HARBOR 20 CHALLENGE – BLUE vs GREY

Hilton Head, South Carolina

November 20 & 21, 2010

In 2009, several of the South Carolina Yacht Club Harbor 20 sailors participated in the Manhattan Sailing Club’s Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge. In exchange, the South Carolina sailors invited the Manhattan sailors to Hilton Head for a weekend of sailing the Harbor 20s. The challenge was billed as a Blue vs Grey (i.e., North vs.South) Challenge and took place November 20 & 21.

The six sailors who represented the Manhattan Sailing Club were skippers Klaus Brinkbaeumer, Danielle Gallo & Randy Lewis; and crew Noah Bessoff, Mary Gardiner & Claire Morda. South Carolina Yacht Club Harbor 20 Fleet 3 was represented by skippers Burt Keenan, Gary Gleason, Marvin Carlson, and Mark Frey. In order to involve more people and get to four boats per team, SCYC offered John Rumsey as skipper of the Blue team’s fourth boat. They also filled in crew as needed.

Winds were extremely light and shifty; and there was a strong current running – not an unusual set of circumstances for the sailors from New York. After six races, each team ended the series with a total of 112 points, with the Southerners awarded the victory based on the tie breaker – the most first place wins. 

As always, the regatta featured fantastic southern hospitality, good food, and a great opportunity to make new friends. A re-match is already in the works.