Spring 2026

Notes

With plenty of rain and wind in the forecast for Sunday, we had three dedicated racers show up for the light air start, and all made it to the island. It was a light air day, with about 5 knots from the east, and some of the calmest conditions I have ever experienced on Block Island sound.

With four boats out there, we still had a blast enjoying meals and drinks at the usual local establishments and each others boats! There was plenty of rain, but the intensity varied greatly and despite the strong winds, the easterly direction meant very little fetch and allowed for pretty comfortable conditions at Payne's

Monday started off with occasional light showers and varying levels of fog through the morning, but decent breeze, beginning as 5-10 knots from the southwest, later building to 15+ by mid-day. I (Brian Clayton, the organizer) sailed my O'Day Day Sailer back to Point Judith and the lingering 4-6 foot swell from the southeast combining with the building chop from the southwest made for a wild time as I neared the breakwater and the wind gusted past 15 knots, a little broad of a beam reach. I topped out at 13 knots surfing, working hard not to stuff the boat in the confused seas, though the Day Sailer's flared, high-volume forward section is brilliant for its tendency to deflect spray and resist diving. Still, the smooth conditions inside the breakwater were a welcome relief!

Bloody Mary Contest

The Bloody Mary entries were orange-mango mimosa with edible flowers from Sabre Tooth, and a dark 'n stormy with edible red glitter from Larvik, with both boats requesting a change to a broader "breakfast cocktails" contest, which I plan to do for the fall. Kim from Larvik suggested the name "Brocktail Contest", short for breakfast or brunch cocktails. It was declared a tie for first, as both were excellent!

Hors d'Oeuvre Contest

Sabre Tooth brought fresh oysters with a mignonette, and Larvik made their "depth charges" variation of pigs in a blanket with multiple dipping sauces. The judges chose to deviate from the traditional taste and presentation categories, and awarded best dish and best condiment instead, with the declaration that the depth charges were just the thing for a cold, rainy day, and the mignonette was truly exceptional. Both were presented nicely.

Race Results

Class	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	PHRF	Registrant
2	1	15:02:50	Larvik	J/42	110	Kim Andersen
1	2	15:30	Sabre Tooth	Sabre 30-1	220	Conor O'Neil
1	3	15:40	Scappare	Catalina 42	121	David LeBlanc
1	4	DNC	Dark Star	C&C 34	166	Ben Johnston
1	5	DNC	Solstice	Hylas 46	141	Mark Gervais
1	6	DNC	Gra-Sea	Catalina 36 MkII	145	Scott & Terry Thurber
2	7	DNC	Coconut	Beneteau First 36.7	104	Tom D'Albora
2	8	DNC	Spartina	Hanse 400	117	David Wehr
2	9	DNC	Alba	Dawn 48 Ketch	118	Peter Rosati
2	10	DNC	Wild T’ing	Dufour 40 Performance	95	Stephen Ammatuna

Non-Racers

Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant
Ripple	None	Ed & Carolyn Cure
Yamp Swankee	O'Day Day Sailer	Brian Clayton

Fall 2025

Race cancelled due to nor'easter for Sunday and Monday

Spring 2025

Notes

On Saturday, the forecast had been for westerly winds of 10-15 knots, with gusts to 20, but the reality was mostly upper teens from the southwest, maybe WSW. The seas were fairly steep and confused with much pounding reported. Aboard Salty Beach, we departed around 0800 in hopes of arriving at the same time as the competitors. As we approached Point Judith, the support for the mast compression post partly collapsed, but we were able to quickly douse the sails before the rig came down. We motored back to Newport where we unloaded the boat and headed home to South Kingstown. I (Brian) scrambled to load up my bicycle trailer with all the trophies and beer, then ride down to the Block Island ferry in time for the 5 o’clock boat. Bill and Kim on Larvik had very generously offered me a spot so I called ahead to confirm that they still had a bunk available for me. They confirmed, but informed me their boat had partially flooded and suffered a small electrical fire! It seems the knot-meter impeller had popped loose during the pounding on the way out. Fortunately, they are level-headed and experienced mariners who were able to get the plug back in and make it into Payne’s dock sans-instruments. Aside from the fact that they had all the cushions and clothing spread out to dry on deck, they had cleaned the interior so well by the time I arrived, it looked like nothing had happened.

Sunday was partly sunny with highs in the low 60s, breezy with northwest winds around 15 knots. The contests and awards went well.

