The New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex is the longest running event of its kind in the United States. For this year’s 150th anniversary, 100 boats turned out for the first-ever Around the Island Race, which turned the traditional two-day event into a three-day event over the weekend of 12-13 June 2004.

Only the TP52, Farr 40 and Mumm classes counted scores from Friday’s otherwise-optional Around the Island Race in their series. In addition, the Farr 40s and Mumms sailed races prior to the Around the Island Race.

In Farr 40s, Jim Richardson’s (Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.) Barking Mad posted overall victory after having won four races in his class’s nine-race series. Richardson said; “We didn’t have to race the last race but we did.”

Possibly the most anticipated of contests was that for bragging rights as the high-performance TP52 class’s first-ever East Coast Champion. That honor went to Makoto Uematsue’s, Esmeralda, which topped the five boats making their East Coast debut with five first-place finishes.

Ken Read, who served as Esmeralda’s tactician said; “These boats are so exciting to sail. In fact, it’s better than advertised. We were going so fast compared to the Farr 60s that they looked like they were standing still.”

The Rolex Cup, a newly commissioned engraved Sperrin Crystal bowl, was awarded to the top two-boat team representing any participating yacht club in the Around the Island Race. The race honored those yacht clubs that supported the on-the-water activities of the NYYC before its acquisition of Harbour Court in 1987. The winning team represented Indian HarborYacht Club and was comprised of John Wayt’s Vixen, a Swan 44 which finished sixth in PHRF class and Martin Jacobson’s (Greenwich, Conn.) Crescendo, a Swan 44, which won in IMS Cruiser/Racer Class 4.

For a full list of results log onto www.nyyc.org