The first ever Buzzards Bay c420 championship was one of the biggest c420 regattas – 173 boats – the class has seen in its history. The massive fleet was stored away in the beautiful Ft. Taber Park with The Community Boating Center of New Bedford running the show. Executive Director Andy Herlihy and his team of volunteers and staff were top notch in providing a great venue, beautiful racing, and a welcoming atmosphere.
The Regatta was a three-day event with the first two days sailed in a qualifying series and the last day was a Gold and Silver fleet final. Day 1 saw a classic Buzzards Bay sea breeze with a nice build all day maxing out at 15 knots. The Race management team pushed the sailors for four races knowing that the next day could bring thunderstorms. The racing was tight in both fleets, and the stage was set for a Day 2 final day of qualifying. Day 2 arrived with a big breeze starting in the morning left over from a front that had passed through in the night. Steep waves ruled the racecourse as the breeze eased and settled in a bit. Day 2 saw an average breeze of 10-15 knots but with puffs much higher in the 20s, so the sailing was challenging. The fleet battled the conditions well, and the qualifying series ended with a tight regatta especially for the top five spots. On the final day, the fleet was greeted with a nice NW breeze, but the fleet knew that it would not last long and the best bet for racing was for the sea breeze to fill. The NW breeze died off to glass and the fleet floated in the bay until 11:30 am when the sea breeze trickled in and slowly built. The sea breeze provided beautiful 12-15 knot conditions under sunny skies. At the end of the day, Luke Arnoe and Mariner Fagan continued their consistency for the whole event with a solid 1, 4 last day helping them come from behind to win the first c420 Buzzards Bay Championship.
The c420 Buzzards Bay championship is the biggest stop in the Triple Crown series this year and the top points will make the series interesting going into the final event – North Americans in LA – next week. The Community Boat Center of New Bedford did an incredible job hosting this large fleet and putting on some classic Buzzards Bay races. The fleet left the park happy and excited for next year’s event.
2016 c420 Buzzards Bay Championship Top 5
- Luke Arnoe/ Mariner Fagan – 22 pts
- Connor Baylies/ Kimmie Leonard – 25 pts
- Truckie Greenhouse/ Jack Denatale – 25 pts
- Jack Brown/ Kelsey Slack – 34 pts
- Jack Johansson/ Claudia Loaicono – 36 pts