Pleasure Beach Day 2 Results

After a postponement last Sunday due to high winds, we had cooperative weather this past Saturday.  Hosted by UConn Sailing Team Alumni, Day 2 of the Sunfish Series of Connecticut (SSOC) was held at Pleasure Beach Boat Launch in Waterford.

Despite overcast skies, forecasted big breeze held off in the morning yielding five races in fantastic sailing conditions. While the heavy winds held off, rolling waves came down the course, providing great opportunities to surf on the downwind leg. The sail area was neatly situated between Jordan Cove, Niantic Bay, and Long Island Sound, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, private beaches, and an expansive sand bar to the north.  The flashy show of colorful sails was hopefully appreciated by the multitudes of fishermen on the water and shore.

Wind was an oscillating breeze out of the southeast, but the shifts were not as visible on the water as the strong current lines!  Although low tide at 10:30am coincided with the first start of the day, by the third race the current was picking up and creating a challenge for some of the sailors.  At first glance, there appeared to be long dragging lulls on the surface of the water, but sailing into them wasn’t accompanied by a loss of pressure.  At the windward mark, despite approaching above the starboard lay line, the ripping current forced top boats to double tack to make the mark. The quick learners were easily identified as the ones who overshot lay by a mile, but rounded the windward mark clearly and with good boat speed.  Lesson learned, account for the current!

We are thankful to all the sailors who turned out in support of this new event and especially wish to thank the new faces who joined us!  In the Challenger division, Peter Rodriguez impressed with a top 5 overall finish to take the top spot, followed by Megan Smith, sailing in her first regatta since 2014 – welcome back!  Third place Challenger division was UConn alumna Alexandra Burke. 

The first place spot in the Championship division and overall was cinched by Will Kresic, with three bullets (all before the pesky current picked up!), followed by Lyndsay Kresic in second and Kimmy Jackman in third. 

A special shout out to Paul Dierze for coming all the way from MA, and to Priscilla Sawyer, a current UConn student who provided marks from the Sailing Team and competed in her first Sunfish regatta.  Bantam Lake Yacht Club had the best presence from a single club with a strong showing, represented by Kimmy Jackman, Alex Ledvedev, and Derek Austin.

We extend our gratitude to all the sailors who participated and to the volunteers who made this day possible. Thank you to Brian Pracon, Sprocket, Sarah Dubois, and Andrew Silhavy for running races. A huge thank you to the University of Connecticut Sailing Team, who lent the committee boat and marks.