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For Immediate Release
DYSON, NEFF/BRAUER WIN OVERALL HONORS AT SAILING WORLD NOOD AT MARBLEHEAD RACE WEEK
Winners Best Fleet of 198 Boats at 113-Year-Old Regatta
Marblehead (Mass.) July 28, 2002 — When Marblehead sailor Bruce Dyson went up to collect the Leonard Munn Fowle Trophy tonight, one of two overall trophies awarded at the conclusion of the Sailing World NOOD at Marblehead Race Week, it wasnt the first time. Dyson captured an overall trophy at this 113-year-old event in both 1999 and 2001. But this year, this New England skipper was granted overall honors for a unique reason.
After four days of racing on Massachusetts Bay, Dyson and his crew on GYSPY won the IOD class, one of 12 classes competing at Race Week, by a large margin of 10 points. But the Fowle trophy was given for more than strong sailing: it was given for making sure that this fleet of 33-foot IODs, a sailboat of 1930s vintage, could even make it to the starting line.
“The Fowle trophy is a special award given to a competitor who not only achieves an outstanding performance at Race Week, but to a sailor who has also made an outstanding contribution to this regatta,” said Susie Schneider, who chaired the event. “This trophy goes to someone who worked all winter to make sure his class would be here on the starting line this season.”
Dyson not only rebuilt his boat, GYPSY, with his own hands–a boat that he resurrected after it sank to the bottom of Long Island Sound in the early 1990s; he also used his considerable skill as a woodworker and boat builder to make sure the other IODs in the Marblehead fleet were in racing shape for this season, particularly for class world championships held in Marblehead in June. By working on the IODs hulls and rigs, Dyson made this fleet faster–and he made his job of winning the class this week even tougher.
After Dyson stepped off the podium with the large silver Fowle trophy in hand, he marveled at the past recipients–championship sailors whose names have been etched onto this prize since its first awarding in1936. “Do I deserve to be here? I dont know,” said Dyson humbly, as he poured over the roster of famous sailors. “But it is neat to be here–and to be included.”
Tonight, at the Eastern Yacht Club, some 700 sailors celebrated the
conclusion of yet another running of this New England regatta that dates to 1889. A total of 198 boats from the United States, Canada, and Ireland competed.
Stewart Neff and Henry Brauer were presented with the Norman E. Cressy Award tonight, a second perpetual trophy awarded at Race Week, for winning the class deemed to be the most competitive in the regatta.
Neff helmed HUP TWO to a win in the 35-boat Sonar class. Neff and Brauer entered the final day of racing tied for first place with Steve Cucchiaro and Jonathan Cressy. But Cucchiaro and Cressy were unfortunately disqualified in the final race, for crossing the starting line early under a rule that sailors consider sudden death: the Black Flag rule.
“Both of us would have preferred a good duel until the end,” said Neff, of the prospect of sparring against Cucchiaro, a talented skipper who is often at the frontlines of the Sonar fleet. “But sailboat racing is truly a game of chance. We were lucky today–and unfortunately, they were not so lucky.”
Jeremy and Katie Bloxham of Marblehead topped the Rhodes 19 class–with 38 boats, the largest in the regatta. The Bloxhams, who were second in their class at Race Week 2001, prepared for this event all spring and summer, getting their boat and crew coordination in tune to take a run at a class win this week. They achieved what they set out do to. “No one at his best could have beaten Jeremy and Katie today,” said Kim Pandapas, a Rhodes 19 sailor who finished fourth in the class.
Support sponsor Hall Spars & Rigging awarded the Boat of the Day award to the crew that logged the top fleet performance in Saturdays racing. The prize went to Rob Gorman of Marblehead and his 15-year-old daughter Kelly, who crewed for him. The Gormans made a winning combination, winning five individual races and never placing worse than second place to capture first in the Viper 640 class.
At series end, regatta chair Susie Schneider commended both the winning performances of the racers and the excellent race management by volunteers from the host yacht clubs. “I am especially proud of the race committee,” said Schneider, “I had many compliments–on the courses, the starting lines, and the high quality of how these races were run.”
