Pro Am Regatta Week Final Update

Read, Musto and Baird triumph on the race course; Bitter End resort guests win on the water and off!

Pro Am 2007 Recap 

Ken Read never surrendered the “junior division” lead he acquired on Day One of the Bitter End Yacht Club’s Pro-Am Regatta, sponsored by Vineyard Vines, as he won overall honors over Peter Holmberg by seven points, with Ed Baird just three points further back. During the 16-race regatta, each of the ten skippers at the event sailed four different IC 24s, with constantly rotating crews comprising Bitter End guests who had come to be a part of the Pro-Am. Of the five ‘Masters’ racing in the 10-boat fleet, Keith Musto was the dominant force, finishing fourth overall, and winning the Masters Division by 24 points over Charles ‘Butch’ Ulmer.

Prior to the start of the event, Bitter End had teamed each ‘master’ skipper with one of the ‘junior’ skippers. In that aspect of the competition, the combined scores of Musto and his ‘junior’ teammate Ed Baird gave them a 30-point edge over the Peter Holmberg/Rod Johnstone team, who finished second.

The Musto-sponsored Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championship Regatta ran concurrently with the Pro-Am. For that event, the pros became spectators as the guests raced the IC 24s on the same windward-leeward course used for the Pro-Am. Going into the final race, only a single point separated the top three skippers. Marina de Rey Martin 242 sailor Jim Durden won that race, moving him into a tie with Chris Boulter from the Boston Sailing Center. Durden won the tie-breaker, pushing Boulter into second place just ahead of the defending champion, E Scow skipper Chris Fretz from Pennsylvania.

At the final awards ceremony, skippers and crews were recognized for a “week well done.” General Manager Mikhail Shamkin thanked guests and skippers alike for coming, while Regatta Chairman John Glynn thanked both the Bitter End staff and regatta management. Together, they handed out prizes, assisted by Jason Meeuwig.

After racing prizes were distributed, the two most important prizes of the week were offered: the “Sportsmanship” prize, given to the Pro skipper who exhibits the essence of Pro-Am interaction. This year the prize went to Bruce Kirby. But the most coveted prize is the Griff Gielow Memorial “Spirit and Enthusiasm” Award, given to the guest who, in the eyes of the pros, race committee, and staff, “really gets into the spirit of the event.” There were at least three past winners in the audience (Linda Coleman, Tom Farquhar, and Jim Durden). But this year’s winner came and participated despite having taken, in his words “a terrible header” just a week before the event, cracking his elbows and wrists. He still participated in all aspects, in this his 5th Pro Am. This year’s winner was Gibby Rachleff.

After the awards, skippers, officials, guests, and staff stuck around to sign hats, shirts, and regatta programs. And all vowed to return next year, if not sooner!

Overall Pro Am Standings
1. Ken Read, 42 pts
2. Peter Holmberg, 49 pts
3. Ed Baird, 52 pts
4. Keith Musto, 74 pts
5. Ben Ainslie, 86 pts
6. Dawn Riley, 102 pts
7. Butch Ulmer, 103 pts
8. Rod Johnstone, 107 pts
9. Bruce Kirby, 126 pts
10. Lowell North (w/Tom Leweck also steering), 134 pts

Team Standings
1. Ed Baird/Keith Musto, 126 pts.
2. Peter Holmberg/Rod Johnstone, 156 pts.
3. Ken Read/Lowell North (Leweck), 176 pts.
4. Dawn Riley/Butch Ulmer, 205 pts.
5. Ben Ainslie/Bruce Kirby, 212 pts.

Unfortunate circumstances beyond our control kept, at the last minute, Russell Coutts (BMW Oracle) and Paul Cayard (Desafio Espanol) from attending this year's event. Both have already expressed their overwhelming desire to be included in 2008 (they've each participated in no fewer than eight Pro Ams to date!), and we look forward to having them back at Bitter End next year.