Viper 640 Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship – Day 1 Recap

June 25, 2022

Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, CT

Here’s another regatta that felt the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Of the original 14 boats registered to sail I this Championship, only 11 made it to the starting line today due to numerous sailors testing positive for Covid.

For those that sailed, however, there were three races and the Race Committee under the leadership of PRO Howard Seymour wrenched all they could from the initially filling and then dying wind.

Despite the “Harbor Hurricane” everyone felt in the morning, the Long Island Sound was a wind dead zone. After a 2-hour postponement, racing got off in a 6-7 knot southwesterly wind. The originally set windward mark quickly turned into a near port tack fetch as the wind backed 30 degrees. Reset marks progressively moved left throughout the first two races.

In Race 1, reigning Viper 640 Women’s North American Champion Grace Howie won leading Grace Wagner and Rachel Beardsley & Rachel Rhame in third.

After having to reset the course for Race 1, keenly close racing followed among the top six boats. In the end, the top three traded places as the two Rachels took the gun with Grace Howie in second and Grace Wagner in third.

A third, single windward/leeward race was started in the dying southerly giving the fleet three full races for the day. It was Grace Howie back in first followed by the Rachels and then Charlotte Costikyan in third.

Preliminary results have Grace Howie atop the leaderboard with four points followed by the Rachels in second with six points and Grace Wagner with 11 points.

Sailing resumes tomorrow morning at 1000. Light winds are again forecast so stay tuned for updates on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/Viper640

Results: https://yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=15059