Monday was mostly sunny with light winds from the south

Bloody Mary Contest

Winner: Whalayed with a tequila-based recipe
Other Entries: SoCoWe and Vento Solare

Hors d’Oeuvre Contest

Taste

1. SoCoWe mini tacos
2. Larvik “BI Sinkers” (chicken wrapped in bacon with dipping sauce)
3. Coconut chive sweet chili

Presentation

1. SoCoWe mini tacos
2. Vento Solare caprese ladybugs
3. Whalayed Jaws theme veggie and cheese tray

Cliff Mitchell Trophy

For the closest (to third) fourth-place finish: Gallop

John E. Rebello Team Trophy

EGYC Blue Team (SoCoWe, Wild T’ing): 6 points

Other Teams

EGYC Red Team (Coconut, Spartina): 7 points

Alba, Larvik: 8 points

Race Results

Class 1
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	3	14:10	Whalayed	Express 35	John Whaley	135
2	6	14:30	Alba	Dawn 48 Ketch	Peter Rosati	118
3	7	14:59	SoCoWe - Mystic Revival	Pearson 10M	Jeb & Kate Barnes	190
		DNF	Spartina	Hanse 400	David Wehr	117
		DNS	Island Bound	Hunter 460	Walter Wasowski	123
Class 2
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	1	13:58	Coconut	Beneteau First 36.7	Tom D'Albora	92
2	2	13:58:06	Vento Solare	J/109	Bill Kneller	94
3	4	14:26	Wild T’ing	Dufour 40 Performance	Stephen Ammatuna	99
4	5	14:28	Gallop	Hanse 430	Dennis Ferreira	89
		DNF	Larvik	J/42	Kim Andersen	110

Non-Racers

Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant
Salty Beach	Laguna Windrose 24	Brian Clayton

Fall 2024

Notes

On Saturday the weather was partly sunny with a strong westerly breeze that slowly shifted slightly northwest. Wind was generally 15-20 knots with higher gusts. The seas were 4-6 feet and somewhat steep past Point Judith, but the conditions at least made for a fast ride. Aboard Floating Point, it was our second-fastest time in memory (3 hours 3 minutes).

The last boat to finish, Mischief, was slowed down from their usual fast pace by accidentally trawling with the genoa they thought was on deck. In good fun, they wore paper bags over their heads to hide the shame of what they termed a “rookie mistake” as they passed by Payne’s Dock after the finish.

Sunday started out cloudy and a little breezy from the east before nearly dying altogether in the evening. The Bloody Mary, costume, and hors d’ouevres contests went well, but the awards were delayed slightly due to the time to tally results. Many boats left in early afternoon, but six of us stayed: Dark Star, Floating Point, Larvik, Mutinous Dogs, SoCoWe, and Windswept. By evening the wind diminished to almost nothing and it got warm with the sun peeking through for a beautiful sunset.

The forecast for Monday had been for a strong westerly or southwesterly of at least 15-20 knots, possibly more, and higher gusts, expected overnight into Monday morning. It never materialized and the wind filled gently from the northeast in the early morning before dying nearly completely. A gentle westerly, maybe 10 knots, eventually filled in the early afternoon. There were a few sprinkles and it was cloudy most of the day.

Bloody Mary Contest

Winner: SoCoWe

Other Entries: Dark Star, Island Bound, Persistence, Vento Solare

Costume Contest

Winner: Redneck Yacht Club (SoCoWe)

Runner Up: Margaritaville (Dark Star)

Hors d’Oeuvre Contest

Taste

1. Take Two
2. Larvik
3. Rigandoon

Presentation

1. Vento Solare
2. Persistence
3. Floating Point

Cliff Mitchell Trophy

For the closest (to third) fourth-place finish: Persistence

John E. Rebello Team Trophy

Ventsweptlik (Vento Solare, Windswept, Larvik): 5 points

Other Teams

Plastic Fantastics (Persistence, Dark Star, Osprey): 10 points

Artificial Intelligence (Aurora, Perseverance, Floating Point): 12 points

EGYC (Dark Star, Rigadoon, SoCoWe): 13 points

Race Results

Class 1
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	10	13:08	Windswept	Pearson 33	Rick McCally	221
2	13	13:22	Aurora	Sabre 28	Kate Soule	256
3	14	13:28	Island Bound	Hunter 460	Walter Wasowski	123
4	15	13:31	Osprey	Pearson 28-1	Becky Shoemaker	228
5	16	13:44	Mischief	Cape Dory 28	Henry duPont	255
		DNS	Serendipity	Freedom 30 SD	Gary Venable	203
Class 2
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	4	12:55:55	Mutinous Dogs	Tartan Ten	Marc Holdaway	154
2	5	12:56:25	Larvik	Pearson 10M	Kim Andersen	177
3	9	13:07:20	Dark Star	C&C 34	Ben Johnston	166
4	11	13:11	Perseverance	Beneteau Oceanis 41	Robert Fye	144
5	12	13:20	SoCoWe - Mystic Revival	Pearson 10M	Jeb & Kate Barnes	190
Class 3
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	1	12:47	Take Two	JPK 45	Gordon Fletcher	79
2	2	12:55:45	Vento Solare	J/109	Bill Kneller	94
3	3	12:55:50	Shamrock	J/35	F.J. Ritt	111
4	6	12:56:30	Persistence	C&C 41	Brandon and Kate Somers	111
5	7	12:57	Rigadoon	J/105	Jack Silberman	111
6	8	12:58	Floating Point	Frers 40 Custom	Caryn Cummings/Brian Clayton	110
		DNS	Ursa	J/109	Brooke Mastrorio	94

