Fleet News

Fleet Scuttlebut

• 9/2 Labor Day Regatta Day 2:  A beautiful day to conclude the MTCA racing season.  Race 1 went to Wabi Sabi who held a solid lead throughout the race.  Race 2 was all Frolic with Tip & Dawn sailing a masterful race.  Although kudos go to Mark Maitland for another stunning port start off the line where the rest of the fleet on starbord struggled to get over the line!  With Frolic way out in front, Aufblitzen, Jean and Wabi Sabi battled the local area traffic, wakes and even a "mean spirited coast guard vessel" who nearly took out Team Maitland at the windward mark.   And with the sound of the gun as Tip & Dawn crossed the Line...the 2007 MTCA sailing season came to a close.  MRA Sailors met at the EYC after sailing in for the awards ceremony.  A great time was had by all.
• 9/1 Labor Day Regatta Day 1:  To quote a wise old salt..."never cancel a race from the living room" (Jim Cooke).  That was the motto for this beautiful Saturday on the water with what started with a small craft advisory but yielded a great afternoon on the water.  Close starts both races but lots of shifty winds separated the boats.  Wabi Sabi got to see what it was like to be Tip pulling in 1st place on both races (It is good to be Tip!).  Team Maitland and Aufblitzen had photo finishes both races with Team Maitland taking 2nd on the first race and Aufblitzen taking 2nd on the second race.  It wasn't the same without Lille Venn and Frolic!...Berit, I hope Alaska is treating you well and Tip...I hope BC won!  Cyou tomorrow!
• 8/30 Twilight:  Team Maitland has the Mojo & Takes Top Spot on Twilight Series 2!  After a very close start between Nolo, Wabi Sabi & Jean,  Wabi Sabi pulls out ahead of Nolo and battles Jean to the 2nd mark.  After rounding the CYC mark it is Wabi Sabi, Jean then Nolo on a shortened course out to 18.  In a very close finish leg Wabi Sabi get's stuck behind a large, moored sport fishing boat and gives Team Maitland just the edge they needed to sneak past to take home the 1st place glass with Wabi Sabi in 2nd and Nolo 3rd.  Congratulations to Team Maitland for capturing the top spots for both Twilight Series.  They own Thursday Night Twilights!
• 8/26 Sunday:  The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat!  A nice breeze and a nice course provided lots of shake ups.  Right from the start it was anybody's race.  Jean & Aufblitzen were neck and neck around the first mark but here is where the pack separated.  Tip took a quick tack to starboard along with Nolo and Elusive, stayed close to Childrens' Island and took off from the group...a lead he would keep till the end.  A thunderstorm threatened out of the west resulting in a shortened course coming around the CYC mark.  In the end Tip & Joan expertly made all the right tactical moves to top all for 1st. Elusive, who was very fast and consistent the whole race, trumped Nolo for 2nd, Nolo a solid 3rd, Wabi Sabi 4th, Aufblitzen 5th and Jean 6th.  Team Mailtand had to be disappointed falling back from their 1st place early on especially coming off of such a hot performance on Thursday night!  Berit, wherever you are we missed you today!!!  C-you all Thursday for the last race of the season! 
• 8/23 Twilight:  Light winds and strong currents were the theme of the night!  Lille Venn led the pack off the line with Wabi Sabi in 2nd.  Speeds seemed to top out at a roaring 1.3 kts on the upwind leg as all were digging into their "light wind bag of tricks" to make it to the upwind mark.  Lille Venn made the first tack of the night and all behind benefitted from watching their set.  Wabi Sabi was first to round the upwind mark and start the long and slow trek back to the finish line.  Meanwhile drama ensued as the pack approached the windward mark and Jean made a strategic play on starboard for the mark causing many in the pack to tack off placing Jean in the #2 position around the mark.  The rest of the story is all Team Maitland...Peter, wrangling to position Jean as a contender for the series 1st place, brought out Barbara Maitland for the first time in 2 years.  Barbara played that jib like a violin allowing Jean to close the gap on Wabi Sabi.  In what Jim Cooke called a "photo finish", the night (and the 1st place glass) went to Team Maitland.  A special note of thanks to Dawn Crowe for her tactical guidence and expert sail handling allowing Wabi Sabi to earn a strong 2nd place for the evening. Lille Venn topped Tip & Bob of Frolic to take 3rd for evening with Frolic earning 4th.   This series is unbelievably close with the top three places still up for grabs as we approach the final race of the season!  Do not miss next Thursday's Twilight for what will be a most exciting conclusion to the 2007 Twilight season!  Click here to see results: /twilightseries.aspx !
