Category: 2019 Events

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2.4mRs Race in Frozen Assets Regatta 2019 RVYC 16th & 17th February

AKA ‘Careful What You Wish For’

Jackie Gay

‘Wanna come and freeze your assets off?’ I said, in an email to our sturdy 2.4mR group, in mid January, when Victoria was bathed in spring-like temperatures. ‘Sign up! It’ll be fun.’ Then a few days before the regatta Victoria received its biggest dump of snow in 40 odd years and John and myself were trapped in the house, let alone capable of getting to any regatta… Fortunately the melt came quickly, the temperature-rise less so, so getting kitted out required the full 2.4mR regalia of multiple layers, wrist-seals, neck-seals, toques, spare-toques and of course (‘every time you go to sea,’ as Louise Anstey astutely noted) sunglasses.

With seven entries our fleet was second in size only to the Radials, and joined by Chris Maier from CFSA, his first time racing the boat. On Saturday the wind looked classic Victoria ‘light and fluky’ but actually settled down to a decent SW-ish and we had six excellent races with Louise giving me and Doug Bell some lessons in what we should and (mostly) shouldn’t be doing. With all classes racing on the same course everyone had to be hyper-aware – a 49er needs a lot of room from our slim wee 2.4s at the leeward mark… Louise won the day with excellent tight racing. On Sunday it was cold and clear with a brisk northerly, waves, strong current and COLD. Oak Bay was a fine sight with the snowy mountains circling us, skiffs flying around (and some swimming…) and even tighter racing in the 2.4mR fleet, with overlapped finishes and a stellar bullet for Delani Hulme-Lawrence. Louise won the event with Jackie second and Doug third, but the real winner was our fleet which can only improve with such tight, competitive racing and new participants. Thanks to the Race Committee for sterling work managing all the fleets; the coaches for encouragement, food and dry clothing; and all the sailors who made this event a real spectacle and a whole lot of fun.

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Millar Wins 2019 Edge Sailing Midwinters

2.4mR CanAm 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: [dot][at][dot]">Jan Harley, Media Pro International, 401-683-8224

Event Three of the 2019 CanAm Championship Series

Port Charlotte, Fla. (January 29, 2019) – Sixteen competitors took to the waters of Charlotte Harbor over the weekend of January 25-27 for the 2019 Edge Sailing Midwinters — event three in the five-event 2.4 Meter Can Am Championship series. Unlike the previous two events, which each saw four competitors rack up first-place finishes in the 20-strong fleet, the leaderboard for the Edge Sailing Midwinters was dominated by two veteran racers:  2015 2.4mR North American Champion Bruce Millar, of Victoria, British Columbia, and 2018 2.4mR North American Champion Dee Smith of Annapolis, Maryland.

On the first day of racing, featuring overcast skies, intermittent rain, and eight to 10 knots of breeze with gusts to 14 from the north-northeast, four races were run. And while the Race Committee was obliged to make course changes due to shifts in the breeze and pressure changes in three races, the ebb tide and flat water were not adverse factors for the competitors. 

In the first race, Millar picked up a 17-point penalty after confusion at a mark rounding resulted in his being disqualified from that race. However, he rebounded quickly by winning the subsequent two races and placing second in the final race of the day. Smith, meanwhile, finished 1-2-2-1 in those races, to finish the day at the top of the leaderboard with six points to Millar’s 21. 

On the second day of racing, the forecast was for gusts to 35 knots, which, fortunately, never materialized. However, the squall that came through during race one, bringing sometimes heavy, intermittent rain, turned into a consistent torrent during race two that was not enhanced by the 55-degree temperatures. Only the two races were sailed, with Smith winning the first, and Millar winning the second. 

Notably, Smith did not sail the final race of the regatta, mistakenly thinking he had secured the win. “Of course, I didn’t do my math very well,” said Smith. “Racing with Bruce was very close the whole regatta. I won the first one, he won the next two, I won the next two. The last race that I sailed, I was over the line early, had to go back and grind my way through the fleet. I was one boat length behind Bruce at the weather mark…stayed the same on the run, and we took different marks at the gate. When we crossed the next time, I had the lead and did not look back. I thought I won the regatta.”

On the last leg of the final race, after a short tacking duel with Tony Pocklington, of Fort Myers, Fla., Millar prevailed to cross the finish line first to win the regatta. Tied on seven points with Millar, Smith lost the tie-breaker which is decided by the scores in the last race sailed. 

Pocklington’s scoreline for the regatta, 4-6-[7]-4-4-2, placed him third overall with 20 points. The close competition included a photo finish, also in that last race, for Tim Ripley, of Randolph, N.J., and Charlie Rosenfield of Woodstock, Conn., who crossed the line, respectively, third and fourth. Rosenfield took fourth overall in the standings with 22 points, while Peter Eagar of Toronto, Canada, took fifth with 24 points.

“I personally don’t have a preferred condition,” said Millar after securing the win of the 2019 Edge Sailing Midwinters.  “I don’t worry about whether its heavy or light. I like to be at the top [of the results], but I don’t want that to be my focus and I figure the result will come. Dee is a fantastic sailor. We all know he is the sailor that starts the best and he has years and years of experience. It’s something you have to contend with. I have very good boat speed…I can match him, so it puts me together with him a lot of the time if I’m doing my job right. It just takes one mistake and that is the difference between one position. It pushes you hard and makes you think all the time and that’s why I enjoy the sport, because it’s a thinking game.”

