Westerly winds filled in slightly today in Massachusetts Bay, staying shifty and in the low teens. The funky wind patterns made for a livelier day of competition at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD in Marblehead. “The day gave us a little bit of everything, so anyone who came out on top of any race today definitely did a good job,” said International One Design class leader Bruce Dyson.
The Laser fleet sailed their first two races of the regatta today, with local sailor JB Braun dominating the fleet with two bullets. In the Viper class, competition for the top spot stayed tight with just one point between the two lead boats. Choppy Seas with skipper Thomas Loutrel are in the lead by just one point over Mo Grins and co skippers Moise Solomon and Dave Nickerson. “It feels like they’re practically in our boat sometimes,” said Loutrel, “People were more aggressive at the starting line than yesterday. A lot of shifts out there, the breeze was shifting left and right.”
Even with the conditions completely different than yesterday’s light air, Bruce Dyson maintained his significant lead in the International One Design class, ending the day with half of the points of the second place boat.
“The breeze was doing a little dance up the course and hadn’t made its way up to us yet,” said Dyson about the first race of the day. “The first guy to the right would win the race, and that’s what we did and we won it. The second race, we didn’t stick to the right, but the guy who did made out like gangbusters. He had more courage to go deeper than anyone else and it worked.” Dyson credits his talented crew for their ability to hold on to the lead. “We’re all amateurs but we sail like professionals. It makes it fun”
With a front moving through tomorrow, both wind and precipitation are expected to build around the time of the first gun. Dyson and his crew aboard Gypsy are ready for the challenge. “That’s the most fun thing about sailing,” said Dyson. “No two races are ever the same. We have to go out tomorrow and make sure we don’t step on it too bad. We’ll be conservative and just race around the racecourse and we’ll finish as strong as we’ve started.”
Day 2 photos courtesy of Leighton O’Connor
