Alter Cup 2009 -- Oct 20th Update

CLEARWATER, FL – Racers arrived at the Alter Cup National Multihull Championship for registration and practice on Saturday to heavy, unfriendly weather. Flags around the Clearwater Sailing Center were plastered flat against a dark grey sky. Practice was canceled and racers went home hoping for better luck next day.

Before retiring for the night, it was evident that the weather had no plans of breaking before the morning. Palm trees bent under 20+ knot winds with gusts bordering on 30 knots. The next morning was more of the same. Seas were four to seven feet off Sand Key Beach – a decidedly bad scenario for a fleet of brand new Viper F16s planning to land and launch at shore.

After a few postponements, RC called “done for the day” around 1:30 in the afternoon.

The weather broke Monday morning as racers gather at the Sailing Center. Predictions called for 12-15 knots. It seemed a little heavier on the beach, but racers reported relatively light breeze on the course.

A randomly chosen B Fleet hit the water first; the team of John Casey and John Williams took the early heat. Said John Casey of the win, “It wasn’t a super good race, but a bullet is a bullet.” In a close second were Jamie Livingston and Leandro Spina, whose last competition together was the Tybee 500.

The wind died a little, favoring the lighter teams, before the start of the first A fleet race. The sister team of Sarah and Elizabeth Newberry got the bullet with about 20 empty boat lengths behind them.

Being perhaps the lightest team at only about 230 pounds worked in the sisters’ favor. Sarah said, “We were able to point a lot higher than everyone else. Not just a little. Like 20 or so degrees.”

There was a lot of talk on the beach regarding the skill of the all-female crew. One sailor asked John Williams how he would feel to get beaten by them. He responded, “Are you kidding? I will be doing handsprings.”

Skipper John Tomko and crew of Laser World Champion fame, Paige Railey, followed in the Newberrys.

The wind built, steadied, and clocked left for the second B Fleet race. Despite some controversy surrounding a mark change to match the wind shift, Ken Marshak and Timmy Zenderman took the race.

The wind stayed heavy and westerly for the second A Fleet race. The committee boat reported 10 knots of wind to officials on the beach, which reading was generally scoffed at as sand whipped through the tent and flags stood flat as postcards.

The heavy wind was detrimental to the Newberrys’ next run, and they found themselves flushed to B Fleet after a disappointing last place finish.

“We were fast downwind,” said Sarah. “We would pass a few boats and start making back the leg. But when we rounded the bottom mark, the boat was just sticking. We got passed from everywhere. People were shooting out from under us. It was really frustrating.”

John Casey and John Williams won the second A Fleet race to claim their second bullet. They cheered the Newberrys as the sisters returned to the beach and immediately set off to try and work back to A Fleet.

But retribution was not to be immediate. The heavy winds prevailed and the Newberrys struggled to stay in the middle of the fleet. A seventh place finish will see them in B Fleet for the beginning of racing today.

The results after one day of racing have John Casey and John Williams in the lead. The forecast Tuesday is for a relatively mild easterly. Stay tuned to 35knots.com for more updates as the Alter Cup continues.