Great Britain Team wins Hinman Trophy at New York Yacht Club
by Penny Piva Rego 7 Aug 2001 23:06 BST
It took 108 races over three days to determine the winner of US SAILING's U.S. Team Race Championship for the Hinman Trophy, sponsored by Rolex Watch USA and Vanguard Sailboats, at the New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court. Spinnaker GBR, one of two entrants from Great Britain - and only the second non-American team to win the event in its 20-year history -- won with a score of 3-2. The team beat second place finisher Meadowlark Lemon and third place finisher Whishbone. Fourteen teams competed in Vanguard 15s.
Spinnaker GBR1, the US Sailing Team Racing Champion, was led by Stuart Hudson, a bronze medallist in the Team Racing Worlds in 1999; Steve Tylecote, gold medallist in the Team Racing Worlds in 1995; and Dominic Johnson, the UK Student National Champ in 2000. Crewing were Sally Cuthbert, Debs Kershaw and Amy Smith.
"The regatta was filled with today's younger rock stars, all great sailors, all keen to win. It was some of the best sailing I have ever witnessed, and my seat was often in the umpire boat just feet from the action. I realized during the award ceremony when I was looking at the names of the winning
team that the author of the English authoritative guide on team racing was one of the skippers. Very impressive.
"We implemented a debrief after racing that was enormously popular focused on incidents and why certain calls from umpires were made as well as a complete review of Rule 42 and the implications of kinetics. It was tremendous to participate in the open and respectful exchange of concepts
and ideas. The result was much decreased use of kinetics following the discussion, a true bonus for our sport."
It took 50 races to determine the winner of the New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race for the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy. The winner was Yale Corinthian Yacht Club, which beat the host New York Yacht Club. Yale Corinthian won the finals 3-1. Third was Noroton, and fourth was St. Francis. Eight teams sailed.
It was a star-studded cast for the Masters as well. The skippers for Yale Corinthian were Dave Perry, Yale '77 All-American and a two-time Congressional-Cup winner; Sam Altrueter, Tufts '76 All American and College Sailor of the Year; and Ken Legler, University of Rhode Island '77 All
American. Most extraordinary - inspiring, in fact -- was that Legler sailed with two blind crewmembers: Matt Chao and Duane Farrar. Chao has been sailing for 20 years, winning five U.S. Blind championships and one Worlds. Farrar has been sailing for five years, "racing all the time." Chao said they concentrated on mechanics. "The feel of the boat. We couldn't really help with tactics." When they won, "There were hugs all around."
Fellow teammate, Dave Perry was in total awe of the professional sailing by Legler's team. He described a series of practice tacks as being perfectly executed and then his amazement as he watched the boat turn to go downwind and Matt Chao turned to face the wind, not the direction the boat was moving. "It looked odd," Perry said, "just because of the conventions we expect."
NYYC Rear Commodore George R. "Jory" Hinman Jr. sailed for the second-place NYYC team. It is his father, Commodore George R. Hinman Sr., the 39th commodore of the NYYC, for whom both events are named. Asked what his late father might think of the combined Hinmans, which included 154 competitors, 30 racing boats and 42 support boats, Hinman said, "My Dad is probably looking down today and smiling from ear-to ear..."
For complete links to results, photos, and complete reports, visit
www.nyyc.org/TEAMRACE/Hinman_Team_Racing_Trophies_2001.html. For
information about the Team Racing Championship for the Hinman Trophy, visit
www.ussailing.org/Hinman.
The second place Meadowlark Lemons team members were Zack Leonard, Peter Alarie, Kevin Hall, Katherine McDowell, Liz Hall, and Carolyn Hall. Third place Whishbone team members were Timothy Fallon, Timothy Wadlow, Erin Largay, Graeme Woodworth, Karen Renzulli, and Lee Lucas Woodworth.
The George R. Hinman Trophy is the highest award for team racing in the United States, allowing the top teams with the broadest skills to race against each other for the championship title. It is one of four Championships supported by US SAILING.
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