- Class Hires First Class Administrator June 11, 2014
The Executive Committee of the Viper 640 Class, in conjunction with the Class Governors, has hired the Class’s first formal Class Administrator. Edward “Buttons” Padin of New Rochelle, NY, a member of the Larchmont Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club, and a regular crew on Peter Bauer’s Viper 159 Wild Hogs, brings to this new position over 40 years of marketing communications and organizational experience.
After successful careers in advertising and media, Padin has spent the past 15 years as a strategic and operational consultant, running his own consulting partnership since 2003. In recent years, Padin’s consulting focus has been redirected to marketing communications for the sailing community, where he has created the advertising for UK Sailmakers and McMichael Yacht Brokerage, does publishing design work for his home club, and this past winter worked with Sail Newport by writing the ...
...read more - Charleston – 2014 Atlantic Coast Champs April 25, 2014
Charleston Race Week has become one of, if not the largest multi-class regattas in the country over the past 6 years, in no small part due to Viper support and participation. It helps that in even-numbered years, the class makes the regatta its Atlantic Coast Championship and returns to find the bottomless Dark & Stormies at the post-race beach tents, the Goslings girls, the dozens of bachelorette parties in downtown Charleston, and even some racing when conditions allow. With experience comes wisdom – Viper sailors have improved their logistics by reserving multiple bays in advance that line the upwind side of the marina to cut down on docking chaos, have improved their ability to make a speedy departure from the crowded boatramp (though more launching options from regatta organizers solved this problem even more), and gamely requested a move to Circle 3 away ...
...read more - 2014 San Diego NOODs Newcomers Dominate April 3, 2014
Written by Alex Steele
Wow, what a fun regatta!! This was our second regatta in the Viper and it was a great one. The weather for the San Diego NOODs was nearly perfect with mild temperatures, clear skies, and good wind. the race committee ran nine quality races over three days. Coronado Yacht Club is a great venue and their hospitality gracious. We came out of the gate pretty hot and on day one that saw us win two races and a third in the last race. We were closely followed by Kevin Taugher & Chuck Tripp’s ‘Hot Mess’ and Mark Folkman’s ‘Slitherin’.
This was our first regatta with wind and new sails so our focus was to sail clean and smart. We found downwind tactics to be very difficult in the viper as getting rolled or having a puff ...
...read more - Miami Sailing Week – On Like Donkey Kong March 6, 2014
Miami. In. March. The revamped EFG Pan American Championship with a winner-take-all one regatta finale. Palm trees. Bacardi. Bacardi Girls. Did we say Miami in March already? After a weekend tune-up with the EFG Winter Cup for the 11 teams who got to town early, and a “Scorch” “race” (i.e., a chance to reach with fellow Viperers in various states of sobriety to lunch on Key Biscayne and back), racing got underway on Thursday.
The 25-boat strong Viper fleet represents one of the largest gatherings of Vipers in Miami since the class helped expand the Bacardi Cup into what is now known as Miami Sailing Week. Miami may not be easy to get to, but once you’re there, you’re glad you came. Three Australian teams made the trip by virtue of winning their regional qualifiers for the EFG Pan American Championship, ...
...read more - SoCal Midwinters @ Cal Yacht Club February 26, 2014
Written by John Leyland
The second stop on the 2014 West Coast Viper circuit was the Southern California Mid Winters hosted by the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey. Mark Folkman and his crew on #130 Slitherin, fresh off their triumph at the Arizona Yacht Club’s Birthday Regatta and Leukemia Cup looked to continue their winning ways. In their way were 10 other Vipers. Boats started arriving on Friday afternoon with Timbo Carter being a great help in bringing #191 over from Glenn Griley’s warehouse as my crew and I flew in from Vancouver.
Saturday morning arrived with perfect paddle boarding conditions, warm and windless but a westerly eventually found its way down the channel to get us out into the Pacific off of Venice Beach. The breeze didn’t last long and the race committee postponed for a little ...
...read more - EFG Winter Cup March 2nd-3rd Miami February 23, 2014
Written by Peter Bauer
The NOR for the Winter Cup has been published on the forums on the “Miami” thread and on the EFG Pan American website.
This is a two day event on Sunday and Monday as a precursor to the Pan American Championships on Thursday thru Saturday.
The Winter Cup counts as a qualifying event for the Pan American Championship and stands as a regatta in its own right. EFG have donated a “Winter Cup” perpetual trophy and there will be awards for first through fifth place.
The Winter Cup is also the second stop on the Florida Winter Circuit.
On Tuesday, between the Winter Cup and the Pan American Championships, we will be hosting the MIAMI SCORCH.
On a final note, all competitors who enter both the Winter Cup and the Pan Ams will receive $25 off from launching and hauling ...
...read more - South of the Border – Down Sarasota Way February 23, 2014
No Polar Vortex! 591 miles ahead!
Many of you will be making the annual pilgrimage past “South of the Border” this year on your way to the southern circuit of Miami and Charleston. As part of our southern hospitality package, we’d like to cordially invite all of you to join us in Sarasota on both sides of Miami for some great Viper racing in Sarasota Bay. In case you need further convincing, our billboard enticements include:
Store your boat before and after Miami at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for $85 per month or $6.50 per day for shorter term (not a typo or a gimmick!).
No Polar Vortex – While Chicago and New York were sub-zero, Sarasota was in the high-50’s. Since then, we’ve been in the high 70’s.
Short distance to venue – Sarasota Sailing Squadron is located on a point of ...
