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Verve Cup 2010
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Vayu wins verve cup & 40.7 north american championship
(Sunday, August 22, 2010) The lead position changed three times on the last race of the eight-race Verve Cup Regatta and was finally won by Ron Buzil’s Vayu. By winning the race Vayu won the regatta, and along with it, the Beneteau 40.7 North American Championship.
 “That last race was extremely exciting for us,” said skipper Ron Buzil. “We were in third place behind Collaboration and Das Boot at the weather mark but the pack of us three had a good lead on the rest of the section. At the bottom mark Boot had passed Collaboration but we were still in third but had closed most of the gap. Emerging from the mark rounding we saw Boot in Collaboration’s bad air and footing off to the right to stay clear. When they tacked, we had to just duck them. I figured with the wind dying and Boot with their #3 jib, they were having trouble holding with us and Collaboration because we had our heavy #1 genoas up.
“We continued on for awhile on port tack, following Collaboration but climbing above their bad air. Not wanting to get too close to the layline that far out we tacked before them and went on up the course on starboard. About half way, Boot came back at us, now with them on port, and they took our stern by about four boatlengths.
“When we tacked back on port and headed to the starboard layline we were inside the three-boatlength zone. But we were now way ahead of Bob, by maybe six boat lengths. I was maybe a little gun-shy from his protest the day before in somewhat the same situation, so before tacking in front of Collaboration I gestured ‘cross or duck’ but got no response. We crossed and tacked well ahead and rounded the mark about three boatlengths ahead of them.
“This was where we wanted to be in this race – in the lead going into the final downwind leg. The outcome of the regatta depended on it. We had a good final leg, slightly extending our lead on Collaboration. Then when Collaboration made their final gybe, onto starboard, for the finish line, we were on port and crossed well ahead of them. We should have gybed on their line and kept between them and the finish but for whatever reasons we continued on for about five boat lengths before gibing. This threw away almost our entire lead. It was just about a photo finish between us and Collaboration. The whole way back to the harbor we didn’t know which boat had won the race. I was doing all the math permutations in my mind. The scoring was made more complicated by the scoring errors, which had yet to be sorted out (see below). We kind of figured we would win the regatta even with a 2nd place in the last race, but we were celebrating at dockside about an hour later when the official results were posted online.
”My sincerest congratulations to Bob Vickery and his crew on Collaboration and to Jay Muller and the gang on Das Boot who gave us so many thrilling moments in the regatta, and to all the other skippers and crew in the 40.7 fleet. We mixed it up with everyone at some point during the three days and it was all so much fun in the varying conditions.”
 The regatta began with four races on Friday. Winds were 7 to 10 knots out of the south. Vayu jumped to an early lead in the regatta by winning the first race, a lead which she held throughout the event. On Saturday, three races were held, the first of them in very light air of less than 5 knots, dying to less than a knot at one point, necessitating shortening the course to three legs. The final two races on Saturday were commenced after the wind picked up somewhat to 5 to 8 knots. Sunday morning brought a shift of the wind from out of the north and before racing commenced, gusts noted above 25 knots. At the start of the racing sequence at 10:00 AM, winds were about 16-17 knots with lumpy 4’ seas. By the noon and the end of the race wind had diminished to 12-13 knots. Only one race was held on Sunday for a regatta total of eight.
 Vayu held the lead in the regatta at the end of each race and at the end of each day. On Saturday evening, after 7 races, her lead was down to 1.5 points over Bob Vickery’s Collaboration who was in 2nd place, although due to scoring errors, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd races, the exact scores and standings had to be manually calculated. A series of scoring protests were filed, beginning as early as Friday evening, these being by Turning Point, Das Boot, and La Tempete. Some were denied and some were granted. Finally on Sunday afternoon, back at Chicago Yacht Club after racing ended, several hearings were held by race administrator Gene McCarthy, McCarthy’s stated intention was to score all boats correctly. The result of the hearings was that in some cases the finishing order was corrected, particularly with regard to La Tempete and Turning Point in the third race. In the case of seemingly indeterminate finishes, as between Das Boot and Vayu in the third race and between Das Boot and Excalibur in the second race, a tie was agreed on with half a point awarded to each boat.
