Corinthians Take Second Place in Twleve Meter Regatta

by John Colver

Four years ago a group of fifteen sailors from the San Francisco Knarr fleet, headed up by Corinthians Mike Roy and me, chartered the 1958 America’s Cup winner Columbia for the 1999 Edgartown Classic Twelve Meter Regatta in Martha’s Vineyard. We not only won the event, but repeated the following year to the restrained applause of the host organization, which had dismissed us as a load of west coast cowboys who had just got lucky the first time.

Last year, east coast Twelve Meter racing took a break as most of the American Twelves went to England for the America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta. The Hole in One Syndicate, as we call ourselves after the Knarr Fleet’s most unwanted trophy (awarded for inflicting the most damage on others while racing) also took a break, but returned to battle this year, chartering Columbia for the New York Yacht Club’s 148th Annual Regatta at the beginning of June, figuring we had probably overstayed our welcome in Martha’s Vineyard.

Racing under the Corinthian burgee (the only 12 Meter not associated with the New York Club) Corinthian was represented by: Mike Roy, grinder and Team Manager; Rosalind Colver on the running backstays and the syndicate’s Music Director; myself, navigator; Jim Tull, grinder; Steve Wear, trimmer; and Bob Turnbull the official “Wine Purveyor” to the Syndicate Al Blair was too busy at his boat yard and had to step down this year.

There was also a new crew member this year - Columbia’s owner Alain Hanover. There was one small hitch as when he asked if he could crew on his own boat, he was told he would have to meet three requirements: race on a Knarr; attend a Monday night Knarr song rehearsal; and become a member of the RJCYC (you are left to guess what that stands for). He promptly flew out here over Opening Day weekend to fulfill those obligations.

With wives and best ladies and suitably attired in blazers and ties, the team rendezvoused at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbor Court station in Newport R.I., where we had been given the library for a private reception. That went over so well, all thirty stayed on for dinner. That also went over so well, we finished up dinner by entertaining the startled Club members to a few Knarr songs. We were not thrown out.

The following day was a practice sail in rain showers with a 25 knot nor’easter making Narragansett Bay look just like home. Spinnaker drill was not on the program in those conditions (the Twelve Meters are typically scratched in anything over 18-20 knots) but the time was spent getting the feel of the boat and the day concluded with a clambake – in a heated tent!

The first day of racing was a completely different story. For three and a half hours we drifted around in Rhode Island Sound waiting for the wind to fill under clear sunny skies and eventually the Race Committee got us going on a short double windward/leeward course. Three “modern” Twelves (detached rudders) and four “classics” took the gun. The team had set up for a port tack start which was the right strategic call, but had forgotten a 70ft. Classic Twelve doesn’t turn like a Knarr and we were unable to recover from the start, finishing second to American Eagle. The Committee signaled no further racing, as it was getting late and nobody wanted to miss the yacht club party (they seated seven hundred people at a flawlessly arranged buffet).

Two Olympic courses in Narragansett Bay were signaled for the following day, under a cold and sunny sky with the wind ranging from 2 - 20 knots and 50 degree oscillations, making sail selection a challenge. A too-aggressive start forced a bail out and we crossed the line dead last, but managed to fight back at the final leeward mark only to have the spinnaker halyard jam. It took most of the last weather leg to solve the problem and get the kite down, but we were able to hang on for another second behind Eagle.

This really put the pressure on for the final race. But as we were reaching off across the bay under the main and breaking out the sandwiches in between races, the warning gun went off for the start, which left little time for pre-start maneuvers while we tried to figure out the correct sail combination, repack the kite and throw the sandwiches overboard.

Miraculously, we arrived at the start with what would have been perfect timing, had it not been for a solid wall of six other overlapped Twelves all aiming for the favored committee boat end. We reached in hard hoping rather than calculating we could barge the start, but the door got slammed at the last second, which was when we were reminded again this was not a Knarr. How we did not t-bone the committee boat will forever remain an unanswered question and it is just as well we all were wearing khaki shorts.

By now we were getting used to starting dead last, but with tactician Mike Ratiani calling the oscillations and pressure impeccably, we sailed the boat into first place by the last weather mark rounding. “Even we can’t screw this up,” announced the tactician, as we headed for a downwind finish. Wrong. With a flawless and instant spinnaker set, Eagle took advantage of her superior downwind speed, was soon on our air and rolled us for a two boat-length victory, giving her three firsts to Columbia's three seconds.

“Well, at least we didn’t have to book air tickets to go back to New York in November for the trophy presentation,” said Mike Roy. The foredeck crew had the last word. When asked what were the problems up front, the succinct reply was, “One of the things which is wrong, is the average age of the foredeck crew is 60.”

We are already planning to go back next year for the inaugural North American 12 Meter Championships.

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