CPYC 2007 Challenge Cup team retains the Cup
Team Race
On a damp, breezy day well suited to sailing and little else, CPYC’s Team Race team settled for half a loaf and finished second behind a dominant team from Larchmont YC. Unlike fleet racing, but similar to match racing, the objective is to push the other team’s boats back by working with one’s teammates to block passing lanes and set various traps for opposing boats at the numerous turning marks and on free legs of the course. With 6 boats in each heat (3 per team), any combination of 10 points or less wins. For instance, 1,4,5 (10 points), is a winning combination while 2,3,6 (11 points) loses. Successful team racing requires good boat speed, a solid grasp of the rules and an ability to keep track of whether your team has a stable (winning) combination or an unstable combination. CPYC’s Team Race team was among the best we’ve fielded in recent years combining our current Sunday Fleet champion, Charles Stanley sailing with his daughter Venetia, current Thursday Fleet Champion, Chris Johannessen sailing with longtime crew Dona Menton, and me, Jay Lurie, more than ably assisted by Storm Snaith.
With 5 clubs represented, a double round robin was called for with the team in 5th place after the first round robin heading in for the day. After the first round robin, Larchmont had already asserted themselves, posting a record of 4 - 0. Larchmont has a number of excellent team racers who are also very experienced V15 sailors. Gleaned from the top ranks of recent college sailing graduates, Larchmont typically sends 2 or 3 teams to the US Sailing Team Race Championship each year. To say that our goal was to finish second was mostly based on realism and only slightly based on self-defeatism! That said, we pushed them hard in the first race, managing to compress the race several times, but each time they were able to successfully preempt any attack on our part while keeping a strong grip on the proceedings. All in all, very humbling but also very educational. Team CPYC finished the first round robin 3-1 with Pequot and Noroton in 3rd and 4th and Nyack Boat Club, hampered by their lack of familiarity in Vanguards, heading back to the basin. The second round robin held few surprises. We beat Pequot and Noroton each a second time and again succumbed to the relentless and methodical Larchmont Team. Team Larchmont were gracious winners and extended an open invitation for us to join them when they regularly (and often) practice team racing. Who knows, with some more practice, maybe next year we can break through!
Winning the Challenge Cup requires depth and although we finished second, we were secure that we had kept CPYC in the game. It was heartening to watch our Laser team dominate and upon reaching the basin, we learned that our Match Race team had finished second thus earning us another overall victory by three points.
Fleet and Match Race
While Larchmont was schooling the Team-racers, the Cedar Point Laser sailors made an opening statement by sweeping the first of seven Fleet races. Marc Jacobi led Craig Beardsley and Steve Fisk to a commanding 55-point margin over Noroton. Rob Crane of Noroton and Clay Bischoff of Larchmont held tough, finishing second and third respectively for the day, but no team could challenge the hosts.
Meanwhile, further out on the Match-racing circle, Pequot’s Dave Perry opened with a win over Larchmont’s Peter Strothman, while CPYC’s Steve Girling handled Noroton’s Steve Shepstone. PYC finished the first round-robin undefeated, with CPYC losing only to them. Nyack’s Joan Hurban did her best, but was eliminated.
The second round-robin was similar, although Larchmont tested Pequot in the best match of the day, including a luffing match at the first mark. However, Pequot ran the table, going 7-0, followed by CPYC at 5-2. Noroton edged Larchmont in the last boatlength to win the tiebreaker for third.
The Challenge Cup format, requiring simultaneous competition in three disciplines for 11 sailors per Club, is a real test of a Club’s depth. Domination in one area is not enough to capture the trophy. With a convincing triumph in Fleet, added to second in both Team and Match, Cedar Point easily defended the Challenge Cup with a total of 5 points. Larchmont, with a win in Team, totaled 8 points for second. Pequot defeated Noroton in Team and Match to take third on a tiebreaker, but Nyack wins the enthusiasm prize.
CPYC eagerly awaits the next challenge for our 96-year-old Cup.
Challenge Cup 2007 defended by Cedar Point YC
CPYC took 1st in Fleet, 2nd in Team, and 2nd in Match to decisively defend and retain the Challenge Cup. Details in the library below.
Challenges have been defeated from: Larchmont Yacht Club (First Challenger), Noroton Yacht Club, Nyack Boat Club, and Pequot Yacht Club.
The 2007 CPYC defending team is:
Ideal 18 (1 boat per club, match racing):
Steve Girling/Spencer Ogden
Vanguard 15 (3 boats per club, team racing):
Jay Lurie/Storm Snaith
Chris Johannessen/Dona Menton
Charles Stanley/Venetia Stanley
Laser (3 boats per club, fleet racing):
Steve Fisk
Craig Beardsley
Marc Jacobi
Contact Event Chair Dona Menton or Event Liaison Ched Proctor for more information.
CPYC Wins 2005 Cedar Point Challenge Cup
June 5 - Team CPYC overcame strong challenges by second place Larchmont YC, third place Pequot YC and Noroton YC to win the Cedar Point Challenge Cup. With first place finishes in Match and Fleet Racing and second place finish in the Team Racing discipline, Team CPYC won the overall by a healthy margin. Results Photos
Left to right: Chris Johannessen, Dona Menton, Craig Beardsley, Jay Lurie (with Eve and Dana), Robin Schultz, Charles Stanley, Beth Lurie (holding Aaron), Marc Jacobi, Tim Maier, Steve Girling (holding Elizabeth) and Event Chair Eric Robbins (holding Ye Olde Mug). Missing is Harry Weyher.
Ideal 18 (1 boat per club, match racing):
Steve Girling/Tim Maier
Vanguard 15 (3 boats per club, team racing):
Jay Lurie/Beth Lurie
Chris Johannessen/Dona Menton
Craig Beardsley/Robin Schultz
Laser (3 boats per club, fleet racing):
Charles Stanley
Harry Wehyer
Marc Jacobi
Complete Roster of CPYC, Challenging Clubs, Race Officials and Volunteers
2005 Cedar Point Challenge Cup Update
The Cedar Point Challenge Cup Regatta will be held at Cedar Point YC on June 4, 2005.
The Challenging teams are:
- Larchmont Yacht Club
- Noroton Yacht Club
- Pequot Yacht Club
Team CPYC won last year's event and brought the Cup home again. Results page.
The Cedar Point Challenge Cup will be hosted this year by Cedar Point by virtue of their win in the event in the summer of 2004. The event is a true club v. club Challenge, with up to six clubs competing. Scores are a composite of the scores of three events: Fleet Racing (3 boats per club in Lasers), Team Racing (one 3 boat team per club in Vanguard 15s) and Match Racing (one boat per club, raced in Ideal 18s).
The 2004 Cedar Point Team was:
Fleet Racing: Mark Foster, Marc Jacobi, Eric Robbins
Team Racing: Craig Beardsley/Madeline Gill, Cleody Snaith/Sara Sherter, Chris Johannessen/Dona Menton
Match Racing: Steve Girling & Ian Gill.
Coach/Training Partner: Ched Proctor