Peggy Menzies and daughter, Maggie Helmen, win
2023 U.S. Nationals after John and Mary Driver
win Wayfarers in the Chester River Race at the Chester River Yacht & Country Club and Rock Hall YC
report by Uncle Al
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2023.07.02
Congratulations to our 2023 U.S. National Wayfarer
champions, Peggy Menzies and her daughter, Maggie Helmen (above), who
scored a run-away victory in the challenging six-race series hosted by the
Rock Hall YC June 17-18. In the preceding Friday's
Chester River Race, it was John Driver and wife, Mary (below), who nicely sailed through a growling mini-squall and
pulled away from the substantial group of Wayfarers in the 31-boat fleet.
Results and photos here.
Leading Wayfarers as a mini- squall hit
the fleet, John and Mary Driver shortened sail just enough to help them
handle the conditions as they cruised to a horizon job victory over
runners-up, Uncle Al and Mike Codd who took advantage of the squall to
move up to 2nd and subsequently stayed there among Wayfarers. Complete
River Race results here.
Looking Back at a Lovely Weekend of Sailing and Socializing
A mere
four days after the completion of our somewhat harrowing 2023 Chesapeake
Cruise and the drive home - boatless for Hans Gottschling and me since
we had left the boat at the Chester River Yacht & Country Club where
Mike Codd and I planned to rejoin SHADES on the day before
Friday's River Race. We made such good progress that felt we should try
to reach Rock Hall and our intended hostelry, the Black Duck Inn on the Rock Hall waterfront the evening of the Wednesday - if Kate had room for us, which it turned out she did.
After
a fine night's rest, I got us lost trying for a short-cut to
Chestertown and ended up on a road that dead-ended very nicely ...
... here.
Wishing to avoid a repeat of the many times I had
started the River Race late, I got permission to launch a day early from
the Dock Master.
We met a new Ken Butler W2428, not the North Carolina one,
who explained the national letters: France is where he was born. We were
impressed with the numerous upgrades CRYCC has made to its
waterfront amenities such a numerous tables and chairs plus a waterfront
branch of the club bar.
After which it was time to reconnoitre our hosts for
the week-end's Summer One-Design Regatta and our 2023 U.S. Nationals, the
Rock Hall Yacht Club.
Last year, we had met the new, paved haul-out ramp which we would use
in due course, but first, Mike had to try out this lovely addition
to the club.
"Why mess with perfection?" The
club sailing school continues this perfect water-based approach to
instruction in the shallows off the small-boat launching beach. Even the
most timid aquaphobe would be more relaxed in conditions such as these.
This sight brought back memories ...
... of the legendary, lovable Chuck Parry seen in action here at the 2008 regatta.
Friday morning: (l to r) Mike Codd, USWA Commodore Richard Johnson, Jim Heffernan with granddaughter/crew Claire
The Heffernan support team, Linda, prepares her crew's lunch.
Looking serious as race time nears are Uwe Heine and Richard Johnson (r). Note
the lovely boat name in the foreground. I think we encountered one of
those acorns even a blind squirrel finds sometimes: his handicap for
this race in which we had to work hard to stay just ahead of him by the
finish, was an amazing 105 while we are appropriately listed at 91.6.
Application of the handicap converted our hard-earned minute and ten
seconds margin of victory over the Squirrel to to a horizon job in his
favour ... and while I digress, the A-Cats (and other multihulls) remain
untouchable by monohulls in most of these races where they usually
spend minimal time having to beat. There should be a trophy for first
monohull, if I may be so bold.
Getting ready for 1100 hrs start just upriver
Early in the race ...
... just before ...
... the squall (Uwe Heine and Nancy above) ...
... hits.
The safety boats monitored the situation closely.
Eventually the weather gave us nice moderate winds and temperatures.
Above, Mike Codd briefly and capably does it all while Uncle Al mans the camera after the squall has passed.
Finish line duty on the docks of the Rock Hall YC
Wayfarers "moored" in their traditional spots.
Peggy missed the River Race in order to pick up her daughter/crew Maggie who had flown in from Colorado.
Noah and Anthony looking full of energy after sailing the Club 420
the Wayfarer encampment in après-race mode: (l to r) Claire Heffernan, Mike Codd, Maika Heffernan
the Heffernan patriarch, Jim, with the obligatory Dark 'n' Stormy
Peggy and Maggie are obviously happy to be in this paradise.
Linda Heffernan with one of her granddaughters, Claire
And the new owners of W10861 introduced themselves and Uncle Al
welcomed them to the Class with Dark 'n' Stormies. J.P. Mann and Scott
McCarthy (r) are the latest in a series of highly talented racing
additions that our Class has attracted in the past few years, one which
includes the 2023 U.S. Champion, Peggy Menzies and her various capable
crews, River Race winners John and Mary Driver, Paul and Dawn Miller, as
well as Canadians, Ross and Eric Thompson - all seeded in or near our
top ten North American racers.
a work in progress - more to come soon
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