Locals Show Townie Class at Race Week

Local sailors showed grit and perseverance at this weekend's 121st annual Marblehead Race Week, patiently waiting out adverse conditions for several hours on the first two days of competition.

And when the winds fail, a little luck will do.

After trailing through the first two days of competition, and in last place in the final race, the Salem crew of Mark and Peter Maitland came back on a favorable wind to take the race and the Town Class Championship in their boat, Jean. 

It resulted in a bittersweet weekend for Dave and Tracy Anderson, who led the Town Class at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD regatta through the first two days, only to fall into third place overall in the competition on Sunday.

Anderson and his wife, Tracy, racing in their sixth Marblehead Race Week regatta in their boat Wabi Sabi, fell back through circumstances beyond their control.

The shifting winds died out, leaving the Town Class boats struggling on the far end of the course beyond Marblehead Rock, when another class of boats, the larger and faster Rhodes 19 Class, bore down and swallowed up their wind with their spinnaker sails.

"When the winds came back, it favored one group over another," Dave Anderson said. "It was one of those races where, despite how well you're racing your boat, circumstances are beyond your control."

Anderson said the finish was disappointing, but the more experienced team won. 

"They did an outstanding job," Anderson said. "We were all very happy they were able to do what they did."

Small boat, sweet ride

The Town Class is a challenging boat, but experience counts at least as much as physical fitness, Anderson said.

Most of the members of the Marblehead Town Class Association  have been sailing the small craft for decades, and knowledge of the local waters gives an advantage to the more experienced sailors.

The Andersons are the youngest members of the association at 45, and the least experienced with the Town Class.

"People who are in their 80s are outperforming people in their 60s and in their 40s," he said.

Arthur "Tip" O'Neill, the association's president, had the wisdom during the third race to preserve his energy. 

While the other boats tacked about for several hours waiting for the start, O'Neill tied his boat, Frolic, to a lobster pot and took a rest.

"He just sat back and watched us nuts sail back and forth," Anderson said.

Anderson began sailing the "Townie" only six years ago, when he moved permanently to Marblehead. The Rhode Island native and his California-born wife both grew up sailing.

As a recent transplant to town, and a full-time pilot for American Eagle airlines, Anderson said sailing with the Marblehead Town Class Association gives him a feeling of belonging.

"It's a great group and we feel fortunate to be a part of it," he said. "You really feel like part of a community when you're one of several hundred boats sailing out of the harbor."

For a full list of entrants and results of the 2010 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD regatta, visit the Sailing World website.