New format the winner at 125th Larchmont Race Week

Larchmont Race Week 2023 © Chris Clarke

In its commemoration of the historic 125th running of Larchmont Yacht Club's annual Race Week (July 14-23, 2023), the Club "re-envisioned" the event to attract more sailors while enhancing the sailors' regatta experience. This new twist on this legendary regatta was the week's big winner as more boats raced, more sailors participated, and more people came ashore after racing...and stayed for the parties each night.

The previous format was comprised of adults sailing one-designs and racer/cruisers on both weekends concluding with the "winner-take-all," multi-class Around Execution Rocks Race on the final day. This year, the ExRx Race opened Race Week on Friday evening with 43 boats ranging from a classic S Boat to a state-of-the-art GP 43...all starting at the same time. Racer/cruisers, already in the harbor following the ExRx Race, stayed to sail the first weekend only on drop buoy and pursuit courses. One-designs raced all four weekend days.

The biggest departure for the week, however, was the addition of two team race events the second weekend. Taking advantage of LYC's newly obtained fleet of 20 z420s and its 10 Ideal 18s, two separate team race events were conducted (3v3 in the z420s and 2v2 in the Ideals).

During the week, however, the schedule for over 350 junior sailors remained as in the past. C420s, Fevas, and Lasers were scheduled to race Monday - Wednesday, with weather concerns junior racing was limited. However, over 100 sailors got in four races Thursday's Opti Day. Friday there was no racing as LYC again hosted the Storm Trysail Club's Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminar for over 100 juniors.

Race Week co-chair and LYC Vice Commodore Chris Schoen noted, "In the end, dodging incoming storm cells and some light-air conditions were unable to detract from the fun, competition, and energy of the 125th Larchmont Race Week. Music every afternoon and evening, Mount Gay Day on the second Saturday, sailor camaraderie, and lots of shoreside hospitality confirmed that the Club's acting upon its new vision for this classic event paid off." LYC Rear Commodore and Race Week co-chair Andrew Weiss concluded, "After the final trophy was awarded on Sunday, it was great to see that everyone stayed at LYC for one more libation as they began to make plans for sailing in next year's 126th Larchmont Race Week!"

Arma legging out after rounding Execution Light - Larchmont Race Week 2023 - photo © Doug Reynolds

Award Winners:

Execution Rocks Race

• Spinnaker Division - Arma - Brian McCloskey, Ned Roseberry, Nick DuBois, & Peter Krow
• Non-Spinnaker Division - Acadia - Erick Asgeirsson & Tom Stokes

• Shields - Young, Young, O'Connor, Rohman, Cowles
• S Boats - Bill Simmons
• Vipers - David Owen
• International One-Designs - Elliott Wislar, Jenn Leary
• Ideal 18s - Eliza Crocker

• PHRF Spin 1 - Arma - Brian McCloskey, Ned Roseberry, Nick DuBois, & Peter Krow
• PHRF Spin 2 - One Too Many - Andrew Weiss & Lawrence Cutler
• PHRF Spin 3 - Easy Red - JC Zucconi, James Townsend
• PHRF Non-Spin - Silent Partner - Ryan Malloy, Pierce Crosbie

• Z420s - Team Wife Swap - Graham Landy, Cardwell Potts, Marlena Fauer
• Ideal 18s - Dus and Don'ts - David Dowd, Ed du Moulin

• Senior Race Week
• Junior Race Week
• Opti Day

• Anne Kathleen Cullen Memorial Trophy - Team Wife Swap
• Vincent Monte-Sano Trophy - Arma
• Charles Vanderlaan Trophy - Arma
• Thomas L. Fitzsimons Trophy - Young, Young, O'Connor, Rohman, Cowles
• Joseph J. Weed Memorial Trophy - Elliott Wislar, Jenn Leary

Junior Race Week and Opti Day Winners

• C420s - Luca LaRosa & Michael Donovan, Riverside Yacht Club
• Fevas - Mark Wermuth & Gavin Manegio, Noroton Yacht Club
• Laser Standard - Lachlan Macintyre, Larchmont Yacht Club
• Laser Radial - Kai McCulloch, American Yacht Club
• Laser 4.7 - Layla Bursor, American Yacht Club
• Opti Red & Blue - Graham Lewis, Pequot Yacht Club
• Opti White - Brooks Pardi, Riverside Yacht Club

• The Commodores Trophy - Class winner, best performance - Kai McCulloch, American YC
• The Windjammer Trophyt - Sportsmanship, Isla Van Biesen, American YC
• The William S. Luckett Memorial Trophy - 420 Best performance, Luca LaRosa & Michael Donovan, Riverside YC
• The Al Bamberger Trophy- Feva - Best Score, Mark Wermuth & Gavin Manegio, Noroton
• The Crew Trophy - Best Crew / Best Score, Tie: Gavin Manegio, Noroton Yacht Club and Michael Donovan, Riverside Yacht Clubs
• The O'Donnell Trophy - Female, Seamanship & Sportsmanship, Layla Bursor, Laser 4.7, American YC
• The George S. Hills Trophy - Laser - Best performance, Kai McCulloch, Laser Radial, American YC
• The William G. LeBoutillier Trophy - Graham Lewis, Pequot Yacht Club

For more information visit www.larchmontyc.org/race-week.