By Buttons Padin
Photos by Eric Kruse
Organized by Larchmont and American Yacht Clubs with alternating venues each year, the Robie is a party where a race breaks out.
Spring was unusually cold, windy, and often rainy spring in the northeast, and that cold, dampness and chill helped shape this year’s Robie Pierce Regattas for sailors with disabilities, sailed in western Long Island Sound the weekend of May 29 – June 1. The Robie Pierce Regattas are run jointly by Larchmont and American Yacht Clubs, alternating venues every year. Honoring Robie Pierce (1941-2017), a beloved man of many monikers including The Mayor of the Waterfront, Swamp Yankee and Mr. Magoo, this was the 16th Robie.
Thursday’s Robie Pierce Women’s Invitational Regatta was raced in breezes in the 10-15 knot range with temperatures in the 50s and low 60s. Starting on time, three races were completed before it became apparent that the sailors were starting to feel the impact of the cold, wind, and sea state.
Winning those three races was Jane Pimentel (Westport, CT) sailing with Lin Wei-Lee (Mt. Vernon, NY) and Tara Foster (Westport, CT) as able-bodied crew (AB). Pimentel won races 1 and 3 outright and was given redress for race 2 after a gear failure on one of the provided Ideal 18s. Five boats competed in the Women’s event.
Few events in competitive sailing are as inspiring as the Robie.
The three-day Robie Pierce One-Design Regatta spanned Friday to Sunday. Following Thursday’s blow, Friday morning arrived with a light breeze only to have it fade away before the first race. Rather than have sailors sit in the sun awaiting the anticipated afternoon winds, PRO Cynthia Parthemos sent the fleet of fifteen boats back ashore where teams could find shade and hydration. An hour later, boats were on the way out to sail two races in ideal conditions with 7-10 knots of wind from the west. At the end of the day, Jim Hahn had notched up two race wins foretelling his eventual regatta win. He had Colin Smith (Middlebury, VT) as crew with AYC sailors Bill Mooney and Andy Giglia as ABs.
Saturday’s forecast was for winds in the high teens and twenties precluding the sailors from racing. However, this intrepid group confirmed that the Robie is a party where a race breaks out.
The winners!
Sunday the boats left the dock reefed with the sailors facing more cold and windy conditions. Fortunately, the wind was still a westerly, so the waves were manageable. That said, with winds puffing to 18 knots, the fleet of disabled sailors were sailing at the upper edge of the preferred range, but the fleet held on for four more races to complete the series. Hahn and crew continued their winning ways and came back ashore with a six-race picket fence score.
In second was the Ottawa, ONT team of Tracey Schmitt and Daniel Scher, sailing with Spencer Raggio (Corinth, NY) as AB. In third was Matt Chao from Boston Blind Sailing, Victor Pena (New Rochelle, NY), and Chris Benzak (Boston, MA).
This was Hahn’s fourth Robie and he noted, “I just love this regatta…and it’s not just about the racing. The people who come to sail the Robie are nothing short of inspirational and the two Clubs who put on this event are exceptional at making disabled sailors feel safe on the water and welcome ashore. I already have my crew signed-up to sail the Robie in 2026.” ■
Women’s Results: theclubspot.com/regatta/IZiJ11Fp1h/results
Open Results: theclubspot.com/regatta/oT6v4knfI9/results
