The race committee opted to keep the group on shore but Kevin Murphy (LH) and Richard Burgess Jr (SL) opted to test the waters. It was really great on the reaches and going upwind was a bit of work but fun. The RC saw that we were able to handle the breeze and announced that they were going to try to get a race going. Very shortly after that announcement the wind increased to over 30kts and they blew 3 guns (the right decision).

On Sunday we awoke to a moderate northwest breeze. The fleet left the harbor and we started what was to be the first of three races. John MacCausland who was debuting the new “G” section Spartech mast, won the first race with local sailor Kurt Reynolds 2nd and Lake Sunapee sailor John Chiarella 3rd. The second race saw the wind start to decrease and the RC decided to shorten the race. Richard Burgess Jr won with Lil Mac 2nd, and Kevin Murphy (LH) was 3rd.

The wind built back up between the 2nd and 3rd races so the RC started us. The breeze stayed until we were ½ down the run and it started to fade away to very light. As the leaders approached the leeward mark the RC made the decision to shorten the race and finish on the next upwind leg. We all sat a the leeward mark with zero wind for 5 to 10 minutes and watched Kurt Reynolds sail from 300 meters back to join the group waiting for him at the leeward mark. The breeze came with Kurt and Richard Burgess Jr. was the first to get into it. Reynolds used his momentum to get around the mark and back into the new wind. The finishes were Burgess Jr. 1st, Reynolds 2nd, Hendershot (CAN) 3rd and Lil Mac 4th.

For young Richard and old Richard Burgess to win two races, shortened or not was a really great feat, and to be able to sail with my son was really great winning or not.

In the end it was Lil Mac getting the big prize with 7 points, and son Richard 2nd with 9 points, and Reynolds 3rd tied with Hendershot with 14 points.

The Seneca Yacht Club and their members did an outstanding job of hosting the New York State Championships and a very special thank you to Bob Westcott for putting it all together.