There was a big turnout among Star sailors last weekend, when 25 teams from as far away as southern California, the Midwest and New England arrived at the Tred Avon Yacht Club in Oxford for the 45th annual Oxford Fall Windups regatta.
Winning overall was Elliott Oldak of Annapolis and his crew Paul Amlong, with a 2-1 finish. They edged Bill Allen and Chuck Neville from Willamette, Ill., at 1-3.
The fleet was somewhat larger than usual and contained more out-of-town boats, due to the Star North American Championships, which will be at West River Sailing Club in Galesville Oct. 23-29.
There were some new names in the top ranks of the Fall Windups fleet, including John Sherwood of Annapolis and his crew, Rob Shapiro, who took third after Sherwood's absence of some 20 years from Star racing
Star newcomer Doug Schofield, a Coast Guard officer stationed in Norfolk, with his brother Bob Schofield of Annapolis as crew, took fourth to earn the traditional novice trophy.
Oxford Summer Regatta winner John Vanderhoff from Havre de Grace, with Tim McAteer as crew, beat out the team of John MacCausland and Shane Zwingleberg for fifth on a tie-breaker.
1. Elliott Oldak/Paul Amlong, 3 (2-1); 2. Bill Allen/Chuck Neville, 4 (1-3); 3. John Sherwood/Rob Shapiro, 8 (4-4); 4. Doug & Bob Schofield, 9 (3-6); 5. John Vanderhoff/Tim McAteer, 12 (10-2).
Fall Oxford is fast, furious
The annual Naval Academy Sailing Squadron Oxford Race from the Severn to the Tred Avon turned into a gear-buster for some while providing awesome rides for others. There were 202 starters in 17 handicap and cruising one-design classes on Sept. 23.
Ron Steele of Annapolis and the crew aboard his Melges 24 Varmint Cong blasted through the fleet of earlier starting slower classes, stayed in front of the later starters in PHRF A-0 and A-1, and completed the 29-mile course in just over three hours to take line honors, the win in the 30-boat PHRF A-2 class, and post the best corrected time in PHRF overall.
The NASS race is the first leg of one of the season's most popular back-to-back series, which also includes the Hammond Memorial Race, a reciprocal 20-mile contest from Oxford to Poplar Island the next day.
In Sunday's 20-knot air, the fleet made good time over this course, too, with the best PHRF corrected time again going to a Melges 24, Richard Taylor's Fred.
Acing the series both ways were TAYC's own George Wilson and the team on his J/44 First Light in PHRF A-0, and the team of Charlie Scott and Charlie Smith and their crew on their J/30 Houdini.
PHRF A-0 (7 starters): 1. First Light, George Wilson, 3:03:10 c.t.; 2. Ramrod, Bert Jabin, 3:05:02 c.t.; 3. Tolerance, St. Mary's College, 3:07:14 c.t.
PHRF A-1 (23 starters): 1. Blockade Runner, Teague/Bingman, 2:40:42 c.t.; 2. Infringer, Stoer/Zinn, 2:53:11 c.t.; 3. Duckbill Charlie, Charles Ratcliff, 2:54:33 c.t.
PHRF A-2 (30 starters): 1. Varmint Cong, Ron Steele, 2:19:37 c.t.; 2. Fred, Richard Taylor, 2:40:42 c.t.; 3. Trippwire, Groobey/Hronek, 2:45:29 c.t.
PHRF B (22 starters): 1. Yellow Bird, Richard Heintz, 2:38:34 c.t.; 2. Rumor, Harry Seemans, 2:49:20 c.t.; 3. Skylark, Marilyn Decker, 2:50:13 c.t.
PHRF C (25 starters): 1. AJ, David Scheidt, 2:29:22 c.t.; 2. Restless, Eric Crawford, 2:39:05 c.t.; 3. Cold Duck, Schoolden/Wright, 2:42:25 c.t.
PHRF D (2 starters): 1. Woodpecker, Nick Serinis, 2:39:49 c.t.
PHRF Nonspinnaker 1 (3 starters):; 1. Class, Bob/Patti Polk, 2:58:16 c.t.; 2. Hoya, Joseph Ryan, 3:05:35 c.t.
