IMYC 2014 Fall Series Final Results

IMYC 2014 Fall Series Final Standings

Ron Nash Does it again.

Ron's finely honed sailing skills and constant attention to sail trim propelled his Hunter 26.5 No Lizard to first place and earned Ron the title of 2014 Fall Champion.  

The way we usually see Ron Nash

Congratulations Ron on an excellent season with first place finishes in almost half of the races.  And we should note that he single-handed every race.  That’s quite an accomplishment!

Second place goes to the always swift Rama sailed beautifully by Bob and Julie Rhody. Congrats on a well-sailed series.  But it was not without a fight.  Bill and Roxanne Tull, the tenacious crew of Lil Girl, can never be counted out.

Several of the races were decided by the slimmest of margins.  Some were even ties.  We all know that a few seconds are easily lost in only a moment of inattention to sail trim, by over-standing the layline by just a few feet, or by not tacking on that header.  Then consider the amount of time given up to a less-than-pristine bottom, or by playing it safe at the start.  

Looking back at the second race in the series (race 2 on Sep 20) Lil Girl gave up third place to Pipistrelle by a mere 3 seconds.  That is the razor-thin margin that separates the fall series second place from third.  Just three seconds faster in that race and Lil Girl would have taken second place from Rama.  What a great racing season for Lil Girl.

The racing this year was the tightest I've seen in years.  It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of.  Its reminiscent of college football – there are a few perennial favorites, but anyone can be upset and you never know how any particular Saturday will turn out until it’s over. This fall every boat had at least one second place finish, and half of them had a first place finish.  And those that didn't were the ones to beat last year.

Everyone has upped their game.  The Tulls keep sailing Lil Girl better and faster.  Bob and Julie continue to amaze with Rama.  Eddie and Frank Zeiler aboard Pipistrelle turned in a very respectable performance on a boat they had never raced or sailed or flew a spinnaker on before.  John Bomar has breathed new life into Celerity and made her a potential contender.  And everyone knows from past experience that if you let up for an instant Communion and Bogy will make you pay.  Plus we now have a method of race timing that allows the committee boat to race too.  It has been a year of great progress.

The final point totals are reproduced below.  We should all be proud of the way we competed, not just against each other, but with each other, in the Corinthian spirit of camaraderie among friends.  I think that is what makes sailboat racing the wonderful sport that it is.  I am already excited about next year…

Keith Sugg

2014 Race Guy