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The Cup Weekend
The Jackson Cup, named in honor of the late Past Commodore
Dr. Robert F. Jackson, (1993-'94), is an annual invitational
team race challenge by the Boston Yacht Club to other clubs and
organizations. The teams selected for the challenge are chosen
for having demonstrated high racing skill and the Corinthian
spirit. The event was inaugurated in 1999 and is held in April
each year. It is sailed in Sonar class boats.
Two days are scheduled, with dinner on Saturday evening and
awards on Sunday afternoon. With eight teams of three a typical
race format would be multiple round robins with a preliminary
round followed by seeded rounds to keep everyone racing over the
two days. With good winds there can be over 50 races in that
time.
Boston hosted the 10th
annual Jackson Cup Invitational Team Racing over the
April 12-13 weekend with 8 teams participating. On the
heels of Southern’s Nichols Cup - many of the teams
competed against each other once again. New York’s team
of Rob Richards, Senet Bischoff and Colin Gordon
continued their winning streak until Boston stopped them
in round robin 2 and again in the final round. New York
went on to win the Jackson Cup 2008 winning 15 of their
17 races. The Seawanhaka Corinthian team of Josh Adams
(team captain), Pete Levesque and Andy Herlihy took
second; Yale Corinthian with David Dellenbaugh, Brian
Doyle and Phil Stemler were third; Tim Wadlow with
Jon Baker and Ted Moore/Tyler Doyle led Boston to
fourth.
Southern’s Cardwell Potts, Charles
Meade and Wade Tornyos may not have liked the fog in the
harbor and took fifth; Noroton with Lee Morrison, Steve
Shepstone (taking a break from umpiring), and Alex
Meleny won sixth place; Corinthian with Doug Sabin,
Brent Larlee and Wade Edwards with a contingent of junior
sailors were seventh and Eastern’s Sam Altreuter with
Robbie Doyle and Larry Ehrhardt completed the line-up
with eighth.
The umpire team was led by Tripp
Alyn assisted on the water by Tom Duggan,
John Tagliamonte, Sue Riley and Pete DeWolfe. They were
kept too busy to get cold.
The statistics: 2 days, 8 teams, 96
racers, 68 races, 17 races each team, 5 umpires, 13
Sonars, 9 power boats, countless BYC volunteers, and
special thank you goes out to Sonars and power boat
owners who kindly lent boats for this event. The
results: happy racers, happy volunteers, and great
post-race bar conversations.
Saturday started with everyone in
foul-weather gear, overcast skies and hints of rain to
come, NE wind average 11 knots with high over 14 knots.
A typical Marblehead April, the wind shifted 180
degrees, the weather went from warm to cold to warm
again and the wind decreased to 6-7 knots until the fog
rolled in late afternoon blanketing the entire harbor.
The last 8 races on Saturday certainly advantaged racers
who had raced in the fog. Sunday’s races continue fast &
furious with the usual shouting at the mark roundings,
umpire whistles blowing and subsequent discourse on
land. Shifty winds, flat seas with almost nothing or
wind bands of 8 knots best describe Sunday.
Boston’s deck was the perfect spot
for the racers to assess their opponent’s team tactics
and prepare for the next race. A vantage point for the
races on Saturday and perfect on Sunday morning as we
raced just off Boston’s dock.
The Line Captain was Past Commodore
C.H. Ritt (CH) who allowed nothing to interfere with
maintaining the tempo of race starts for both days. Leo
Fallon Jr., was Event organizer, had the logistics well
in hand long before this weekend, he also led the dock
crew with Jason Maher as his right hand man. Talk about
organized - changing a broken tiller in little over 2
minutes to enable the races to keep going without a
glitch!
Saturday evening was a hit with CH
calling up each team captain to introduce their
team-mates and say a few words, we believe the framed
team photos courtesy of Peter Morris helped a few team
captains to remember everyone in their group! This did
not stop Southern’s Commodore giving the Boston a bit of
grief about the cold and fog and reminding everyone that
Southern’s Nichol's Cup is really the spring opener for
team racing. Commodore John Doane greeted and welcomed
all to the Boston YC and then the VC, Phil DiCarlo, presented Tim Wadlow with a check in support
of his Olympic campaign.
For a taste of the action, see
2008
photos.
Let the racing continue for the
summer!
By Anne Coulombe |
