Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge
Scores & Press Releases - August 2006

Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge                    
August-06                    
New York Harbor                    
                     
Place Team (#) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total Pts
1 Oslo Yacht Club (Norway) 4 2 10* 1 5 1 2 8* 4 19
2 Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (United States) 6* 1 4 5* 4 2 4 5 5 25
3 St. Francis Yacht Club (United States) 8 5 1 10* 2 9* 1 1 9 27
4 Segel- und Yacht Club Herrliberg (Switzerland) 9* 4 6 9* 8 5 6 3 2 34
5 Yacht Club "Bulgaria" (Bulgaria) 1 3 5 2 11* 11 14* 6 7 35
6 Nepean Sailing Club (Canada) 11* 9* 8 6 6 4 9 2 3 38
7 St. Petersburg Yacht Club (United States) 2 7 9* 8* 7 8 5 4 6 39
8 Royal Irish Yacht Club (Ireland) 7 9 3 3 9 3 7 12* 10* 41
9 Royal Natal Yacht Club (South Africa) 10* 9 2 4 3 12* 9 7 8 42
10 Manhattan Sailing Club B (United States) 3 9 7 7 14* 7 3 11 13* 47
11 Circolo Nautico Brenzone (Italy) 5 9 15* 12 1 6 11 13 14* 57
12 Manhattan Sailing Club A (United States) 12 9 11 11 10 14* 14* 10 1 64
13 Royal Western Yacht Club (United Kingdom) 13* 9 13* 13 12 13 10 9 12 78
14 Segler-Vereinigung Flensburg (Germany) 14* 8 12 15* 13 10 8 14 14 79
15 Royal Swedish Yacht Club, KSSS (Sweden) 15* 6 14 14 15* 15 11 15 11 86
* lowest score allowed to be dropped from total                    
 
Saturday, August 26, 2006

Oslo Yacht Club of Norway Wins!
Two US Clubs in Second and Third.

Host Manhattan Wins Final race
Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge
 
Regatta Promotes International Goodwill Through Friendly Competition
 
Oslo Yacht Club of Norway has won the first Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge.
 
With an 8th and 4th place finish on the final day, Oslo YC held off strong challenges from the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and the St. Francis Yacht Club of the United States.  Those clubs finished second and third overall.
 
Photo: With the Statue of Liberty watching in the background, teams race up to the windward mark in light and shifty northeast winds.
 
St Francis YC won the first race of today, making them the only team to win 3 races in this 9 race series.  The only other club to win more than one race was Oslo YC which won 2.
 
Seawanhaka Corinthian YC was the team which sailed most consistent, winning one race and never finishing below 6th place.
 
The second race of today was won by host Manhattan Sailing Club.  They led wire to wire in the shifty north east winds.
 
The two teams who sailed the best today were Segel und Yacht Club Herrliberg of Switzerland and Nepean Sailing Club of Canada.  They each scored a second and a third.

 

Friday, August 25, 2006

Norway Dominates Day 4 & Leads Overall
Bulgaria Crashes, 2 US Clubs in 2nd & 3rd

Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge
 
2 Races & 1 Day Still to Go
15 Teams Competing
Racing Takes Place in NY Harbor
 
Regatta Promotes International Goodwill Through Friendly Competition
 
Oslo Yacht Club of Norway turned in a commanding performance in the fourth day of racing by finishing first and second in the two races.  They have now taken a strong lead.  With 7 of 9 races completed and 2 throwouts allowed, Oslo YC has 10 points.
 
Second place overall now belongs to Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club of the United States with 15 points.  They finished second and fourth today.
 
Third place is the St. Francis Yacht Club of the United States with 17 points.  They finished ninth in the first race but came on strong and won the second race after leading wire to wire.
 
Photo: St. Francis Yacht Club passes in front of the floating clubhouse to win Race 7.
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is now in the home stretch with 4 days of racing completed and one more day scheduled.
 
The top teams 3 teams have established themselves but anything still might happen.  For example, just before the start of Race 7, two sailboats did not see each in the tight maneuvering space and crashed.  This was a great blow to Yacht Club Bulgaria whose boat was knocked out of commission.  Their chances of winning the regatta diminished greatly.
 
Another close situation occurred later in the second race when the Royal Irish Yacht Club approached the windward mark in second place.  But with a strong current, they were unable to pass the buoy and tacked onto port, hitting St. Petersburg Yacht Club.  By the time they completed their 720 degree turns, they were far back in the pack but managed to climb back to seventh.
 