Racing for the third edition of the 2.4 Meter Can Am Championship series will resume February 22-24 with CanAm #4. The nine-race 2019 CanAm Championship Finale, from March 29-31, will see a regatta winner as well as the determination of the series champion from the results of all five regattas after his or her worst event is dropped from the scoring. For competitors who do not race in all five events, the scoring will count all events sailed (i.e. they will not drop their worst result). Leading the current standings for the 2019 CanAm Championship Series is Dee Smith with five points. He is followed by Bruce Millar with eight points. Tony Pocklington has moved into third with 17 points, just one point ahead of Allan Leibel. Peter Eagar rounds out the top-five with 21 points.

Details of the regatta schedules, social events, hotels and more may be found in the Notice of Race, available here. Full results for the 2019 Edge Midwinters may be found at http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/17798#_newsroom

Links to the results for the first two events in the 2019 Can Am Championship Series are: 2018 2.4mR North American Championship http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/17779#_newsroom ; and 2018 2.4mR U.S. Nationals http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/17797#_newsroom

About the 2.4mR: The 2.4mR originated in 1983 in Sweden and attained confirmation as an international class less than 10 years later. Class racing puts the emphasis on the tactical – not physical – skills of the sailor as the single-handed boats are equal under the strict rules that govern the class. With a length of 13’ 8” and the advantage of being easily transported and stored, this sleek keelboat has gained favor with a wide range of able-bodied sailors and sailors with disabilities (there are 1200 boats worldwide, with roughly 200 in North America). For more information on the class, please visit http://www.canada24mr.com/ or www.us24meter.org/

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CanAm Championship Series Returns to South Florida’s West Coast

2.4mR CanAm 2019

NOR for 2.4 Meter Series Now Available

Port Charlotte, Fla. (November 8, 2018) – The U.S. 2.4 Meter Class Association has announced its return to South Florida’s West Coast for the third edition of the class’ CanAm Championship Series which will feature five regattas hosted from the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club (CHYC) in Port Charlotte, Florida.  Well-known as an ideal area in which to escape the winter, Charlotte Harbor has become a favored destination of the 2.4mR class due to the reliable breeze and to the protected waters of the Peace River where races are held.

The 2019 CanAm Championship Series kicks off next month with the six-race 2.4mR North American Championship from December 3-5, 2018, followed later that week by the nine-race 2.4mR U.S. National Championship, December 6-9.  After a break for the holidays, competition resumes in the New Year with the 2019 Edge Sailing Midwinters scheduled for January 25-27, and CanAm #4 from February 22-24, each of which is scheduled to have five races.  The series concludes with the nine-race 2019 CanAm Championship Finale from March 29-31, with the series champion determined from the results of all five regattas after his or her worst score is discarded.  For competitors who do not race in all five events, the scoring will count all events sailed (i.e. they will not drop their worst result).

Reigning 2.4mR U.S. National Champion Dee Smith, of Annapolis, Md., winner of the 2017 2.4mR CanAm Championship Series, has already made his plans to be back in Florida. “The CanAm Championship Series is the best racing you can get in 2.4mR sailing in North America,” said Smith.  “Great race management and fun people. It is tactical, fun racing. I will be back in December!”

Sailors from as far away as Norway, San Diego and Seattle, along with a strong contingent of Canadian snow birds, were among the almost two dozen entries in the 2018 championship series.  For many, the opportunity to race regularly and have a break from the winter weather is an irresistible combination.

“Sailing a monthly 2.4mR regatta against great competition in Charlotte Harbor is an ideal winter activity,” said Ottawa’s Peter Wood, President of the Canadian 2.4mR Class, “especially when you need to put on a warm hat, gloves and snow boots just to leave the house.”

Competitors who register for the entire series by November 30, 2018, will have their boat storage from December through March included as a perk.  Details of the regatta schedules, social events, hotels and more may be found in the just published Notice of Race, available here.

About the 2.4mR:  The 2.4mR originated in 1983 in Sweden and attained confirmation as an international class less than 10 years later.  Class racing puts the emphasis on the tactical – not physical – skills of the sailor as the single-handed boats are equal under the strict rules that govern the class.  With a length of 13’ 8” and the advantage of being easily transported and stored, this sleek keelboat has gained favor with a wide range of able-bodied sailors and sailors with disabilities (there are 1200 boats worldwide and roughly 200 in the USA alone).  For more information on the class, please visit http://www.canada24mr.com/ or www.us24meter.org/

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2019 2.4mR World Championships

The 2019 2.4mR World Championships will be hosted by the Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa Italy October 12 – 18, 2019. The Yacht Club Italiano is the senior yacht club in Italy and would compare favourably to top the yacht clubs in North America. It has a strong tradition of supporting competitive racing including sponsoring contenders for the America’s Cup. It is actively helping to prepare Italy’s sailing team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Among its membership have been past presidents of World Sailing. It is an honour that the club has agreed to host our class World Championship.

To make life easier for overseas sailors Niko Salomaa from Finland is able to arrange charters of Finish 2.4’s including boat transport to the venue and return. Here is his e-mail:

Yes there are plenty of charter boats available in Finland. The price for the charter is 2500€ including transportation to the venue. You can put my contact information on the website post you are making if anyone has further questions. I would appreciate if we could get all the interested people contact me before the end of March 2019. After we get all the interested people we can start planning the logistics to Italy.

Cheers Niko

Niko Salomaa
+358 50 3477606
[dot][at][dot]