Cordelia Wins Overall, Gosling Founders Trophy
[Written by Talbot Wilson]
Roy and Gail Greenwald’s Valiant 42 Cordelia has finished first in fleet on corrected time in the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. She will win the Goslings Founders Trophy. The Greenwalds sail out of Mairon MA. Cordelia is also the Class D winner.
Among other prizes, Cordelia will win the coveted Beverly Yacht Club ‘Polaris Trophy’ as the best celestially navigated yacht. Gail Greenwald will win the ‘Navigators Trophy’.
Roy Greenwald— husband and skipper— said [with a smile], “I make the boat go fast and she tells me where to go.”
On Tuesday, Mark Riley’s Kiwi Spirit, skippered by 18-year-old Jo Riley earned line honors as the leader from start to finish in the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. The Farr 63 finished off St. David’s Lighthouse at 2:27:59 Tuesday.
Roy and Gail Greenwald’s Valiant 42 Cordelia has finished first in fleet on corrected time in the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. She will win the Goslings Founders Trophy. The Greenwalds sail out of Mairon MA. Cordelia is also the Class D winner. Photo by fran Grenon, Spectrum Photo
Kiwi Spirit was a family effort— Father, son and daughter plus three cousins and a brother-in-law make up the family part of the crew. Joining them was Chuck Fontaine a lifelong friend who has run the Mass Maritime Sailing Program. Fontaine is, after sailing many miles with the Riley group, adopted member of the Riley family.
Mary Pierce, Marion Bermuda’s Principal Race Officer [PRO] and person in charge of Operations and Scoring said Wednesday morning, “Everything’s happy. All the boats are finished. We’re still doing compliance and we’ve got the [Spirit of Bermuda] redress hearing this afternoon. We have one or two compliance requests… the numbers are the numbers.”
Cordelia and all of the class winners steered by the sun, moon and stars purely by celestial navigation. James Geil, Master of Tabor Boy for 32 years said, “Our celestial navigation was spot on for the last two days. We didn’t turn on our electronic GPS navigation until after we finished.”
This race was Tabor Boy’s first Marion Bermuda adventure. Geil said, “We’ll be back in 2021 and we’ll help bring more Classic Division entries.’
The classic schooner Tabor Boy from Tabor Academy in Marion MA finished as the winner in the Classic Division. This race was Tabor Boy’s first Marion Bermuda adventure. Ship’s Master James Geil said, “We’ll be back in 2021 and we’ll help bring more Classic Division entries.’ Photo by Talbot Wilson
And the winners are…
Founder’s Division
Class A—
- 1. Abigail— Robert Buck, Aquidneck 52, Marion MA – Celestial
- 2. Kinship — Francis Selldorf, Baltic 52, Padanaram MA
- 3. Sunflower — Mark Lenci, Beneteasu Oceanis 523, Harpswell ME
Class B —
- 1. Gallant, Christian Hoffman, Navy 44, USNA Annapolis MD, Celestial
- 2. Momentum, Paul Kanev, Hinckley Sou’wester 51, Newport RI
- 3. Defiance, George Hamilton/Kevin Navarro, Navy 44 MKII, USNA Annapolis MD, Celestial
Class C—
- 1. Pinnacle— Peter Torosian, Tartan 4100, Rye NH, Celestial
- 2. Escapade II— Tom Bowler, Morris 46, Ocean, Marion MA
- 3. Scappare— David LeBlanc, Catalina 42 MKII, Stillhouse Cove RI
Class D—
- 1. Cordelia— Roy Greenwald, Valiant 42, Marion MA, Celestial
- 2. Frolic— Ray Cullum, Dixon 44, Marion MA, Celestial
- 3. Silhouette— David Caso, Cherubini 44, Portsmouth RI
Classic Division
Overall Class and division
- 1. Tabor Boy— James Geil, Schooner 92, Tabor Academy Marion MA, Celestial
DNS Spirit of Bermuda—Jordan Smith, Tall Ship 118, Dockyard, Bermuda
Kiwi Spirit was the line honors leader from start to finish in the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. The Farr 63 finished off St. David’s Lighthouse at 2:27:59 Tuesday. Photo by Talbot Wilson
The official source for race information… entry list, scratch sheet, official finishing, official scoring, official prize list… is on the web site. here
Look at Race News area below the banner picture and click on the Icons and the Photo.
Results here
Handicap Adjustments
The Founders Division boats sailed under a new “anti-bias” version of the ORR handicapping system. The new system designed by race organizers in collaboration with the Offshore Racing Association [ORA] should have reduced the bias against faster boats by eliminating the “Parking Lot” effect.
The “Parking Lot” effect is the bias which occurs when faster boats loose time against slower boats in low or no-wind conditions usually experienced south of the Gulf Stream and north of Bermuda and often as evening falls on boats at the mouth of Buzzards Bay.
Class B winner and second in the Founders Division was the US Naval Academy’s Gallant, a Pearson Composite Navy 44 skippered by Christian Hoffman. Photo by Fran Grenon, Spectrum Photo
The “Parking Lot” adjustment was applied as a time correction factor based on actual vs. predicted performance of the first three boats to finish. All of the race details, including an explanation of the handicap correction system and formula, for the race are published in the Sailing Instructions.
Races within the Race
Competition for special awards is a unique attraction for the Marion-Bermuda Race. The Notice of Race has all the details.
Go to the website for photos and descriptions of the trophies and the competition for them.
The R&W Rope Rigging Solutions Team Trophy is offered for established Yacht Clubs or Sailing organizations that form a team of three member yachts. The team whose three yachts have the lowest corrected time total will be the winner.
Winner in class C was the Tartan 4100 Pinnacle, skippered by Peter Torosian of Rye NH, Celestial. Photo by Fran Grenon, Spectrum Photo
Yachts sailing with a crew of two, a crew of three or four or an all-female crew of any number may compete in the double-handed, short-handed, and all-female competitions respectively. Prizes are the Double-Handed Trophy, the short-handed L. Bryon Kingery, Jr. Memorial Trophy and the Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for the ladies.
A “family” yacht racing for the Beverly Family Trophy is one with a crew of five or more with all or all-but-one being members of a single household or a single family may race for the family prize. Persons related to a common grandparent and spouses of these “family”, too.
The Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy encourages youth participation. A “Youth” yacht has at least four [4] youths aboard with at least 66% of the crew qualified as youths. A youth sailor must be 16 years of age or older but not more than 23 years old by June 14, 2019. One or more adults at least 23 years old by June 14, 2019 must be on board.
The Beverly Yacht Club Polaris Trophy is a prize for stargazers. If a yacht has elected to be celestially navigated, she will receive a 3% favorable adjustment to her ORR rating.
Outstanding report! Thank you Talbot