34th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta eventually provides perfect weather in Marion MA on August 4-6, 2006

Ron Noonan in Wildflower sails to a win in the PHRF cruising division.

The 34th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta, hosted alternatively by Beverly Yacht Club and New Bedford Yacht Club with the assistance of other clubs and 270 or so volunteers, is one of the premiere yacht racing events in the Northeast. The great sailing in an event of the stature of the Buzzards Bay Regatta cut across age lines this year as 420 boats representing 17 classes and about 1200 sailors took part. After a fluky start to the series on August 4, the famed Buzzards Bay duster never showed but winds filled in nicely for the remainder of the regatta, providing sailors with a treat in the midsummer heat.

In the PHRF Division numbering, veteran sailors Bill Dingwell (age 76) in Zoomer gave Ron Noonan (age 74) a run for his money as usual in the cruising division, but Noonan took the honors in his Sabre 402 Wildflower with five points to Dingwell's six. Noonan is former CEO of Lexicon Inc, who has placed first in the Marion to Bermuda Race twice.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 17-year old Taylor Canfield with crew Natahn Rosenberg, both from the US Virgin Islands, took the 120-boat 420 fleet with an amazing 15 point winning margin.

In the J-109 Division, Marion local Wiley Wakeman skippered Raptor through five bullets to a four point win over another local boat. Two other boats - Mike Sudofsky's Giz in the J-24 class and Rich Thomas' Settler in the PHRF-B Class - placed first in every race in the regatta.

Meanwhile, John Burnham editor of Cruising World and a Newport local with his wife Rachel as crew, sailed Grace to a win in the 19 boat Shields class. These sleek 30-foot racing machines are not easy to maneuver in proximity to one another, which provided some exciting racing for this fleet the week before the Shields Nationals, also held off Sippican Harbor.

For all ther results, go to the BBR website.

Read the complimentary and amuzing report in Scuttlebutt.