Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine October 2016 | Page 22

Lakewood Yacht
Club Members
Win Challenging
Vineyard Race
Lakewood Yacht Club members Chris and Karen Lewis who have been competing on the East Coast this
summer with their 44’ J-44 Kenai won their IRC Class and took the overall IRC victory to win the Vineyard
Light Ship trophy over Labor Day weekend.The Vineyard Race, hosted by Stamford Yacht Club in Connecticut,
was the 82nd running of this 240-mile event. Viewed by many as the most challenging offshore race, with
segments in Long Island Sound and the open Atlantic, as well as two crossings of tidal races that mark the
boundaries between sound and ocean.The trophy memorializes the Vineyard Light Ship that sunk in September
1944 with all hands on board during a hurricane.
Sailing with Chris and Karen were local sailors David Hinrichsen, Emmett Dickheiser, Pedro Gianotti, Alex
Freas and Reed Cleckler. Two East Coast sailors Alec Snyder and Gurhan Ozen were also onboard. During
the passage out of Long Island Sound, they picked the wind changes as it swung from the gradient northeast
breeze to a thermal breeze and finally a south easterly. At Vineyard Beacon turning mark Kenai was lying 6th
rounding with much faster race boats. At the finish after a 120-mile spinnaker leg home, charging in at up to 12
knots in a building breeze created by Hurricane Hermine, they corrected to finish 11 minutes faster than 2nd
place Vamp, another J-44, after a 33-hour race.Vineyard Race photos were provided Courtesy of Photo Boat.
Earlier this summer Kenai won the Rolex Cup participating as a two-boat team with fellow LYC boat Leading
Edge owned by Tom and Diane Sutton. Kenai also won IRC Classes in the Around Conanicut Island Race and
the New York Yacht Club 162nd Annual Regatta and finished third in Class in the 50th Newport-Bermuda
Race; making her Runne