WindCheck Magazine Larchmont Yacht Club’s 70th Edlu Race

By Buttons Padin

This year’s Platinum Anniversary edition of Larchmont Yacht Club’s venerable Edlu Race, held Saturday, May 10, was a quick one. A predominantly northerly breeze let the fleet of fifty-one boats sail largely rhumbline courses to and from the single turning mark off Long Island’s Eaton’s Neck, 16 miles to the east.

As they say, it was a “sporty” start to the race with winds in the high teens. Many boats started with reefed mainsails and small headsails. Eventually, Code Zeros were set as the wind clocked.

Sporty conditions at the start © Doug Reynolds

The fleet was divided into six divisions including a 10-boat doublehanded division, five J/88s sailing one-design, three PHRF divisions, and one ORC division. With the first start at 1000, everyone finished in under five hours, many in less than four hours with the Moritz Hilf’s Pogo 50 MAX clocking an elapsed time of 3:22:44.

In the contrasting worlds of rating rules under which boats sail, the Edlu Trophy, signifying the overall winner of the regatta went to MAX for winning PHRF 3 and overall for the 31-boat PHRF fleet. The ORC winner was David Fass’ Swan 42 ZAMMERMOOS. Marc Berkowitz’s Sabre 86 won the Doublehanded division and the host club’s Nicholas Delcourt’s J/88 OH JEE topped that one-design class.

The winning crew of MAX © Doug Reynolds

With a southerly powering the fleet after the start, the race was essentially a reach out to Eaton’s and a fetch/close reach back. The biggest obstacle was the current that hit max flood an hour into the race, giving everyone a push after their respective starts, but then turned westerly against the boats returning. That said, it was still largely a rhumbline track from Eaton’s to the finish. By comparison, in Edlu Races where there is one leg on-the-wind or when breezes were light, boats would pick one shore or another to deal best with current and optimize wind. In this 70th Edlu, it was a drag race out and back with the only tack being rounding the bell at Eaton’s.

In addition to the competitors deserving congratulations, special kudos go to Edlu Event Chair Will Ingraham who worked diligently to attract the large fleet. In rainy, cold springs as we had this year, boats don’t get launched as early as owners would like. Will “worked” the entry process, resulting in a grand fleet after which he hosted a grand awards celebration at LYC following racing. “I’m glad the 70th Edlu came together in terms of entries, wind, and après sailing camaraderie. It was a great day of sailing for everyone,” Ingraham noted.

Class Winners: