Welcome to Margaritaville Race Day
"I think Margaritaville is Block Island right now," said Jimmy Buffett during a surprise concert for the sailors the Margaritaville Race Day Awards on Friday. "I always thought it would be kinda cool to have a regatta that was part of Margaritaville, thank you Block Island for being the very first one."
Contents
- Race Week Highlights
- Race Week Wrap Up
- Award Winner
- LIVE from the Cut - Friday morning show
- Photos of the Day
- A storied history of Block Island Race Week and Storm Trysail Club
Block Island Race Week Recap
Legendary musician Jimmy Buffett made a surprise appearance at the final awards party for Block Island Race Week, presented by Margaritaville.
Buffett took the stage to address the huge gathering of sailors enjoying Margaritaville margaritas and LandShark lager and expressed total enthusiasm for the regatta his lifestyle company sponsored this year.
“I think Margaritaville is Block Island right now,” said Buffett, who performed an impromptu concert to cap off Margaritaville Race Day. “I always thought it would be kind of cool to have a regatta that was part of Margaritaville. Thank you Block Island for being the very first one.”
Buffett, performing solo, then launched into renditions of ‘Son of a Sailor’, ‘Margaritaville’ and ‘Five O’Clock Somewhere’ to the delight of the massive crowd jammed into the big top tent.
Several hours earlier, long before Buffett arrived on the island, Kevin McNeil sat on a bench at Payne’s Dock drinking a Mudslide from Mahogany Shoals. The Annapolis skipper was the very picture of exhaustion, relief and satisfaction all rolled into one.
McNeil and his team aboard Seabiscuit had just captured an incredibly competitive class by winning the eighth and final start at Block Island Race Week, presented by Margaritaville. HeadFirst3, a Canadian entry skippered by Peter Toombs, had given Seabiscuit all it could handle in PHRF 2.
Seabiscuit emerged victorious in the week-long battle between very evenly matched Farr 30-footers. McNeil steered the Annapolis entry to four bullets and a couple seconds in seven races for a low score of 19 points – two better than HeadFirst3.
Perpetual Trophy Award Winners
GEM TROPHY - Awarded to the best performance boat with 70% of the crew under 25: Mudratz / Summer School
JOHN ALDEN REED PERPETUAL TROPHY - Awarded to the best performance by a Service Academy Yacht: Navy Offhosre / Ranger
GOVERNORS PERPETUAL TROPHY - Foreign yacht with the Best Performance for the Week: Headfirst (Canada)
THE ABRAMS FAMILY TROPHY - Indivduals who has made a significant contribution to Block Island Race Week - Penny Monte-Santo Langone and Nick Langone
SHELTER ISLAND TEAM TROPHY - Awarded to the highest average score of each team member's percentage placement within its respective class: STC Red: Morning Glory/ Soulmates/ Teamwork
ISLAND SAILING CLUB OF COWES PERPETUAL TROPHY - Awarded to the 1st overall IRC rated boat in the Around the Island Race: Beau Geste / TP52
Around the Island Best Overall Performance: Bird / Gulfstar 50
THE ISBRANDTSEN OVERALL PERPETUAL TROPHY: Awarded in 1975 to the participant with the “Second Best Performance” for the week: Seabiscuit / Farr 30
EVERETT B. MORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY: First awarded in 1967 and rededicated in 1991, it is presented to the Block Island Race Week participant who wins its class and, in the judgment of the race committee and the Commodore, has made the Best Overall Performance: Interlodge/ TP52
A bucket list regatta
By Bill Wagner
Block Island Race Week has long been on the bucket list for Bill Zartler. The Houston, Texas resident registered for the biennial regatta in 2013, but could not get away from work and had to pull out.
This year, Zartler was not going to be denied and cleared the decks in order to compete at Block Island Race Week XXVIII, presented by Margaritaville.
“It’s a week-plus commitment, but I made time to do it,” Zartler said. “If you’re a serious sailor, this is just one of those regattas you have to experience.”
Schedule-wise, including Block Island Race Week in the season schedule worked well because Zartler was bringing the J/105 to the East Coast anyway for the multiple events. Deja Voodoo began by racing the Annapolis stop of the National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) series and later this summer will head to Marblehead, Massachusetts for another NOOD followed by the J/105 North Americans.
Zartler made it clear that Block Island Race Week is the highlight of this season.
“We’ve heard so much about how great this regatta is and I have to say it has lived up to the advanced billing,” Zartler said. “Block Island is kind of the summertime version of what Key West used to be.”
One thing Zartler and team learned quickly is the weather conditions off Block Island are much more unpredictable than Key West.
“We saw all three seasons yesterday,” he joked. “You definitely get a little bit of everything out here on this island.”
Deja Voodoo is one of many first-time entrants at Block Island Race Week 2019, presented by Margaritaville. According to records compiled by host Storm Trysail Club, almost 50 percent of the 122 boats competing here this week are newcomers.
“We’re very pleased about this development. I think it points to a bright future for Block Island Race Week,” regatta chairman Ed Cesare said.
Margaritaville Race Day Photos - Day 5
Block Island Race Week Media Production is brought to you by RisingT Media & Marketing with collaboration with Chris Love Productions.
Credits:
Stephen R Cloutier