History of Race Week
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09 gsbyra book.qxp 4/17/2009 3:07 PM Page 66 RACE WEEK History of Race Week Race Week has been an important part of ter books exist for Cruise Week with the the history of Great South Bay Yacht Racing GSBYRA logo on the front cover and an Association since the organization was advertisement on the back cover.From 1924 founded. Initially it was held off a different to the present year, a 6 by 9 inch book club each day as a cruise week to begin at serves as a yearbook to list the GSBYRA Babylon Yacht Club, move to South Side race schedule for the season, winners of tro- Yacht Club in Sayville, then on to Bellport phies and other pertinent information. Bay Yacht Club, and finally end at South Bay In 1927 a fifth race day at Point O’ Woods Yacht Club in Patchogue. Sailors raced dur- was added between Bay Shore and Sayville ing the afternoon, rendezvoused at night, race days. In 1936, Race Week expanded to a then sailed or were towed on to the next sixth race day when Timber Point was added location for the following race. Cruise Week to the schedule between Point O’ Woods was established in 1907.The earliest surviv- and Sayville, then dropped by 1938, when Bay ing mention of race week is a Bellport Bay Shore replaced Babylon with two race days Yacht Club Program and Instructions for and Patchogue replaced Bellport Bay with Regattas to be sailed over the Club Course two race days. In 1927, Fire Island donated a during the Season of 1913. From the begin- Gold Cup perpetual trophy to the yacht club ning an entry fee was required and the race whose registered yacht received the greatest scheduled for 1400. An annual Association number of points in her class, provided that Special Prize Cup was awarded for the yacht an average number of 4 boats start in her making the fastest corrected time on a des- class in the 5 races scheduled.The Middleton ignated course for the first time in 1920. Trophy for the Cruiser handicap race of Cruise Week 1924 began with evening power boats was awarded for a 23 mile race entertainment at Unqua Corinthian Yacht at Fire Island Yacht Club in 1928. Club and races at Babylon, Bay Shore, Bell- One design classes emerged. Exciting port Bay and Sayville Yacht Clubs.Two special episodes of storms at night, mad bailing to prizes were offered for boats sailing those keep tows afloat, losing a tow or two, taps on races. Commodore Pearson offered an SS a bugle, dances, clam chowder at Point O’ Class prize and Chairman of the Race Com- Woods, a four hour ordeal across Patchogue mittee Harry Growtage offered an SB Class Bay and around Howell’s Point to Bellport in prize. The Association appointed George H. the teeth of a cold, rainy easterly gale mark Walbridge of Babylon to measure all cours- colorful events in the history of Cruise es. Regular class prizes were awarded by the Week. club over whose course the race was held. World War II restrictions halted Cruise An often overlooked note is that three days Week as it had existed and brought racing to of predicted log motor boat races became a central location.With smaller fleet partici- part of Race Week in 1925. Five Cups were pation and one 2:00 race per day scheduled awarded: two Carrillo Cups presented by , Cruise Week became a six day Race Week. Leo Carrillo of South Shore Yacht Club of Bay Shore Yacht Club hosted Race Week Freeport, one for first class Cruisers and one during 1941-45. After the war Race Week R to Elco Cruisettes; the Gillespie Cup pre- shifted to Timber Point Club on Nicoll Bay sented by Commodore S. H. Gillespie of during 1946-1954.The Star Class raced two Westhampton to 2nd class Cruisers; the series concurrently. That additional trophy, Schreiber Cup presented by R. A. Schreiber The Corry Cup excluded the Monday race of South Shore to 3rd class Cruisers; and the for a total of 5 races. Wednesday night the Pinkham Cup presented by F. C. Pinkham of Star Class held a dinner and on Saturday Bellport Bay to Speedboats. night the Narrasketuck Class sponsored a Printed pamphlets of yachts in GSBYRA dance at no charge. Launch service was pro- which list courses at Babylon, Bay Shore, vided by the Timber Point Club.As Chairman Sayville and Bellport Bay Yacht Clubs,a dozen of the Race Committee in 1946, Louis classes of yachts, yacht numbers, yacht Delafield started Narrasketucks in two divi- names, owner names and time allowances sions, often 40 boats per division. Participa- exist from 1924 through 1926. From 1927 tion in Race Week declined from about 340 through 1929 small, stapled together Regis- boats in 1936 to about 90 boats in 1954. 