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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l, 401-225-0249 (on-site
mobile), barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com
or Marcy Trenholm, STC, 914-834-8857, stormtry@aol.com
Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week XXII Presented
by Rolex
Continuing Traditions, Raising the Bar,
Giving Back to the Community
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. (May 8, 2007) -- From June 17-22, 2007, the population
of tiny Block Island will swell by over 2000 sailors while marinas fill
with an extra 200 plus boats when the Storm Trysail Club arrives to coordinate--for
its 22nd time--Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. One of the most
popular sailing weeks in America, the event has repeated itself here biennially
since 1965, offering competitors impeccably managed competition on the
water and famously friendly rivalry ashore. At press time, nearly half
of the expected fleet had already signed up.
Traditions Extend Beyond Racing
Nelson Weidermann (Wakefield, R.I.) has competed six times in the event
with his best performance being a second in class. He skippers his J/105
Kima against other J/105s in the one-design division that
was started for this class at the 1996 event. "It is one of the bigger
one-design classes," said Weidermann. "There were more than
20 J/105s last time, and we expect that again." Weidermann sails
with his two sons and friends whose families enjoy vacationing on Block
Island. "We rent a house and have the seven grandchildren here. We
sail all day while the kids hit the beach; then we all have dinner together
every night.
"Some of the J/105 sailors are dyed-in-the-wool, around-the-buoys
sailors," added Weidermann, "but over the years, we've come
to really enjoy the race around the island, which challenges us with all
its different currents and weather."
According to Ed Freitag (Annapolis, Md.), who in 2005 missed a class victory
by 1/2 point in his Beneteau First 40.7 named DownTime,
"Block Island Race Week is most definitely right up there with the
race week at Key West. This is our favorite regatta, however--a great
venue, it's low key, and the Storm Trysail Club organizes everything beautifully."
Freitag, whose wife Molly works the pit with another Annapolis local Frieda
Wildey, said his toughest competitors will come from Maryland and throughout
New England. In fact, many of them are doing the Annapolis to Newport
Race to get their boats to Rhode Island. Other Beneteaus are planning
to race, like Jim Carkhuff's (Annapolis) Yard Dog,
but there will likely not be a one-design class for the boats. Instead,
Freitag can look forward to racing handicap against Carkhuff and others
such as 2006 IRC East Coast champion Curt Schwab (Washington, D.C.) aboard
his Beneteau 36.7 Volition and Erik Wulff (also
Washington) aboard his Australian-designed 36 footer Endorphin.
"We will sail for the Rolex US-IRC National Championship because
it is part of this," said Freitag, "but our being there and
winning our class is more important."
Raising the Bar
This year, the event serves as the first-ever Rolex US-IRC National Championship
for boats certified under IRC, a relatively new rule in the U.S. for handicapping
race boats of different kinds so that they can compete on equal footing.
"Having the Nationals as part of Block Island Race Week proves that
the IRC rating has come of age in the U.S.," said Steve De Voe (Stamford,
Conn.), who will sail his Swan 45 Devocean in
the event. "Before, handicapping had driven a lot of sailors to a
single-class boat, but the IRC, for us in our 45-foot boat, is very fair
and encourages us to race handicap." De Voe and his group of a dozen
"hard-core amateurs" who have been sailing together since 2003
are typical of the teams that will be vying for the new national championship
title. De Voe's team finished second on corrected time at last year's
American Yacht Club Annual Fall Regatta where races "were being won
by margins of only 10-15 seconds."
"I anticipate the same kind of close racing and a representative
showing of good IRC boats in all classes," said De Voe.
Giving Back
In 2005, through contributions and a raffle, the event raised in excess
of $18,000 for three charities: Block Island Rescue Squad, Block Island
Maritime Institute, and Block Island Community Playground.
This year the raffle's grand prize again will be a Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Submariner timepiece with additional prizes supplied by Mt. Gay, Gill,
Vineyard Vines, Heineken and other Block Island Race Week sponsors.
"For more than 40 years, Storm Trysail members, guest skippers, crews,
and families have descended upon Block Island and, essentially, taken
it over for an entire week," said Storm Trysail Club Commodore John
Fisher. "Block Island, like many summer destinations, recognizes
the importance of tourism to its local economy and embraces the economic
contributions of Block Island Race Week, Conversely, we recognize the
importance of Block Island to our club’s heritage and want to give
something back."
Block Island Race Week Headquarters will be located at the Oar Restaurant
in the Block Island Boat Basin on the shore of the Great Salt Pond, also
known locally as New Harbor. It is there, under a giant event tent, that
racing will be complemented by socializing each evening and Race Week
sponsors will host displays and special events. Compliments of Rolex,
daily video shows of each day’s racing, produced by Annapolis-based
T2Productions, will be shown and broadcast on-line each night by 9 p.m.
on www.t2p.tv.
Race Week sponsors are Rolex, Jeep, Mt. Gay, Caithness Energy, Vineyard
Vines, Lewmar, B&G, Gill, Hall Spars, J Boats, the Rhode Island State
Yachting Committee, Sailing World, UKHalsey Sailmakers, West Marine, Gowrie,
Barden & Brett, Summit Performance Yachts, WindCheck Magazine,
Sailing World, Heineken and Yellow Tail wine.
(end)
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