- Ghost Panda Wins Inaugural MidAtlantic Championship December 4, 2014
Until 2014, there weren’t many good options for Viper racing in the northeast after HPDO Columbus Day weekend. And that’s ok – the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and people start itching to sail even smaller boats for frostbiting, go skiing, or just hibernate. However at least for me, when given the option between putting the Viper away for the winter in the northeast versus traveling south to get in one last regatta, the choice seems easy. Make it so that the drive is less than seven hours away, throw in an oyster roast, and I’ll almost forget that half the drive is in a state where radar detectors are prohibited.
Hampton YC is home to one of the fastest growing Viper fleets on the East Coast. The fleet doubled in size in early 2014 with the addition of ...
...read more - GREAT RACING, GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT BEER, 30 VIPERS October 14, 2014
The High Performance Dinghy Open, better known as the “HPDO” has a slogan: “Great racing, great friends, great beer.” Usually all of these things are present for the Viper 640 Class, and the 2014 edition was no exception: 30 boats competing in 8 races over two days, with the leaderboard constantly shuffling and 15 teams posting at least one race result in the top 5, a post-dinner fleet debrief that took over the bar at American YC, much to the surprise of AYC’s members, and plenty of mini kegs of Heineken. Normally saying that the beer was warmer than the air temperature would be a major insult to the beer, but Saturday started with driving rain and unseasonably cool temperatures to cause some to reconsider their apparel choices a year in advance of the North Americans, to be sailed in ...
...read more - VERMONSTERING: IN SEARCH OF CHAMP October 10, 2014
Written by Peter Beardsley
Since it’s the day before the final major northeast Viper regatta of 2014, I realized it’d be a good idea to finish the writeup of the fantastic event from two weeks ago that I promised event chair Jason Hyerstay I’d write. Normally HPDO ends the season for us, but the first (hopefully annual) Lake Champlain Viper Open made me wonder whether I got that right. Jason emailed me a year ago asking what would be involved in getting sailors to join the 2 other Vipers already on Lake Champlain for a fall regatta. The Vipers aren’t a demanding bunch. Pick a windy time of year. Keep costs down and the event charming. Some fresh water and plentiful local beer can’t hurt. Maybe have cheese falling from the clouds to keep the wives happy – let’s ...
...read more - BRAD BOSTON WINS VIPER 640 2014 NORTH AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIP September 7, 2014
Written by Buttons Padin, V640 Class Administrator
Brad Boston (Sarnia, Ont.), sailing with Curtis Florence (Cleveland, OH) and Chad Corning (New Rochelle, NY) sat in third place after 11 races over three days of sailing from Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. That trio executed a classic come-from-behind finish on the fourth and final day to claim the 2014 Viper 640 North American Championship. Boston presided over a sailmakers’ boat handling seminar Friday night and was overheard commenting how it was unusual for him to be only four points off the lead without having won any of the 11 races sailed over the first three days. That quickly changed as the fleet of 35 Viper 640s headed out through the breakwater for the final day of racing.
ABYC PRO Steve Kuritz wrapped-up his successful regatta with the following overview: “In the end, ...
...read more - NO PAIN, NO GAIN ON DAY 3 OF VIPER NORTH AMERICANS September 5, 2014
Written by V640 Press Office
A solid sea breeze and short chop made the third day of the 2014 Viper North Americans one for the record books. Epic conditions prevailed for the third day in a row, with a bit more breeze added for extra measure. With three straight days of planing conditions, Viper sailors will remember this regatta for a while. Local sailors Jay Golison, Steve Flam, and Mike Bradley dominated the day with a 2-1-1-1 to move up to fourth, but Jeff Grange, Tedd White and Chris Parker held onto their lead, with second and third only four points behind going into the final day.
Photos courtesy and copyright Bronny Daniels / www.joysailing.com.
The Alamitos Bay Yacht Club race committee got off four races, totaling 11 of the 14-race target for the championship. As the afternoon progressed, there was ...
...read more - Viper 640 North Americans – Screaching in Long Beach September 5, 2014
Written by Buttons Padin, V640 Class Administrator
With planing conditions forecast and the sun shining, Viper sailors awoke happy but sore and groggy from a 4-race first day and evening festivities. “You have to really work hard to not have fun when sailing out here” said outgoing Class President Peter Beardsley. “The wind is great, the competition top notch, and the shore side activities are well hydrated.” The forecast was for 15 knots from the west with Day 1 leaders Jeff Grange, Tedd White and Chris Parker able to hold onto their overall lead despite not winning the day.
