2022 Nationals

A65 winners

 

The 2022 Atlantic Nationals at Niantic Bay Yacht Club were won by Niantic member Bill Healy sailing A65 Challenger II, crewed by Art Landry and Bill’s two daughters, Caroline and Kristen. A sailing coach at Yale, Bill has won the Nationals twice previously, in 1996 and 2004, both times when they were held at Niantic. Second was David Peck in A130 Miss April, also from Niantic, and third Scott Reichhelm from Cedar Point sailing A142 Shucks, beating out Steve Benjamin’s Cassidy (A128) on a tie-breaker.

Conditions were intensely challenging for competitors and race committee alike. The first day’s racing eventually was abandoned through lack of wind, but the next day three races were squeezed in, the first two in light and fluky winds with a full moon creating extra strong spring tides. To minimize the advantages of local knowledge, courses were set out in the Sound away from Niantic Bay, but in a southerly wind direction the weather mark had to be anchored where it was deep and the tide was now ebbing at three knots. A reasonable breeze arrived for the third race, and the ebb had started to slow down to make life easier, but the final day started with a northerly which slowly dropped in strength. The fifth and last race was really strange, the wind shifting from northerly to southerly then back again, then repeating, with every other wind direction thrown in for good measure. Healy clinched the championship with an impressive show of consistency in the inconsistent conditions.

Click here for results and here for a full list of competitors.

 

2021 Nationals

2021 Nats A128 2

 

After the 2020 event had to be cancelled because of the Covid pandemic, the 2021 Nationals went off well at Oyster Bay, NY, in the capable hands of Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club which combined to run the event. Steve Benjamin and his crew of Joe Morris, Dave Hughes and Alex Sachs on Cassidy won the event with an impressive score of 1,2,1,2,1, discarding a second place. Second was Scott Reichhelm sailing Shucks, and third Lindsay Doyle, sailing with her father Jim on Ghost.

The virus still kept a lot of people away and a small fleet of only 13 boats competed - the smallest Nationals fleet since 2006, and before 1940 when racing was restricted to one yacht per fleet . But racing was good (except for the windless second day) and the venue was very popular among participants, so much so that SCYC and CSHBC were asked if they would like to repeat the arrangement in five years time. That's when the rotation between clubs will bring it back to Cold Spring Harbor, and it seems like a good possibility.

Full results are here.

 

PHOTOS taken the first day by Brent Bomcamo can be viewed here

 

2019 Nationals

The 91st Atlantic National Championship was held at Cedar Point Yacht Club from August 15 to 17. Clear winners in the fleet of 27 boats were David Peck, Tom Peck, Diane Peck Rothman and Bill Healy from Niantic Bay Yacht Club, aboard Miss April. They won four of the six races, throwing out a fifth! Second was Steve Benjamin in Cassidy, a constant threat as always, and third Rodrigo Meireles with Èlan. Conditions were almost as good as it gets on Long Island Sound, with light to moderate easterlies.

It must have been sweet for the Pecks, who have been narrowly beaten by Benjamin at recent Nationals, last year on a tie-breaker. This time Miss April seemed to have a little something extra in speed and pointing ability. Rodrigo Meireles, sailing his first Atlantic Nationals as skipper, was very consistent, as was Scott Reichhelm in Shucks who finished close behind in fourth. These were the first two of a big Cedar Point contingent, numbering 14 boats, the entire club fleet.

Pecks 2019

 A memorable moment came when Tom Davidson, from Madison, arrived at CPYC the morning of the first race to find Magic had sunk overnight at the dock. The electric pump hose had been left hanging overboard with its end in the water, and a siphon effect had filled up the boat. After a slick lifting operation the boat was recovered, and Tom bounced back with a seventh in the first race the next day.

Results

Photos

 

 

 

 

  

2018 Nationals

Cassidy crop

 

There was another close finish to the Atlantic Nationals this year, when Steve Benjamin in Cassidy and Dave Peck in Miss April ended up tied on points, Benj taking the title through a tiebreaker. Dave’s brother Norm Peck III was third in Nonesuch, just one point behind.

The event at Madison Beach Club was blessed with three days of 10-12 knot winds making for good, fair racing, although on the second day the fleet had to wait all morning until the breeze appeared. Seasoned race officer Peter Reggio made smart decisions throughout, and on the last day he managed three races to complete the series.

Things looked good for Scott Reichhelm in Shucks after the first day, when he took a first and a second. But a couple of middling results the next day allowed Benj and the Pecks to catch up. The racing was close throughout, with constant place-changing among the first few boats.

When it came to the last race, Peck had a one point advantage, so Benj, with his all-pro crew of Chris Larson, Brooks Daley and Jonny Goldsberry needed to win the last race. And that’s what they did. It was Steve Benjamin’s fourth Atlantic Nationals win as skipper.

Results

Crew list

Photos by Gary Price

Drone videos by Gordon Henderson: day 1day 2

 

2017 Nationals

CG18 BenjHeadon 

Steve Benjamin, representing Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, has won the 88th National Championship held by Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club at Blue Hill, Maine. With his crew of Chris Larson, Ian Liberty and Brooks Daley aboard A128 Cassidy, Benj posted scores of 6,1,5,4,4,9. Second was Mark Foster from Cedar Point YC in A140 Thistle; third A135 Rascal, Peter Smith of KYC.

It was a fine week for weather, though at times the wind was baffling for the visitors, and local knowledge played a part. Some likened it to lake sailing, with winds coming from directions that were hard to predict. Still, the cream soon came to the top as usual.

Maestro Race Officer Ken Legler set his usual accurate courses within the confines of picturesque Blue Hill Bay, and after two days several yachts were close on points, all with a chance of winning. These included those of Dave Peck, Scott Reichhelm and Mark Foster, members of three families that continue the great tradition of Atlantics being passed down through generations: each skipper’s father was a multiple previous class champion.

In fact, at least 10 of the 33 competing boats had more than one family member in the crew. And for the first time since 1996 a Nationals race was won by a female skipper: Lindsay Doyle, a member of the University of Vermont sailing team, steered A102 Rival with her father Jim crewing.

When it came down to the last championship race, Benj was the most consistent skipper, having finished no lower than sixth place so far. By winning Races 4 and 5 David Peck had a slightly better score after the discard, but had a 16th from the first race that he now needed to lose. No such luck. Benj hunted down Miss April from the start and pushed her down the fleet, the Pecks eventually finishing in 19th place, clinching the title for Cassidy. Mark Foster and Peter Smith followed very close on points, both having a strong last race.

KYC normally has a short midsummer club racing season offering little opportunity for experience in holding big events, but they did a magnificent job with this one. It was a very good week.

Results