Bay Sailors Win Vintage A-Cup Challenge

As America’s Cup fever builds in San Francisco Bay, 3,000 miles away three classic 12 Meter beauties met last week for the annual 12 Meter Long Island Sound Challenge, hosted by the Housatonic Boat Club.

Ken Pimentel, former Marin County sailor and former owner of Remedy (now renamed Cirque), masterfully drove his Housatonic Boat Club team aboard Weatherly, the 1962 AC winner, in the second race to get the gun and clinch an overall victory. In a well-timed working vacation, my fiancé, Michael Rossi, and I (Lisa Hotchkiss) were thrilled to be able to join Ken for the race. We normally sail out of the East Bay.

This was the second consecutive year HBC brought home the trophy, beating neighboring teams from the Stamford YC aboard American Eagle, and the Milford Yacht Club sailing Intrepid. The race and post-race party raised $1,500 for St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound Foundation, which provides support services for cancer patients.