• 17 Vipers attend Stamford Yacht Club's first Viper Regatta.
• 7 races over 2 days.
• 6 different boats get bullets over 7 races!
• Only one point separated first from third. The winner was a Tie Breaker. Only 6 points separated first from fifth.
• Thirteen year year old Sean Kayser wins the overall "Landfall Navigation" Sportsperson of the Regatta.
• 1st Mike Meissner (22 points), 2nd Harvey Barnes (22 points), 3rd Paul Zimmerman (23 points).
• Youngest skipper 13 years old. Senior Skipper 64 years old.
• Coach boat with Paul Young and Ched Proctor.
• The only Race Committee at a sanctioned regatta with Pom Poms !!!!!!

The new Western Long Island Sound Viper fleet is up and running in style. SYC attracted 12 local boats and 5 visitors for a fantastic inaugural regatta.

 Light winds prevailed during the first-ever Viper 640 class sanctioned event held the weekend of September 20-21 out of Stamford Yacht Club.

Seventeen boats including 12 from the local Stamford/Greenwich fleet (WLIS) with five visitors from Newport, Annapolis, Ottawa, New Jersey, Atlanta and Marblehead. 

Despite the light air conditions, seven races where held testifying to the boat’s ability to sail in whisper light winds and the efficiency of the SYC race committee. 

Conditions on Saturday were weird even by local’s standards with winds primarily out of the ESE with impossible-to-predict thirty degree shifts, disproportionate chop and massive pressure differences across the course. On the first day, it was the visitors who made the best of the conditions. Four races were held and at the end of the first day, Harvey Barnes from Ottawa led with 12 points while Mike Meissner from Annapolis stood second with 14 points with Paul Zimmerman of Marblehead in third with 16 points.

Throughout the day, the Viper Class Association coach boat manned by Paul Young from Rondar and Ched Proctor from North Sails was trailing the fleet and then coming alongside newcomers to the class between races with tips and pointers. The impact of the coaching was noticeable as new skippers rapidly climbed the learning curve and competition became tight throughout the fleet.  

Day Two dawned with very little prospect of racing. Most weather services were calling for less than five knots of breeze. Yet after a brief shoreside postponement and the start of the flood tide, a light sou’wester started to form. Three good races were run under more stable conditions and significantly less wave action.  The vistors all stumbled a bit leaving the door open for hard charging locals Charles Goodrich from Stamford Yacht Club (who won the day with finishes of 1-4-1) and Jonathan Nye, ( 2, 3 and 8.)  Jim Shaugnessy in his first ever Viper regatta credits the coach boat and advice from fellow Viper owners and crew Kay Van Valkenburgh for his second day charge when he picked up his first bullet .

The final results were very close so that only six points separated first from fifth and the winner was decided on a tie breaker.  Once all the results were tallied, Meissner was awarded the tie breaker over Barnes for the win. Zimmerman had sailed the most consistent regatta with the lowest points overall but after one throwout came third only 1 point behind the two leaders.

The fleet is grateful for the outstanding hospitality displayed by the host yacht club and the fine work of its race committee.  Landfall Navigation provided several in-kind prizes and shoreside support.

For those not familiar with the Viper 640, it is a 21’ high performance keelboat that planes easily, sails with three crew and performs beautifully whether the breeze is on or just a whisper. For information about Viper sailing on Long Island Sound, contact Charles Goodrich at cgoodrich@pennmaritime.com. 

The next regatta for the WLIS Viper fleet is American Yacht Club’s High Performance  Open . See article below.

Full Results Here:-