Will Passano campaigned a J/37 named Carina for nearly a decade and enjoyed considerable success. However, the Gibson Island resident realized he and the crew had “outgrown” the 37-footer and decided to find a bigger, faster sailboat and purchased a Sydney 47 sight unseen from an Australian owner.
The Sydney 47, which he renamed Polaris, proved a real rocket ship in giving the Cruising Club of America member his first victory in the iconic Newport-to-Bermuda Race.
Polaris placed first in Class 7 of the St. David’s Lighthouse Division with a corrected time of 2 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes and 30 seconds. That was a half hour better than runner-up Cougar, a J/160 owned by Leonard Sitar.
Cougar captured line honors for Class 7 by 39 minutes over Polaris, but was overtaken when handicaps were calculated. It marked the first victory for Passano in five attempts as a skipper in the Newport-to-Bermuda. In 2016, he placed second in Class 5 aboard Carina.
“It was a real pleasant experience to finally win the class in this race,” said Passano, who has also skippered a Rhodes 41 named Pegasus in Newport-Bermuda. “We really pushed the boat the whole way — sailed it more like a dinghy from start to finish.”
Passano has personally completed the 636-nautical mile race 11 times now and had several sailors aboard just as experienced. Polaris ranked sixth in the entire fleet of 99 boats in terms of total number of Newport-Bermuda races done by the crew.
Peter Dudley and Murray Leigh served as watch captains, while Patrick Laroche was the navigator. Rob Pennington, a longtime sailmaker, was the lead headsail trimmer. Rounding out the 12-person crew were Wick Dudley, Elizabeth Dudley, Kevin Groner, Seth Minninger, Ginny Minninger, Ted Steeble and Matt Graham.
“I feel blessed that we have such a talented and committed crew,” Passano said. “We have very good chemistry among the crew and everyone performs their job at a high level.”
Passano praised LaRoche for finding favorable current in the Gulf Stream that propelled Polaris and credited Pennington with constantly adjusting sail trim to maximize boat speed. The Sydney 47 showed its form while traversing the Gulf Stream in southwest winds of 15 knots.
“Patrick gave us a great entry point into the Gulf Stream and we picked up a 3 ½-knot kick. We were doing 13 ½ knots of boat speed for 10 hours,” Passano said. “Rob made sure we were constantly looking for that extra half a knot by pushing the sails beyond their comfort zone.”
Passano, a Severn School graduate, has been pleased with the offshore performance of Polaris since acquiring the Sydney 47.
“It’s an open platform with a big open cockpit and I really like the layout,” he said. “It’s really fun and easy to sail.”
Warriors on the water
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating recently hosted its semi-annual Recovering Warriors Sailing Regatta consisting of four races at the mouth of the Severn River.
CRAB volunteer Joel McCord started the festivities with a beautiful playing of taps on his trumpet, then 18 recovering warriors and family members boarded the organization’s fleet of Beneteau First 22A sloops and set sail.
Winds were 15 knots from the north with choppy waves on the course with the returning participants showcasing their skills, while giving first-time warriors a taste of competitive sailing.
Skipper Tim McGee and his team of former Naval Academy intercollegiate dinghy All-Americans captured first place. Paul Van Cleve crewed for his lifelong friend as McGee steered Lindy to victory in all four races.
Runner-up was skipper Jay Streit along with his wife Dee Perry and CRAB volunteer Michael Manuzak. They placed second in the final three races aboard Club Mac to beat the third place boat by one point.
Skipper Trey Warman along with crew Keith Johnson, Trisha Johnson and Jenn Shea came across the line last in every race. However, hey were presented with the “Spirit Award Medal” and many wonderful memories from their first sailing experience.
The Recovering Warrior Regatta series at CRAB is not just about racing. It is a powerful testament to the strength of the military community and the resilience of the participants.
A post-regatta lunch and awards ceremony at the Adaptive Boating Center overlooking Back Creek was a heartwarming display of the support and camaraderie that defines our community.
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating extends a heartfelt thanks to Move United Sport for its generous sponsorship of the regatta as well as the staff and volunteers who made the event a memorable experience for the recovering warriors.
EYC Foundation
The Eastport Yacht Club Foundation has announced its 2024 Marine & Maritime Scholarship recipients. This year’s scholarship winners feature five new candidates and eight existing students that earned the privilege of continuing in the program.
As part of it’s mission, the EYC Foundation seeks to support exceptional students that have a passion for the maritime world, a love of life on the water, a respect for the marine environment and a dream of a lifetime career in the industry.
“It feels great to be aiding the workforce development challenge seen across the marine and maritime industries while helping to make dreams come true,” said Mike Morris, chair of the Marine & Maritime Scholarship committee.
The program has grown considerably since its 2015 inception with EYC increasing the number of recipients as well as how much money they receive. This year, the foundation will grant over $40,000 in scholarships, almost double the amount given in 2023.
This year’s new scholarship recipients are Charles Ernst of Arnold, Alexander Faranetta of St. Michael’s, Emma Guy of Churchton, James Ronayne of Annapolis and Wyatt Zlupko of Edgewater.
Ernst, a Broadneck graduate, will attend State University of New York Maritime College and plans to major in marine transportation and pursue a seagoing career. He’ll be part of the school’s regimental program leading to a Coast Guard-issued deck officer’s license for unlimited tonnage. His entrepreneurial and mechanical prowess led him to build a small business buying, refurbishing and re-selling outboard motors.
Faranetta will attend Maine Maritime Academy and will major in marine biology while working to get certified in small vessel operations. The Wye River Upper School graduate has volunteered at a local wildlife refuge and since sixth grade has aimed to become a marine scientist.
Guy will attend the University of Tampa and plans to major in environmental studies. Inspired by her time growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, her goal after graduating will be protecting green and blue spaces. The Southern High grad enjoyed volunteering with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, assisting with vegetation and water bird nesting surveys.
Ronayne will attend Cornell University with his studies focused on environment issues, sustainability and marine biology. He has worked with Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Chesapeake Conservation Association. While at Annapolis High, he was a member of the water polo, sailing and swimming teams.
Zlupko will attend Maine Maritime Academy and major in marine engineering operations, while minoring in transportation, qualifying him to acquire a captain’s license. As a student at South River, he completed the Marine Service Technician Program at Center of Applied Technology-South. Additionally, he’s earning his American Boat & Yacht Council certification.
Returning scholarship recipients are William Arnone (Maine Maritime Academy); Dylan Bender (California State University Maritime Academy); Caleb Brockett (Webb Institute of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering); Luke Carter (The Landing School); Nathaniel Gifford (Massachusetts Maritime Academy); Zachary Hardy (Maine Maritime Academy); Julia Kruesi (University of Delaware) and Teleri Wilt (Massachusetts Maritime Academy).
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