Conanicut Yacht Club Around the Island Race 2021

Favorable winds, advantageous tide, and warm weather provided the 94th Conanicut Yacht Club Around the Island Race with excellent conditions for the 90 boats that on September 6 lapped the 18 miles around Jamestown, Rhode Island. When scores were calculated, it was the smallest boat among the fleet, the 18-foot VXOne, which hoisted the Commodore John Quinn Trophy for the fastest corrected time of 2:47:27.

Nick Woviotis of Newport and Mike Komar of Jamestown onboard SPACE CADET won by nearly 10 minutes over 2nd place’s Jim Madden with his new Carkeek 47, STARK RAVING MAD IX, and 3rd place’s (and 2019 overall winner) Chris Cannon’s Alden 62, VERISSIMO. Madden was also the winner of the Commodore Bruce R. Brakenhoff Memorial Trophy for the fastest elapsed time.

“As the smallest boat in the fleet, it was foot on the throttle the whole time and wave management was the key to our success,” said Woviotis. “Mike [Komar] drove through them perfectly and we were both nearly hiking off the stern to get around those 3-5 footers around Beavertail then just trying to keep a clean lane as all the faster boats caught up to us.” SPACE CADET saw 15 knots as their top speed of the day in winds ranging from 10-18 knots.

The competition ranged from 40-66 foot racing machines down to the VXOne fleet and 20-30 foot cruising boats split among nine PHRF-rated classes.

“The great part about CYC’s signature event is that serious sailors and family cruisers all take part,” said Patrick Muldoon, a 20+ year veteran of the annual race and co-chair of the event. “Everyone got around safely so we can’t ask for more than that.”

Nearly 25% of all PHRF certificates in Narragansett Bay competed in the Annual Event. “Ninety boats is the perfect number for us,” said returning co-chair Alan Baines. “It’s manageable and coupled with great weather, we can’t ask for more.”

Individual class starts began at 1100 with the higher-rated non-spinnaker boats with faster boats starting later. The winds were southerly all day – making the race a true windward-leeward course. Crews started upwind towards Beavertail with the tide with them rounding the southern end of the island just as the tide turned and raced dead-downwind to the northern tip of Conanicut Island before heading back upwind again to finish off the yacht club.

Race details – Results – Photos

Source: Kate Wilson Somers