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JOHNSTONE'S MAINE TEAM FROM NORTHEAST HARBOR WINS 8th ANNUAL HOSPICE REGATTAS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
21 crews, all winners of qualifying Hospice Regattas
throughout the USA during 2005, sailed in one-design J/105s, May
12-14 in Annapolis MD to contest the Hospice National Championship.
The racing, conducted by the Storm Trysail Club, comprised 8 races
with no throwouts, with each team sailing a different boat drawn by
lots each day. The competing teams only had to bring 4-5 crew
members. The local owner of the boat sailed as a member of the
crew, could provide local knowledge and perform crew duties other
than steering or trimming sails.
The winner with 42 points ( 2,1,5,3,10,7,4,10) was
Bob Johnstone (72) with his son Drake, Marshall Schoenthal and Tom
Shepherd, representing the Maine Hospice Regatta from Northeast
Harbor ME. Not too much of a surprise. Johnstone, in his role
as the Strategic Marketing partner of J Boats, Inc, had created the
concept of the boat back in 1991 and has successfully campaigned a
J/105 to a pair of Key West Raceweek wins. The J/105 was the first
keelboat boat to employ a retractable bowsprit and asymmetric
spinnaker as the primary downwind sail. There are now over 665
worldwide. The host Annapolis Fleet #3 has over 50 boats.
Johnstone qualified for the event last July by
winning the IRC handicap division of the Maine Hospice Regatta in a
J/100 TERN that he co-owned with Henry Brauer. He competed once
before, in the 2003 National Hospice Regatta, placing 3rd. He is
Rear Commodore of the Northeast Harbor Fleet, Regatta Chairman of
Downeast Raceweek and also a two-time winner of the Maine Retired
Skippers Race.
There was a good mixture of sailing conditions with
light to moderate winds on Friday & Saturday and a good breeze on
Sunday. The Maine Team was leading after Friday by 2 points, after
Saturday by 4 points and at the end winning by 9. They were able to
double their daily leads, because different teams excelled each
day. 81% of the teams finished in the top 5 in at least one race,
so the competition and mark roundings were close. Just about all
the boats were finishing within a minute on the last day.
Sometimes hard luck and good luck happen in one
race. Before the 7th race on Mother's Day: The Maine crew had
difficulty untangling the spinnaker sheets before the start (with
the chute up) carrying them well to leeward of the starting area.
By the time that was sorted out, they were 1.5 minutes late for the
start, crossing the line on port tack behind the entire fleet. The
Maine boat kept going on port tack alone toward the right corner.
Miraculously, within a minute or two, they sailed into a 25
degree header with velocity, tacked on what had suddenly become a
much closer starboard layline and rounded the first mark in 3rd
place. That's yacht racing!
Of particular note was the generosity of J Port
Annapolis, the regatta site host, and the 21 local J/105 boat owners
to lend their 35 foot boats, most with their best racing sails, to
crews they didn't know. Part of the explanation is that the J/105s
are a forgiving platform to sail on with their small jibs and
asymmetric spinnakers. The other reason has to be the enthusiasm of
the local owners to be out on the boats for the fun of racing. The
local fleet rule is that the crews shall be made up of either (a) 5
men or (b) 4 men and 2 women. Youth 14 years old or younger of any
number may additionally be aboard.
Results Here.
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