Navy leads Onion Patch Series after first race at New York YC

Andrew Weiss' J122 'Christopher Dragon' was named Boat of the Day in the White Fleet in the New York Yacht Club 158th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex but stood 16th in the Onion Patch Series at the end of the first day © Talbot Wilson / Onion Patch Series

Although Rives Potts' ‘Carina’ was boat of the Day in the NYYC Annual Regatta Blue Fleet and Andrew Weiss' ‘Christopher Dragon’ was boat of the Day in the White Fleet, the two stand 7th and 16th in the early Onion Patch rankings.

Top slots after the day’s only scheduled Onion Patch race went to the US Naval Academy TP52 ‘Invictus’ skippered by Ralph Duffett, The Bermuda entry ‘Nasty Medicine’ sailed by Stephen Sherwin and Jim Madden’s Stark Raving Mad. Results are posted at www.onionpatchseries.com

Sailing was tricky sailing Saturday in Newport with shifty light winds under an overcast sky. The sea breeze never quite came to stay.

The Race Committee delayed sending the boats out of the harbor for an hour hoping that the wind would fill in. Then when the fleet got to their circles in the sound there were further delays waiting for the wind to settle and fill. The race was finally sailed in 5-7 kts of breeze.

The boats on the White Circle sailed a 4-leg windward leeward course with 1.2 mile legs and the last two boats to finish Henry May’s NY 32 ‘Isla’ and Chris Otorowski’s Rocket J. Squirrel came in on a dying breath of breeze.

The committee finally abandoned racing for the day. Boats on the Blue course experienced the same fate.

Racing for the Onion Patch Series includes the first race each day in the 158th NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, the Cruising Club of America-Royal Bermuda YC Newport Bermuda Race starting June 15th in Newport and finishing several days later in Bermuda and the Royal Bermuda YC Anniversary Regatta presented by the Butterfield Group on June 22nd.

The Onion Patch Series has 23 entries and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta has those 23 plus 6 more. Bermuda boats and those coming on the Newport Race may still enter the RBYC Anniversary Regatta.