FURY CLAIMS TOP PRIZE AT BALTIC YACHTS REGATTA

The 2002 Baltic Yachts Regatta was held in Newport, R.I. on July 27-28. Eleven Baltic yachts ranging in size from 38 to 55 feet competed. Four races were held on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, and the event was headquartered at the Newport Yachting Center. Photo by Billy Black

Newport, R.I. (July 30, 2002) - Ray Gincavage and his Baltic 48 Fury from Branford, Conn., won the 2002 Baltic Yachts Regatta in Newport, R.I. among a fleet of eleven boats ranging in size from 38 to 55 feet. Four races were held July 27-28 on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, and the event was headquartered at the Newport Yachting Center. An Aalto Crystal vase was awarded to Fury for its overall victory and for being the Best Maintained Yacht.

This is the first year that the Baltic Yachts Regatta has been held in Newport. The change in venue from Nantucket to Newport coincided with Baltic Yachts' U.S. office relocating to the historic America's Cup town. "We are very pleased with the response to this regatta and the quality of racing over the past two days," said Christer Still, president of Baltic Yachts USA. "It's been a fantastic weekend of camaraderie and racing and I look forward to welcoming more Baltic owners to our next regatta."

Suunto watches were awarded to the three highest level boats: Kinship, a Baltic 52 owned by Tom Selldorff of Weston, Mass.; Merlin, a Baltic 43 owned by Rob Burt of Princeton, N.J.; and First Light, a Baltic 55 owned by Andre Laus of Barrington, R.I. The farthest traveling boat was Annie B, a Baltic 51 owned by Barry Esrig of Englewood, N.J. Dr. Esrig has kept his yacht permanently in the Caribbean, but decided to bring her to New England this summer after hearing about this year's Baltic Regatta. The owners who traveled the farthest to Newport were John and Sue Kerrigan of Bainbridge Island, Wash., who were given Maptech Charts.

Ray Gincavage and his Baltic 48 Fury from Branford, Conn., won the 2002 Baltic Yachts Regatta in Newport, R.I. among a fleet of eleven boats ranging in size from 38 to 55 feet. Four races were held July 27-28 on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, and the event was headquartered at the Newport Yachting Center. An Aalto Crystal vase was awarded to Fury for its overall victory and for being the Best Maintained Yacht. Photo by Billy Black

On Saturday night the fleet celebrated at a private party hosted by Jamestown Boat Yard at Clingstone, the "house on the rocks" made famous during the heyday of America's Cup racing in Newport.

Overall Results: July 28, 2002 (four races)

Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner, Hometown

1. Fury, Baltic 48, Ray Gincavage, Branford, Conn.
2. Mutiny, Baltic 43, T. Gibb Kane, Rye, N.Y.
3. Sapphire Seas, Baltic 38, Robert Avery, New Canaan, Conn.
4. First Light, Baltic 55, Andre Laus, Barrington, R.I.
5. Incessant, Baltic 42, Paul Kaplan, Alexandria, Va.
6. Ultra Violet, Baltic 37, Matt Rosenberg, East Greenwich, R.I. 7. Kinship, Baltic 52, Tom Selldorff, Weston, Mass. 8. Kestrel, Baltic 38, Tom Heffernan, Tiverton, R.I. 9. Merlin, Baltic 43, Robert Burt, Princeton, N.J. 10. Santarella 4, Baltic 35, James P Scalise, Pittsfield, Mass. 11. Annie B, Baltic 51, Barry Esrig, Englewood, N.J.