• 8/19 Sunday:  Shifty winds and a downwind start set the stage for an interesting race with many changes in place throughout.  Jean came from behind on the start to dominate the first leg...but wait...Aufblitzen comes from the left side to squeeze into 1st rounding the mark...Hey where's Tip?...Frolic makes a strategic play to the left side after rounding the leeward mark and duals with Aufblitzen all the way to the upwind mark.  Jim Cooke (manning the booth) changes the course and sends the group out to 22 and this is where a lot of shake ups took place.   Aufblitzen takes bad power boat wake upon rounding 22 allowing Nolo and Wabi Sabi to close in.  Frolic stalls out just prior to the finish line as does Nolo and Aufblitzen.  Wabi Sabi got its "own personal wind" just at the right time and squeezed into 2nd place just behind 1st place Frolic with Nolo right behind in 3rd.  Berit and Karen in Lille Venn come screaming past Aufblitzen to squeeze out a well earned 4th followed by Aufblitzen in 5th.  Jean & Elusive were neck-in-neck approaching the finish line with Jean inching out Elusive for 6th.  Lots of shake ups and challenging conditions.  Thanks to Jim Cooke for another well run race!  One more Sunday race to go! 
• 8/16 Twilight:  After 4 long days of flying I looked forward to a relaxing twilight sail.  But with the winds blowing and gusting off the CYC I realized there was more flying to be done.  77 Jean got a great downwind start and was 1st around the leeward mark followed by Wabi Sabi then Frolic (nice to see what Tip's bow looks like for a change!) but it wouldn't last...Tip took the inside, while Wabi Sabi gained on the Maitland boys.  The next thing we knew the race was shortened and here comes Tip and Bob like to two Bads out of Hell and squeezed into 1st place and Wabi Sabi narrowly topped team Maitland for 2nd under the expert tactical guidence from special guest star Dawn Crowe on Wabi Sabi.  Thanks Dawn!  Great race!
• 8/12 Sunday:   Nature gave us lemons today with light wind & big wake but the Maitland boys took those lemons and made lemonade!  Congrats to 77 Jean for a fine demonstration of light wind sailing to take home 1st place!  Tip and Joan of Frolic fame and the Solstad Girls of Lille Venn also sailed a great race with Frolic taking 2nd and Lille Venn 3rd.  For the rest of us it was a painful day!
• 8/9 Twilight: 00 is HOT...HOT...HOT!  The "Connie Factor" strikes again as the ladies of double zero produce "Smoke on the Water" passing by 77 Jean who had a healthy lead the majority of the race.  2091 Wabi Sabi applies some vaseline to the hull and sneaks past the mark and a moored boat to top Tip for 3rd place.  A beautiful night all around.  Thanks to Jim Cooke for a good race!
• TC Nationals Highlights:  Nahant's Rex Antrim takes the coveted Walsh Cup and the series First Place.  RI's Peter Shaw takes the series 2nd.  Marblehead's Jonathon Tilton and Nolo take 3rd (All wood boats in the top 3) and Peter & Mark Maitland score 4th (or first place amongst the fiberglass fleet!).  Congrats to all as the races were sailed in challenging winds, waves and current.  A heartfelt thank you to the Nahant Dory Club for its hospitality and running a great program.  Next year it's the Ocean State for TC Nationals 2008!
• 8/2 Twilight:  The ladies schooled the men on the art of Twilight Townie Racing!  The Solstad Girls' Lille Venn rides off into the sunset with a 1st and Jane Cooke skippers Auf'blitzen to a strong second.   
• NOOD Race Week Highlights:  Congrats to Tip O'Neill and Bob McGillivray for taking First Place!  Congratulations to Jane and David Cooke for winning the historical Campbell Cup! Jean and Wabi Sabi each get their first NOOD 1st place.  Berit Solstad makes a historical comeback after a bad start to take a 2nd place almost inching out Frolic for 1st!  Lew Livermore proves that he can step right back into any boat and be a fierce competitor taking 3rd place overall along with his grandson Matt! 
