- Memorial Day Madness May 28, 2013
Memorial Day is traditionally the kickoff to the northeast sailing season, but Mother Nature did not cooperate in 2013, bringing big winds of 25+ knots with gusts into the 40s, canceling racing for 14 Vipers at the Larchmont Memorial Day Regatta and for the Marblehead Viper fleet. The West Coast Vipers continued to remind everyone how most of us live in the wrong part of the country by having seven races in the typical Long Beach Chamber of Commerce conditions. Teams from host Alamitos Bay YC owned the top of the scoreboard, with Ed Feo’s Locomotion team coming out on top.
In the meantime, the Western Long Island Sound Vipers decided to turn their lemons into lemonade. First, there was the requisite Saturday night BBQ, hosted by Peter & Carol Bauer. While huddled around the keg in the garage, people started ...
...read more - Familiar Faces; College Sweethearts; Greased Lightning; and Other Tall Tales from the Low Country April 25, 2013
There’s something about sailing in Charleston that causes Viperers to wax poetic. Not that Class Governor Justin Scott needed an excuse to put pen to paper, but now that the chicken and waffles have been digested and the carrier pigeon received with an article tied to its leg, we’re ready to publish. Enjoy.
Familiar Faces
Charleston Race Week was close, very close. Brad Boston, Lee Shuckerow and Eric Vigrass were not allowed to relax and celebrate until the last races were abandoned, but once again our favorite “homeboyz” from Detroit and Sarnia took home the Charleston Race Week championship. Only four points separated the top three boats. Brad admitted that “It was tough out there,” and commented, “Everyone in the fleet is getting better and better. There are no easy clear lanes on the Viper course. It’s all about hitting singles and staying consistent.”
College Sweethearts
Whenever ...
...read more - Charleston Race Week: Yeah, That Happened April 22, 2013
No one will forget the 2013 edition of Charleston Race Week any time soon. The new Jackpot won, and hit 22.3 knots in the process? Don’t believe it? They won And Sunday was barely a good day to be in a water ballasted ocean racer. But still, there were 8 races over the course of the two days that were sailable, lots of boats, nearly 30 Vipers, and countless Dark & Stormies on the beach. In ...
...read more - The Girls Rally for the San Diego NOOD March 22, 2013
My Viper adventure began with a cryptic email message from Tim Carter earlier this month: “Just heard that one of the KHYC Vipers may be available to use for SD NOODs… March 15-17… you would make 12… come on out girls, the water is fine…….:)” I responded “Are you kidding me? You want me to pull together a girls team for a boat I have never sailed on, and the regatta is less than 15 days away? I’ll make a few calls but no promises.” I thought this would be the end of it, another failed attempt by Tim to get me off my Martin 242 and on to a Viper. He knows I’m all about getting girls out on the water so he hit my weak spot. As promised I made a few calls, not expecting much on such ...
...read more - Better Know a Viperer: Jeff Jones March 21, 2013
So many people have requested that the Viper class profile Jeff Jones that we couldn’t ignore it any longer. It’s very possible that Jeff is the most prolific Viper owner in class history, having owned four boats and restored several others for the benefit of the Texas Viper fleet. As a true Texan, he is a larger than life character — the first one to rig and launch on days when weaker hearted (and weaker livered) sailors stay ashore, starting post race parties where none existed, and antagonizing past class presidents on a variety of internet message boards. The Viper class is a larger and more interesting place to sail thanks to Mr. Jones, but for the newbies on the coasts, you may not yet know this wily coyote. So here we go…
Name: Jeff Jones
Location: Belton, Texas (a small town ...
...read more - Strutting Around NOOD March 18, 2013
Congratulations are in order to Team F.N.G., USA 148, for schooling the 14-boat Viper fleet at the 2013 Sperry Top-Sider San Diego NOOD this past weekend—racking up a mere 14 points over nine races. With a picket fence scoreline only interrupted by one score of “two,” and two scores of “three,” they dominated the fleet. Team F.N.G. was made up of owner and skipper Dr. Jim Sears and long-time Viper rock star crew Rachel Ellis and Sarah Hester. A name change is in order, and the F’in New Guy will now be known as the “Fantastic NOOD Girls.”
Not only did F.N.G. dominate the Viper Class, but the Viper Class dominated the regatta! Vipers tied with the J/105s as the largest Class in the event.
With the Js getting in only four races, team F.N.G.’s impressive win scored them the overall San ...
...read more - Jackpot Wins 2013 Miami Sailing Week March 11, 2013
Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, presented by EFG Bank ended in style on Saturday, with the Jackpot team of Brad Boston, Eric Vigrass and Shannon Bush emerging from a five-boat pile-up in the standings to take the title. Going into the final day, the top five teams were separated by only five points, and each brought their game faces in the teeth of freshening, shifty breeze. In the first race, Boston’s team took the bullet, moving them into the lead by two points over Glyn Locke’s Fer de Lance team, with Phil and Wendy Lotz two more points behind in the third spot. Jason Carroll’s Argo team sailed its drop race, and Pieter Taselaar’s Bliksem team added an eighth, which they could ill afford after a 16th in Thursday’s only race. Lotz’s team won race two, leapfrogging them ahead of Locke, ...
...read more - There is an “I am” in Miami! March 9, 2013
Day Two found some breeze today. Our favorite PRO Judy was able to bang out 5 races in today’s warm and sunny 9-12 knot breeze. The winds were shifting to the right for the majority of Fridaý, finally settling to a tactical afternoon of five and ten degree shifts causing positon changes thoughout the day.
