Bob Hughes and Wally Tusha’s Heartbreaker Take the Verve Cup and 2001 Season Championship.

Bob Hughes and Wally Tusha have finished stage one of their 2001 goals. Team Heartbreaker was pushed by large shifts little wind and big breeze to win the 2001 Verve Cup. Whit it they took the 2001 Great Lakes Season Championship.

The 2001 Verve Cup was held over 3 days. Only 5 races were sailed out of the possible 7. One race was thrown out due to a mix up with the offset mark not being set.

Race #1 6-10TWS

Heartbreaker was forced over the line early, and had to return. Phil Dowd’s Inferno and Richard Grunsten’s Voodoo led at the top mark. Heartbreaker went right up the beat and found themselves right back in the race. A quick jibe ½ way down and a left shift put them in front of Inferno and Voodoo. She maintained her lead to the finish.

Race #2 6-13TWS

Steve Mash’s Hot Lips led off the line The fleet stayed pretty tight until the third leg when the wind died. As the boats and crews looked for breeze the fleet spread out to different sides. The wind filled from the right and that pushed Phil Dowd’s Inferno into the lead going into the last down wind leg. She was followed by Warren Levins Program and Richard Grunstens Voodoo. Program had a better rounding and was able to sail over Inferno. Voodoo and Program went out into the lake searching for the new wind. With Inferno just inside, the run became a beat. Inferno found the breeze first and was able to cross Program by three lengths. With Voodoo behind Program and Inferno stayed close but with Voodoo still near by neither wanted to engage. Inferno won the race with Program and Voodoo right behind.

Race #3 10-14TWS

Hot Lips won the start and never looked back. This was probably the least shifty race of the series. At the first crossing she was 5 lengths ahead. This left the battle for Heartbreaker and Voodoo, Flash Gordon and Iskra. These boats stayed close while Hot Lips continued to extend her lead. On a one mile beat and a .85 mile run there are not a lot of passing lanes, and the finish the order stayed the same.

Race #4 3-12TWS

Warrren Levins Program started a little late and had a plan to go right. She was first to get the new breeze and was able to sail over Voodoo 1/2way up the first leg. As they neared the weather mark the breeze lightened, and went a little back to the left had program a little short on the layline. As the pack neared the first top Mark the Port Tacked Tripp ILC-47 Success had just stopped and was a road block for the fleet As the lead 40 struggled to make it around the mark, Borys Jarymowycz’s Iskra and Butch Tompkins Bandit rounded side by side. As the Stb tackers were stopped by the Tripp boat, Phil Dowds Inferno was able to slip in from the left to round third followed by Steve Mash’s Hot Lips. The second leg turned into a port jibe fetch.

Heartbreaker was second to last going into the third leg. With a new weather mark set, Heartbreaker had no choice but to take a flyer, Heartbreaker stayed well left on the next beat. The breeze almost completely shut down. Iskra had played it perfectly and extended her lead. Heartbreaker was able to find the new wind second and moved into 4^th place.

The 4^th race and the day went to Iskra as the 5^th race was thrown out.

Race #6 17-25TWS

The fleet was met on the last day with big breeze and waves. A Mumm-30 was dismasted before the start. The fleet got off clean most carrying HV Jibs and a few in #4’s. Warren Levins Program started on port near the boat, and had Richard Grunsten’s Voodoo tack to leaward. Shortly after the start the wind dropped, and the wind took a quick 50 degree shift to the left putting Program and Voodoo closest to the new wind. Approaching the first mark, Program was had a 4 boat length lead on Voodoo. With the wind now up at 20TWS, a jibe was needed, however the J-145 Main Street wiped out during the manouver forcing Program away from the mark. This enabled Voodoo to jibe inside and take a 4 boat length lead. Program was quick to set up a barber haul for the jib, and quickly re-passed Voodoo. With a heavy Jib reach to the bottom mark, Program had regained her 4 boat length lead on Voodoo. With a new weather mark set the breeze built to 22TWS and the waves were getting bigger. Program covered Voodoo tack for tack, and maintained her lead at the top mark. Voodoo rounded and was able to push inside with spinnakers set. Now the key was when to jibe. As Program started her jibe Voodoo followed suite with Voodoo having a slightly better jibe. As the boats converged on the finish line at over 14Kts, both were side by side with Voodoo catching the last wave to finish 2 seconds in front of Program to take the last race. They were followed by Hot Lips, Heartbreaker and Iskra.

Heartbreakers 4^th was enough to give her the regatta and Season Championship.