The number of protests were a point of concern for the 40.7 racers. About one-third of all the on-course protests in the regatta concerned the 40.7 section.
Collaboration protested Mojo in the second race, the result being Mojo accepted a 40% scoring penalty (4 points) moving her from 6th place in that race to 10th.
In the fourth race, Turning Point, on port tack, tacked in front of Collaboration, on starboard tack, and there was a collision. Protests were hailed by both boats. After the protest hearing on Friday evening both boats were disqualified from the race, ostensibly because Turning Point, as the tacking boat, had to keep clear of Collaboration, and Collaboration was disqualified for not avoiding contact.
Collaboration protested Vayu at the second windward mark rounding of the seventh race (last race on Saturday) when Vayu, on port tack, tacked in front of Collaboration who was on starboard tack, both boats inside the three-boat length zone surrounding the mark. Vayu accepted a 40% scoring penalty, moving her from 2nd to 6th place in that race.
At least one other protest was settled by penalty turns on the water such as in the seventh race when Collaboration protested Turning Point when part of Turning Point’s running rigging brushed Collaboration’s backstay while Turning Point was ducking Collaboration on the final downwind leg.
All of the races of the Verve Cup count toward the Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation’s (LMSRF) Best Beneteau 40.7 on Lake Michigan series for the 2010 season. At the end of the regatta, Collaboration leads the series with 36 points to 2nd place Vayu’s 42.5 points and 3rd place La Tempete’s 56 points. Vayu and Collaboration had been tied in this series before the Verve Cup Regatta but despite Vayu scoring fewer points in the regatta, Collaboration surged ahead because of the throw outs. There are now three throw outs allowed. Collaboration was able to discharge a total of 29 points while Vayu only threw out 17 points which was the fewest of any boat in the competition. Current standings are at: 2010 Standings.
This was the first time since 2001 that Vayu has won the 40.7 section at the Verve Cup. Seven boats competed that year: La Tempete, Tsunami, Vayu, Das Boot, Excalibur, uff da, and Dr. Detroit. (it’s nice to see that nine years later, four of these boats are still actively racing in the fleet) Vayu took 2nd place at the Verve in 2003, 2006 and 2007, and 3rd place in 2008. This year, Vayu lost to Collaboration by one point at the Chicago NOOD Regatta in June. This year, Vayu has placed at least 3rd in every regatta and race that counts for any of the season series.
This year the Verve Cup Regatta served as the North American (NA) Championship contest for all Beneteau 40.7 boats. By winning the regatta Vayu is declared the North American Champion 40.7. The 40.7 NA champion has been won by seven different boats in the past seven years (Vayu, Spanker, Turning Point, Barracuda, Finesse, Hot Lips 4, and Collaboration 2). Since the inception of the 40.7 NA in 2001, only Alan McMillan’s Finesse has won it more than once (three times: 2002, 2003, and 2006). Tom Weber’s La Tempete won the first 40.7 NA in 2001. A history of the winners with 2nd and 3rd place boats in the 40.7 NA’s is at: 40.7 NA
Vayu skipper, Ron Buzil had this to say about winning the regatta:
“Going into the regatta we had one clear mantra: be consistent. We didn’t want a score in any race worse than a 4. We actually held to that fairly well, considering we wound up with a 4.5 in the third race. The one problem we had was when we finished 2nd in the 4th race but accepted a scoring penalty of 4 points for a final score in that race of 6. Our other goals of speed and boat handling we accomplished over all which let to our consistent finishes. And I always remind the crew at our morning briefing to “think ahead”, meaning plan their next move and make sure everything is ready for that move and to do that you have to know where we are on the race course and what the back of the boat is thinking of doing.
