07.06.2009
Meaghan Van Liew
Charleston to Bermuda Racers Celebrate at Gala Prize-Giving in Bermuda
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (June 7, 2009) - Few venues can equal the superb, setting
of the veranda at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, which overlooks Hamilton Harbor.
This is where competitors in the seventh edition of the 777-mile Charleston to
Bermuda Race were treated to a gala awards ceremony on Saturday evening. Feted by
steel drum music and the gentle clinking of halyards, the sailors - many of them
attired in the traditional island outfit of a coat, tie, and Bermuda shorts - received
their trophies.
With phalanx of dignitaries on hand, including Bermuda's Governor Sir Richard Gozney,
Acting Premier Elvin James JP MP, and Commodore Ralph Richardson of the Royal Bermuda
Yacht Club, Charlestonian Jay Cook received the trophy for first place overall.
Cook's Beneteau 432 Tohidu, with Steve Enloe serving as skipper, had performed well
enough to nearly keep pace with the other boats in the race, most of them much faster
designs. For their efforts, the name of the boat and its owner will be inscribed
on the elegant perpetual trophy that signifies success in this event.
"We had a great group on board," said Cook afterward. "Steve is a very experienced
skipper, and we had some really enthusiastic crewmembers with us." Cook and Enloe
performed double duty in this event. Not only were they racing, but both are instructors
with Ocean Sailing Academy out of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and they sailed with four "student
crewmembers" on board.
Both Enloe and Cook have participated in the C2B before and both said that they
were disappointed when the race committee had to invoke Rule 11.2 and cut the race
short due to light winds and an extremely inconsistent weather pattern. (Racing
rules in this event provide for a shortened course if no competitors reach 67 degrees
west longitude after 120 hours of competition, which was the case this year.) "Still,"
said Cook, "there really wasn't any other viable alternative. You've got crewmembers
with return tickets and hotel reservations and all of that, so logistics have to
be considered."
In comparing the 2009 race with previous editions, he said: "We definitely didn't
see the conditions we had in 2007. In that one, we had 45-knot winds and 25-foot
seas, and we arrived in Bermuda pretty salt-encrusted. This time around we had
more sun and calmer seas, and in many ways it was a much more pleasant trip. We're
hopeful that the participation will be back up in 2011, because my crew told me
that they all want to come back and see if we can equal our outcome of this year."
At the awards ceremony, Cook, Enloe and their crew also received a bottle of Gosling's
Old Rum, which Cook says was quickly poured into the trophy's chalice, and passed
around. "I think the rum disappeared pretty quickly after that."
Commodore Richardson also handed awards to Dave and Shelly Warters and their crew,
who sailed their Able Apogee 50, Cadence, to first-to-finish honors. When the race
committee imposed the Rule 11.2 time limit, Cadence had covered 498 miles, more
than any other vessel in the fleet. For their efforts, Cadence's crew received not
only a trophy, but also a bottle of Gosling's Black Seal Rum.
And the 140-foot traditional wooden schooner, the Spirit of South Carolina, which
participated as the only entry in the Exhibition Class, also received acknowledgement
from the dignitaries as well. The Spirit motored most of the way to Bermuda due
to the light winds, but the ship's crew was nonetheless able to perform its mission
of educating young sailors. Before the award presentation, co-captain, Ben Hall,
said: "We occupied our own class, but we hope our participation set a precedent
that will be followed in future events by more tall ships. We also had a lot of
young people on board functioning as crew, and our index mission has been to educate
them, so we were happy to carry that out."
The Charleston to Bermuda Race is a biennial event managed by the South Carolina
Maritime Foundation. The next race will take place in the late spring of 2011.
Additional details about the race and photos from the start are available online
at www.charlestontobermuda.com.
You can also view the routes sailed by boats in the race by clicking on the iboattrack.com
link.
The Charleston to Bermuda Race is sponsored by Bermuda Tourism, Gosling's Rum, the
Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel, and Bauer International. The event receives vital
support from The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The race is open to all seaworthy sailboats
30 feet and longer.
The owner and organizing authority for the Charleston to Bermuda Race is the South
Carolina Maritime Foundation (SCMF). SCMF is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization whose
mission is to offer unique experiential education for South Carolina students, encouraging
responsibility, teamwork, and other attributes that are necessary for developing
future leaders. The foundation's other programs include Charleston Race Week, Charleston
Harbor Fest, The Spirit Ball and the Captain's Cup Golf Tournament.
Final Finish Places
1. Jay Cook, Tohidu.............................260 corrected score
2. Dave and Shelly Warters, Cadence........279.3 corrected score
3. Ken Johnson, Grateful Red..................299.8 corrected score
Lee Edwards, Spray..............................did not finish
Mark DiStefano, Nova........................ did not finish
Exibition Class
1. Spirit of South Carolina
South Carolina Maritime Foundation | PO Box 22405 | Charleston | SC | 29413
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