Close Contest to End Tomorrow:
New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex

Idler, skippered by George David, leads Salsa on the third day of the NYYC's Race Week at Newport. Dan Nerney photos.

NEWPORT, R.I. (July 15, 2002) -- Over 600 sailors have enjoyed some of Newport's finest summer

sailing weather over the last three days of the New York Yacht Club's Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. With races five and six completed today, the current leaders in nine handicap-racing classes are planning their strategies for tomorrow's final race. Among those in razor-close contention for silver are the White Fleet's PHRF Class 4 current leader Hooligan, an Evelyn 42 owned by Peter Brinckerhoff of Fishers Island, N.Y., and Wairere, a Thompson 30 owned by Chris Bouzaid of Jamestown, R.I. Only one quarter of a point separates the two entries.

"What can I say? I went from almost three points ahead going into today to barely behind at the end of today," said Bouzaid. "Tomorrow it's only between me and Hooligan, since no one else is close." Wairere, sailing against nine others in its class, was over the starting line early in today's first race and had to restart. The mistake led to a fifth-place finish, the worst in Bouzaid's no-throwout series. "My boat's eight feet shorter than everyone else's, so we owe everyone time. Usually it's the biggest boat that's the scratch boat. As the smallest, we get killed on the upwind legs. But it has been awesome racing and good fun. The race committee has done all the right things."

Tim Woodhouse aboard the Custom 35 Rumours is tied with fellow-Newporter Brian Cunha aboard Irie, a Tripp 47, in the White Fleet's PHRF Class 2 "The 12 Meters start with us even though they aren't racing against us, and that has hurt us sometimes when they're on our air. Tomorrow's strategy? Win the start, get ahead, and extend, extend, extend."

Another tie for first exists between Gambler, a Frers 41 owned by John Downey of Boston, Mass., and Troubador, an Express 37 owned by Morton Weintraub of Larchmont, Conn., in the Green Fleet's PHRF class 2. The conditions have been fantastic with minimum wind shifts," said Downey, who is the defending champion in this class. "It's tight racing, and the fleet isn't giving us any breathing room."

More solidly positioned for victory in White Fleet's IMS Class 1 is the Farr 60 Carrera, with Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Chris Larson of Annapolis, Md., steering. The boat has put five and a half points between itself and its closest competitor, the Nelson/Marek 50 Idler, owned by George David of Hartford, Conn.

Though Race Week at Newport will have a Rolex awards ceremony tomorrow evening, the event is far from over. The regatta's unique split format, which accommodates handicap-rated boats for four days of racing on the front end, will switch to its one-design mode this Friday and continue through Sunday. Another several hundred racers will descend on Harbour Court for this second part of the regatta, while 53 boats will participate in a distance race Wednesday.

John and Bunny Wayt's Vixen leads Vigilant around the mark. The former is in first place in PHRF Class 3

For more information and full results each night, visit the NYYC web site at www.nyyc.org

2002 New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex Day 3 (July 15, 2002) Place, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, State, Country, Finish Positions, Score

White Fleet
IMS Racing Class 1 (eight boats)
1. Carrera, FRR60, Joseph Dockery, Stamford, Conn., 1-2-1-1-1-2, 7 2. Idler, N/M50, George David, Hartford, Conn., 2-1-2-3-4-1, 12.5 3. Uarshek II, FRR49, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, Md., 6-4-3-2-6-3, 24

PHRF Class 2 (three boats)
1 (t). Irie, TRP47, Brian Cunha, Newport, R.I., 2-2-1-1-1-2, 8.25 1 (t). Rumours, CSTM35, Tim Woodhouse, Newport, R.I., 1-1-2-2-2-1, 8.25 3. Stars & Stripes, RP50, Dennis Conner, San Diego, Calif., 3-3-3-3-3-3, 18

12M Class 2 (two boats)
1. Hissar, 12M, Edgar Cato, Newport, R.I., 1-1-1-1-1-1, 4.5
2. Fiddler, 12M, Alfred Van Liew, Newport, R.I., DNC-2-2-2-DNF-DNC, 15

IMS40 Class 3 (six boats)
1. More War Stories, ILC40, Robert Bayer, Greenwich, Conn., 2-4-1-2-1-3, 12.5 2. Raven, TRP43, Gino Bottino, Stamford, Conn., 1-5-3-4-2-1, 15.5 3. Pterodactyl, CSTM43, Scott Weisman, White Plains, N.Y., 6-3-2-1-4-2, 17.75

PHRF Class 4 (ten boats)
1. Hooligan, EVE42, Peter Brinckerhoff, Fishers Island, N.Y., 2-2-2-3-3-2, 14 2. Wairere, T30, Chris Bouzaid, Jamestown, R.I., 1-1-4-1-5-3, 14.25 3. Avalanche, FRR395, Craig Albrecht, Glen Head, N.Y., 4-3-5-5-2-4, 23

Green Fleet
PHRF Class 1 (six boats)
1. Odyssey, SWN55, David Brodsky, Newport, R.I., 2-2-2-2-1-1, 9.5 2. Different Drummer, FAST40, Ted Naughton, Marblehead, Mass., 1-1-4-4-2-3, 14.5 3. Puff, FIRST40, Neil Kimatian, Warwick, R.I., 3-DSQ-3-3-3-2, 21

PHRF Class 2 (six boats)
1. Gambler, FRS41, John Downey, Canton, Mass., 2-2-1-2-1-1, 8.25 2. Troubador, EXP37, Morton Weintraub, Larchmont, N.Y., 1-1-2-1-2-2, 8.25 3. Shadowfax, EXP37, Mike Shuttleworth, Newburyport, Mass., 4-3-5-3-5-3, 23

PHRF Class 3 (13 boats)
1. Vixen, SWN44, John/Bunny Wayt, Jamestown, R.I., 1-4-5-1-1-2, 13.25 2. Vigilant, NAVY44, Robert Aho, Annapolis, Md., 3-2-7-2-3-3, 20.5 3. Sweet Surrender, DLR36, John Colby, Providence, R.I., 4-7-1-6-2-5, 24.75

PHRF Class 4 (12 boats)
1. Dirty Harry, J29, John Lavin, Johnston, R.I., 1-1-6-1-3-2, 13.25 2. Hustler, John Esposito, Mohegan Lake, N.Y., 3-2-2-2-5-1, 14.75 3. Firewater, COOK37, Jesse Waters, San Francisco, Calif., 5-OCS-1-4-4-3, 29.75

AMERICAP II White Fleet
Class 1 (five boats)
1. Syrocco, SWN51, Samuel Fortenbaugh, Greenwich, Conn., 2-1-2-1-2-3, 10.5 2. Amadeus, IMX40, Udo Schroff, 1-OCS-1-2-1-1, 11 3. Avalanche, FRR395, Craig Albrecht, Glen Head, N.Y., 3-2-3-3-3-2, 16

Class 3 (one boat)
1. Stars & Stripes, RP50, Dennis Conner, San Diego, Calif., 1-1-1-1-1-1, 4.5

AMERICAP II Green Fleet (11 boats)
Class 2
1. Troubador, EXP37, Morton Weintraub, Larchmont, N.Y., 1-1-2-1-1-2, 7 2. Freight Train, F36, Dick Hyde, Arlington, Mass., 3-4-1-4-2-3, 16.75 3. Odyssey, SWN55, David Brodsky, Newport, R.I., 6-2-8-3-4-1, 23.75