STORM TRYSAIL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Storm Trysail Club Chesapeake

For More information:
Bill Kardash
Tel. 443-994-5706 (m)
e-mail. wkardash@columbiadirect.net

Photos - courtesy of Tim Wilkes Photography

IRC East Coast Championship 2009
Decision IV Named 2009 IRC East Coast Champion

Annapolis, MD (November 1, 2009) – After 3 days and six races just 3 seconds separated Stephen Murray Jr.’s (New Orleans, LA) TP 52, Decision IV from Mike Williamson’s (New Castle, NH), King 40, White Heat for the 2009 IRC East Coast Championship Overall title. Decision IV sailed in IRC Class 1, while White Heat was in IRC Class 3. Overall results are calculated on average corrected speed for each of the Class winners for the entire regatta.

Stephen Murray Jr.’s TP 52 Decision IV won the
2009 IRC East Coast Championship Overall title

Murray, who had previously raced in the 2007 IRC East Coast Championship, said “this is a very prestigious regatta, with great race management and top-notch competition, and we really wanted to make the commitment to win it. We came to Annapolis a month before this regatta so we could race locally, tune the boat and improve our performance. I’m happy to say that effort paid off.”

Stephen Murray’s Decision IV (TP 52), rounds the weather
mark ahead of Ennio Staffini’s Anema & Core

Thirty eight yachts raced in 5 classes as part of the annual IRC East Coast Championship, held October 30-November 1, 2009. Conditions ranged from 7 – 23 kts over the 3-day event, with light rain on Sunday ahead of a cold front. This event marked the ninth year it was organized by the Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station and the fifth year it was run under the IRC rule. STC has been a strong advocate for IRC racing in the U.S.

Stephen Murray, Jr, skipper of Decision IV (TP 52), receives 2009 IRC East Coast Championship Perpetual Trophy from Principal Race Officer, Dick Neville during Awards Ceremony at the Annapolis Yacht Club.

In Class 1, the standings couldn’t have been tighter with Decision IV scoring 17.5 pts vs. 18.0 pts by the US Merchant Marine Academy’s (King’s Point, NY), STP 65 Vanquish (ex-Moneypenny); third place went to Richard Oland’s (Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada), Southern Cross 52, Vela Veloce who amassed 24 pts.

Matt Beer's Farr 40 Sundance won Class 2

Class 2 was a One-design start for six Farr 40s. Matt Beer’s (Washington, DC) Sundance won the class over Preben Ostberg/Todd Olds/Bud Dailey’s (Annapolis) Tsunami; third place went to Kevin McNeil’s (Annapolis), Night Shift. Racing was very close, with 4 of the 6 boats scoring first in at least one race.

White Heat - Williamson’s King 40 won Class

Class 3 was won by Williamson’s White Heat on the strength of three bullets in six races; second place went to David Murphy’s (Westport, CT), J-122, Pugwash, followed by Marc Glimcher’s (New York, NY), J-122, Catapult.

Downtime - Ed and Molly Freitag’s (Annapolis), Beneteau 40.7 won Class 4

In Class 4, Ed and Molly Freitag’s (Annapolis), Beneteau 40.7, Down Time, won the Class, followed by Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis), J-109, Rush, and breaking Sweetser’s multi-year dynasty in the Class; third place went to Mdsn. Jason Mazzoni (USNA-Annapolis), Navy 44, Swift.

Pegasus - Peter Firey’s Beneteau 36.7 won Class 5

Class 5 was a One design start for seven Beneteau 36.7s, with Peter Firey’s (Vienna, VA), Pegasus, narrowly defeating Jim Keen’s (Solomons, MD), Foxtrot Corpen, with Don Finkle’s (Youngstown, NY), KA’IO coming in third.

Complete results: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=225

Click HERE for a print version of this press release with complete fleet results