Chester, NS (August 12, 2021) – Colin Mann, skipper with J/92 Poohsticks, raced in the Distance 2 fleet and placed first on Day 1 in the only race and is now in third in cumulative results. But Day 2 at Chester Race Week brought steadier winds through two races. Today the courses were windward leeward, so there was less movement in Mahone Bay.

“We don’t enjoy that as much and don’t do as well with that given the boats we’re racing against,” Mann said of Poohsticks and her crew. “But we slogged it out.”

Mann said this is the 35th race week he’s raced; 26 of those with Poohsticks.

“There are some very, very good sailors in our fleet,” Mann said. “We saw that today. Larry Creaser (Young Blood) is super good sailor. Terry McKenna (DogParty) is a very good sailor. The two of them placed very well today, placing second and first. They were very hard to catch.”

For Day 3, Mann said his crew is ready.

“We’ll have to go a little faster tomorrow,” Mann said. “There are some really good sailors in our class. Any of the boats out there can win on any given day, really.”

David Creighton, commodore of the Chester Race Yacht, which hosts Helly Hansen Chester Race Week, said as Day 2 of racing wrapped up, the event was “better than expected.”

“We were quite nervous about how everything would fall into place,” Creighton said. “But we had two days of excellent weather. Yes, there was fog, but we had decent winds … I think everyone who is here is super keen about being out on the water and everyone understands what the challenges are.”

It’s a wonderful thing when you have those fog patches coming and going and you look out across the day and it’s covered in sails. And then off in the distance, you have HMCS Oriole … it’s just a wonderful setting.”

The forecast for Days 3 and 4 looks much the same as it was on Day 1 and 2. Creighton has a message for racers for the next half of the event.

“Have fun,” Creighton said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Racing for 107 teams competing in 11 divisions is planned for August 11 to 14.