Photo: Friday was mostly overcast but the weather most of the week has been sunny and beautiful.  These 3 boats were racing together on Thursday.
 
Because this regatta is designed to promote international goodwill through friendly competition, teams are taking the social aspects as serious as the on-water race aspects.  At the "Skyline Party" in the harbor on Thursday night, the Royal Western Yacht Club of the United Kingdom and the Segel und Yacht club Herrliberg of Switzerland distinguished themselves early in the evening by dancing on opposite sides of the bar.  Late at night, Circolo Nautica Brenzone of Italy showed the best form by volunteering various crews members for an unusual local custom known as "body shots."
 
Tonight is the second of the two "Skyline Parties" when teams have dinner in the harbor on the floating clubhouse of the Manhattan Sailing Club.  Saturday night will be the "International Sailors Party" at a beautiful private club in Lower Manhattan.  Awards will also be presented there.
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is a regatta to promote international goodwill through friendly competition.  Racing will continue every day through Saturday.  Two races are scheduled each day between 12 noon and 5 p.m.  Every evening there are social events.
 
People can watch the races from the "Honorable William Wall," a spectator platform located in the harbor.  Races start and finish from this platform and the sailboats pass by several times each race.
 
Full details on the regatta are at http://myc.org/iycc/default.htm
 
Thursday, August 24, 2006

Norway & Italy Win Races,
Bulgaria Still Leading Overall at
Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge

 
4 Races & 2 Days Still to Go
15 Teams Competing
Racing Takes Place in NY Harbor
 
Regatta Promotes International Goodwill Through Friendly Competition
 
Honors today belong to the Oslo Yacht Club of Norway, winner of Race 4 and Circolo Nautico Brenzone of Italy, winner of Race 5.
 
Photo: The fleet heads back to the skyline of Manhattan after finishing the first race of today. 
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is now in "super mode" with the competition continuing at a blistering pace in New York Harbor.  The sea breezes filled in for both races under the skyline of Manhattan.
 
In the first race, Oslo Yacht Club led the whole way until just before the final mark.  That's when Yacht Club "Bulgaria" pulled ahead downwind.  But Oslo tacked first at the mark which allowed them to claim victory at the finish.  Close behind these two were the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
 
Race Two was for a big prize.  The night before, during the "Friendship Dinner" at Brasserie Les Halles Downtown, teams began exhibiting exuberant behavior, singing and carrying on in a manner to generate significant amounts of international goodwill.  The Commodore of host Manhattan Sailing Club felt the spirit was so good, he promised to send the winning team of Race 5 on a helicopter tour of Manhattan. 
 
If there was one race to win, this was it!
 
For the first start of Race 5, all boats crowded to the starting line, intent on getting a lead.  But the current was also pushing boats over early.  When the starting gun sounded, only 4 of the 15 teams were on the correct side of the starting line.  The Race Committee tried its best to call all the proper boats over and most teams came back in various order.  But by the time teams had reached the windward mark, the Race Committee felt it was not able to certify the start as being 100% accurate and called for a restart.
 
The second start was picture perfect, with all 15 teams on the line, but none over.  The battle ensued and by the windward mark, Circolo Nautico Brenzone was leading for the first time in the regatta.  They never let up and captured the victory and the helicopter tour of Manhattan.  Second went to St. Francis Yacht Club of the United States and third went to Royal Natal Yacht Club of South Africa.
 
Photo: Circolo Nautico Brenzone of Italy wins Race 5 and the helicopter tour around Manhattan.
 
Overall, Bulgaria still holds a one point lead of Oslo Yacht Club with Seawanhaka in third.
 
The competition is so even among all teams that no teams has won more than one race.
 
Tonight is the first of two "Skyline Parties" when teams have dinner in the harbor on the floating clubhouse of the Manhattan Sailing Club.  It has one of the best views of the skyline and the dinner and party (if last night is any gauge) promise to be lively.
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is a regatta to promote international goodwill through friendly competition.  Racing will continue every day through Saturday.  Two races are scheduled each day between 12 noon and 5 p.m.  Every evening there are social events.
 
People can watch the races from the "Honorable William Wall," a spectator platform located in the harbor.  Races start and finish from this platform and the sailboats pass by several times each race.
 