Spring 2024

Notes

Conditions for Saturday were sunny, but the breeze was light, around 5 knots from the northwest at the start. It gradually shifted around to a southerly direction while remaining light, before briefly filling in to around 12 knots from the southwest after 2:00p before diminishing again.
The tide was ebbing for most of the race and there were many holes with little to no wind so many boats motored in. Coconut was unable to make the start, reportedly due to not having their mast in.

Sunday was overcast, but decently warm with highs in the upper 60s F. We had the Bloody Mary contest at the outdoor bar, but Mahogony Shoals was actually open for the first time this early (actually began last year when we cancelled), so we had the hors d’oeuvres and awards on a couple picnic tables at the far end of the pier where most of us were docked.

Monday was quite foggy all morning, with visibility at a quarter mile or less. Fog seemed to clear a bit after 2:00p as the breeze kicked up to the low teens (knots), but it remained pretty hazy.

Bloody Mary Contest

Winner: Solstice

Other entries included Five East, Island Bound, Larvik, Pau Hana, and Vento Solare

Hors d’Oeuvre Contest

Taste

1. Dark Start (Mac ‘n Cheese Sliders)
2. Outcast (Bisque/potato skins)
3. Pau Hana (Bacon Goat Cheese Bruschetta)

Presentation

1. Pau Hana (Bacon Goat Cheese Bruschetta)
2. Outcast (Bisque/potato skins)
3. Vento Solare (Crab)

Race Results

Class 1
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	3	15:38	Dark Star	C&C 34	Ben Johnston	166
2	5	16:18	Larvik	Pearson 10M	Kim Andersen	177
3	6	16:39	Pegasus	Sabre 36	Scott Walker	146
Class 2
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	1	15:16	Five East	Beneteau First 36.7	Ed Adams	109
2	2	15:18:56	Vento Solare	J/109	Bill Kneller	94
3	4	16:02	Floating Point	Frers 40 Custom	Roy Guay	110

Non-Racers

Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant
Outcast	Ocean 42	Kristina Tracy

Fall 2023

Notes

Saturday conditions were overcast with occasional showers. Wind started out as 10-15 knots from the east with a large swell, maybe 6-8 feet. The breeze lightened to below 10 knots in the afternoon so the earlier starters were favored. Saturday night was a bit rough at Payne’s dock as the breeze came up from the WNW at 20-30 knots before shifting to more of a straight westerly.

Sunday was mostly sunny, but the breeze stayed strong from the west at 20-25 knots before diminishing a bit in the afternoon. Sunday night was much nicer sleeping.

Monday was again mostly sunny with a lovely 15-20 knots from WSW for a pretty quick and easy reach back to Newport.

Bloody Mary Contest

Winner: Island Bound with a unique spicy rum-based version with pineapple

Costume Contest

The first ever! Winner: Dinosaur Family (Dark Star parents and kids dressed in dinosaur onesies)

Others included a witch (Pegasus), Jimmy Buffett fan (Island Bound), and a pirate (Salty Beach)

Hors d’Oeuvre Contest

Taste

1. Take Two
2. Dark Star
3. Pegasus

Presentation

1. Vento Solare
2. Take Two
3. Island Bound

John E. Rebello Team Trophy

This went to the only team formed this year. If memory serves, it was Vento Solare, Pau Hana, and Windswept.

Race Results

Class 1
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	1	12:40	Windswept	Pearson 33	Rick McCally	218
2	2	12:47	Mischief	Cape Dory 28	Henry duPont	255
Class 2
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	3	12:54	Pau Hana	Catalina 36 MkII	David Wilson	177
2	5	13:02	Dark Star	C&C 34	Ben Johnston	166
3	6	13:04	Pegasus	Sabre 36	Scott Walker	146
Class 3
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	7	13:19	Vento Solare	J/109	Bill Kneller	94
2	8	13:25	Take Two	JPK 45	Gordon Fletcher	79
Class 4
Place	Overall	Finish	Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant	PHRF
1	4	12:55	Salty Beach	Laguna Windrose 24	Brian Clayton	278
2	9	14:15	Island Bound	Hunter 460	Walter Wasowski	123

Non-Racers

Boat Name	Boat Type	Registrant
Nepenthe	Power (GB36)	Bob Read

Spring 2023

Cancelled due to organizer (Brian Clayton) undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer.