2007 MSSA ACS Regatta Division II Start

The still waters on Long Island Sound Saturday showed little sign of life — there was barely a breeze, it was hot and sticky; not ideal conditions for sailboat racing. However, local sailing enthusiasts were still delighted to participate in the second longest running charity regatta in the U.S., the 25th annual American Cancer Society Regatta, sponsored by the Mount Sinai Sailing Association (MSSA) and hosted at the Mount Sinai Yacht Club.

The starting gun fired off at 11:17 am. Thirty-seven boats registered and planned to sail twice around Buoy 11, moored in the region between Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson harbors in an area known as Mount Misery. The course was a total of 7.3 miles. The Cruising Division jetted over the starting marker, and as their sails went windward, they were given a 20-minute lead. Prowler, Zara, Night Hawk, Kappesmesser, Sea Change, Kyrenia II and Glass Slipper took off.

That's Ridiculous was the first of Division II boats to race, accomplishing a perfect start. ZZZooom started second, while Catch the Wind, Solar Wind, Panache, Stressless and Ledia II followed immediately. Soon Patriot, Anomaly, Starwood, Raggamuffin, Beowulf, Obsession, Ragtime and Ramboat were in the race. Following were Better Days, Concordia, Skywalker II, Excalibur III, Irish Mist, Anniversary, Siboney and Akula.

The biggest disappointment of the day was that only four boats were able to complete the race, through no fault of their own. The winds, light to begin with, died. The time limit expired prior to the smaller boats reaching the finish marker. There was one boat in the Class 3 division and three boats in Class 5 that were able to complete the course. As a result, some trophies were not awarded.

The Athanasias' Kyrenia II was the only boat that finished in the Class 3 division, claiming first place. Three boats finished in the Class 5 division — Solar Wind crossed the finish line second and ZZZooom finished third. The big winner for the day was Francis Nilsen's That's Ridiculous, which captured first place in Class 5 and was the overall winner of the regatta.

"The winds were very light" said Nilsen. "Every time you turn around, there were waves but the key is to just keep the boat moving. We rode the waves as best as we could."

"This weather is typical of what we experience on the Long Island Sound during the dog days of summer," said MSSA's Commodore Tom Brischler.

The Stella and Alex Katsaros Memorial Trophy and the Emansky Cup were not awarded because not enough boats made it past the finishing buoy. ZZZooom was awarded the PHRF Buster Cup, and the best corrected elapsed time for non-spinnaker went to Kyrenia II. The Turner Cup, for the best combined time for the Port Jefferson Harbor Cup and the ACS Regatta, also went to the Kyrenia II. The Mather Cup went to That's Ridiculous. Kyrenia II captured the Rear Admirals Cup and the Port Jeff Medical Cup. The Youngest Crew award went to Skywalker II.

Despite the poor winds, the sailors declared the event a huge success. "A bad day on the water is still better than a good day on land," said Dennis Collins, the judge advocate for MSSA. "Overall, the races were light air, but good sailors will win in light air. Too bad there wasn't more of a breeze."

John Baker was the race coordinator and his wife Deb the committee chairperson. "We're more than delighted with the turnout of race boats … it's the most we've had in quite a few years," Deb said. "We're doing what we love to do, and yet at the same time, we're raising money for the fight against cancer."

Saturday's event raised more than $25,000 for the American Cancer Society, pushing the regatta's collective fundraising efforts well past $275,000 over the past 25 years. A raffle at the after party included tickets to this month's Balloon Festival and Mets tickets. The auction offered Yankees tickets, a metal windmill, Theatre Three tickets and a Mercedes Kid's Pedal Power Car. An autographed poster of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning went for $165.

Although the raffle was quite successful, the regatta raises most of its funds from a combination of race entry fees and participating sponsors. One of the event's key sponsors is Ronald Sickmen, Esq., a longtime supporter of the ACS Regatta and sponsor of the Emansky and Turner cups. Other key sponsors are the Katsaros Family, Mather Hospital and Port Jefferson Medical Care.

For more information or to donate to the American Cancer Society, visit the Mount Sinai Sailing Association's website at MSSA.org.

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