Around Shelter Island Race

30th Annual
World's Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island
Southold Y.C., Southold, NY
July 9, 2000

KLINGLER MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW

Todd Klingler of Narrasketuck Yacht Club, Amityville, Long Island, who set the course record of 3 hours and 23 minutes in the World's Longest Sunfish Race, Around Shelter Island last year, captured the 30th Anniversary of this nautical marathon hosted by Southold Yacht Club on Sunday, July 9. This year, he topped the 40 boat Sunfish fleet with a time of 3 hours, 46 minutes, 02 seconds, one minute ahead of fellow club member Jim Koehler, also from Amityville.

Race Committee Chairman Larry Cullen started the Race in a 5-6 knot southwesterly breeze and as the fleet headed northeast through Greenport Harbor to Hay Beach Point, it looked as if it would be a long day. Bart Hale of Southold Yacht Club and Dick Heinl of Seawanhaka Place Yacht Squadron in Oyster Bay were the early leaders in the light and shifty breezes. As the fleet entered Gardiners Bay, about 25 boats were still competitive. That changed dramatically as the winds came in solidly from the southwest initially at 12-15 knots and subsequently increasing to 18-20 knots with gusts to 25 plus. After the fleet flew past Ram's Head, the Bay turned ugly with white caps and 3'-5' waves. The combination of wind, tides, and chop forced 12 of the competitors to withdraw. Never in the 30 years of the Race were conditions this difficult. From Mashomack Point back to Southold Yacht Club, as the fleet circumnavigated the Island in a clockwise direction, many of the sailors were able to remain on starboard tack for the entire distance. On the screaming broad reaches from Mashomack to the South Ferry, it is doubtful that many Sunfish ever sailed as fast as the leaders did. If the wind had blown for the first third of the race as it did the last two-thirds, the record would surely have been broken again.

In addition to Klingler and Koehler other award winners were:

3.  John Condon       Mattituck YC..
4.  Dick Abbene       Seawanhaka Place Y.S.
5.  David Graham      Cooper River Y.C.,  Collingswood NJ
6.  Joe Sullivan      Southold Y.C.
7.  Bill Betts III    Smoke Rise Y.C., Kinnelon, New Jersey
8.  Art Littleton     Cooper River Y.C.
9.  Lee Montes        Wet Pants S.A., Sayville
10. Peter Young       Southold Y.C.

Susan Huffington of Upper Darby PA, representing the Marsh Creek Sailing Club, was 24th and the first solo female to finish. She will have her name inscribed on the Peggy Wagner Memorial Plaque. At the awards ceremony, 75 year old Fred Pati of Wantagh, Long Island, who had raced in all 30 races announced his retirement from competition and received a standing ovation from all the sailors. With a big smile, he exclaimed to all, "What a sendoff!"

Place Name Time
1 Todd Klingler 3:46:02
2 Jim Koehler 3:47:02
3 John Condon 3:49
4 Dick Abbene3:49
5 David Graham 3:52
6 Joe Sullivan 3:54
7 Bill Betts III 3:56
8 Art Littleton 3:57
9 Lee Montes 3:59
10 Peter Young 4:02
11 Erich Hesse4:03
12 Sean Pillai4:04
13 Ed deReeder4:04
14 William Betts 4:05
15 Dick Heinl 4:06
16 Bart Hale 4:06
17 John Quinn 4:07
18 Michael Milligi4:08
19 Patrick Kenny 4:14
20 Lauren Sakowich/Meghan Barr 4:14
21 Keith Lyman 4:15
22 Richard Cato 4:17
23 Ivo Lekich4:20
24 Susan Huffington 4:21
25 Steve Palmer 4:24
26 Oren Friedman 4:27
27 Paul Dierze4:47
28 Darcie Weiner/Pam Zmigewski4:51
DNFKathryn Campbell/Joyce Mc Kenzie
DNFJames Cardo
DNFJoe Flotteron
DNFAndrew Gregg
DNFCharles Hedberg
DNFBrendan and Cliff Johnson
DNFDon Newey
DNFDavid Olson
DNFFred Pati/Ellen Kelly
DNFAnne Patin
DNFKristen Rieder
DNFJohn Sandercock