August Regatta Wrap Up

Steve Schwartz, CIYC member and owner of Adagio contributed this article.

August was City Island Yacht Club’s big racing month. In addition to the ongoing Big Tom Wednesday Night Series, the Friday Night TGIF Sunset Series on August 2nd, 9th and 16th and the Sunday Jam Series on August 4th and 18th, CIYC ran two major races on Western Long Island Sound and was an active partner in a third.

The major annual events began August 10th with the 43rd Annual Women Skippers Race. Only one difference from the normal racing rules on this one, a woman must be at the helm for the entire race. Thirteen boats in two divisions went over the starting line in a 12 to 18 knot, shifty, South to South-Westerly Breeze. There were two races that afternoon followed by a great lawn party, live music and dinner back at the
club.

The big winners in both the first and second races were identical: In the Spinnaker Division, Avalanche, helmed by Alexis Gesualdo took first, and in the non-spinnaker division, Galatea-helmed by Catherine Gilmore-Barnes did the same.

On August 11th, the 71st Annual City Island Yacht Club Day Race attracted 21 boats in three divisions. Unfortunately, the event didn’t attract any wind. After arriving in the starting area before 11:00AM and floating around for over an hour-and-a-half, a wisp of developing breeze gave the RC a small opportunity to start the race. Competitors did the best they could to harness any zephyr, but there was no way that anyone could make their way around the buoys on the far side of Execution Rocks within the drop- dead finish time. The RC wisely decided to abandon the race.

The following Saturday, August 17th, Orienta Yacht Club in Mamaroneck hosted the 10th Annual Western Long Island Sound Governor’s Cup Regatta. CIYC originated this yearly event in partnership with Huguenot Yacht Club in New Rochelle and Orienta Yacht Club. City Island Yacht Club will again host the event in 2025. 35 boats registered for the navigation race around Execution Rocks, Hart Island, Buoy 46A in
Eastchester Bay and government marks along the North shore of Long Island. A good South-Westerly breeze made sure a good time was had by all. Seven CIYC members participated in six divisions, and all placed among the top three boats in each class.

In the spinnaker classes Sanguine was second in Division 5 and Galatea was second in Division 4, In the non-spinnaker divisions First Rate took second place out of nine entrants in Division 2, followed by Adagio in third place. In Non-spinnaker Division 1 New Freedom to a second place, and Patent Pending came in third. Orienta Yacht Club fielded a drone camera flying above the race course giving a spectacular view of the event.

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