PHRF Nonspinnaker 2 (11 starters): 1. Spice, Ray Taylor, 2:41:26 c.t.; 2. Free Spirit, William Bizjak, 2:46:58 c.t.; 3. Freelance, Grant Irani, 2:50:55 c.t.
MORC (9 starters): 1. Far Fig Newton, David Nielsen, 2:26:12 c.t.; 2. Remedy, Bert Carp, 2:29:05 c.t.; 3. Problem Child, Brian Jones, 2:29:41 c.t.
Multihull (6 starters): 1. Leading Lady, Michael Beaver, 3:00:55 c.t.; 2. Temporary Insanity, Ettridge/Hitchens, 3:05:09 c.t.; 3. Gemini 105, A.J. Smith, 3:10:54 c.t.
Alberg 30 (8 starters): 1. Second-2-Nun, Harry Gamber; 2. Marlin, Bryan Marshall; 3. Phantom, Bruce Breiding.
Cal 25 (5 starters): 1. Jumpin' Jack Flash, J&J; Niemczuk; 2. White Cap, T.J. Bloomfield; 3. Harlequin, Leo Surla.
Catalina 27 (9 starters): 1. Finnegan's Wake, John O'Brien; 2. Gusto, John Potvin; 3. Air Borne, Cary Garman.
J/30 (16 starters): 1. Houdini, Scott/Smith; 2. Scat V, Andy Schoettle; 3. Big Kahuna, Larry Christy; 4. Better Mousetrap, Bob Putnam.
J/35 (12 starters): 1. Aunt Jean, F.N. Sagerholm; 2. J-Bird, Yeigh/McFadden; 3. Downtown Girl, William Weisburger.
Pearson 30: 1. Results, Art Libby; 2. Knotbobs, Dan Miller; 3. Constellation, Henry Starr.
Triton (4 starters): 1. Sandpiper, Chris Gordon; 2. Jubilant, Jim Swartz.
TAYC Hammond Regatta
PHRF A-0: 1. First Light, Wilson, 2:26:47 c.t.; 2. Tolerance, St. Mary's College, 2:29:05 c.t.; 3. Morning Star, USNA, 2:36:31 c.t.
PHRF A-1: 1. La Chasseresse, Carl Geyer, 2:17:30 c.t.; 2. Hawkeye, USNA, 2:23:16 c.t.; 3. Der Baron, Don Wagner, 2:24:35 c.t.
PHRF A-2: 1. Fred, Taylor, 2:16:43 c.t.; 2. Lively, USNA, 2:21:02 c.t.; 3. The Simpsons, Thompson/Shannahan, 2:22:43 c.t.
PHRF B: 1. Rumour, Seemans, 2:19:14 c.t.; 2. Skylark, Bradford Decker, 2:19:22 c.t.; 3. Quicksilver, Guy Collins, 2:22:26 c.t.
J/35: 1. Grayling, Richard Born; 2. J-Bird, Yeigh/Baker; 3. Medicine Man, C.F. Kohlerman.
J/30: 1. Houdini, Scott/Smith; 2. Better Mousetrap, Putnam; 3. Skua, Antarctic Syndicate.
MORC: 1. Remedy, Carp, 2:10:57 c.t.; 2. (no name), John White, 2:13:21 c.t.; 3. Stingray, Robert Muller, 2:13:30 c.t.
PHRF Nonspinnaker: 1. Freelance, Irani, 2:20:02 c.t.; 2. Spice, Taylor, 2:20:49 c.t.; 3. Free Spirit, Bizjak, 2:22:06 c.t.
Catalina 27: 1. Gusto, Potvin; 2. Finnegan's Wake, O'Brien; 3. Columbine, Russell Keeney.
Cal 25: 1. Chicken Little, Charlie Husar; 2. White Cap, Bloomfield; 3. Jumpin' Jack Flash, Niemczuk.
Pearson 30: 1. Knotbobs, Miller; 2. Results, Libby; 3. O2 Juliet, John Jankus.
Multihull: 1. Temporary Insanity, Ettridge/Hitchens, 2:25:28 c.t.; 2. Leading Lady, Beaver, 2:31:20 c.t.; 3. Gemini, Jere Glover, 2:36:10 c.t.
Alberg 30: 1. Argo, Peter Scheidt; 2. Sundance, Nye/Evans; 3. Marlin, Marshall.