J/44 Kenai wins class in Miami Nassau Cup Race
by J/Boats 20 Nov 2021 16:39 UTC
11 November 2021
The 2021-22 SORC Islands in the Stream Series, which provides five events from November through March along the east coast of southern Florida, got under way with the 2021 Nassau Cup Ocean Race on November 11th.
Seventeen teams started off Miami's seaport, setting off to leave Great Isaacs Light to starboard and proceed past Great Stirrup Light, to finish at Nassau harbor. A number of J/Teams earned some silverware for their efforts offshore and across the Bahamas Bank.
Winning ORC 2 Division was Chris and Karen Lewis' J/44 KENAI and taking fourth overall behind three custom offshore carbon racers! Albrecht Goethe's J/46 HAMBURG II took the bronze medal in class and sixth overall. That is an amazing performance for these two boats, a 1989 yacht design that continues to garner more silver in offshore races 30 years later!
Commented Chris and Karen Lewis after the race, "we were competing in the seven boat ORC 2 Class with quite evenly matched boats, including the J/46 HAMBURG II and J/121 INCOGNITO. As a modified J/44, KENAI was able to pull out a 16-minute win on corrected time over a 28-hour race. Conditions were upwind VMG all race until the wind switched to the Northeast for the slower boats."
Chris and Karen Lewis are defending their 2020-21 victory in the SORC Islands In the Stream Series and were pleased to place fourth in fleet.
Chris commented, "Karen and I have been sailing SORC year after year because SORC has such a fantastic variety of racing conditions and great destinations. This race was upwind, and we decided to stay on the same 145% genoa the entire race, reefing the main in and out several times with winds between ranging 12 and 21 knots. Reefing leaves less time on the race track than a head sail change when dealing with a 145% genoa. Al Goethe on HAMBURG II, also from Lakewood YC in Texas, gave us a great race as we ran neck and neck for 120 miles. Our team work and patience on the race track led to this win. Tim Snyder as Navigator is always on the ball with weather updates, and we managed to hook into a left shift to take the lead off the Berry's and stayed in phase after that."
In IRC 3 Division, Harvey Ford and Tom Mistele's J/112e SILVER SURFER managed to hop on the podium earning the bronze medal. Just behind them in 4th place as David Nesbett's' J/92 HILLBILLY.
More information at www.nassaucuprace.org and yachtscoring.