...read more - Announcing the Inaugural Miami Viper Scorch January 25, 2014
What the heck is a scorch??
Class Governor Kay Van Valkenburg started the Viper Scorch tradition in Marblehead many years ago. It’s a fun, fast, reach or downwind sail in the company of other Vipers. It normally involves sailing fast to somewhere, stopping ashore for some lunch and drinks, then sailing home. While there are standing elapsed time records for the Marblehead scorches (if anyone can remember) , if you call it a race, you might be taking it too seriously! Think of it as the Viper take on a rondevous or gam…
For details click here.
...read more - MIAMI – VIPER PAN WORLDS March 2-8 January 22, 2014
The 2014 EFG Pan American Championships in Miami in March will be our first truly World championship level event with multiple Viper teams coming from three continents . We have three Viper teams coming from Australia and at least two teams coming from Europe in addition to class regulars from the USA, Canada and Caribbean. Previous North American, Canadian and Atlantic Coast Champions will be going head to head with the winner of the Australian Sport Boat National Championship, the winner of Cowes Week Sport Boat Class and the winner of the Lake Garda European Sport Boat Cup. Please extend warm welcomes to Tim Reger, Australian National Sport Boat Champion, Jon Powell British Sport Boat Class Champion and all of the overseas competitors.
The Australians are sending three teams as part of a strategy to win the party as well as ...
...read more - Fangin’ it January 5, 2014
Australian slang saying
to drive at great speed eg He was fangin’ it around the corner.
The 7th Australian Sports Boat Association National Titles were sailed from the Fremantle Sailing Club.
The Fremantle Doctor lived up to its reputation with only one race under ten knots and the most in the high teens to gear busting 25+ knots.
The Fleet
The fleet consisted of twenty one boats of a range of designs.
2011 winner Brett Whitbread sailed the 7.2m wicked winged machine, – Crank – an awesome looking dinghy/keelboat. It has an all up sailing weight of 453kgs.
Seven vipers made up a big part of the fleet with Rod Beurteaux and Tim Reger considered to have the best chances.
Three Shaw 650’s included last year’s runner up Rees Howall sailing Octopussy.
Two new VX’s would be sailing with their big masthead chutes. Andrew York would be competitive and ...
...read more - November Sailing at Hampton Yacht Club – Fall Fling November 24, 2013
On November 15, 16 and 17, Hampton Yacht Club hosted the Fall Fling one design regatta. This annual regatta included 505s, Sonars, J 70s, Viper 640s, 420s and Albacores. HYC has expressed great interest in developing a Viper fleet so with the help of RONDAR and reps Dan Tucker and Tyler Moore, factory boats were brought down and local sailors were able to crew and drive the boats in the racing. On Friday Tyler Moore conducted a racing clinic to help newcomers learn the boat and to also help more experienced Viper sailors with speed tips. On Saturday the conditions were less than spectacular with light air for November and being the right place at the right time made all the difference. The after race party was held at the beautiful home of a club member with roasted oysters, BBQ ...
...read more - Day 4 Viper 640 North Americans: Jason Carroll and Argo Win Championship October 13, 2013
HOUSTON, Texas. (October 12): The final day of the Viper 640 North Americans hoped to clear out a cluster at the top of the leaderboard, but forecasted thunderstorms meant that the fleet would be fortunate to get in two races in a 7-10 knot SSE breeze. Jason Carroll with his team of Chad Corning and Danny Pletsch aboard Argo entered with a 13-point lead, but the next five boats were separated by fewer than 15 points, with a few ties mixed in.
Carroll and crew sealed the deal with a wire-to-wire win in Race 12, as their closest competition jousted for podium spots. Luke Lawrence and crew broke a tie for second when Jay Golison’s team from Long Beach, California was over early in the final race, and Malcolm Gefter’s team from Newport, Rhode Island looked to move onto the podium ...
...read more - Day 2 Viper 640 North Americans: Kicking It In To Gear October 10, 2013
HOUSTON, Texas. (October 10): With a better forecast than yesterday, Viperers kicked it into gear for Day Two of the 2013 Viper North Americans in Houston. The forecast called for a building sea breeze and cooler temperatures, and sure enough, by the end of the day Vipers were planing downwind at 14 knots in 18 knots of wind.
Day two of the Viper 640 NAs started off less than promising with about 6 knots of pressure. Malcolm Gefter pulled a horizon job in Race 1, favoring the left. Jay Golison finished in 2nd with Brad Boston and Jason Carroll finishing in 3rd and 4th, respectively.
With the breeze building steadily, the second race was changed to 3 times around, although some teams did not get that memo – on the second run, the top 5 boats each sailed through the finish line ...
...read more - 2013 Viper North Americans – Day One Press Release October 9, 2013
HOUSTON, Texas. (October 9): Thanks to all the hard work over the past couple of months, the newest location of the North Americans, Houston, has gotten underway. A total of 29 boats made the trip to the Republic of Texas, with boats representing 14 different states. Racing began today and will conclude on Saturday, October 12th.
After months of waiting, the fun finally started. The first race started with light winds of about 5-6 knots and was windward/leeward twice around. Malcolm, Gefter and crew (Wilem van Waay and Victor Diaz De Leon) took and early lead in the first race but Jay Golison and crew (Steve Flam and Ched Proctor) were able to edge out and take first place.
Breeze built from 5 to 8 knots throughout the day as a cold front from Tropical Storm Karen provided some relief (84 degrees) ...
...read more
