Downwind in Sandy Bay; photo courtesy of Marblehead Studios the March 2018 What’s where As the prez sez Around the fleets.............................................................page 2 Spring is just around the corner, or so promises the weath- erperson. Hockey, skiing, and curling are out, and sailing is back in. Use this time to get boats shipshape and cash in on nationalscosts, and (currently as Jim points we out,provide they $50 are perthe boatbasis or of $1,250,our the sailmakers’ winter deals. whichever is higher). It is difficult for smaller fleets to cover boats that are almost race-ready but in need of some TLC to I am aware of. Please let me know if I’m missing anyone. national class. Another idea is to provide loans to owners of Jim WeTaylor welcome replaces a number Kim Pandapas of new fleetin Fleet captains, 5 (Marblehead), at least fve ideas to get more and younger sailors into the class are get them back into service for either sale or charter. Also, SouthDartmouth), Robert Paterson replaces Jim Lidington Ikein Fleet Babbitt 36 (Sandyreplaces Bay), Gary Ellen Juvinall Gray in replaces Fleet 9 (Padanaram/Patrick Hanth always welcome. We do now provide discounts to juniors in Fleet 46 (Hingham Bay), and Mark Winters replaces participating in nationals and some regional events. say 2018on that, is shapingas will Rocky up to Sanchezbe a busy on year. the Theupcoming East Coast nation - Championshipals in New Orleans. is back, and Ike Babbitt will have more to Martin Vernick in Fleet 49 (Savannah). Many thanks and Since I’m at ground zero for the nationals, I can say that goodLet’s wishes continue to those the newdiscussion and departing of how to officers, manage and our we a great team has been assembled, and they’re hard at it nationalknow everyone treasury, will which support amounts them toin $47,every 000, way more possible. or less. planning and preparing. some portion of it for the greater good. A rainy day fund is That’s not a large sum of money, but maybe we can leverage An old friend of the fleet, Tom Long, is our regatta building, Mother Nature, or unforeseen opportunities? chairman,him as PRO. and Nathan Adams is a longtime R19 racer who vital too, as who knows what might happen with boat has moved into a new track, and we are fortunate to have great case for increasing our per-boat stipend for hosting a (continued on page 2) Some good suggestions have come in. Jim Taylor makes a The official newsletter of the Rhodes 19 Class Association • www.rhodes19.org and the prez sez more working We have on that the bestend. partyIt will planners be a great on time! the planet, sturdyis behind R19 us that now, someone and we lookwould to caredouble to donateenrollment to our to Tommy and Karen Taggart and Tom and Thena Carville, nonprofit, please give me a ring. The entire community although I have I it can on makemy list an to educated delve further guess. into what Jim over 100 kids. TaylorI’m calls particularly Fleet 5’s excited very successful to be going “fleet into bar” our concept,second As I have yet another (!) birthday coming up, this full season with the new youth sailing program in old joke tickled me—“Old sailors never die; they just get a little dinghy.” —Rick McGregor Have fun sailing, all! Havre de Grace, Maryland. If anyone has a line on a Marblehead, Massachusetts typical season. Peter Frisch and Seamus Hourihan Fleet 5 continues to thrive here in Marblehead. We had didn’t do quite all of them, but they came reason- twenty-eight registrations for our regular Marblehead ably close, and they won our overall Rhode to the Racing Association season, and we have been thrilled Cup award. Three different boats won one of the to have a number of younger sailors join us over the four MRA series, and roughly one-third of the past few years. Recent college sailors are fine with boats registered won at least one race. The underpowered boats that all go the same speed, toughest event to win in any year here is Race because they appreciate the fact that keeps the fleet Week, as the fleet is always big and deep and the close together and the competition tight. The talent event runs four days. This year, Ben Richardson level has never been higher in Fleet 5, and the racing sailed to an impressive win in a very competitive can be intense but still friendly. Our numbers were down fleet of twenty-eight. just a tick from 2016, but they have remained remarkably Fleet 5 hosted the nationals at the Corinthian Yacht stable over the years at the same time numbers in some Club in 2015 but stepped up to host again in 