Sea Sprite 2025 Annual Championship Regatta
July 19, 2025
For the past two seasons, the Annual Sea Sprite Championship Regatta has been plagued by light, fluky winds. Not so this year. Narragansett Bay stirred up a real gear-buster on July 19. According to official weather reports recorded on the racecourse, winds peaked at 28 knots. That’s right…28 knots! White caps and rollers were the conditions throughout the day. So intense were the winds that some of the registered competitors were unable to make it to the race area.
Once again, the Bristol Yacht Club put together a crack Race Committee who proceeded to set a windward/leeward race course giving the competitors a true test of their heavy-weather sailing skills. Two races were held. The first being a “once around” course while the second was a “twice around” adventure.
Before the results are posted, here are a few takeaways from the regatta that may help all of you Sea Sprite sailors and skipper wannabees out there.
First, a variety of sail reduction methods were used to keep the boats under control. Some of the boats used 100% working jibs instead of the the more frequently used 135% racing genoas. Some boats used roller furlers to reduce sail area. Others reefed their mainsails to keep the boats on their feet. Some boats used a combination…reduced headsails and reefed mainsails. The secret was to keep the boat on its feet and not to heel excessively. Easier said than done with these excessive winds and rolling seas.
For you Sea Sprite sailors who have long wondered how fast a Sea Spite can sail off the wind, we recorded speeds in excess of 7.5 knots as registered by a GPS controlled speedometer on one of the boats. An interesting finding when you consider the mathematical hull speed of a Sea Sprite is 5.4 knots!
Sitting on the Race Committee boats, race committee members were able to witness some incredible downwind rolling as the boats surfed from one roller to another. Skippers were forced to work the helm continually to keep their boats on course. If any of you have ever sailed a Laser and experienced a downwind death roll, you can picture what these adroit skippers and crew were experiencing only on a 23 foot, full-keel sailboat.
And now for the results using the low-point scoring system:
- Scott Free – Oliver Browne and Jackson Harney – 2.75 points
2. New Hope – Dom Messerli – 5.0 points
3. Vexatious – Andrew McKeith & Shawen Williams – 7.0 points
4. Bramasole – Bob Catani – 9.75 points and Did not sail course in Race 1
5. Artemis – Max Sherman – Did not sail course
6. Argo – Shaun Hogan & Chuck Roscoe – Did not start
7. Freya – Susana Hollaway – Did not start
8. Oasis – Bob Rude – Did not start
Following the regatta, skippers and crews assembled at our beautiful Bristol Yacht Club for a pizza and beer party and to exchange war stories, lick their wounds, receive the results and awards from Race Commodore, Dom Messerli. Our next big event will be the annual Race Around Hog Island scheduled for Saturday, September 6.
Here are some spectacular photographs taken by Dave Guinther, Race Committee member and member of the Bristol Yacht Club.
