If you haven’t heard the news, Lake Geneva Yacht Club’s own Brian Porter has been shortlisted for Rolex Yachtsman of the Year by US Sailing. If Brian becomes Rolex Yachtsman of the Year it would cap off a great season of champions coming out of the Lake Geneva Yacht Club. Check out the article from US Sailing Here.
Five members of LGYC’s Power Fleet won prizes at the 2013 Geneva Lakes Antique and Classic Boat Show, held September 27 – 29 at the Abbey Resort and Abbey Marina in Fontana. Retiring Commodore John D. Simms Jr. was awarded the Peoples’ Choice Award, which is based on votes cast by visitors to the show, for Jean Marie, his 28-foot 1997 Streblow Cuddy Sport; Andy Kubicsko won the Hagerty Youth Award for Freedom, his 28-foot 1966 Lyman Sportsman Hardtop; Robin and Peter Mueller won the Best Contemporary Award for Pink Lady, their 30-foot 1980 Edwardian fantail motor launch; Tim Nickols won the Best Antique Utility Award for Wooden Nickols, his 22-foot 1940 Chris-Craft Sportsman; and Walter Goes won the Best Historic Award for Majen Sawasmo, his 34-foot 1898 L. E. Fry launch.
Photo Credit – Pierrickcontin.fr/IMCA
Congratulations to Brian Porter and his crew Andy Burdick, Matt Woodward, and Federico Michetti for their down-to-the-wire win at the Sperry Top-Sider Melges 24 World Championship, September 30-October 5, on San Francisco Bay. In a big range of wind conditions, the Full Throttle team compiled a 12-1-(16)-3-6-3-2-8-4 series for 39 points in the 59-boat fleet. In second, with 41, was Italian Flavio Favini, 2001 World Champion and current European Champion, at the helm of Franco Rossini’s Swiss entry BluMoon. Favini led by one point going into the final day. In third overall was Denmark’s Kim Christiansen with 47 points. Thirteen countries were represented in the nine-race regatta.
Brian, who has been runner-up three times in previous Melges 24 World Championships, held the U.S. National class title in 1999, 2007, 2008, and 2010 and the 2006 North American title. He recently won the 2013 Class E season championship for the Commodore Gordon Bartels Trophy at LGYC.
Other LGYC members competing in the San Francisco Yacht Club event were 2002 World Champion Harry Melges III in 9th overall; Michael Keefe, 33rd; Steven Boho, 37th; and Frank Davenport, 51st and 18th in the Corinthian standings.
For complete results, dramatic videos and photographs, go to the International Melges 24 Class Association website at www.melges24.com.
Check out Brian Porters interview with Sailing Anarchy Here
Congratulations to Harry Melges IV and his crew Harry Melges III on winning the M17 National Championship held at LGYC this past weekend. 26 boats competed in a great regatta. Click here for full results
Yesterday Blanchard/Burdick completed the hat trick by winning the A Scow portion of the Big Inland in Okoboji Iowa. With this win LGYC’s Terry Blanchard and Andy Burdick have successfully defended the A Scow National Title in June at Lake Geneva Yacht Club, also defended the title for the LGYC Championship Series about a week ago, and yesterday prevailed with the A Scow Big Inland Title in Okoboji.
Success was not limited to the Blanchard/Burdick Team, LGYC had 5 A Scows in the Top 8, with Tom Freytag taking third, Anderson/Porter taking fourth, Mike Keefe taking sixth, and Chuck Lamphere securing eighth place. Tom Freytag’s team brought a bit of youth to the Big Inland with Griffin Rolander on mainsheet, Coye Harrett at #1, Nathan and Allie Freytag and this year’s X Champ Will Huerth. Congratulations to all who competed .. For the full Results CLICK HERE
Our very own Vincent Porter made some noise in the 2013 ECESA Championship Regatta last week on Keuka Lake having earned a first place title with crew members RJ Porter, and Colin Rowe. A field of fifty-six crews participated in the eight-race national championship, and Porter stood out among the rest. A full re-cap of the results can be found here.
National Class E-Scow Association
The New-Yorkers of Keuka Lake were joined by ambitious sailors from all over the mid-west and northeast. According to Bob Cole, the E-Scow Fleet Captain at the Keuka Yacht Club who blogged updates on the series each day, the majority of wind that swept over the lake during the competition was predictably westerly, but not without a fair share of surprises.
Day one at Keuka proved to be a tale of two troops, with a minority of four leaders in front, including Vincent Porter I-2, John Brown SS-1, and Bobbie Koar BH-22. After a morning of light rain and steady, southerly winds, the afternoon brought with it a slew of wind that lacked predictability. Sudden blasts from the west came early and often, nearly leaving Porter behind indefinitely.
Day two included three races that were rich with intensity and erratic wind conditions. Vincent Porter managed to take one of the three races while maintaining a two-point lead at the end of the day, just as storms seemed to be looming over the deep lake.
Porter celebrating a well-earned victory with RJ Porter and Colin Rowe
The two races that took place during day three were navigated by Porter with just enough consistency that allowed him to edge out the other sailors. Bobbie Koar, who went into the day only two points down from Porter, was unable to conclude the series with a favorable performance in comparison.
Congratulations to the 2013 Eastern Champion Mr. Porter and crew, and to all of the other competitors that concluded the championship series last Sunday with class and remarkable effort!