2012 Carl Patterson Regatta

The Carl Patterson Regatta is a tribute to Bob Patterson's Dad and is held each year at the Chester River Yacht & CC in Chestertown, Maryland during the last Saturday before Columbus weekend.  Carl Patterson was instrumental in establishing Moth Boat racing at the Sea Isle City YC in the late 1950s.  Carl both built boats for and coached many of Sea Isle's talented juniors in that era.  This year's CPR was the eleventh edition of the event.  Both diaristwoman and diaristdaughter are key members of the Race Committee for this event and being out on the committee boat were well positioned to take some good pix.  Let's have a look.

CRY&CC Commodore Hanson Robbins kindly offered his trawler as the committee boat.  Photo credit: Bart Stolp.

The day started off chilly and overcast with a light breeze from the NW.  When the sun was out from behind the clouds it was warm but there was a definite fall nip in the air.  Seven Moths, two in Generation II and five in Generation I competed.  Your diarist sailed his Europe design Gen I Moth.  Photo credit Bart Stolp.  All other photos courtesy of diaristwoman and diaristdaughter.

This is what we raced for!  A nice groaning board of prizes.  The big bottle of 100 proof rum goes to the overall winner.  These are my kind of trophies!

During the start of Race 1 your diarist had a bit of "Forest Gump"  luck and got a better than expected start from the pin end of the line.  I was able to lead from pole to pole.  The course was a simple windward-leeward with windward finish.  Diaristwoman caught me during the leeward leg of the race working hard to hold off my pursuers and eke out a rare win.

However, after that first race Mike Parsons woke up, reestablished the pecking order and took 1st place in all of the remaining races, generally by comfortable margins as seen here.

Bill Boyle sailed the old Fletcher-Cates which he's restored and blogged about.  I think he's planning on selling the boat.  Those interested can leave comments on his blog spot.

Here's a bow shot of Bill's Cates.

Bob Patterson and I swapped seconds and thirds for the bulk of the day.  Here he's seen pipping me at the finish line by a boat length.

Just to keep us honest, Victor Stango (sail nr 109) beat both Bob and me in his Paul Lindenberg-designed Moth.  I love his name---he could have been a character in a Humphrey Bogart movie!

Here's another look at Victor's boat.

Try as I might, this is about as close as I got to seeing Mike's bow for the rest of the day.

One of the advantages of having relatives on the committee boat is that I get a lot of pix of sail shapes to study after the regatta.  With the traveler car centered I didn't have any twist in the leech.  This seemed fast for the conditions that day but would have just a bit of twist been faster?

Ed Salva had his Europe moving well.

Bill's son Shane sailed their modified Shelley, Memory Lane.

Another look at Memory Lane.

Relaxing after the finish of one of the races.

Mike going to weather.  A study in concentration.

Bill got a great start during one of the afternoon races.  He's seen here ducking Bob's transom.

Later, during that race I'm seen trying hard to steal Bob's wind as we pass the committee boat on the down wind leg.

A nice shot showing all seven boats a few seconds after a start.

When's lunch?

A study in transoms: Europe vs Lindenberg.

After six races we came in for those awards.  Ed Salva was 3rd in the Gen I division.

Victor Stango was 2nd in Gen I.

Your diarist took 1st in Gen I(!)

Mike helps out and awards Bob 2nd place in Gen II.

Bob and Mike take a little "medicine" on account of Bob's cold before awarding the final prize.

Mike, yet again, takes home the big bottle and gets his name on the perpetual trophy which returns to the clubhouse bar until next year.  So, that's a wrap on this year's Patterson Regatta.  Our next (and last) day of racing action for 2012 will be at Mike's home club up at Cooper River, New Jersey in mid-November.