• 7/22 Sun Morning race started with a daring port tack start by Mark Maitland.  Jean held the lead until the upwind mark rounding where Lille Venn snuck in and captured the lead that Berit and Connie held to the end.  A beautiful day and a close race!  Good sailing Berit and Connie!
• 7/21 MRA we bobbed, we drifted, we ate and then were canceled! 
• 7/19 Thursday Twilight- only the old merchant mariners were out to battle the rain and fog.  And contrary to rumors Peter didn't call the non-sailing Rhodes fleet "Girlie Men" ... I think it was Jim Cooke!
• Jonathan Tilton, of Town Class Nolo Fame, made it back to the fleet from the Marblehead to Halifax race achieving 4th place in class aboard Bart Snow's boat.  Good Job! 
• 7/15 Sunday Series: The best race so far this season.  7 Boats in all took the line for a beautiful Sunday morning.  Congrats to Tip who tacked at just the right spots and also to Jane Cooke who was right on Tip's tail the whole race for a solid 2nd.  Nolo is Back!  Jonathan Tilton and Anne Walker guided Nolo to a commendable 4th place in their first race of the season.  Lille Venn reportedly blew out her gooseneck by the downwind mark and was towed in for repairs.  We wish team Solstad well in getting expeditious repairs done.  Cya next week!
• 7/12 Thurs Twilight Series Number 1 comes to a close.  A beautiful night for a race and 6 boats on the line.  Congrats to Frolic's Team O'Neill for a First place and a 2nd in the Series and a special congrats to Jean and Team Maitland for scoring second in the race but took home 1st place in the Series!  Go Team Maitland!!!! 
• 7/8 Jim Cooke makes a first step back towards getting out on the water by running the race booth with Jane & Pat.  Thanks for running a great race!  Berit's back from sea and skippered an excellent race giving Lille Venn a 3rd place in the 1st Sunday Series.  Tip and Joan played the windshifts like champs and pulled ahead of Wabi Sabi to win the race and secure a 2nd Place in the Series.   
• 7/7 Sat MRA got off to a tough start with Auf'Blitzen's Jane Cooke and Chris Hamilton wrestling with a broken outhaul just prior to the start.  They made repairs and limped back into port under blustery conditions leaving Frolic, Jean and Wabi Sabi to battle the elements.  Everyone was watching Frolic for the infamous "Tip Tack" (i.e. when Tip Tacks!)  A great day was had by all.
• 7/5 A wet, wild and wooly Thursday Twilight race.  The smart ones headed back to their moorings.  Wabi Sabi got a great start but then got knocked down at the first mark on a jibe that went horribly wrong.  Jean overtook and held the lead to cross the shortened course in 1st place.  Nicely done Mark!
• 6/29 Elusive is Launched!  All boats for the 2007 season are in.  Despite the threat of Severe thunderstorms 3 boats,  Jean, Frolic & Wabi Sabi brave the forecast and are rewarded with a beautiful night of Twilight Sailing.  Congrats to Tip and Bob for sailing Frolic to her first victory of the season.  Knowing them there are many more ahead! 
• 6/28 Nolo and Rosy II are launched!
• 6/24 Sheee's Baack...and better than ever!  Jane Cooke enters the season with a first place along with special guest crew Elaine Regis.  Go Jane!  Tip enters the season with a solid 2nd place for Frolic and looked great.  Wabi Sabi starts off great but eats crow at two mark roundings to end up last.  Lille Venn comes from way behind on a late start to smoke Wabi Sabi and almost catch Jean.  Mark Maitland and Megan raced a great race and scored a solid 3rd for Jean in a duel with Lille Venn on the final leg.  It was great to have all the boats out.  
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   6/23 The Lights dim on Marblehead Neck!  No it wasn't another microburst...it was Nolo hitting the power lines by the Corinthian.  The mishap took place as Jonathan was attempting to move Nolo on her trailer prior to launching her.  Minor damage to the mast spreaders took place and Jonathan is hoping to have her in for the Thursday Twilight race.  Good luck, Jonathan!