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

US Yacht Clubs Win Both Races
But Bulgaria Still Leading Overall
Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge
 
6 Races & 3 More Days Left
15 Teams Competing
Racing Takes Place in NY Harbor
 
Regatta Promotes International Goodwill Through Friendly Competition
 
The first race today was won by Seawanhaka Yacht Club of the United States with Norway in second and Bulgaria in third.
 
The second race was won by St. Francis Yacht Club of the United States with South Africa in second and Ireland in third.
 
Overall, Bulgaria still holds the lead with 9 points.  Seawanhaka is in second with 11, St. Francis is in third with 14 and Norway in fourth with 16.
 
Day number 2 of the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge has ended.  Three more days of competition and 6 races remain.
 
Today's racing took place in light westerly and north-westerly breezes blowing in advance of a weak cold front.  The race course was affected by pockets of calm during the race.  Boats sometimes stopped their forward progress or floated backwards in the current.  But despite the nail biting conditions, the winds always filled in and both races were completed.
 
The quality of competition is excellent and also very equal among all teams.  Three separate teams have won races but none of the winners has a second.  10 boats have finished in the top 5 places.
 
Because of the westerly winds, downwind starts were used today.  All races start and finish from the floating clubhouse in the harbor which is fixed in location near Ellis Island.
 
Photo: Race 3 starts in a downwind direction.  Despite their lack of practice in downwind starts, the teams quickly perfected the strategies and nuances.
 
During the first race, 8 boats were able to finish before the 20 minute time limit after the first boat to finish.  According to the local rules, all boats not finished scored one point more than the number of finishers or 9th place.
 
Also with the light winds, mark roundings produced some interesting situations were boats drifted together.  The regatta has a 720/360 degree rule.  In any situation involving touching between boats, the boat at fault does a 720 degree turn.  The boat the right also does a 360 degree turn.  This rule encourages the right of way boat not to allow contact and help protects the fleet of borrowed boats.
 
Yesterday evening, the Welcoming Ceremony of the regatta was held at City Hall.  Champagne was served in the Rotunda and then all sailors entered the City Council chambers.  Each team was introduced and there were many elegant speeches.
 
After the ceremony, teams went to dinner at various restaurants before reconvening at the Bubble Lounge for a champagne reception.  The champagne bar was filled to overflowing and soon the teams were dancing until well past mid-night.
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is a regatta to promote international goodwill through friendly competition.  Racing will continue every day through Saturday.  Two races are scheduled each day between 12 noon and 5 p.m.  Every evening there are social events.
 
People can watch the races from the "Honorable William Wall," a spectator platform located in the harbor.  Races start and finish from this platform and the sailboats pass by several times each race.
 

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Bulgaria Wins First Race of
Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge

 
4 More Days and 8 Races Left
15 Teams Competing
Racing Takes Place in NY Harbor
 
Regatta Promotes International Goodwill Through Friendly Competition
 
Race 1 belongs to the Bulgarians.  "Yacht Club Bulgaria," skippered by Ivan Grekov, rounded the first mark in first place and never let go of their lead to win Race 1.
 
The first Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is underway in New York Harbor.
 
"We made a good start," said Skipper Grekov.  "There was a little shift to the right and the most important thing was the current.  We always watch the current."
 
Photo: Ivan Grekov hugs his crew after winning the first race of the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge.
 
Bulgaria beat 15 other teams from around the world.
 
Second place went to St. Petersburg Yacht Club from the United States.  Their entry is skippered by Rich Doyle.  He's 58 and the genoa trimmer is 72.  This proves that sailing is a sport in which all ages can compete equally.
 
The Manhattan Sailing Club team skippered by Stephen Yip finished third.
 
Race conditions were picture perfect for New York Harbor.  A 12 knot southerly sea breeze came up just before racing began.  There was an ebb tide which increased during the afternoon.
 
The Race Committee selected a windward-leeward three times round course.  The racing was extremely close with all teams showing great skill and form.  Mark rounding were hotly contested and all teams put on a great display of seamanship.
 
The Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge is a regatta to promote international goodwill through friendly competition.  Racing will continue every day through Saturday.  Two races are scheduled each day between 12 noon and 5 p.m.  Every evening there are social events.
 
People can watch the races from the "Honorable William Wall," a spectator platform located in the harbor.  Races start and finish from this platform and the sailboats pass by several times each race.
 
Winning Skipper Grekov added, "Tomorrow our driver will be Karen Mitchell, a disabled lady who is working to qualify for Olympics.  We're trying to help her get there."

 

 

 

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