Sonar Cup Regatta continues NUWC Division Newport’s sailing tradition

Photo By David Stoehr | The No. 16 boat crewed by Steve Bordonaro and Sarah Heard, took an early lead in the race, but ended in second.  

NEWPORT, RI, UNITED STATES

11.15.2018

Story by Public Affairs Office 

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport

NEWPORT, R.I. — Five teams participated in Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s 23rd running of the Sonar Cup Regatta held on Friday, Oct. 29, on Narragansett Bay. The race featured boats with crews from the Sensors and Sonar Systems, Undersea Warfare Electro-Magnetic Systems, and Undersea Warfare Weapons Vehicles and Defensive Systems Departments.

The regatta, which is open to employees and their family members, uses the Naval Education and Training Center’s Rhodes 19 sailboats, and the winning team gets possession of “The Cup” trophy until the next regatta.

With a dying northwest wind, the start of this year’s race was delayed more than two hours because of a lack of any sustained wind. A very light and shifty wind filled in around 3 p.m. from the southeast that was just enough to start the race.

A course was quickly determined that entailed a downwind start with a windward finish starting at the No. 12 buoy, rounding the No. 11 buoy to starboard with the finish back at No. 12 buoy. This was the shortest race in recent Sonar Cup history as the winds were only around 3 knots, and there was considerable concern that racers would not finish before time ran out.

Fighting an ebbing current, the No. 16 boat crewed by Steve Bordonaro and Sarah Heard took an early lead with the No. 7 boat crewed by Jesse Daily and Blaine Harker hot on their heels. The No. 14 boat crewed by Bill Viloudaki, Seth Moyer and Brenda Moyer had an early foul with the Bordonaro/Heard boat that took the crew to the right side of the first leg (downwind) and required a 360-degree turn at the leeward mark.

The No. 15 boat crewed by Tom O'Connell and Chris Shaw was early to the starting line, and it required the crew to “dip the fleet,” or cross behind the fleet, and start at the southern “pin end” of the line. The No. 18 boat crewed by Mark Reinhart and Bill Sanchez was late to the start, hampered by the strong current at the starting line.

With the Bordonaro/Heard boat out in front and a dead downwind line to the first mark, the O'Connell/Shaw crew was able to "heat up" their heading and increase their boat speed by keeping their headsail full with the wind more on their stern quarter than directly astern.

Using two quick jibs prior to the mark, the O'Connell/Shaw boat pulled ahead and lost the overlap with the Bordonaro/Heard boat just three or four boat lengths before rounding the mark in the lead. The Daily/Harker boat rounded the mark in third place with Viloudaki/Moyer/Moyer in fourth and the Reinhart/Sanchez boat still struggling with the light air and strong current rounding in fifth.

The windward leg to the finish had multiple tacks with close crossings but no one traded positions. The final outcome of the race was:

O'Connell/Shaw – No. 15 boat
Bordonaro/Heard – No. 16 boat
Harker/Daily – No. 7 boat
Viloudaki/Moyer/Moyer - No. 14 boat
Reinhart/Sanchez – No. 18 boat
Sonar Cup honors were rendered to all participants in front of the Naval War College.

The inaugural Sonar Cup Regatta was held in 1993, with the competition formed by sailing enthusiasts from the Torpedo Systems Department.

NUWC Division Newport, part of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), is one of two divisions of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. NUWC Division Newport’s mission is to provide research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures. NUWC’s other division is located in Keyport, Washington.

• Date Taken: 11.15.2018
• Date Posted: 11.15.2018 12:17
• Story ID: 300102
• Location: NEWPORT, RI, US