Aug. 6, 2001 – The ability to judge the interplay of current and winds was the key to winning the St. Thomas Yacht Club's Old Trophies Race Sunday. "Heading clockwise around the course meant going with the current and much faster," said Chris Rosenberg, who skippered the winning IC-24.
The race course was set around the natural boundary of Great St. James, off St. Thomas' east end. The regatta began over 30 years ago when it seemed that STYC club members knew the waters around the neighboring British Virgin Islands and St. Croix better than their home St. Thomas waters – where they would often run aground in current cut. So, a race whose course rounded the James islands three times was set up.
Today, sailors still have to circumvent the first lap counterclockwise, then opt to sail the subsequent two laps either clockwise, or counterclockwise, their choice. Also, different from other races where boats begin in a pack, each boat had an individual start with the time for their start calculated by the boat's handicap. Thus, the first boat over the line wins.
Bright skies, patched with occasional squalls, prevailed across the course with winds blowing 10 to 12 knots. According to long-standing tradition, the Old Trophies Race is for mono-hulls only. IC-24s dominated the first three slots with Rosenberg's Feeling Friendly finishing first, followed by Cold Beer V driven by Morgan Avery, and third Chris Curreri aboard his brand new IC-24. "They went one way, and I went the other, but I guess we saw who was faster," said John Haracivet, who was at the helm of his Beneteau 30, Tempest, and ended fourth by sailing every lap in a counterclockwise pattern. Finishing out the fleet was Verian and Carlos Aguilar's IC-24, followed by Bill McConnell's Whippet.
True to tradition, every skipper who participated in the race won a prize – an old trophy. On the awards table there were well over a dozen old trophies to choose from. For his win, Rosenberg selected one of the oldest. "It's from back in the early 80's," he said, holding up a wood plaque with rust covered name plaques and identification marking it as from the old Caribbean Ocean Racing Circuit. Other winners also selected some grand prizes – green tarnished silver plates, figurine statues and cups that looked like the historic Holy Grail.
The Old Trophies Race marks the end of the sailing season until November, when the STYC hosts and invitational event for IC-24 racing where teams of sailors from islands throughout the Caribbean will be invited. For more information, contact: 340-775-6320.
