2007 Fleet Rendezvous
June 2, 2007
The Fleet held its third annual rendezvous on Saturday, June 2. Five Alerions, their owners and guests gathered for casual yet competitive racing followed by an awards ceremony and barbecue dinner. The races took place on Herring Bay on Maryland's western shore and the "after party" was hosted by Bob and Deirdre Bradway at their summer home in Fairhaven.
Three boats from the area, Starry Night (Bob and Deirdre Bradway), Resilient (Bob Spann and Beth Whiteley) and Rosebud (Bob Gallagher), were joined by two Eastern Shore boats, Miss Judie (Don and Judie Goodliffe) and Frolic (Paul and Susan Rohrkemper). Guests Andre Sims, Pat and Ken Goldmann, and Cindy and Gary Alston crewed on Starry Night, Miss Judie and Frolic, respectively.
At the captain's meeting ashore before the races, Race Committee Chairman Bob Spann described the triangular, 2.9 mile course. He also noted a local wind effect known as the Herrington Harbor Hurricane. He wasn't kidding.
As the five boats convened for the start of the first race, brisk southerly breezes of 15 to 17 knots with gusts to 20 knots greeted the fleet. In the first race, only Rosebud and Resilient carried full main sails; the other boats prudently took a reef before the start.
After Rosebud won decisively, out came the reefs for the second race. The closely-contested series was won by Frolic with a 3-1-1 record. Miss Judie was Miss Consistency, posting three second place finishes for second overall, while Rosebud's decisive win in the opener was followed by two thirds to finish the series third overall.
After the races, the group convened at the Bradways' cottage for the awards presentation and barbecue dinner. A perpetual trophy honoring the overall winner of the rendezvous regatta was established this year by a generous donation from Donna and Garry Hoyt of Newport R&D, distributors of the Alerion Express 28. Previous and future winners of the race series will be memorialized on the trophy plaque. An engraved "keeper" trophy was also presented to the overall winner.
Hors d'oeuvres, drinks and dinner at the Bradways' were superb, a perfect ending to a spectacular day. Plan to participate in the next Rendezvous and put your AE28's name on the perpetual trophy.
