by Dave Branning
The FYBOR annual event is a tongue-in-cheek competitive regatta. Yes, we have a winner and actually score the event but no one cares about the scores. This is the creation from the fertile minds of David Brawner and Nick Mortgu, years ago, to celebrate the year in RC racing and welcome a day with lots of laughs with friends. The trophy is a garage sale aluminum ice bucket with a sharpie attached for “engraving” the winner’s name. If you win two years in a row, your second win gets ditto marks. Yeah, we’re not so formal and reminds us we’re here to enjoy each other. This year we were graced by the FAB FIVE. Mark Reinhart, Danny Thomas, David Ramos, Jamey Betz and Chuck Luscomb, all former or current EC12 National Champions with 10 combined NCR victories to their credit. Imposing group for sure. A David Brawner tradition for this event is the Line of Excellence, a second starting line 4 or so yards below the regular starting line. The Fab Five started the day on that line to the glee of the rest of the fleet, who suggested that decision. Subsequently, if you are in the top five in any race you earned a trip to the L of E for the next race. You can’t keep great sailors down as three of the Fab Five finished one, two, three having spent most of the day starting at a four-yard disadvantage at the bell. Congratulations to David Ramos, Danny Thomas and Mark Reinhart for their top three finishes. Enough about them.
The best part of the day is the lunch break. Our hospitality team of ladies provided crock pots of chili, corn muffins, gift wrapped cookies and Laura Boulay sent husband, Rick. to us with a crock pot of delicious crab dip. Famed Chesapeake Waterman and EC12 builder, Scott Todd, not only raced but cooked a huge pot of steaming crab soup. Glad to have Ken Shaw help us on the committee and our former fleet captain, Ivor Walton, join us for the afternoon. Judy Bonanno, our inspiring Sxxt-Show Supervisor and EC12 Class Photographer (with a badge to prove it), bounced around photographing the day while scoring finishes and cooking.
Judy’s photo link is here:
https://judybonanno.smugmug.com/Sailing/EC-12-regattas/FYBOR-Regattas/FYBOR-XII-2022
Summary of FYBOR XII Annual Regatta
Date: December 4, 2022
Location: Laurel Acres Park, Mt. Laurel, NJ
Host Club: Mid-Atlantic Model YC
Entries: 18
Winds NW 4-10 mph; temps in the low 40s.
Races Completed: 10 two and a half lap windward leeward courses
Scoring: low point with one throw-out.
Race Committee: Starting Line PROs: Skip Hall & Ken Shaw; Finish Line: Rebecca Fleckenstein, Judy Bonanno & Dave Branning; Hospitality Ladies: Judy Bonanno, Rebecca Fleckenstein, Michele Sysyn & Elaine Hepkin. Buoy tender: Domenick Bonanno
| Place | Skipper | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Ramos | 30 |
| 2 | Danny Thomas | 38 |
| 3 | Mark Reinhart | 40 |
| 4 | Scott Graf | 43 |
| 5 | Alex Ramos | 44 |
| 6 | Jamey Betz | 44 |
| 7 | Brian Kerrigan | 49 |
| 8 | Chuck Luscomb | 53 |
| 9 | Domenick Bonanno | 73 |
| 10 | Bob Shluger | 83 |
Other finishers: Martin Besant, Bill Sysyn, Mark Fleckenstein, Fred DeSantis, Rick Boulay, Scott Todd, Ray Szulczewski, Konrad Richter
