Sheena Poe, SCYC, off to a great start in race #1.
In October of last year, five couples from Harbor 20 Fleet 1 in Newport Beach flew to Windmill Harbor, South Carolina, to compete in South Carolina Yacht Club’s Harbor 20 East/West Challenge. On October 24 and 25 of 2009, Fleet 1 and the Newport Harbor Yacht Club hosted a reciprocal event that represented one-design sailing at its very best. The Challenge grew from five teams last year to seven this year; and over sixty Harbor 20 sailors participated in the event. Each boat was sailed with a skipper and two crew, which put forty-two sailors on the water. Several fleet members helped with the race committee work, and a fun little Newport Electric Packet was available for spectators.
The festivities began on Friday evening when Harbor 20 sailors Terry & Joann Gloege and Byron & Patricia Capps treated the South Carolina sailors to a tour of the bay aboard Nonpareil. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon; and a tour from one end of the harbor, out to the ocean, and back gave the visitors a good perspective of Newport Harbor and the area where we would be sailing. After an elegant dinner at NHYC, everyone headed home for a good night’s rest.
Fall in Newport Beach is a beautiful time of the year, but winds are typically light and shifty. And this weekend was no exception. Regatta PRO Bill Palmer and his committee did a masterful job of maintaining excellent courses on Saturday in spite of light and shifty winds. SCYC sailors Sheena and Chris Poe, with Newport sailor Steve Schupak crewing, jumped into the lead at the first start and maintained their lead to the finish. Newport sailor Bill Menninger, with his wife Diane and Paul Stemler crewing, placed second, and SCYC sailors Gary and Sharleen Gleason with Fleet 1 sailor Kathy Sangster were third. The team scores at the end of the first race were SC 54/ Newport 51. It looked like it was going to be a close regatta! We sailed three more races on Saturday and ended the day with the Newport team in the lead.
Sunday treated the fleet to a little more wind velocity, but still not enough to make the SCYC sailors feel at home where they sail in open water, with no obstructions, and typically enjoy wind in the 10 to 12 knot range. At the end of the 7-race series, Newport sailors Bill Menninger and Tom Schock placed first and second. SCYC sailor Gary Gleason was third, and Newport sailors Phil Ramser and Lee Sutherland were fourth and fifth. Team honors and the beautiful perpetual trophy donated by Domenico DeSole went to Newport Harbor Fleet 1. Complete results are attached.
A fabulous cocktail party Sunday evening at Win and Carlita Fuller’s beautiful home was followed by an elegant dinner at small Italian restaurant within walking distance of the yacht club. We quickly put the challenging conditions behind us and started looking forward to next year’s event.
We sailed, and we partied, and we had a terrific weekend.
South Carolina Yacht Club team members (front row) Barry Connelly, Muffy Schulze, Steve Schupak, Sheena Poe, Domenico De Sole, Gary Gleason, Sharleen Gleason, Ted Munroe, Julie Taylor, (back row) Len Connelly, Rolly Pulaski, Jim Kerrigan, Annie Donat, Helen Duncan, Bob deVeer, Joe Highsmith, Chris Poe, Ned Nielson,
Newport team members: (front row) Lee and Hollie Sutherland, Trish Ramser, Debra Haynes, Anne Schupak, Tom Schock, Diane Menninger (holding the team trophy), Jane Schock, Phyllis Drayton, Carlita Fuller, Bill Menninger, (back row) Emile Pilafides, Bob Yates, Peter Haynes, Ed Kimball, George Drayton, Phil Ramser, Win Fuller, Terry Gloege. Photos by Dwight Belden, NHYC Fleet Captain