2004 First Citizens Cup Belongs to Spinnakers

A cool, cloudy day with a 10 – 25 knot wind from the northwest was ideal for the spinnaker fleet in this traditional spring opening of the Neuse racing season. Blackbeard SC ran the event, with the usual superb steak dinner after.

A small cruising class started first at 1000, followed by six non-spinnakers followed by seven spinnakers. Before Minnesott, the chute crowd had blown through all the earlier starters. The duel everyone was watching was between Blue Bayou and Blueprint, Jay Hood’s new Beneteau 36.7. When they ran past us, BB had a slight lead. At the end, ole Blue beat the newcomer by 41 seconds in a 5.5 hour race 32 mile race.

But the Blues were really fighting for second place. Don Gray in Devil Dog corrected ahead of both bigger boats by nine minutes. My crew commented how smoothly the red boat moved through the water – even up wind in the chop. Devil Dog was also the winner of the First Citizens Cup with the best overall time, and Don will have his name engraved on the perpetual trophy that resides at BSC. Great race, Don.

In non-spinnaker, Doug Phelps’s Ericson Archangel passed Compass Rose at Minnesott and stretched out on the downwind to Adams Creek when he enjoyed a wind streak CR didn’t have. Doug continued with his big new #1 for the beat back up river and really did a horizon job on the rest of us. We changed down to the #2 for the beat, but the wind turned patchy, and we were too underpowered to keep up. Lee King in Anytime and Paul Fountain in Perception were also in the groove on the windward legs.

In the cruising class, Richard Schott in Knot A Clew edged Dick Mannion’s big Corbin 39 Wind Melody by two minutes corrected.

Mark Brennesholtz
Compass Rose

For more articles on the First Citizen's Cup go to Blueprint's web site.

Oriental Dingy Club

Pamlico Sailing Club

Blackbeard Sailing Club