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2011 IRC Mid-Atlantics - Annapolis, MD

In a brisk breeze the first race of the 2011 IRC Mid-Atlantics, a distance race, started at 1000 hrs, Friday October 21.  Even though the regatta had light attendance with 17 registrants, the participants had a fabulous day on the Chesapeake under sunny skies and wind - 10-15 from the west that continued to build to near 20 knots.  All classes had clean starts.  The four big boats in IRC class 1 had an exciting start. IRC 2 was the largest class with eight and IRC 3 with four, had 2 of the new Dave Pedrick, TPI Navy 44s skippered by Midshipmen Colin Nevins and Jim Chesson.  IRC 1 was given a longer course (44.5 nm) than the other two classes (30 nm) and all finished between 1400 and 1500 except Ptarmigan finishing first at 1340.  An unexpected result in IRC 1 was that David & Sandra Askew’s Flying Jenny 7, a TP 52 edged out Dan Meyers’ JV 66 Numbers by about 4-minutes on corrected time for the 1.5 weighted lead.

Saturday and Sunday was windward-leeward short course racing.  Saturday dawned chilly and overcast with almost no breeze.  By the scheduled start, there was enough to sail a race that briefly filled in to about 10 knots.  The second race started and sustained a 40° shift, went light and was abandoned, as was racing for the day.  Regatta Chair Dick Neville and his wife Barbara hosted an impromptu and greatly appreciated social at their Innovative Properties office parking lot within the confines of the Maritime Republic of Eastport.

Sunday had a cold start but the wind filled as did the temperature to get off three races that kept the race committee on its toes changing the course to the weather mark in each race.  There were lots of hard calls with the shifting wind and changing current.  The second race also had a 40° shift and shift back going really light between shifts.  PRO Wayne Bretsch attempting to make the best of the conditions gave the mark boats only a few minutes warning to set their marks.  The effort went smoothly as the STC Race Committee is a well-oiled machine and was greatly appreciated by the competitors.

The post-race awards party was held at Annapolis Yacht Club.  Chairman Neville presented truly beautiful trophies quite worthy of a championship regatta during an early taco buffet dinner.

IRC 1

1. USA 60292  Flying Jenny 7  TP 52  David & Sandra Askew   1.5, 3, 3, 1, 2   10.5
2.  USA 38008  Anema & Core  JV 52  Ennio Staffini          6, 2, 1, 2, 1     12.0
3.  USA 119  Numbers  JV 66  Daniel Meyers                  3, 1, 4, 3, 3     14.0
4.  USA 50009  Privateer  Cookson 50  Ron O'Hanley          4.5, 4, 2, 4, 4   18.5

IRC 2

1.  USA 52919  Catapult  J 122  Marc Glimcher                3, 3, 2, 1, 1    10.0
2. ,USA 79 ,Ptarmigan ,Ker 43  Lawrence Dickie               1.5, 1, 3, 4, 2  11.5
3.  USA 12204  Christopher Dragon  J 122  Andrew Weiss       4.5, 4, 1, 7, 4  20.5
4.  USA 60432  Cool Breeze  Mills 43 Custom  John Cooper     7.5, 2, 5, 5, 3  22.5

IRC 3

1.  USA 51  Rush  J 109  Bill Sweetser                       1.5, 1, 1, 1, 1  5.5
2.  USA 266  Vento Solare  J 109  Paul Milo                  3, 2, 2, 2, 2    11.0
3.  NA 23  Defiance  NA-44  Colin Nevins                     4.5, 3, 4, 3, 3  17.5
4.  NA 22  Integrity  NA-44  James Chesson                   6, 4, 3, 4, 4    21.0

Interested in using IRC?

Owners and Organizing Authorities wishing to adopt IRC for their events should contact US-IRC Executive Director Luiz E. Kahl for help with the process luiz@us-irc.org.

The US SAILING Offshore office administers the IRC rule in the US. Yacht owners should contact Eric Baittinger at irc@ussailing.org for help with certificate application or with rating questions.

For all US-IRC latest news, events and seminars check out the US-IRC web site at www.us-irc.org and go racing with us.