The first Marblehead Race Week was held in 1889. The historic regatta joined the NOOD (National Offshore One-Design) regattas–a nine-event national racing circuit owned and organized by Sailing World magazine of Newport (R.I.)–in 1998. In Marblehead, hosts Boston, Eastern, and Corinthian yacht clubs and site sponsor Alpha Omega were joined by support sponsors Frederiksen, Hall Spars & Rigging, Marlow Ropes, Mount Gay Rum, North Sails, Raymarine, Ronstan, Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company, and Sunsail. The next stop on the NOOD regatta circuit is San Francisco (August 31-September 1).
OVERALL TROPHIES
Leonard Munn Fowle Trophy:
Bruce Dyson, Marblehead, MA, IOD-Gypsy
Norman E. Cressy Trophy:
Stewart P. Neff/Henry Brauer, Marblehead, MA, Sonar-Hup Two
Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day (Saturday):
Rob & Kelly Gorman, Marblehead, MA, Viper 640-UFO
CLASS RESULTS
CORINTHIAN (7 boats)
1) Rob Vener, Marblehead, MA, Cerulean, 4
2) Don Yeaple, Marblehead, MA, Nepenthe, 10
3) Herb Maher, Marblehead, MA, WINDSONG, 13
DAYSAILER (7 boats)
1) Natalie Coleman-Fuller, West Hartford, CT, Odile, 11
2) Brian Bush, Westboro, MA, Ramona, 12
3) Dan Duggan, Marblehead, MA, Cherry Bomb, 15
ETCHELLS (24 boats)
1) Peter Duncan, Rye, NY, Spot, 16
2) William Douglass, Marblehead, MA, Valkyrie, 21
3) Don Miller, N Reading, MA, Toubob, 33
FRERS 33 (7 boats)
1) Ken Bowden, Marblehead, MA, Knotless, 6
2) Neal Melanson, Rowley, MA, Vapor Trail, 7
3) Matthew Whitlock, Salem, MA, Bird Dog, 9
IOD (15 boats)
1) Bruce Dyson, Marblehead, MA, Gypsy, 8
2) Kenneth Drewry, Marblehead, MA, Small Hotel, 18
3) Danielle Ames, Lexington, MA, Javelin, 21
J 105 (10 boats)
1) William Strauss, Marblehead, MA, Heart Throb, 3
2) Rich Hill/George Lowden, Marblehead, MA, Dark Horse, 7
3) Ernest Hardy, Winthrop, MA, Jaguar, 10
J 24 (29 boats)
1) Paul Michalowski, Swampscott, MA, Mojo, 15
2) Mark Toso, Wenham, MA, High Five, 19
3) Paul Adam, Beverly, MA, Irie, 24
RHODES 19 (38 boats)
1) Jeremy Bloxham, Marblehead, MA, Jumbly, 10
2) Michael Carpenter, Reading, MA, You Sexy Thing!, 20
3) Doug Trees/Shan McAdoo, Hamilton, MA, Swingroom, 24
SONAR (35 boats)
1) Stewart P. Neff/Henry Brauer, Marblehead, MA, Hup Two, 10
2) Stephen Cucchiaro/Jonathan Cressy, Charlestown, MA, Slueth II, 19
3) Bill Lynn, Marblehead, MA, TBD, 22
THUNDERBIRD (8 boats)
1) Ken MacLeod, Quincy, MA, Flying Gull, 9
2) Sean Kane, Dorchester, MA, Chikanery, 14
3) Peter Gilson, Newtonville, MA, Amr’a, 20
TOWNCLASS (8 boats)
1) Jane R. Cooke, Marblehead, MA, AUFBLITZEN, 13
2) Arthur O’Neill, Swampscott, MA, Frolic, 14
3) James Cooke, Marblehead, MA, ELUSIVE, 19
VIPER 640 (10 boats)
1) Rob & Kelly Gorman, Marblehead, MA, UFO, 7
2) Seamus & Kate Hourihan, Boxford, MA, SNAKE, RATTLE & ROLL, 13
3) Paul Zimmerman, North Andover, MA, Playstation, 24
NOTE: Complete results and photos can be found at www.sailingworld.com.
