Salty Balls

Back in October when I was talking to Ken Boyle of Sayville Yacht Club (New York), I asked him for three days to hosts the 2007 Fireball North American Championships. His response was, "Why the need for three days?" I told Ken that we needed seven to nine races to complete the regatta. Ken said, "You need two."

As it turned out, Ken was right (big surprise). The wind on Long Island's Great South Bay is as predictable as that Perth's "Doctor," meaning that you can get plenty of racing done. 15-20 knots of solid sea breeze every afternoon, added to the big chop created by lots of powerboats and average water depths of about 5 feet, and we had some great sailing. The fleet of 11 Fireballs was very competitive - no marshmallows here - coming from Tampa, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New York.

Although we were racing with two other class fleets, the Race Committee was one of the few we've seen that staggered the starts perfectly, so that we never had to wait to get our starts. As soon as the last boat finished, the line was clear to start another class, while the just-finished boats would have a few minutes to get a power bar and some water before we were off again. Off the water, SYC was hospitable and an incredible bargain, with after-race food and a pasta dinner on Saturday night, not to mention two breakfast spreads, all included in the $35.00 fee.

Saturday night found the top four places separated by only a few points, with ties down to the sixth position. Several boats suffered slight breakdowns, and the entire fleet pitched in to make sure that every competitor was back on the water on Sunday morning. The wind came in a little harder, a little earlier, with plenty for the flat-bottomed Fireballs to get up and fly. By 10:00 AM, we had started the first of our final four races. With three bullets and a second, Joe Jospe and Tom Egli took a commanding regatta lead over multiple former NA/National Champs Pat Crump and Ned Goss in Second, with Mike McEvoy and Rob Thompson settling for third. The regatta was everything that everyone said it would be, and it left us all wanting to return next year to enjoy all that Sayville has to offer. From the Fireballers, a huge "Thank You" to SYC for a job well done.

Mr. Clean

9/7/2007