“Regarding the protests, it’s disappointing to me, and bad publicity for the fleet, to see so many of our boats listed on the protest board. I think we have to be more conservative regarding the rules on the course and settle more of the issues on the course and not in “the room”.
“Any of the boats in the fleet can be tough competitors at any time. Five different boats won at least one of the eight races in this event. Somehow, throughout the racing it seemed as if Das Boot and Collaboration were always close by us, which is fitting since we were the three boats finishing first through third place in the end.
“Many thanks to all the Vayu crew for contributing so much on this journey that began many years ago,
“To: Scott "DS" Reich who's trimmed Vayu's mainsail for eleven years, is always learning new trimming tricks, and who’s is in such closeness with my driving that we rarely speak anymore during a race.
“To Ed Radzikowski, our mastman for nine years, who spots problems before they happen and is ever alert looking around the course, a great sailor, and always quick with a joke.
“To Lior Cohen, our bowman, who came to Vayu in 2003 wanting to be our bowman, and the best he could be, who also spots problems early, and who's work on the pointy end of the boat is always courageous and solid.
“To our tie-dyed tactician, Rob Rafson, who makes the decisions that makes use of our speed and boat handling, and who has a feel for and is right most of the time as to which side of the course to get to and when to tack.
“To my “mate” now of three years, Nigel Brownett, our spinnaker trimmer from the land down under, who has a fantastic feeling for the wind, who is at the boat half an hour before everyone else and setting it up and tuning the rig, and who is so great at parrying DS's flying barbs. And always quick with a Fosters'.
“To Wojtek Wolantkowski, our taciturn jib trimmer, a very hard worker, and bringer of Tyskie.
“To Vandy Fleming, who filled in at the pit position (not an easy position) reliable, quick with a smile even under adverse conditions, and despite lack of years experience at the level we were at, did admirably at the nerve-center of the boat.
“To Bryan Hayes, my long-time competitor in the fleet (I sailed against Bryan for ten years when he was on Tsunami), who we were lucky enough to get to sail with us this year, and in the process became good friends, who is the voice of optimism when things go wrong, and who sees the wind as would Vayu himself. When things go wrong we hear Bryan say, "If you can see 'em, you can catch 'em!".
“To JJ, James Judge, who came to us this year from the reputable Serenissima, our dependable and talented jib and spinnaker trimmer who is always full of sage advice and ideas on team training and building from his years of sail racing on good boats.
“To Vinny di Benedetto and Paul Holtzman, who wree brought up from Vayu's "minor league team" (Wednesday night crew) to fill in where needed, both of who worked their asses off and hiked hard and have the bruises to prove it.
“To Andrew Kerr, our trainer for eleven years, who was training us when we were a train-wreck waiting to happen, who is always quiet and patient and full of knowledge and the desire and ability to share that knowledge, and who has become a good friend and will always be.
“And to Ben Kramer, our fallen comrade, who sailed with Vayu for ten years and so much of the way she is, is well, Ben's way. A little aside” on Sunday morning, on the way out to the race course, Ed showed me he had Ben's watch, strap broken, in his pocket for good luck. Once back at the harbor, after learning we'd won the last race and the regatta, Ed fished out the watch and held it up for everyone to see. Ben was with us. He always will be.
“To all the people who've raced on Vayu over the years. You know I keep a list. There's over 150 .
“Finally, to Debi, my wife, who's put up with me and my sailing all these years, all the missed mother's days, the late dinners, diversion of family assets (so to speak), and other nonsense for the sake of the team. She's been there to support me and to participate in much of it.
Here's to the sport of sailing and all of the great boats, the 40.7’s, their skippers and their crews!!”
