip on the mainsheet.) Photo by Will Keyworth.

Martin Krafft and Stephanie Larson (photo by Will Keyworth)

Tripp and Caroline Ewers sailing the Chesire Cat. Photo by Will Keyworth.

Scott and Elliott Leppert turning in a remarkable performance.  Great to see another family team.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

Sandy McAllister with Athena Arnold in Against the Grain. Photo by Will Keyworth.

Penguins sharing the Tred Avon with the Log Canoes (Jay Dee prior to their encounter with Billie P. Hall - https://youtu.be/gXXDhoLY7qU?si=MMRvejzV0jdTLGnr )

Will Keyworth also captured dramatic footage of the collision and capsize.

And for more drone video action of Penguin racing by Tim Magnus at the start of race 1. https://youtu.be/gWpg0R1CFZs

Bill Lawson leading a pack around the weather mark. Wait, is that a Penguin with a jib?  No, a pesky Comet that we shared the course with.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

Jeff and Ellie Cox, with a sail built by his sister, Sewall.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

Chris and Diana Conway.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

PRO Eric Crawford and RC team watch as Charlie and Cairn Krafft edge out Jonathan and Annie Bartlett in race 3. Photo by Will Keyworth.

Reid Beigel – the lone solo sailor.  Photo by Will Keyworth.

 

PRO Eric Crawford and team did a superb job of keeping the course as square as possible given the oscillating winds we encountered on both days, northerly on Saturday and northeasterly on Sunday.  As the tide starting ebbing strongly Saturday afternoon, the weather mark layline became a bit of a challenge, with many boats finding themselves short of the mark.  Sunday, the northeasterly breeze also proved problematic with more pressure generally on the right side of the course, but large oscillations in the direction and velocity.  Race 7 was shortened to finish at the leeward mark, as the wind had shut down.  Unfortunately the Comets, with whom we shared the course were headed to their finish while the Penguins were finishing at the leeward mark, just upwind of the finish line, leading to some unnecessary congestion with boats going to different marks. 

 

 

SAILORS

SAIL NUMBER

BOAT NAME

CLUB/ORG

NET

TOTAL

R1

 

R2

R3

R4

R5

R6

R7

1

Jonathan Bartlett
Annie Bartlett

USA 9660

Sister Mary Stigmata

Annapolis Yacht Club

11

16

[5]

 

3

4

1

1

1

1

2

William Lawson
Colette Preis

USA 9677

Family Ties

Severn Sailing Association

14

22

1

 

[8]

2

2

5

2

2

3

Charles Krafft
Cairn Krafft

USA 9694

Otter B

Severn Sailing Association

21

29

7

 

1

3

3

4

3

[8]

4

Chris Conway
Diana Conway

USA 9657

C-Biscuit

Annapolis Yacht Club

24

31

6

 

5

1

4

3

5

[7]

5

Jeffrey Cox
Ellie Cox

USA 8823

Evelyn

TAYC

27

39

2

 

[12]

5

9

2

4

5

6

Sandy McAllister
Athena Arnold

USA 9662

Against The Grain

TAYC

35

47

4

 

6

8

6

7

[12]

4

7

Bill Lane
Annabelle Lane

USA 4200

White Rabbit

TAYC

36

47

3

 

[11]

7

7

6

10

3

8

Scott Leppert
Elliott Leppert

USA 7707

None

St. Mary's Yacht Club

45

60

12

 

2

11

5

8

7

[DNF - 15]

9

P. Read Beigel Jr.
Read Beigel

USA 9627

Zoom Zoom

THE Potapskut Sailing Association

50

65

8

 

10

6

8

[DNS - 15]

6

12

10

Michael Baugh
Rodric Baugh

USA 8241

Humble Pie

Tred Avon Yacht Club

54

66

11

 

4

[12]

10

10

8

11

11

Martin Krafft
Stephanie Larson

9575

None

None

54

67

9

 

7

[13]

11

9

9

9

12

John Magane
LeAnn Myhre

5282

None

SSA

61

75

[14]

 

9

9

13

13

11

6

13

Tripp Ewers
Caroline Ewers

USA 9140

Cheshire Cat

—

71

86

10

 

14

10

12

11

14

[DNF - 15]

14

Heneage Baugh
Sarah Baugh

USA 9668

None

Tred Avon Yacht Club

75

89

13

 

13

[14]

14

12

13

10