Navy Offshore Sailing Takes Two Titles Last Weekend

Mids claim the Hospice Cup.

	Navy won the Hospice Cup this past weekend.

Sept. 12, 2006

A team consisting of VOST JV skippers Tim Keiley, Tom Oberdorff, Kellen Browne and Josh McMinn with past VOST Team Captain Greg Storer won the Intercollegiate Trophy in the 9/11 commemorative Spirit Rider Regatta held in New York this past weekend. This regatta, sponsored by Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, honors the memory of FDNY Firefighter Patrick J. O'Keefe, died on duty during the terrorist attacks on September 11 2001.

Lack of wind and strong ebb currents were the conspicuous challenges to the 45-boat, four-division Blue Fleet racing in this past weekend's Hospice Cup. Despite the "non-Navy 44" wind conditions, Tim Burchett and his crew aboard NA10 Lively posted the best result (sixth-of-12 in handicap class PHRF A2) for the Varsity Offshore Sailing Team for the second weekend in a row. Most significant to Burchett's success was his superior evaluation of the current at the start of the race where many boats were either over early or late for the start.

The Hospice Cup awarded Burchett and his crew the Ralph A Beeton Memorial trophy for the best performing Naval Academy boat. Mr. Beeton is a former Chairman and CEO of First Virginia Bank.

VOST boats following Burchett's time of 03:04.6 behind the leader were Joe Campbell aboard NA11 Swift at eighth in class 00:09:57.6 behind the leader, Evan Scott aboard NA9 Flirt at 10th in class 00:12:55.6 and James Lawsing at 11th in class 00:13:28.6 behind the leader.

In the hotly-contested J105 one-design Class, Midn 1/c Cullen Shaughnessy finished 10th followed by Ryan Field aboard Dreadnought.

The upcoming weekend, Evan Scott and his crew from Flirt will compete in the all-service academy Shields Trophy held at Navy with fleet racing in Navy 44's where Army will also compete for the first time in 20 years. Also this upcoming weekend, the rest of the VOST fleet will be competing in the annual Naval Academy Sailing Squadron (NASS) distance Race to Oxford, Md., on Saturday, and the Hammond Memorial race on Sunday.

# GO NAVY #