 Bob Vickery, skipper of 2nd place Collaboration had this to say when interviewed:
“First allow me to congratulate Ron and the crew of Vayu on sailing an excellent Verve Cup Regatta and a tentative victory. Our Fleet exhibited a wonderful display of close sailing this weekend.
“My initial observation is that this Regatta was won by crew work at the mark rounding’s. It seems to me that as our Fleet has matured, each of the boats has learned to quickly dial in speed for a particular condition and this Regatta had a wide variance of conditions. Friday had the wind range between 7 to 17 knots. Saturday’s first race saw the light morning breeze crump to a drifter and then build to 8-10 for the last two races of the day. Sunday added yet another dimension to the Regatta with 5’ waves and wind ranging between 12-18 knots.
“Through that range of conditions, most of the boats were going similar speed, so crew maneuvers have spelled the difference between a respectable finish and the middle of the pack. If we review the races of the Verve Cup, there wasn’t one race that a boat ran away with a horizon job. Rather, tight mark rounding’s and overlapped finishes are now the norm. For me, the final race of the Regatta in which Vayu beat Collaboration 2 in a photo finish was the most exciting race of the season. That race had 4 lead changes and crew work was more responsible for the finalout come than raw speed.
“Speaking quite candidly, my crew bailed me out of several poor decisions. In the last race alone I made a couple errors that the crew managed to make up for. We were the first boat to the weather mark and I sailed too far on starboard gybe. Das Boat was sharper tactically and claimed the inside of the course and beat us to the leeward mark. The Collaboration 2 crew made a text book perfect leeward mark rounding and we went on the wind in better trim and re-claimed the lead. At the top end of that leg however, I over stood the second weather mark layline, giving up valuable distance and the lead to Vayu. Again my crew performed at the highest level with an excellent spinnaker set and 4 perfect gybes in challenging conditions to catch up with Vayu (as we) crossed the finish line together.
“During the Friday races, every mark rounding saw a pack of boats converging simultaneously. It seemed that left or right of the course mattered less than crisp crew work as we all arrived at the marks in a pack. Now, more than ever before, our fleet has matured and the technical aspects of racing will be the difference. This regatta saw five different boats win a race. (Vayu, La Tempete, Collaboration 2, Spanker, and Das Boot) Deciphering the wind and developing a successful pre-race strategy, nailing a good start with speed and flawless crew work is what is now required to prevail in the 40.7 Fleet.
“This new era of close sailing will mandate tactical correctness and require a sharp understanding of the rules. It will be imperative to check our ego at the dock and sail our boats to a higher level. Understand that there are ten other boats capable of making correct decisions and capitalize on your mistakes. This is what it feels like to be in an ultra competitive Fleet. Tight rounding’s and tactical sailing. Embrace this fleet maturity because we have what every fleet strives for and few attain. Let’s all continue to grow together, compete hard on the race course, and maintain friendships on shore.”
We also got a few words from Turning Point skipper, Dave Hardy:
“The competition during this regatta was as close as I have ever seen it. There were times, especially Friday, when I’d look left and right and we’d have eight boats going down wind, virtually abreast. And then, of course, to have leeward mark roundings within inches of each other. Wow that was close. What fun. Those who made even the smallest mistakes, paid dearly.
“I thought this weekend offered a great venue for our NA championship. Medium air on Friday, light on Saturday, and medium to heavy with seas on Sunday offered a wide range of conditions. That, along with some shifty winds made it a full team effort -- combining boat handling, tactics and driving. Kudos to Vayu, Collaboration and Das Boot for demonstrating the most consistency throughout the weekend. They all deserved their podium finishes.”
 Current standings, through August 14th, for the 2010 season series are at: 2010 Standings
Verve Cup 2010 Final Scores:
Photos of the 40.7 Fleet at the Verve Cup 2010 Regatta begin at: Photos 2010
More fleet photos are at: 40.7 Photos
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Anyone can submit photos for publishing on the 40.7 websites.
Email to cygnus(at)interaccess.com.
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