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Chester Race Week Day 2 delivers close finishes

Bridgewater, NS, Canada / CKBW
Evan Taylor
Aug 18, 2023 | 11:44 AM


Chester Race Week Day 2 delivers close finishes

Day two at 2023 Chester Race Week. Photo: Release Photo.

 

CHESTER, NOVA SCOTIA (August 17, 2023) – The second day of the highly anticipated Helly Hansen Chester Race Week unfolded with a perfect blend of weather and competitive sailing. As crews took to the water under spectacular conditions, the day was marked by exhilarating races, closely contested finishes, and steady winds against the backdrop of brilliant sunshine.

Pat Nelder, the On-water Chair of Chester Race Week, noted, “Today’s stronger wind conditions put the sailors’ skills to the test. We witnessed shifts in the lead across various classes, exemplified by the remarkable performance of the Dragon yacht ‘Intrigue,’ which secured victory in Pursuit Division 2, outpacing its formidable rivals. Overall, it was an intense and engaging day of racing.”

Bluenose Class: In the Bluenose class, featuring 32 boats, the competition was fierce. The top three positions were claimed by:

  1. Ghost, skippered by Evan Oulahen from Bedford, NS
  2. Hot Sauce, helmed by Michael Smith of Halifax, NS
  3. Wahoo, led by Henry Demone, hailing from Chester, NS.

Classics Division: The Classics category, split into two pursuit groups, showcased the following results:

Pursuit 1:

  1. Gersemi, captained by Paul Bezanson, based in Halifax, NS
  2. Seneca, steered by David Creighton, representing Chester, NS
  3. Virginia, commanded by John Jr. Wurts, also from Chester, NS.

Pursuit 2:

  1. Intrigue, skippered by Bryan Palfreyman, hailing from Mahone Bay, NS
  2. Cavalier, helmed by Andrew J. Murphy, a resident of Halifax, NS
  3. Auster, under the guidance of Robert and Ann Merchant Power, from Halifax, NS.

Distance 1:

  1. Jane, a J120 vessel owned by Andrew Childs, from Halifax, NS
  2. Rampage, a Farr 395 boat skippered by Graham Roy, also from Halifax, NS
  3. Deviation, a Farr 40 yacht steered by Stu McCrea, from Halifax, NS.

Distance 2:

  1. Young Blood, a J/100 yacht captained by Larry Creaser, hailing from Chester, NS
  2. DogParty, another J/100 vessel led by Terry McKenna, representing Charlottetown, PEI
  3. Crows, a J/100 boat helmed by Paul Rafuse, from Halifax, NS.

Distance 4:

  1. Flashdance, a C7C 27 craft commanded by Donald Gass, based in Boutilier’s Point, NS
  2. King of Normandy, a C&C mK3 yacht skippered by Francois Guitton, from Halifax, NS
  3. Good Friday, a C&C 32 vessel under the control of Philip Burchinshaw, hailing from Bedford, NS.

Inshore Races:

Inshore 1:

  1. Scotch Mist 40, a J29 yacht helmed by Chris MacDonald, from Halifax, NS
  2. Painkiller, another J29 boat steered by Paul Fillbee-Dexter, representing Halifax, NS
  3. Headgames, a J29 vessel commanded by Tony Schnare, based in Chester Basin, NS.

Inshore 2:

  1. Just Add Water, a J30 yacht owned by Jesleine Baker, hailing from Halifax, NS
  2. Apres Ski, a Laser 28 vessel captained by Tony Thompson, from Bedford, NS
  3. Completely Wound Up, a Laser 28 boat led by Greg Jordan, representing Burlington, ON.

J-105 Class: In the J-105 division, the top three standings were as follows:

  1. McMac, sailed by Sean/Rory McDermott/Macdonald of Dartmouth, NS
  2. Shipyard, helmed by Bradison Boutilier, representing Glen Haven, NS and the U.S.
  3. V Tack, captained by John Sapp from Halifax, NS.

Sonar Class: In the Sonar category, the leading positions were secured by:

  1. Ping, commanded by Andreas Josenhans, hailing from Lunenburg, NS
  2. Barbarian, skippered by Rob Barbara, also from Lunenburg, NS
  3. So-Gnarly, sailed by Thomas Dauphinee, a resident of Lunenburg, NS.

Farr 30 Class: The Farr 30 division featured these standout performances:

  1. Mongoose, led by Ben Maloney from Bedford, NS
  2. HeadFirst3, skippered by Peter Toombs, representing Charlottetown, PEI
  3. Matador, commanded by Gregory Blunden, hailing from Halifax, NS.

International One-Design (IOD) Class: Finally, the IOD class saw these top placements:

  1. Storm, under the command of Peter Wickwire, from Halifax, NS
  2. Coachman, helmed by Dave Mosher, representing Chester, NS
  3. Restless, commanded by Ted Murphy, hailing from Mahone Bay, NS.