[L16-usa] Mainely Luders

[Sturgis Haskins]

Report from the Provinces

THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND LUDERS FLEET

Racing Series Persists Despite Rain, Fog & Gloom

A plethora of wretched weather has plagued Luders racing this season.
Two of the three June races were cancelled due to rain. Until Friday's
two races (one a make-up), the July series was a wash-out for the class
-either through bad weather postponements or mangled race instructions.
Mr & Mrs. Henry May's newly rebuilt Luders (national # 46), Ange, made
its first-time debut today.  Strikingly repainted in bright blue it is a
welcomed - and very spiffy - new addition. (It was one of the Luders on
the WoodenBoat magazine cover two issues ago.)

Nine Luders have been racing this season with more boats expected as
summer progresses. Friday's race brought fine weather. The starting line
was moved to Norwood's Cove off the Causeway Club. A few hundred feet
from the Southwest Harbor Fleet's  (aka Yacht Club) starting line this
day  the 145-foot gleaming ketch, Rebecca, lay at her mooring - tended
by crew in black and white uniforms. Perhaps not to be outdone, the
owner's neighbor has a new 154-foot ketch, Scherazade, which is due to
arrive in coming weeks.  The first race of the day - a windward and
leeward course - used a government marker at the entrance to Somes Sound
noted for its strong currents, especially tricky this day due to light
winds, peak tide ripping out of the Sound, and convergence of the
Bullseye and Tempest classes with the Luders' arrival.   It might be
mentioned that the great field (owned by the family of one of the Luders
crew this race) marking the Sound's narrow entrance was also the site of
an ill-fated Jesuit settlement attempt in the 17th century.  This was
not on anyone's mind, however. Bumping, or not bumping, was the
consuming issue at hand.

A new wind, this from the southeast, prompted a wholly new course
direction for the second race with breezes alternately bouncing off
Greenings Island and the Southwest Harbor shore. This seemed to addle
the fleet considerably. A fine spinnaker run concluded the race.  The
post-race tea was held on the rambling front porch of Tintagel, a large
turn-of-the-century granite and stucco cottage perched on  the steep
wooded shore of Norwood's Cove. The Race Committee chair, as his custom,
gave the day's race results and the Commodore read announcements.  A
genteel and amiable way to end an afternoon's competition.

The July results thus far are:

								
								
Place	Luders	Skipper		Sail #	Points			
								
lst	Ondine	Sturgis Haskins		#32	3			
2nd	Red Hot	David Folger		#31	4			
3rd	Voodoo	Robin Fraley		#30	7			
4th	Paladin	Tom Rolfes		#35	7			
5th	Ange	Henry May		#36	9			
6th	Triad	Alec Goriansky		#24	12			
7th	Sea Biscuit	Bill Eacho		#29	13

8th	Weetamoe	Skip Strong		#21	14

9th	Mary Jane	Wells Bacon, Jr.		#38	14

								
								
								
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