March 29, 2009 — The final day of the Rolex International Regatta brought some surprises to racers in the waters of Pillsbury Sound.
After Saturday, it looked as though Fraito Lugo's Orion had the hotly contested IC-24 division win in the bag. But at the end of long six races on Sunday, Chris Curreri's Brand New Second Hand emerged the class winner, earning Curreri one of the coveted Rolex watches, awarded in only four divisions.
"We worked really well as a team," said main trimmer Jessica Pribanic. "We hit every mark, and wanted to stay just above the mark. We sailed conservatively but strong, and did well with our starts. There were a lot of races, but we just tried to stay motivated. It is easy to lose track when there are that many."
Kirst Feddersen calls tactics and also serves as the bowman for Brand New Second Hand.
"We just sailed more consistently," Feddersen said. "We had no really bad races, and we had some very good ones. We also had some good starts and managed to keep a clear lane. We stayed calm and focused. "
Curreri manages the helm, while Jennifer Firestone trims twings, with Morgan Avery trimming up and down wind.
The crew is rounded out by Opti-sailer and utility man Thomas Walden, who says he is the extra 70 pounds that hikes and keeps track of time and standings.
Curreri's boat was in third class after the second day, behind Fraito Lugo's Orion and Colin Rathbun's Lime.
"We retired early," said Lugo, who did not compete in the sixth race of the day.
Lugo, who regularly leads the division, had four over-early starts out of five starts. He retired during the fifth race.
"In Rolex, second and last are the same," Lugo said. "I was not lucky today."
Lugo's crew includes Fernando Ramirez, who helps with utility and weight; trimmer Melvin Gonzales; Tito Colon at the mast; and bowman Luis Rodriquez.
In the Spinnaker Racing class, Dave West's Jurakan attributed their win to hard work and practice three times a week.
"The boat requires a lot of muscle, and you have to hike harder," said helmsman and main trimmer Andrew Waters.
As the scratch boat, Jurakan owes time to every other boat in the class. Conditions Sunday allowed the boat to be on full plane, enabling them to make up the time.
"The boat is so technical that you can't drop off from anything other than 100 percent," Waters said. "Otherwise it can sort of out-muscle you."
The crew includes West, who shares duties with Waters; Anthony Kotoun on tactics; Kevin Wrigley trimming head sail; Huw Pritchard-Jones in the pit; Dobby on the winches; Peter Hanson at the mast; and Jon Clayton on the foredeck.
The Spinnaker Racing Cruising class Rolex went to James Dobb's Lost Horizons. A five-time Rolex winner, who earlier this month won the St. Maarten Regatta, Dobbs attributes this win to good boat preparation and good crew work.
"And you have to throw in luck," Dobbs said.
Lost Horizons' crew includes Anderson Jackson on jib and spinnaker trim. Jackson proudly sports the Rolex that Lost Horizon won in last year's regatta. Ashley Roads mans the traveler, Mickey Pears is on foredeck, and the rest of the crew is rounded out by Chris Black, Chris Nye, Shannon Boyle and Andrea Tromben.
Thomas Mullen's Shamrock V came away the winner of the Non-spinnaker Racing class.
"We sailed consistently and didn't do crazy stuff," said Thomas Freundel, the boat's "utility" man. "We had a good start and we got every mark. Other boats got disqualified because they didn't read the sailing instructions."
Freundel said that there were also quite a few new people on the boat.
"We also got a little bit lucky," bowman Zoe Brizzolara said. "We made the right decisions, and we got it more right than wrong."
Tom Mullen spoke highly of his crew.
"They just wouldn't quit," he said. "They were hungry and wanted to win."
Three generations sailed together on IRC class winner Vincitore, an RP 52 owed by Jim Mitchell. His crew included his father, Jim Mitchell Sr.; nephew Peter Holz; and a crew of 14.
The younger Mitchell said he felt as if his mother and his best friend's dad, who won the Rolex Regatta three or four times, were looking down on the boat from heaven and smiling. He was thrilled to have put three generations of his family aboard the winning boat.
"This is what life is all about," Mitchell said.
For a complete listing of results from the regatta, click here.
Top three results of the International Rolex Regatta:
IC 24 (One Design — 13 Boats)
1. Brand-New Second Hand, Christopher Curreri, St. Thomas
2. Intac, Mark Plaxton, BVI
3. Lime, Colin Rathbun, BVI
Spinnaker Racing (CSA — 14 Boats)
1. Jurakan, Dave West, BVI
2. Team Coors Light, Frits Bus, N.A.
3. Urayo, Gilberto E. Rivera, PR
Spinnaker Racing/Cruising (CSA — 13 Boats)
1. Lost Horizon, James Dobbs, ANT
2. Barra, Bruce MacNeil, USA
3. Three Harkoms, James Hudleston, BVI
Non-Spinnaker Racing (CSA — 12 Boats)
1. Shamrock V, Thomas Mullen, USA
2. Bonne Chance, Bernardo Gonzalez, PR
3. Cayennita Grande, Antonio Sanpere, St. Croix
Large Multi Hulls (CSA — 1 Boats)
1. Piglet, Joseph San Martin, St. Croix
IRC (IRC — 5 Boats)
1. Vincitore, Jim Mitchell, SUI
2. Arethusa, Philip Lotz, USA
3. Privateer, Ron O'Hanley, USA
Beach Cats (Portsmouth — 6 Boats)
1. Auto-Manic, Chris Schreiber, St. Croix
2. Island Sol, Paul Stoeken, St. Thomas
3. Blame it on Rhea, Mark Chong, St. Thomas
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