2017, when other fleets have either fallen dramatically (E-22 and other plans fell through. This time, the event was chaired Viper) or have vanished entirely (J-24, Sonar, and J-22). by two of our recent college sailors, Matt Hooks and Nat There are a lot of reasons for the continued popu- Taylor. There were twenty-nine entries, and in an especial- larity of the Rhodes 19 and the stability of Fleet 5. One is ly good showing, eight of those came from out of town. the boat itself, as it is inexpensive, a great family boat, and Despite a remarkable August “fog out” on Saturday, Susie well suited to racing with just two people, which is a huge Schneider’s Eastern Yacht Club race committee got in advantage when crew can be hard to find. The most seven good races. Ben Richardson was in the money to important attractions, however, are without doubt the back up his Race Week win in the nationals, but in the end people who have led and supported Fleet 5 over time and he was outdueled by Tomas Honos and crew, who won the priority they have put on holding social events three races and threw out a fifth in their remarkably throughout the year. These are held regularly, in and out consistent win. Hardworking cochair Matt Hooks didn’t of season, so members can enjoy each other’s company even get to sail (who schedules weddings during sailing —even if they did have a memorable recent disagreement season?). It is a huge challenge to find enough bandwidth at a leeward mark. Whoever thought up the fleet bar to both MC a big event and compete in it, but Nat Taylor concept, which is an obvious attraction at each Fleet 5 dug deep for a big win in the last race and finished a event, is (or was?) a genius who should be toasted at creditable fourth overall. Two nationals in three years every opportunity. asked a lot from a large number of Fleet 5 volunteers, and we are looking forward to competing in New Orleans. We enjoy an embarrassment of riches in Marblehead —Jim Taylor in that we can compete in sixty-five to seventy races in a When all the points winter, the members of Fleet 7 managed to get were tallied, it was In spite of some very cold weather over the Rocky Sanchez in Lickety Split win- inAllstate a little Sugar racing Bowl over Regatta the winter on Sunday, months. Back inDecember early December, 3. The sailors the fleet were participated treated to mildin the season and the temperatures and gentle breezes, which ning the overall allowed the race committee to get in three good races. It seemed to be to Rick 2017director’s “Cock of McGregor’s liking, as he sailed Pog Ma Hon to chair forthe the Walk” third year in a row. Joining throughout the series was Jim Rogers as Rhode Hard him on the podium was his threetook the bullets bridesmaid and an overallposition win. with Chasing three seconds. him crew, Christy Carney, who Rhode Hawg the Year award. Rounding out the top three was L.g. Sullivan on was given the 2017 Crew of with 3-4-3 finishes. It was a great end to the to sail in New Orleans Yacht Club’s annual Mardi Gras annual2017 sailing party season.hosted, once again, by Rick and Margaret Race With Week, the which end of was the held winter for inone-designs sight, the fleet on the elected The fleet also celebrated the 2017 season at the and then rain, but fortunately they were wrong again, McGregor, held in early March 2018. As always, Tom weekend of March 17 and 18. The forecast was for fog and Karen Taggart organized a wonderful event with plentywinners. of Thesefood and were drink. the season’sAfter everyone awards. was full, the and theIt was fog good lifted to with get aback light out southerly again and that shake eventually the awardsLickety were Split given out, and there were plenty of rustbuilt off. to 10 Also, to 15it was with great temperatures to welcome in ourthe newest70s. member, Rj Trejo, who purchased one of our old regu- lars and is bringing her back to life! If this weekend was RU Sirius —Rocky Sanchez: Bordelon, second; Zimmerman, first; Andrews, second; McLellan, first any indication, Rj will be quite formidable in short time. The series quickly became a two-boat duel between Rhode Hard—Steve Salzer/Robert Brennan: Bordelon, first; Andrews, first; Grevemberg, second Hallelujah —Jim Rogers: Bordelon, third; Zimmerman, second; Andrews, third Rj and Tom Carville, who had Rocky Sanchez sailing Andrews, third with him. The lead went back and forth in the first two Excel —Dwight LeBlanc, Jr.: Zimmerman, third; races, with Rj taking first in race one and Tom taking Shiraz racelet go, two taking in a photothe win finish.