STAMFORD, CT — In a contest regarded as an important prelude to the biennial Newport-Bermuda Race, Frank Savage's Swan 56 Lolita and Donald Opatrny's Swan 48 Moondance, respectively, won overall IMS and PHRF honors in this past weekend's 55th running of the Block Island Race. Organized annually by the Storm Trysail Club, the race is a 185-mile sprint from Stamford, CT to Block Island and back, and many of this year's 69 entries will be among the fleet that makes its way to Bermuda next month.
While George Coumantaros' ILC Frers-designed maxi Boomerang was first to finish, with an elapsed time of 20h 48m 14s, she corrected to fourth overall. Second through sixth places were decided by less than three minutes on corrected time, yet Lolita's corrected time victory was incredibly 10 times that margin over Bill Kristiansen's runner-up Swan 56 Mensae. Moondance's margin was even greater, with over an hour between her and the PHRF fleet's runner-up, Adam Loory's Express 37 Soulmates.
Forty entries in five IMS classes made this the largest IMS contest thus far this year, while 24 entries raced under PHRF in three classes, including a four-boat, double-handed class, which was won by Mark Elliman's custom 36 Next Boat.
Conditions for the race appeared to be near ideal, with a brisk northwesterly and ebb current available to flush the fleet east out Long Island Sound on the initial leg. Some forecast models even suggested this breeze would then back all the way around to the southeast, just in time for the fleet to ride downwind back to the finish. However, after offering some frustrating holes the first night, the breeze finally settled in at 10-18 knots from the west and southwest, making for a tolerable beat back to the finish.
In the team competition, the Riverside Yacht Club had good showings from Ed Alader's Frers 45 Somerset, Bill Munger's S & S 48 Harrier, and Phil Schwartz's Swan 44 Wenden, which allowed them to prevail over six other three-boat teams. For complete results, visit the Storm Trysail Club's web site at www.stormtrysail.org.