BY Paul Luippold
Having been present at the Standish opener every year since 2005, this past weekend ranked as one of the best weather-wise, with clear blue sky and sunny and warm temperatures running into the low 80's.
Most competitors arrived by Friday, with many taking advantage of open practice session in the afternoon. It was a day to dust off the cobwebs from winter and test out new equipment or to just tune up.
In all, it was a perfect weekend to hold the Bob O'Connor Memorial Regatta, in honor of a most beloved racer, designer and builder of the legendary “O'Connor Race Boats.”
Northeast Divisional Championship races were also held for classes with eight or more entries. Three classes had qualifying winners for places in the Finals at the Nationals at Grasslake, Mich., at the end of July. The winners included CSH racer Scott Clark of Stillwater NY, 25SSR racer Bobby Austin of Red Bank, NJ, and CSR Mike Cook of Falmouth, Maine.
This weekend's races weren't without their share of spills. On Saturday, there were at least two racers that went swimming when thrown from their boats-- Paul Luippold in CSR, and Bob Cronin in OSY400. (See video here http://bit.ly/KZN9Ez ). Both drivers were okay.
Sunday morning, during the Drag boat races, Jack Hayes had concluded his run, when his boat went vertical and dumped him out. He suffered a number serious injuries and received medical attention at the Maine Medical Center. After several days Jack was transferred to Hartford Hospital closer to his home. The boat was damaged when it crashed down on its side and then landed upright. (See photos)
In the AXH race, Peter Crowley and Billy Audette both went for a swim. Rough water caused each to be pitched from their boats. Billy suffered some bumps and bruises and made a trip to the hospital. After being checked out, he was released.
Two of the more exciting races held this weekend were the Saturday and Sunday running of the OSY400 races. On each day, there were 10 racers competing. Each race began with a LeMans start. For those unfamiliar with this, a LeMans has all boats lined up at the shoreline with engines off. Each boat has a starting team—two lifters and one starter. The racers are allowed to warm-up their engines prior to the starting sequence. After the green flag drops, it becomes a race for the first turn. With eleven boats in the running, it was truly spectacular racing.
Another highlight of the weekend was the running of the 850Mod Classes, and 125H Pro Class. The speed and engine sounds of these boats were head-turners.