1998 Trans-Erie Yacht Race Press Release

    Owner's  Boat  Boat  Sail Rating  Handicap Finish Elapsed Corrected Class Overall
    Name Name Type Number (sec/nm) (sec/nm) Time Time Time Position Position
                         
MORC   Jerry Frabutt Jazzy Capo Bay 30 5454 115.07 4:28:30 23:41:38 29:31:38 25:03:08 1 1
A   Matt Dubois Hat Trick Mariah (G&S) 27 42101 137.84 5:21:38 0:47:04 30:37:04 25:15:26 2 2
    Tom VanCleave Pig Scow Santana 30/30 GP 15294 121.01 4:42:21 0:34:20 30:24:20 25:41:59 3 3
    Kevin Lemonds Ballyhara Olson 911SE 42597 133.29 5:11:01 1:16:17 31:06:17 25:55:16 4 4
    Mono D'Angelo Raging Storm Olson 911 41324 123.13 4:47:18 1:12:52 31:02:52 26:15:34 5 5
    Roger Porter Wetfoot S2 9.1SE 118 123.69 4:48:37 1:45:35 31:35:35 26:46:58 6 6
                         
                         
                         
PHRF   Albert Gossman Fish with Legs Hobie 33 63107 87 3:23:00 22:50:43 28:35:43 25:12:43 1 2
A   Rick Kern Moor Trouble J-33 42708 81 3:09:00 22:42:09 28:27:09 25:18:09 2 3
    Gerry Deimel Trader Frers 50 25180 9 0:21:00 20:19:50 26:04:50 25:43:50 3 4
    Bob Anderson Kahuna Frers 43.8 Custom KC711 42 1:38:00 22:09:30 27:54:30 26:16:30 4 7
    Dave Caracci Hurricane Beneteau 38 43970 96 3:44:00 0:28:12 30:13:12 26:29:12 5 8
    Fritz Peterson Heartbreaker Evelyn 32 15192 96 3:44:00 0:52:14 30:37:14 26:53:14 6 9
    Charles Johnson Sea of Joy Hunter Legende 37 659 102 3:58:00 3:08:40 32:52:40 28:54:40 7 12
                         
                         
                         
PHRF   Jim Bourgault Gus (who?) X-3/4 Ton 6337 117 4:33:00 23:16:13 29:01:13 24:28:13 1 1
B   Dave Grassley Fair Winds Cal 33 25169 132 5:08:00 1:12:07 30:57:07 25:49:07 2 5
    Jack Bernard Corsair II Abbott 33 30381 123 4:47:00 1:11:54 30:56:54 26:09:54 3 6
    Burgoyne/Sadoski Flak-Bait C & C 33 13919 147 5:43:00 4:00:12 33:45:12 28:02:12 4 10
    Joseph Henry Solitude C&C 38-1 34233 114 4:26:00 3:28:13 33:13:13 28:47:13 5 11
    Carl Sommers Serenity Tartan 30 15473 162 6:18:00 5:06:45 34:51:45 28:48:45 6 13
    Charlie Antal Querencia Catalina 380 51011 114 4:26:00 6:30:44 36:15:44 31:49:44 7 14
    Hubert Dauch Feelin Groovy Non Such 30 369 168 6:32:00 14:27:05 44:12:05 37:40:05 8 15
                         
                         
                         
Double-   Walt Norris Triple Reef Foley 32 88 96 3:44:00 22:17:00 27:57:00 24:13:00 1 1
handed   Lee Schraff N/A Abbott 35 (cust) US 24 120 4:40:00 1:20:36 31:00:36 26:20:36 2 2
    James Hodson Radio Flyer C&C 29 23951 171 6:39:00 5:13:40 34:53:40 28:14:40 3 3
    Jerry Belanger Whisper Tartan 37 43160 132 5:08:00 DNS        
    Gary Anderson WinSome Cal 33 586 138 5:22:00 DNS        
    Ted & Denise Wagner California Girl Cal 29 1446 177 6:53:00 DNS        
                         

 

 

The Start Was Slow But Conditions Quickly Improved

25 boats, ranging in size from 27 to 50 feet, sailed in the 2nd annual Trans-Erie Yacht Race, held over the weekend of August 21-23. The 140 nautical mile race, sponsored jointly by Grosse Ile Yacht Club, Erie Yacht Club, and MORC Stations 53 and 31, started off Presque Isle Harbor in Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday evening, with the finish at the Detroit River Light at the southern end of Grosse Ile, Michigan.

Trader, Gerry Deimel's Frers 50 from Erie Yacht Club, sailed the course in 26 hours, 4 minutes and 50 seconds, to set a new elapsed time record for the race. Walt Norris' modified Hobie 33, Triple Reef, set a new corrected time record of 24:13:00 for PHRF boats, while taking a first in the doublehanded class. Gus, an X-3/4 tonner owned by Jim Bourgault of Grosse Ile Yacht Club took the overall PHRF title, as well as correcting to first in PHRF Class B, with Dave Grassley's Cal 33, Fair Winds from Monroe Boat Club second. In PHRF Class A, Fish With Legs, a Hobie 33 from North Cape Yacht Club sailed by Albert Grossman, took first, followed by Rick Kern's J-33 Moor Trouble, from Erie Yacht Club. In the MORC fleet, Jerry Frabutt's Capo Bay 30 Jazzy, took first, followed by Matt Dubois' Mariah 27, Hat Trick. Both boats were GIYC entries.

The fleet started Friday evening in Erie with light southeast winds, which evaporated as the starting signals were hoisted, leaving all 25 boats to drift within yards of the starting line. A light southwest breeze finally filled in about dark, and built through the night, as boats made their way west toward Point Pelee. A 70 wind shift to the northwest around sunrise Saturday really jumbled the fleet. Throughout the day Saturday, the fleet saw the wind continually lighten and then go southerly, so by the time most boats reached Point Pelee, they were facing a light air beat.
 

Three boats cut the corner at Point Pelee a little too close and ended up aground until backwinding their sails and drifting off. Once around Point Pelee, most boats were able to reach as the wind went even more south, and by the finish late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, most boats were flying spinnakers.

Boatspeed was the critical factor in the race, as most of the class winners stayed close to the rhumbline and made their way as quickly west as fast as possible, before the wind lightened.

Awards were given out at Grosse Ile Yacht Club on Sunday afternoon, at the party sponsored by UK Sails Detroit.

UK SAILMAKERS HOME PAGE                 

Plans are already in the works for next year's race, with the added wrinkle that the course will be reversed, with the start in Grosse Ile, and the finish at Erie.
 

                               THE CREW OF GUS who?  SMILING!

Submitted by the 1998 Trans- Erie Race Committee

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Name: TRANS-ERIE RACE COMMITTEE