2008 Single-Handed Race
by John C PowersSix boats ghosted out to the starting line under overcast skies on Saturday to compete in the Frank McNulty Memorial Singlehanded Race. Pure Bluff was on station, and on time, and a straightforward windward-leeward course was set by Jim Powers assisted by his nephew Ted Powers.
The level of competition was as high as if these boats had their full compliment of crew onboard. The starting line was crowded with no boat wanting to give up space to another, and tacks to weather were quick and sharp! Yanqui, Mae Win III, and Finally! were in close formation as they worked their way to the weather mark. Megansett Time, Obsolete, and Mooncusser kept the pressure on the leaders as the shifts were played in the tricky westerly wind.
Andrew Gallagher brought Yanqui around the weather mark in the lead and made short order of setting his spinnaker. Yanqui was followed closely by Mae Win III and Finally! Finally!’s skipper had his spinnaker locked and loaded but made the decision to hold off the set in the relatively light conditions. Finally! and Mae Win III sailed the leeward leg nearly even without losing much ground to Yanqui. Web Collins managed to secure the inside position on Finally! and rounded the downwind mark only inches ahead of Powers.