WORLD'S LONGEST SUNFISH RACE

In an unbelievable example of racing tactics and concentration over a consecutive five hour period, 79 year old, Keith Lyman, of East Marion, Long Island, NY beat 31 other Sunfish sailors to win the 33rd Annual World's Longest Sunfish Race, Around Shelter Island, NY. His time of 4 hours, 57 minutes and 13 seconds was a dominant four minutes and 36 seconds over the second place boat.  And he didn't exactly beat a bunch of amateurs. Among those, who from afar, saw Keith's transom cross the finish line were Sunfish hotshot and US Merchant Marine Academy sailor Todd Kutkiewicz, 2nd; three time winner, 78 year old, Dick Heinl, 3rd; former winners John Condon & Todd Klingler, 4th and 5th; former Southold YC head sailing instructor and Cornell sailor, Bart Hale, 6th; former winner and at 66 a mere teenager by comparison, Joe Sullivan, 7th; current SYC head sailing instructor and 4th place finisher at last year's Junior NA's, Mike Spicer, 8th and a number of other very experienced Sunfish sailors. Had Dick Heinl finished second, the first two finishers would have been just three years shy of 160 years old! What a wonderful example for senior citizens everywhere, for all Sunfish sailors, and what a great statement for the boat itself.

Lyman is an excellent sailor, who knows the waters around Shelter Island intimately. That kind of knowledge and pre-race planning was critical as from a tides and current standpoint, there were no perfect days to accommodate The Race this summer. Ordinarily, a day is selected when low tide in Gardiner's Bay on the far side of Shelter Island is about 1230-1330. This enables the fleet to start about 1030-1130 with the outgoing tide and to have the incoming tide on the return trip. On Saturday, low tide in Gardiner's was at 1500. With an 1130 start, it was inevitable that the fleet would be bucking the current on the return trip. And that's where Lyman made his move.

The weather forecast was cloudy, occasional rain with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon and southerly winds of 10-15 knots. With enough wind, about 5-8 knots, to get past Paradise Point, the Race Committee wisely decided upon a counterclockwise direction. Tacking and gybing were kept to a minimum as the wind held steady, but never increased, from the South throughout the day. Lyman jumped to an early lead in the light conditions. He and Heinl were pretty much 1-2 until the fleet passed the South Ferry and headed toward Mashomack Point. It was then that the youngsters took the lead. Todd Kutkiewicz and Mike Spicer forged to the front. With a half mile left in Gardiner's Bay, Spicer and Kutkiewicz had about a 100 yard lead over Lyman and Heinl.

Rounding Hay Beach Point into Greenport Harbor, the leaders immediately sailed into the outgoing current. Lyman and Heinl quickly closed the gap and the rest is history as those, who elected to return along the Greenport shore, left everyone else behind. Lyman went first and never looked back.

Mariel Schlecht of Southold YC, who finished in 11th place, received the Peggy Wagner Memorial Plaque as the first female finisher and Joe Sullivan of Southold YC, set the new participation record of 31 races breaking the record held by Fred Pati of Wantagh, L.I., who retired from competition after the 2000 Race.  

The results: