[L16-usa] MDI Season Finale

[Lawrence DeMilner]

Re: Final Draft for Laurie








  Schoeder's NORTH Wins Wild Contest for Udderly Luders Trophy 

  Eight Luders showed up in Somes Sound for the Saturday match-up despite dire forecasts of up to 20MPH winds. The traditional October IOD race for the TROLLPHY CUP was not held for lack of entrants, but the Luders fleet responded in numbers to compete for the UDDERLY Trophy, won last year by Tom Chase.

  According to tradition, special rules were in place for the end of season classic ^ a) the boat in the lead may not fly a spinnaker; b) any rule infractions will result in penalties for both protestor and protestee consisting of letting all other boats pass by before they can resume racing; c) the Race Committee may do whatever it wants; and d) any IOD sailors on board in disguise have no rights. Designed to produce mayhem and laughs for all, they succeeded.



  The blustery day began with a dockside viewing of the brilliantly innovative restoration and rigging by Ned Johnston of DOMINO which was brought to Maine after being sunk and all but destroyed in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. 



  Johnston, although leading at the upwind mark in the first race, could not resist showing off his ultra fancy spinnaker launching system after the turn. He should have been disqualified for this infraction but since protests were effectively not allowed and the Race Committee could do anything it wanted, he was awarded first place after dominating the rest of the course. 



  Tom Rolfes in PALADIN won the second race after multiple protests resulting from a mild collison near the start were overruled-- that of Bill Dowling in SURPRISE because even though he was the leeward boat he was an IOD sailor in disguise, and that of Dave Folger in VOODOO who could not give way because because he was trapped in the middle-- the result leaving Rolfes' windward crowding unpunished. 

  The second race was further highlighted by a man-overboard exercise on VOODOO's downwind leg. Novice crew Carol Murray was fished out of the chilly Sound after valiant but inauspicious deck duty winging out the jib and put back to work, although this feat pushed VOODOO to next to last place, just ahead of newcomer Tim Oh in BUTTERCUP. 

  The game Luders sailors contested a third race which was won by Folger's VOODOO, crewed by the wet but undaunted Murray. In that race, the heavy winds took a toll on Johnston's freshly refitted DOMINO, ripping out his forestay while leading at the final mark. Spectator boat MURPHY'S LAW offered a tow back to the mooring after DOMINO's sails were quickly dropped and the mast stabilized. 

  Even after the racing finished, the excitement continued as SPIRIT crew Dorothy Goett was blown off the fore deck while the boat was being steered back to the mooring by guest IOD crew Jean Burden. Hanging to the forestay by one hand, dripping Dorothy was coaxed back onto the boat by owner Julie Bracken. 



  A boisterous awards party was held later by Alessandro Vitelli and Diana Paine at In The Woods. There, the SWH Fleet Race Committee of Dick and Steve Homer overruled their own protests and awarded the UDDERLY Trophy to David Schoeder for staying safe and losing no one overboard while finishing 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd in the afternoon races. 

  (For cool photos, go to http://mdi.villagesoup.com/Sports/story.cfm?storyID=179458)


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