The Great Lakes Viper Fleet invaded the Chicago Noods this year for the first time in class history.  Local boat owners Nick Kofski (#55) and Anthony Bowker (#194) were joined by five boats traveling to Chicago (#29, #41, #43, & #57) as the class sailed out of friendly Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club and shared the race circle with a bunch of Rhodes 19s.

Also in attendance was Dan Tucker from Rondar Raceboats USA, who came down to race with rookie Doug Hennessy.  Dan was busy on Friday taking out potential owners and promoting the fleet (Thanks again!).  On shore the others got together, shared some Goose Island beers (Thanks to Anthony), and shared tips and tricks while rigging up for the weekend.  [Photos by Tim Wilkes]

While the New England region has always technically included Connecticut, when the Viper fleet thinks "New England", they usually think first of the Newport Bridge and drinking on the wharves, or late nights at Maddie's Sail Loft in Marblehead after a day of sailing on the Tinker's Line.  In 2013, the class asked everyone to travel into the southwest corner of the region to Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT, one of the best one-design clubs in the country, and home to a growing one-design regatta in early June.  Throw in the desire of a couple of CPYC members to get Vipers, and making Cedar Point the site of this year's New England Championship became a no brainer.  Good decision too.

[Photo at right: Cornersville, Population V Spot.  Doug Mroz and crew reconnect with the fleet on the run on Saturday at New Englands.  Photo courtesy 42 Degrees / Roy Govshovitz]

Memorial Day is traditionally the kickoff to the northeast sailing season, but Mother Nature did not cooperate in 2013, bringing big winds of 25+ knots with gusts into the 40s, canceling racing for 14 Vipers at the Larchmont Memorial Day Regatta and for the Marblehead Viper fleet.  The West Coast Vipers continued to remind everyone how most of us live in the wrong part of the country by having seven races in the typical Long Beach Chamber of Commerce conditions.  Teams from host Alamitos Bay YC owned the top of the scoreboard, with Ed Feo's Locomotion team coming out on top. 

In the meantime, the Western Long Island Sound Vipers decided to turn their lemons into lemonade.  First, there was the requisite Saturday night BBQ, hosted by Peter & Carol Bauer.  While huddled around the keg in the garage, people started working out the logistics for a Monday afternoon sail from Larchmont to Cedar Point Yacht Club (host of the 2013 Viper New England Championship June 1-2) -- 22 miles by water.  The forecast called for a downwind ride, so why not?

There's something about sailing in Charleston that causes Viperers to wax poetic.  Not that Class Governor Justin Scott needed an excuse to put pen to paper, but now that the chicken and waffles have been digested and the carrier pigeon received with an article tied to its leg, we're ready to publish.  Enjoy. 

Familiar Faces

Charleston Race Week was close, very close. Brad Boston, Lee Shuckerow and Eric Vigrass were not allowed to relax and celebrate until the last races were abandoned, but once again our favorite “homeboyz” from Detroit and Sarnia took home the Charleston Race Week championship. Only four points separated the top three boats. Brad admitted that “It was tough out there,” and commented, “Everyone in the fleet is getting better and better. There are no easy clear lanes on the Viper course. It’s all about hitting singles and staying consistent.”

College Sweethearts

Whenever I see Phil and Wendy Lotz sailing, the tune from Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy after All these Years” runs through my head.