STORM TRYSAIL CLUB

By John Gregg Watsonville, CA, October 12, 2006 — It isn't often someone turns over the keys to their Ferrari, Porsche, or Maserati to a bunch of college kids but in effect that's what happened at the Storm Trysail Club's Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta, at the Larchmont Yacht Club on western Long Island Sound.

A number of intrepid boat owners turned over their pride and joy during the Columbus Day weekend to a record 240 college sailors so they could do battle aboard the Big Boats. STC puts on the event to acquaint college dinghy sailors to the teamwork needed in big-boat racing, and also to give athletes who are drawn to big-boat racing an arena in which they can show off their skills. Thirty-three boats and possibly some future America's Cup racers sailed in four one-design divisions, as they squared off on Long Island Sound

"The quality of the fleet was amazing," regatta chairman Adam Loory said. "The owners who loaned their boats and participated understand that donating their time and boats to the new generation of sailors is important to the sport."

Class winners were St. Mary's in the six-boat J/44 division; Webb Institute in the eight-boat J/109 division, Georgetown in the Level 72 division; and California Maritime in the 12-boat J/105 division.

The first two races, four-legged windward-leeward races; were sailed in 20-25 knots of breeze, and the fleet was limited to No. 3 genoas and no spinnakers.

"For the most part, the college teams handled the boats well and had close finishes," Loory explained. "Crews on the sprit boats 'winged-out' their jibs by hand – something the dinghy teams were used to."

So who is the Ohio State, or Notre Dame of offshore college sailing, well, it turns that California Maritime Academy just happens to be flat out good. ESPN isn't knocking down their doors but maybe they should.

Led by senior Piet van Os calling tactics, the Keelhaulers returned to their campus in Vallejo, California after winning back to back titles and the Shields Trophy for the US Service Academy Championship; the third time in the last four years. Racing in the J/105 class that included 12 boats, Cal Maritime iced their victory with 7 points, followed by Georgetown University in second place with 8 points and the US Merchant Marine Academy, from Kings Point, New York in third with 10 points.

Offshore Head Coach Susan "Charlie" Arms heads the Cal Maritime program has been the Director of Sailing since 1999. Arms did not race in college but most of her experience on the water was on big boats and that has really paid off for the school in Northern California that has a student body of just 700.

Coach Arms explained the key to winning back to back crowns was consistency and the performance of her sailors.

"Being consistent and shifting gears as the breeze dropped off," Arms said. "Piet van Os drove the boat well and trimmers Justin Scott and Nathan Prather gave him the boat speed he needed."

The California State University offers bachelor's degrees in business administration, facilities engineering technology, global studies and maritime affairs, marine engineering technology, marine transportation, and mechanical engineering. Of course, winning titles and trophies has a way of keeping everyone smiling on campus.

"Our President and Vice President are both avid sailors and very supportive of the Sailing Program," Arms confided. "Bringing home trophies helps to validate our efforts in growing the program."

What helped nail down their win for Cal Maritime's was the ability of the crew to handle changing conditions on the water.

"It took both bowman Thor Proulx and pit Bud McKay working as barberhaulers on the jib sheets to keep our speed up downwind in the first two race," Arms explained. "We made the mistake of not backing off on the rig between the second and third races. We had to make adjustments to the sail controls and trim. We were constantly monitoring that and adjusting often."

Competition in the J/105 class was extremely close. Along with Georgetown, Kings Points had two boats in the class and the United States Coast Guard Academy along with Tufts, Northwestern, Bowdin, St. Mary's College, the US Military Academy, Cornell and Drexel University all were geared up for winning.

"It was very tough. The points total show that. We felt like we had good boat speed upwind and figured out the angles to sail downwind without a spinnaker," Arms said. "The third race was tricky, we seemed to need to sail a little higher then other boats. Both of the Kings Point boats were fast. Georgetown had very good downwind speed and we got into a match with them in the last race. Van Os has the match race experience to know what moves to make."

Traveling 3,000 miles is a bit of a stretch for a sailing team, however, Arms was very happy about her squad's performance at the regatta but she just wishes that they could race a little closer to home on occasion.

"I think it is a great idea. I wish we had something like it on the West Coast," Arms said. "I think our team would have liked to get the spinnaker up sooner but I understand the need for restraint. Our owner Andrew Gillis was fantastic. He helped get the rig set-up and briefed us on local knowledge on the way to the course."

Mr. Gillis was just one of many boat owners that turned over the keys and let the kids race. When it is all said and done the future of the sport rests on the shoulders of the athletes who sail their boats and the people that provide an opportunity for offshore racers.

STC 2006 Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta presented by Prestige Toyota
Place, Boat Name, College, College Hometown, Finish positions, Total Points

J/44 (One Design - 6 Boats)
1. Vamp, J44, St Mary's College, St Mary's, MD, USA, 2-5-1; 8
2. Glory, J44, US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, USA, 3-3,-3; 9
3. Resolute, J44, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA, 5-1-4; 10
4. Honahlee, J44, NY Maritime, Bronx, NY, USA, 1-4-5; 10
5. Gold Digger, J44, Mass Maritime, Buzzards Bay, MA, USA, 6-2-2; 10
6. Stampede, J44, US Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, USA, 4-6-6; 16

J/109 (One Design - 8 Boats)
1. Relentless, Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY, USA, 1-1-4;6
2. Sundari, Miami of Ohio, Oxford, OH, USA, 2-2-3;7
3. Patriot, U.S. NAval Academy, Washington, DC, USA, 4-3-1;8
4. Storm, Mass Maritime, Buzzards Bay, MA, USA, 3-4-2;9
5. Wingweaver, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 6-6-5;17
6. Mad Dogs, Middlebury, Annapolis, MD, USA, 5-7-6;18
7. Melody, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA, 7-5-7;19
8. Phling, American University, Washington, DC, USA, 8-8-8;24

Level 72 (One Design - 7 Boats)
1. Lora Ann, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA, 1-1-1;3
2. Perigrine, Bates College (Lewiston, ME)/ Colgate University (Hamilton, NY), USA, 2-2-3;7
3. Songlines, Western Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI, USA, 4-3-2;9
4. Soulmates, University of Massachusetts, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 3-4-4;11
5. Privateer, NY Maritime, Bronx, NY, USA, 5-5-6;16
6. Troubador, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA, 7-6-5;18
7. Draco, Johnson and Wales, Providence, RI, USA, 6-8/DNS-7;21

J/105 (One Design - 12 Boats)
1. Jato, California Maritime, Vallejo, CA, USA, 2-2-3;7
2. Kincsem, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA, 3-1-4/SCP;8
3. Eclipse, US Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, USA, 4-5-1;10
4. Andiamo, US Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, USA, 5-3-5;13
5. Cyan, United States Coast Guard Acad., New London, CT, USA, 1-6-7;14
6. 5 Cent, Tufts , Medford, MA, USA, 9-7-4;20
7. Amazing Grace, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA, 8-4-9;21
8. Morning Glory, Bowdoin, Brunswick, ME, USA, 6-13/DNS-6;25
9. Peregrina, St. Mary's College, St. Mary's City, MD, USA, 7-9-10;26
10. Yankee Doodle, US Military Academy, West Point , NY, USA, 11-8-11;30
11. Conundrum, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, 12-13/DSQ-8;33
12. Tolo, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 10-13/DNF-13/DNS;36

Photos courtesy of Storm Trysail Club and California Maritime Keelhaulers Sailing

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