66 09 gsbyra book.qxp 4/17/2009 3:07 PM Page 67 RACE WEEK President Cappy Arink resumed Race sion due to Axtmann’s refusal to comply Week as Cruise Week, with Delafied as with a request for weigh-in and measure- Chairman in 1955, imploring families to par- ment. George Furman. an attorney threat- ticipate and welcoming the Cruising Club as ened a $25,000 law suit against the Narras- a member of the Association. The Coast ketuck Class when his boat weighed in under Guard patrolled the courses. That year the the minimum weight. Narrasketuck Class fleet raced at Babylon on Monday, proceed- attorney Wilmurt Linker settled on the ed to Bay Shore, Point O’ Woods, Bellport mathematical average weight, 860 pounds, of Bay, and finished at Westhampton on Satur- the last eight boats built. day. Course charts were printed in the book By 1962 Chairman Zimmerman initiated along with the registered yachts by class. separate divisions carrying colored stream- The following year, for the 50th Anniver- ers in some classes: 3 divisions of Blue Jays, 2 sary of the Association, Cruise and Race of Beetle Cats and Sailfish. He grouped Week began with a beach party rendezvous midget divisions of Blue Jay, Beetle Cat,Tech at Moriches, and continued on the successive Dinghy and Seaford Skiff into their own sig- days with racing off Westhampton, Bellport, nal sequence as well. Louis Orr succeeded Point O’ Woods, Bay Shore, and ended with Zimmerman as Chairman of the Race Com- two race days at Babylon, with a social event mittee in 1962. Most one design skippers dry scheduled for each night. Participation sailed their boats by the early 1960’s and increased. Cruise and Race Week subse- permanent hoists were available for launch- quently alternated direction on the bay each ing and lifting out at Babylon, Bay Shore, year. The social events evolved into huge Sayville and Bellport Bay, while a crane was family gatherings ashore. used at Long Island. Bay Shore and Bayberry John Fenner succeeded Delafield as sponsored a supper dance at the Brightwa- Chairman of the Race Committee in 1958, ters Beach and Cabana Club. initiated separate turning marks for two Another type of boat made its appear- groups into the schedule, and printed handi- ance on the bay for the first time. Skippers caps for 30 classes in the book. Participation raced the first multihull boats, Cougar,Thai, was over 300 boats. The Association year- Tiger Cat, and Cat Fish classes at club races, book named a season champion in each with the Pacific Cat and B Lion classes first class. The 1959 book published the Racing racing in the 1966 Race Week. Rules of the North American Yacht Racing Chairman of Race Week John E. Barnes of Union adopted for that year. At Race Week Narrasketuck conducted a different format John Titterington created controversy after for 1967 in an effort to increase participa- three first place finishes with the light weight tion. Races were held for two days at each of Narrasketuck he had built over the winter. 3 clubs: Long Island, Bay Shore, and Sayville. He then placed second, fourth and fifth in That year the GSBYRA book listed participa- following races. Frank St. John won the class tion by class and by the 18 member clubs followed by septuagenarian Wilbur Ketchum. beginning with 1960 Race Week data. Partic- Minimum weight became a strong issue in ipation had declined from 292 boats to 228 the class. boats.Alternating the racing direction of the President Fenner and Chairman of the Race Week Clubs continued yearly. In 1969, Race Committee John O. Zimmerman adapt- John J. Fauth succeeded Barnes as Chairman R ed a uniform scoring system in 1960 to of the Race Committee. Fauth was followed determine Race Week winners and used the as Chairman by Harvey McChesney of Bell- Cox-Sprague system to determine season port in 1972. Under President Ted Zimmer- champions; required a yacht club identifica- man the entire Race Week format returned tion emblem with the participants name; and to Great River. Class Captains were appoint- required each club to provide chaperones ed to stimulate participation and provide for the activities ashore. input into courses, class start sequence and Tropical Storm Brenda damaged about number of times around the course. For three dozen boats at Race Week in Babylon many years until his death in 1973, John on July 30, 1960 to force the cancelation of Fanelli, a reporter for the New York Times, the final race. Charlie Axtmann’s Narraske- sat below deck on the committee boat and tuck Teaser 143 won the class, but another typed results to be published the following storm brewed.The class protested the deci- day.