Friday’s sailing found Peter Taselaar’s Bliksem two points ahead of Brad Boston sailing a Rondar worksboat. A tie and only one point behind the Canuckistan sailmaker has the British team led by Glyn Locke on “the snake boat” and Jason Carroll’s Argo. Rounding out the top five going into the final day of racing is Phillip and Wendy Lotz on Arethusa.
The racing is truly a blast down here in Miami, and most of us are sure happy we are not north of Interstate 10, with the ...
...read more - Fun in the Sun! March 9, 2013
No reason for question marks when determining whether it was a fun day on the water in Miami for Day 2 of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, presented by EFG Bank. The winds filled at 9-12 knots and held for the entire day, allowing for five additional races to be sailed to make up for Thursday’s light air affair. With six races in the books, competitors are able to discard their worst result, which compressed the top of the standings heading into the final day. The top four teams are separated by only three points, with reigning North American champion Pieter Taselaar and his team aboard Bliksem scoring three seconds, a third and a fourth on the day to take the lead after getting stranded on the wrong side of the course on Thursday. Taselaar has several teams nipping at his ...
...read more - Fun in the Sun? March 7, 2013
Day 1 of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, presented by EFG Bank, also known as Bacardi Cup (though apparently only the Star Class is legally allowed to call it that, even though everyone else does too — we just don’t get a giant trophy at the end that is taller and heavier than your average 420 sailor) is in the books. Fun? Sure — 18 Vipers were racing in warm weather, and the rest of us weren’t. The weather didn’t cooperate much — great breezes on the way out to the racecourse gave way to a light air start and an even lighter run and beat, at which point the RC shortened course to allow all of the Vipers to drift across the line. Could have been worse — several other classes that aren’t as strong in light air saw boats suffer ...
...read more - Class President Headhunted March 6, 2013
Congratulations are due to our President, Dawn Kozak, who has been offered a career opportunity that she is very excited about. Sadly, the corporation’s gain is our loss, because after a lot of careful thought, Dawn has realized that she cannot balance the role as class association president with her new work responsibilities. She gave the rest of the Executive Committee notice so that they could plan on succession.
Here are the changes that are effective as of March 1, 2013:
Dawn Kozak steps down as class president, and Peter Beardsley (New York, NY / Larchmont YC) has been appointed by the Executive Committee as Class President effective from March 1 until the Annual General Meeting on October 8, 2013 at Houston YC.
Additionally, two additional Executive Committee members have been appointed; Craig and Deborah Wilusz (Ft. Walton Beach, FL / Ft. Walton ...
...read more - Better Know a Viperer: Joan Hall March 4, 2013
If you’re new to the class, you may not realize that there are Viperers in Missouri. Sailing in the “Show Me State” means you need to be a bit flashy to get the attention of Cardinals fans and others who don’t see much water, which is where Joan Hall comes in. Joan was a Viper pioneer, owner of one of the first Rondar-built Vipers, and perhaps the second female Viper owner in class history several years ago. Her bright orange Viper named “Tangerine” turns heads on Lake Carlyle in Southern Illinois and on the front page of viper640.org, where it was featured in the photo slideshow for years. If you see this Viper veteran on the water as part of the Great Lakes circuit this summer, you should do your homework, and Better Know Viperer, Professor Joan Hall…
Name: Joan Hall
Location: ...
...read more - Running Away with the Circus February 26, 2013
Mark Griffiths began importing the Viper 640 to the east coast of Australia last September.
Recently Mark and his crew completed their first two regattas in their Viper, “Circus School”:
The Geelong Race Week
and last weekend, the State titles in New South Wales.
They were racing against some of the country’s hottest sportsboats using the Sportsboat Measuring System (SMS)
Marks first regatta, in January, was Geelong Race Week. 16 boats of 11 different designs competed. (Thompson 7’s, 8s, Shaw 650’s, Bethwaite 79er, Sports 8, magic 25, Elliots, etc)
Mark finished a creditable 4th place and finished with four 1st placings in the 8 race series. Understandably, in their first regatta in a Viper, some inconsistent results and an OCS proved costly.
Last weekend Mark competed in the NSW State Titles. 17 boats of 13 diferent designs competed in the event.
A strong weather system moved over the coast on the weekend ...
...read more - Looking For Bids to Host the 2015 and 2016 North Americans February 20, 2013
Do you want your home club to host the Viper North American Championship? The class is seeking expressions of interest for the 2015 and 2016 North American Championships by March 15, 2013. To throw your hat in the ring, please send an email to the Class President (prez@viper640.org). Recent and future NA venues include:
2008: Marblehead
2009: Stamford & Indian Harbor YCs (Western Connecticut)
2010: Miami
2011: Sarnia YC, Ontario
2012: Eastern YC, Marblehead
2013: Houston YC (Oct. 9-12, 2013)
2014: Alamitos Bay YC, Long Beach, CA (Sept. 2-7, 2014)
Expressions of interest should comport with the class’s guidelines for sanctioned regattas, and can include information about the following:
Proposed dates for the championship
Sailing conditions at the venue during the proposed dates
Approximate number of Vipers at the venue and within a 5-hour drive from the venue
Name of likely event chairman for the regatta
Brief discussion of whether you have discussed ...
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