2022 Dead Crab Regatta Report

by Dave Branning

I love my new role as volunteer RD and currently enjoying the action of a fun regatta with great skippers. The 2nd Annual Dead Crab Regatta was no exception. This event was the second leg of the newly created Liberty RC Laser League of four regattas for 2022. Originally, we had a 27-boat fleet registered with a waiting list but, for a variety of reasons, we got to 21 skippers making the trip to Cape May. Maybe the drastic rain report from a variety of weather forecasts kept many away but the forecasters were all wrong and nobody got wet. This was a Jersey boys’ event with all but two kippers coming from the Garden State. Thanks to first-regatta-skipper, Dick White, who came from the Annapolis, MD area and Jim Flach who came from Norristown, PA.

Mother nature did screw with us, however. We started racing on one side of a long finger pier for the light southerly but that did not last very long. We then moved to another outer pier for the SW shift and did our best to get an afternoon of two lap A-Sail races, but we had to live with a very long port tack windward leg. We were able to complete 15 heats with skippers sailing in 10 with one throw-out. We randomly divided the 21 boats into three fleets and two fleets raced against each other while the third fleet took a break. This strategy keeps each heat to a manageable size and the day just moves along quickly as everyone knows when they are in the water. All are scored as one fleet.

At the top of the leader board was a great dog fight. The winner, Danny Vought, won by one point over Jim Flach and four points over third place skipper, Eric Leitner. Vought’s throw-out was the lowest throw-out of the fleet. This shows very consistent racing and six skippers each won a heat and 11 of the 15 first place finishes were from the top four skippers.
Next up for the Liberty RC Laser League is the CPM Race Week in Queenstown, MD on September 11th. Maybe the Maryland RC Laser crowd will show up in force vs. the Jersey Boys. Stay tuned.

Summary of the 2022 Dead Crab RC Laser Regatta
Date: June 12, 2022
Location: Corinthian YC of Cape May
Host Club: South Jersey MYC
Entries: 21
Winds: 3-8 mph
Heats Completed: 15 and each skipper raced 10. Random allocation of three fleets with rotating two fleets racing at once while 3rd fleet sat out.
Scoring: Low point with one throw-out; All races under the I Flag
Race Committee: Dave Branning, PRO; Bob Herzog, Assistant RD; Amy Forrester, Patti Santelle, Brad Lord, and Carol York, scorekeepers; Chase Boat: Jay Kopp & Rear Commodore, Geoff King; Judy Bonanno, Invaluable Race Committee Member & Official Photographer

RESULTS
Place Skipper Points
1 Danny Vought 22
2 Jim Flach 23
3 Eric Leitner 26
4 Fred DeSantis 38
5 Frank Scalisi 43
6 Stuart Challoner 45
7 Sean Bradley 46
8 Mike McGuckin 54
9 Tom Solas 55
10 Tom Bird 55

Other Finishers: Kevin LeCompte, John Parker, Domenick Bonanno, John Santoro, Ray Szulczewski, Steve Blisnuk, Mark Daddino, Konrad Richter, Dick White, Jim Forrester, Victor Oberg
Here’s a link to Judy Bonanno’s pictures.
https://judybonanno.smugmug.com/Sailing/LASER/Dead-Crab-Regatta-2022