by Eric Northup
Special to Outdoor Enthusiast Lifestyle Magazine
The wind was … iffy on Rhode Island Sound, which put incredible demands on the seamanship of crew members responsible for making maximum speed.
I should know. On Thursday, May 17, I was part of the crew of the Scallywag, a 72-foot long, Class 65 sailboat competing in the Volvo Ocean Race Pro-Am off the coast of the aptly named City by the Sea – Newport, to its residents.
Each boat carried a crew of 14, a bold bunch of seasoned sailors and devoted amateurs for whom the day’s challenges were irresistible.
I was on board representing The Preserve. With me in the amateur ranks were sailors from Gurney’s Hotel, the U.S. Sailing Association and SCI of Newport. And against all odds – except the ones we gave to ourselves – the crew of the Scallywag (an appropriately named vessel for our gang) finished a strong second behind the seasoned Team Brunel.
Things happen fast in a race like this one, and it’s difficult to think of any one incident as being more special than the rest. But I won’t forget making the turn at the marker, taking to the inside to cut off the Eleventh Hour and cementing our position.
Once in a lifetime? Probably. But I hope not.