•  6/16 MRA: Match racing returns between Team Maitland and Team Wabi Sabi.  After an interesting "dinghy start" Team Maitland of Jean pulls out ahead.  Jean and Wabi Sabi meet again at the down wind mark and Jean develops a rigging problem allowing Wabi Sabi to pull ahead and ultimately win.  Kudos to Team Maitland for their seamanship on quickly rigging a temporary fix to continue on with the race.  Many thanks to Christine Hamilton who did a superb job as crew on Wabi Sabi and on her first day out significantly contributed to a 1st place.  Thanks Chris!
   
• 6/21 Twilight Race canceled for thunderstorms! :(
• 6/17 Jane Cooke guest crews on Wabi Sabi and as tactician helps Wabi Sabi get a first (Thank you Jane!), Lille Venn pulls an upset at the windward mark and trumps Team Maitland for a 2nd place. 
• 6/14 Twilight: Lille Venn launches in time for the Thursday Twilight Race.  Wabi Sabi, Jean and Lille Venn tackle the wild and wooly weather for a high seas Race.  The Maitland boys "bring home the bacon" and school Wabi Sabi and Lille Venn in the fine art of high seas racing! 
  Congrats to Jean for a fine dispaly of Seamanship!
Marblehead Town Class Calendar of Events
2007 Season 
 

April 27, Friday	Opening Spring Meeting & Social Hosted by Jim & Jane Cooke Kenneth Road, Marblehead 7pm Cocktails, 8pm Potluck Dinner
June, 2 Saturday	MRA Series 1 - Day 1
June, 3 Sunday	Sunday Series 1
June, 7 Thursday	Thursday Series 1
June, 9 Saturday	MRA Series 1 - Day 2
June, 10 Sunday	Sunday Series 1
June, 14 Thursday	Thursday Series 1
June, 16 Saturday	MRA Series 1 - Day 3
June, 17 Sunday	Sunday Series 1
June, 21 Thursday	Thursday Series 1
June, 23 Saturday	MRA Series 2 - Day 1
June, 24 Sunday	Sunday Series 1
June, 28 Thursday	Thursday Series 1
June, 30, Saturday	MRA Series 3 - Day 1 Independence Day Weekend Series
July, 1 Sunday	MRA Series 3 - Day 2 Independence Day Weekend Series ** Awards Party  - MRA Series 1 & 3 at CYC
July, 5 Thursday	Thursday Series 1
July 7, Saturday	MRA Series 2 - Day 2
July 8, Saturday	Sunday Series 1
July 12, Thursday	Thursday Series 1
July 14, Saturday	MRA Series 2 - Day 3
July 15, Sunday	Sunday Series 2
July 19, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
July 21, Saturday	MRA Series 4 - Day 1
July 22, Sunday	Sunday Series 2
July 26, Thursday	NOOD Regatta Marblehead Race Week MTCA Annual Cooke-Out (after last race, about 6 or 6:30 pm) Hosted by Jim & Jane Cooke Kenneth Road, Marblehead
July 27, Friday	NOOD Regatta Marblehead Race Week
July 28, Saturday	NOOD Regatta Marblehead Race Week
July 29, Sunday	NOOD Regatta Marblehead Race Week ** Awards Ceremony @ BYC
August 2, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
August 3, Friday	Sail to Nahant/Walsh Cup Team Racing Regatta BBQ after races end Nahant-Nahant TC Fleet Sponsor
August 4, Saturday	TC Nationals Regatta & Socials Nahant-Nahant TC Fleet Sponsor
August 5, Sunday	TC Nationals Regatta & Socials Nahant-Nahant TC Fleet Sponsor
August 9, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
August 11, Saturday	MRA Series 4 - Day 2
August 12, Sunday	Sunday Series 2
August 16, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
August 18, Saturday	MRA Series 4 - Day 3  **Awards Party  - MRA Series 2 & 4 @ BYC
August 19, Sunday	Sunday Series 2
August 20, Monday	Essex River Cocktail Cruise Social **Dinner in Essex Follows Cruise
August 23, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
August 26, Sunday	Sunday Series 2
August 30, Thursday	Thursday Series 2
September 1, Saturday	MRA Series 5 - Day 1 Labor Day Regatta
September 2, Sunday	MRA Series 5 - Day 2 Labor Day Regatta  **Awards Party - MRA Series 5 @ EYC
TBD	MTCA Fall Awards & Social