Laurie Fullerton - Marblehead Current

17 Aug

Top sailors, tight finishes highlight Ted Hood Regatta

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports, Top Stories

This past weekend marked the ninth annual Storm Trysail Club Ted Hood Regatta with down to the wire racing in both the PHRF, J105 and Finn Classes. The winner of the 21-strong Finn Masters was decided in the last leg of the last race when leader Darrel Peck of Oregon scored a total of 17 points after eight races giving him the overall win. John Dane of Mississippi finished his eight races with 18 points while North Shore sailor Luke Buxton of Hamilton took the…

12 Aug

Ted Hood Regatta returns this weekend

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports

This coming weekend marks the 9th annual Storm Trysail Club Ted Hood Regatta taking place at the Eastern Yacht Club. The Ted Hood Regatta was established in 2017 by the Storm Trysail Club’s Marblehead Station to honor Marblehead's famous sailmaker and 1974 America's Cup winner Ted Hood. The regatta this year will feature both an exciting one design event as the 2026 Finn Masters’ North America Championship will take place starting Friday, Aug. 14 with 21 Finns from around the United States and Canada attending.…

09 Aug

Classic yachts, enduring traditions take center stage in Marblehead

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports, Top Stories

A total of 27 boats took part in the 27th annual Corinthian Classic this past weekend, competing in a pursuit race format across five classes ranging from vintage and classics to spirit of tradition and modern classics. The event featured a winning boat from France — the gaff cutter Viola, owned by Kostia Belkin, in the vintage class — as well as a first-place finish in the modern classic division by Jud and Cindy Smith aboard the Farr 44 Africa B Squad. The Corinthian Classic…

09 Aug

Corinthian Classic continues Sunday with 27 boats

Laurie FullertonSailing, Top Stories

A total of 27 vintage, classic and modern classic boats are taking part in the Corinthian Classic this weekend. Yesterday's Pursuit Race offered some great competition amongst the fleet with both the visiting yachtsmen from France on board Viola sailing very well, finishing second across the line with Jud Smith on board the Farr 44 Africa B Squad finishing first across the line. The corrected time is divided by fleet, so Viola is leading in the vintage classic division and Smith is leading in the…

08 Aug

Corinthian Classic to feature international crew aboard Viola, representing Monaco

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports, Top Stories

The Corinthian Classic, a longtime Marblehead favorite, returns Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, celebrating vintage and classic yachts in Marblehead Harbor. With nearly 30 boats registered, every entry has its own story. This year, however, one international crew from France is expected to be among the highlights. "Every Corinthian Classic is outstanding and unique, for sure. This year will be incredibly special as we have the honor of hosting Viola, a 49-foot gaff cutter designed by the famed William Fife III and built…

26 Jul

Hometown sailors prevail at Marblehead Race Week nail-biter

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports, Top Stories

The final day of competition at Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series at Marblehead Race Week delivered on its reputation for being a highly competitive event where often the winner is not decided until the final day or even the final leg of the last race. Featuring 10 classes,100 boats and over 200 sailors, the 137th Marblehead Race Week lived up to its reputation for down to the wire racing — especially for Rhodes-19 winners Charlie Pendleton and James Raisides of Marblehead on Bad Hombres.…

26 Jun

Marblehead sailors make waves from Bermuda to the IOD Worlds

Laurie FullertonLocal News

This past Friday marked the start of the 125th year of the biennial Newport Bermuda race which features two Marblehead teams now currently offshore and heading for Bermuda, as well as individuals from town serving as navigators, tacticians and crew in this renowned offshore competition. Marblehead resident and rear commodore of the Boston Yacht Club Robert Bova is on board the Beneteau 40.7 PHOENIX. Additionally, Rick Williams from the Boston Yacht Club is on board his J-130 CHARIAD, along with Marblehead resident and past BYC…

14 Jun

PHRF New England Championship returns with a splash

Laurie FullertonSailing, Sports

A revived and rejuvenated PHRF New England Championship featured up to 25 boats on the starting line over two days with the Farr 40 HOOLIGAN owned by Nick Mercier and Pike Severance from Kittery Point Yacht Club taking the overall win of both the pursuit race on Friday and the windward leeward racing on Saturday. In an event that brought teams from Maine, New Hampshire, Boston, Nahant and Beverly, a pesky tidal current and very shifty, light air conditions were frustrating factors for all racers…

11 Jun

Nauticals of Marblehead — a second Life

Laurie FullertonArt, Business, Sailing, Top Stories

Taking a tour of the Marblehead Sign Museum in the basement of Abbot Hall is always a reminder of how many beloved small businesses and artisans have lived and worked among us. When a cherished, long-time small business closes in Marblehead, it always feels like the end of an era. Nauticals of Marblehead was once located above the Muffin Shop on Washington Street and was a successful business that offered tables and other creative objects crafted from the hulls of old wooden boats. One of…

08 Jun

June brings the start of a championship summer of sailing to Marblehead waters

Laurie FullertonSailing, Top Stories

June is proving to be a top tier month in the sport of sailing in Marblehead with a world championship, the return of the PHRF New England Championship, the Thayer Cup and more to fill the sailing calendar, not to mention the ongoing summer Marblehead Racing Association weekend and week day evening races. The PHRF New England’s begins this Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13, and will revive a regatta that was always a town favorite. Hosted by the Boston Yacht Club, the New…