Four Fleets Sail In Monmouth Boat Club Opening Day Competition

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Story and Photos by Art Petrosemolo

Sailors from four one-design fleets were on the water Sunday, April 17 – in ideal conditions – as the Monmouth Boat Club kicked off its 137th season with its traditional opening day regatta.
Sunny skies and light northeasterly breezes greeted members of the Lightning, Flying Scot, Laser and WoodPussy fleets who sailed to the starting line under the direction of Principal Race Officer Denis Farley.
Farley set windward-leeward courses that ran from the southwest to the northeast courses off the Red Bank shore in a light and variable breeze.
Opening Day competition is a chance for the Club’s competitive sailors to tune their boats after a winter in storage.
Dale Barney, Red Bank, took top honors with two wins in the Lightning Class sailing with his son Cole and Quinn Harrington as crew. The Lightning Fleet will run the Long John Regatta April 30 and May 1, hosting some of the top sailors in the class from the East Coast.

Taugh Lynch, Little Silver, checks sail trim, in his WoodPussy in MBC’s opening day of racing.
Taugh Lynch, Little Silver, checks sail trim, in his WoodPussy in MBC’s opening day of racing.

In Flying Scot competition, Dan Vought, Rumson, sailing solo, won the first race, with Tom Lee, Middletown, sailing with Melissa Pater, winning race two.
In the Laser Class, George Harrington, Fair Haven, won both races and Taugh Lynch, Little Silver, took both the WoodPussy races.
One-Design racing will continue at MBC through the fall in seasonal series, holiday and fleet regattas.