ABYC PRO Steve Kuritz sent the fleet out to the Course so the visiting sailors could experience ocean swells and the full Long Beach experience. The sea breeze didn’t arrive as early as had been forecast but after an hour’s postponement, ...
...read more - Jeff Grange Takes Control of Viper 640 North Americans After First Day September 3, 2014
Written by Buttons Padin, V640 Class Administrator
Long Beach, CA
Some championship regattas fall into the trope of “it’s never like this here.” In Long Beach, California, this was not true thankfully for the Viper 640 fleet. Despite dire forecasts, several days of light winds during practice, and an hour on-shore postponement, the Viper 640 North American Championship enjoyed Chamber of Commerce conditions with a classic Long Beach seabreeze for the 34 boats in attendance. Sailing the inside course, the fleet sailed briskly through the relatively flat seas where hard hiking proved key for the day.
In the first race, the fleet split evenly going upwind with both sides of the fleet converging at the first mark. Blasting downwind the boats were hitting speeds in the low teens as boathandling proved a critical asset. In the end, Jeff Grange (Santa Barbara, ...
...read more - Long Beach NAs: Are You Ready to RUMmmmmble? August 29, 2014
Written by V640 Press Office
For the first time in the Viper 640 Class’s history, the North American championship will be contested on the west coast. Hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, the 2014 NAs will feature 40 boats with teams from seven states, as well as three Canadian and two Australian teams. “We’re thrilled to bring the North Americans to a very deserving venue” said Class President Peter Beardsley. “Long Beach is a fantastic place to sail, and the Southern California Viper fleet has become one of the largest in the country.” READ MORE. Event website.
...read more - Three Steves Sweep CORK Podium August 25, 2014
Written by V640 Press Office
Steve Conger & Crew won the 2014 Great Lakes Championship at CORK aboard Viper 43 “Zig Zag”, edging out Future Class President Steve Chapman on Viper 87 Oshanmare by a single point. Chapman, by virtue of his Ottawan accent, took home the 2014 Canadian Viper National Championship. Steve Gilbert, driving Viper 29 Black Sheep with brother Darren in the middle, placed third. Quote Darren: “We had played to switch off the helm each race, but then Steve G. won the first race, so we let him keep it. When Steve Co. won Race 2 and Steve Ch. won Race 3, I knew I would never get the helm back.” Fourth place finisher Peter Broszkowski said “In Poland, we do not have anyone named ‘Steve’ – it must be a Canadian thing.” Broskowski and team ...
...read more - MOISE SOLOMON, DAVE NICKERSON, AND SARAH ENRIGHT WIN 2014 VIPER NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP August 13, 2014
The Viper 640 Class New England Championship was sailed over three days during the 2014 Sperry Top-Sider Marblehead NOOD Regatta sponsored by Sailing World. A total of nine races were sailed but the final results would not be determined until the very last race.
Friday’s racing was delayed over an hour due to lack of wind. When it did fill-in from the south, the Vipers were able to get in three races for the day. In each race, Marblehead native and now Charleston, South Carolina resident Viper sailor Tom Loutrel, sailing with John Bowden and Karl Schutte aboard Viper 221 Choppy Seas, took the gun in light air races sailed over sometimes choppy seas. Following Loutrel in second for all three races were co-skippers Moise Solomon and Dave Nickerson sailing with sister Sarah Enright. This pair of boats would set the ...
...read more - PHIL AND WENDY LOTZ WITH LUKE LAWRENCE WIN 2014 BACARDI NEWPORT REGATTA August 11, 2014
Congratulations to Phil and Wendy Lotz and Luke Lawrence for winning the 2014 Bacardi Newport Regatta. 2014 Bacardi Newport Regatta sponsored by EFG Bank concluded today with two more races sailed in Potters Bay north of thePell Bridge. As promised, the winds were “a bit brisk” blowing steadily in the mid-to-high teens. The sea breeze was working against the ebbing current making for some very confused seas. Add to that the power boats (large, small, and everything in between), that added to the wave motions.
Two races were sailed on the final of day and in both the upwind current play was to hit the left side of the course and ride the current towards the windward mark. Downwind, the smart money jibed into the left shore (looking downwind) to escape the foul current making a minimum of jibes to stay ...
...read more - 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 ...
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