The EC12 Freeze Your Butt Off Regatta (FYBOR XII)
By Dave Branning, AMYA Region 2 Director
The FYBOR XII Fleet
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 good friends. The trophy is a garage sale
aluminum ice bucket with a sharpie attached for “engraving” the winner’s
name. If you win two 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 raced but cooked a huge pot of steaming crab soup. Glad to
have Ken Shaw help us on the committed 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.
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
RESULTS
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
