Two fleets of five boats contested the classic divisions at the New York Yacht Club’s historic Annual Regatta in Newport in early June, with Dorade competing in Class 2. While Dorade won the opening Around the Island Race on Friday, sailed on a shorter course due to light winds, she finished the weekend series in second on a tiebreak against the well-sailed Bijou II, a 10 Square Meter design skippered by Chris Bouzaid.
Traditionally circumnavigating Conanicut Island (Jamestown, R.I.), the Around the Island Race had to wait for wind, and the fleet was finally sent on a shorter course out to Brenton Reef in Rhode Island Sound, then back up the Bay around Gould Island and back to a finish near Fort Adams, Newport.
“The Friday race was really good for us,” said sailing master Kevin Miller afterwards. “We made a couple current-related decisions that really launched us. In particular, staying on the Ft. Adam’s side of the run back into the Bay paid huge dividends right at the very end. We gained several minutes right there while most of the other boats favored the Dumplings [west side of the Passage], which paid early but turned bad as you had to cross the tide twice.”
The Dorade team had hoped to sail against Ken Colburn’s New York 40 Marilee, a great rival in recent seasons, but Marilee was placed in Classics 1. After competing against Bijou II, Kevin offered high praise: “We owed them a minute a mile and often we were lucky to beat them to the first mark; they are fast and very well sailed. We gained on the runs and reaches, but we needed either less wind or more wind to have a shot at them. In 8 to 12 knots of wind, they are pretty dominant.”
The highlight for Kevin and the rest of the team was sailing with Pam and having her aboard after some very tough health battles this year. “She drove a lot and did great,” Kevin said. “She drove most of the day on Friday and killed it. She has never sailed better; the boat absolutely locked onto her targets both upwind and down, which made my job easy!”