Block Island Race Week – 2004

Mark Brennesholtz

Block Island, RI, is located about twelve miles south of the Rhode Island mainland and about 20 miles east of Montauk Point. It is pear shaped about six miles high by four miles wide at the bottom with a large totally protected harbor, Great Salt Pond, in the middle. The year round population is 800, with more in the summer. However, unlike many resorts, Block Island is comparatively undeveloped due to a strong conservancy program. There are no fast food joints, but plenty of very nice reasonable restaurants. There are no Holiday Inns, but several large old Victorian hotels and loads of B & B’s. Not even a Starbucks. You can walk almost everywhere, and a taxi is a flat $5 for trips to the fine little grocery. The rusted out International Scouts belong to the permanent people, the BMW’s belong to visitors.

Every year, Block Island is host to Block Island Race Week in late June. In odd numbered years, the events are sponsored by the Storm Trysail Club, and these draw up to 200 boats. In even years, there is another sponsor (in 2004 it was Zuse, which is like Layline). The turnout is much smaller since it conflicts with the biennial Newport to Bermuda Race. In 2004 there were about 85 boats at BIRW.

As some people know, we took Compass Rose up to Long Island Sound for some cruising, and Paul Lockwood suggested that we would be there about the time of BIRW, so early this spring we began to work it into the schedule and to line up crew. Since we were basically in cruising mode, and since CR’s accommodations were barely adequate for four, we entered as non-spinnaker.

Entrance requires an Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association handicap certificate ($35), a $500 entrance fee, including shore passes for four, and $500 for a slip ($2.50 per foot). Our crew chipped in to help with the expense. A bigger crew (and most of the crews were) required additional quarters ashore, which certainly doubled the costs..

Format began with check-in and skippers meeting Sunday afternoon, round the marks races beginning at 1000 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday was a round-the-island race. The boats were split about evenly onto two courses two miles offshore west of the island. Our course included 26 J 105’s racing one design, about 15 smaller PHRF spinnakers, and our small fleet of four non-spinnaker boats. On Wednesday, everyone raced the same course, so we got to see some of the big boats up very close. See photo of “Big Red Gofast 50”.

Buoy courses were windward leewards with 1.25 mile legs and 4 – 6 legs. The Race Committee was very good. Nothing dragged despite the fact that the water was 105 feet deep. That requires some anchor scope! Courses included an offset at the windward mark, a leeward gate upwind of the start line, and a finish on the opposite side of RC from the starting pin. A little complicated, but it kept the fleets sorted out pretty well. The RC also used the radio for everything – announcing the starting class, the course with distance and bearings, a countdown to the preparatory gun, and a countdown to the start. One minute separated each sequence.

Monday, Compass Rose took two firsts, which was fun. But we were the slowest, smallest boat in class. The other “canvas” boats were a Beneteau 42 crewed by retired USCG Academy grads, a J 34C, and an Irwin 40 (not your father's Irwin). But we also tore the main, and the Beneteau broke her boom despite winds of 12-15 at the most. Tuesday, while the Beneteau was making repairs, we sailed in good breeze with a reef in a heavy rain. We were doing well until the RC abandoned due to an approaching storm cell. Wednesday around the island we came in third due to a bad tactical call crossing the bottom of the island. Thursday we had three races, and CR took 1, 3, and 4. It was tough going to weather in light air with the main reefed and crew hiking to leeward.

Thursday evening we were one point behind the Beneteau, but we did a really good patch job on the main and were hopeful for Friday. Unfortunately, Friday dawned with thick fog and no wind. Races were finally cancelled, and we ended up second. We motored in the fog back to Newport, blowing our horn and listening for ferries. We got back in time to see Alinghi and Oracle finishing their weeklong joust in Newport harbor.

I thought the week was a lot of fun despite the setbacks. Thanks to my crew Rudy Mayer from here, Rusty Field from Tennessee and Sam Field from Texas. We had a good chemistry. Next time, I would probably race spinnaker somehow, and I would probably do it in an even numbered year. The turnout was fairly small, so nothing was crowded, and we had a chance to actually meet people. Maybe in 2006…

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