Mudheads performed well last weekend at the 2010 Sailing World Marblehead NOOD. Local Mudhead boat 3 Grins won the extremely competitive 19 boat Viper 640 class with crew of Moise Solomon and Sarah Enright (Dave Nickerson’s sister) on all three days, Chris Field (on Friday), Dave Nickerson (on Saturday), and Lee Chrisman (on Sunday). The first place finish improved on Dave’s and Moise’s 2009 third place finish.
The Viper640 is a growing national class with large participation at many popular events and a sizable Western Long Island Sound fleet. Locally, 3 Vipers are currently sailing Mudhead Wednesday nights: Dave’s and Moise’s 3 Grins, Andy Stoddard’s and Mat Jadamec’s Smiling Bob, and Art Shaw’s RedLine.
The 3rd Annual Mudhead Benefit Cup for Hospice SECT lived up to its fast growing Mega Party reputation last Saturday. 57 racing boats, over 550 partiers and an estimated $45,000 raised highlighted a day of racing and a night of dancing. The racing on Fishers Island Sound drew boats from 21 to 42 feet, in 10 classes and included three racing circles under sunny skies and southwesterly breezes.
Under the Sperry Tent at Mystic Shipyard, the Rock n’ Soul Revue filled the night with great tunes, 20 Mystic area restaurants and 25 gallons of rum combined to fill the bellies of sailors and non sailors alike. 30 skippers went home with racing trophies, a dozen more with raffle prizes and Crystal Slipper’s Mike Cavanaugh stole a 60 foot slip at Seaport Marine in the live auction.
The event was a memorable one and Hospice SECT was the big winner. The shiny Mudhead Benefit Cup made it’s first appearance, and while the title of Top Fundraiser has been the exclusive success of Team Patriot for two years, for 2010 a new name will join them. The Bergendahl family is this year’s top fundraisers. Money is still being collected, matching funds are coming from local corporations and anyone can still donate on line at firstgiving.com. Pick a boat and give!
Groton - Spencer Jennings Leech Jr., 72, died on July 3, 2010, at his home in Groton.
Born April 5, 1938, in Greenwich, Conn., Spencer attended Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., and graduated from The Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. An avid sailor, he was a member of the Cruising Club of America, Ram Island Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club and the Mystic River Mudheads. Spencer's love of both cruising and racing took him all over the world.
He is survived by his loving wife, Lynn (Howe) Leech, one sister, Barbara Jacquette of Sheffield, Mass.; two brothers, Stephen Leech of Orient, N.C. and David Leech of Seward, Alaska; one son, Spencer Leech, III, of Annapolis; daughter, Elizabeth Leech of Seward, and daughter, Susanne Leech Drake and her husband, Jed Drake, of Simsbury, Conn.; two stepdaughters and their husbands, Kate Longbotham Fox and Matthew Fox of Beverly, Mass. and Carolyn Longbotham Russell and Christopher Russell of Greenwich, Conn.; and five grandchildren, Nichole Drake, George and Nicholas Fox, and Parker and Lane Russell, whom he adored.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 19, at the Noank Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in the name of Spencer J. Leech, Jr. to the Schooner BRILLIANT at Mystic Seaport or the COPD Foundation.
Last Updated on Saturday, 10 July 2010 09:59
Mudheads Race to Bermuda
Friday, 18 June 2010 13:22
Today is the start of the 2010 Newport-Bermuda Race and several Mudheads are among the racers. The J/44 "Sirena Bella" (in Class SDL_5) includes crew usually found racing Wednesday nites on "Looney Tunes". Mike Hennessy's "Dragon" (Class DH_15) will also be ripping up the gulf stream in doublehanded class. No doubt there are other Mudheads lurking in other crews - let us know which boats please - but you can watch all the action online by clicking here. Just click on the Boat Mapper and select a Class. Another good resource is this SA thread, especially those posts from "Railmeat".
SAIL FAST MUDHEADS!!!
Last Updated on Friday, 18 June 2010 13:44
Local Sailors to Compete in Hospice Regattas National Championship in Rochester, NY
Friday, 21 May 2010 13:15
Southeastern Connecticut sailors, Scott Baker, Kevin Gilman, Frank Murphy and Carl Fast have been invited to lead a team of Mudhead sailors in the Hospice Regattas National Championship, which will be held June 3-6, 2010 in the waters of Lake Ontario, hosted by Rochester Yacht Club (RYC). Click here for the full press release
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 June 2010 11:47
WNRS Letter to the skippers
Sunday, 18 April 2010 20:43
April 18, 2010 Mudhead Racers,
Please note the date, fellow racers. This is the real letter, sent to the real Mudhead skippers from the real RC Chairman and all that follows is truthful to the best of my knowledge! And if you are not sure what I’m talking about, well, you missed a good April Fools Day. Now, let’s get right to work. If you plan to race this year on Wednesday nights, send me an email ASAP with your boat name, type and PHRF rating so we can begin immediately sorting out the classes for this season.. You will still have to send in your official paperwork before the May 18th deadline.
The truth be known, everyone wants more racing and we hope mother nature cooperates this season because we plan to be there for 16 straight weeks from May 19th to September 1st. We plan to race all 16 Wednesdays, with 8 races for the Spring Series and 8 races for the Summer Series. There are no make-ups planned. If we sail less than 6 for each series, there are no discards. If we sail 7 or less, we will count 5. If we sail 8, we will count 6 for each series. Overall, we will count 10 if we sail 15 or less. We will count 12 if we race all 16.
Groton - Spencer Jennings Leech Jr., 72, died on July 3, 2010, at his home in Groton.
