Will spring ever come? Even though the calendar says it is spring, and daylight savings time brings longer days - the weather just is not cooperating. The weather gods are either confused or just teasing us - again. Wonderfully warm weather with gentle breezes had many of us spending days at the boatyard working on our boats and daydreaming of days of racing on Manhasset Bay, or taking a leisurely day sail on Long Island Sound to watch a beautiful sunset over New York City. But the early part of this week, as the cold northern wind brought unusually severe weather to our area, those thoughts seemed premature, and forced our spring fever to be short-lived. As we slosh through the snow and sleet, and bring out the snow shovel for what we hope is the last time, we'll have to trust that the cold weather can't last much longer, and the warm weather that brought out the daffodils is just around the corner.

On a sunny but cold Sunday afternoon, April 6, four teams of frostbiters were out on Manhasset Bay competing in five races. The winds ranged from 12 -19 knots, with higher gusts. The winners for the day: 1. #707, Bob Kirtland/Mark Cornachio, 2. #121, Fee Metropoulos/Amelia Amon, and 3. #538, John Browning/Louise Browning.

Gavin O'Hare, the new US Navy Sailing Dinghy coach brought six of his sailors, including third year Midshipman Doug Morea, from Port Washington, to the US Merchant Marine Academy on March 22-23 to compete in the Owen Trophy Regatta and the Atlantic Coast Mono Championships. The Owen Trophy Regatta was sailed in V-15's (Vanguards) and brand new FJ's (Flying Juniors). A total of ten races were sailed in light to moderate conditions, WMW at 5-8 knots in the morning, with a westerly of 8-12 knots in the afternoon. Courses were modified triangles and trapezoids. Winds on Sunday were similar to Saturday morning, but the weather was about 15 degrees colder. Six more races were sailed on modified trapezoids in each division. USMMA's Peter Must with crews Emily Gardner and Graham Merganthaler were regatta low point 53 pts. winning the division by 27. The results for the Owen Trophy (College, Total Points): 1. USMMA-Kings Point (121), 2. Hobart/Wm Smith (141), 3. Harvard (181), 4. Dartmouth (189), 5. MIT (197), 6. St. Mary's, (199), 7. Georgetown, (205), 8. Navy (206), Yale (269), 10. Brown (302), 11. Boston University (342), 12. Coast Guard (347), 13. Roger Williams (355), 14. Cornell (358), 15. Princeton (427), and 16. U/Penn (497). The two US Navy teams competing for the Owen Trophy were: Doug Mores '04/Lathem Veenstra '06 and Spencer Weber '05/Kendra McClellan '06.

Eighteen races were completed in the Atlantic Coast Mono Championships on Saturday and Sunday. The top two spots were close throughout with Hobart/Wm Smith winning the top spot. The results: 1. Hobart/Wm Smith (77), 2. Kings Point - Team #1 (87), 3. Navy - Team #1 (106) 4. Navy - Team #2 (111), Queen's - Team #1(130), 6. Dartmouth (136), 7. Tufts (139), Queen's - Team #2 (139), 9. Kings Point - Team #3 (146), 10. Kings Point - Team #2 (148), 11. URI (168), 2. Yale (199), 13. Hobart/Wm Smith - Team #2 (203), 14. Boston University (234), 15. Ocean County - Team #1 (244), 16. Roger Williams (246),17. Harvard (256), 18, and Ocean County - Team #2 (326). Representing the US Navy team were Steve Gay (3rd) and Chuck Fulmer (4th). Bobby Storck, from Huntington, represented Hobart/WmSmith - Team #2.

For those readers who enjoy an elegant evening that supports a cause close to all sailor's hearts, SoundWaters may provide just what you are looking for. SoundWaters will hold their eighth annual Tall Ships Ball at the Riverside YC in Riverside, CT on May 3. This black-tie event celebrates and supports SoundWaters neighboring communities and Long Island Sound. Several national politicians from the region will serve as honorary chairs including U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, U.S. Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey and U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays. The evening gala includes cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner and dancing to the music of South Broadway Rhythm. All proceeds from the ball benefit SoundWaters educational programs. Shipboard programs include SoundWaters floating classroom, a weeklong team-building program aboard a schooner, summer camp programs, and a variety of ecology and sunset sails. For more information, call (203) 323-1978 or e-mail connect@soundwaters.org.

While this year's America's Cup is over, Dennis Conner is still out on the racecourse, competing in one-design racing. On the weekend of March 22-23, Conner won his fourth New Zealand Etchells title in the ANZDL National Championships run by Bucklands Beach Yacht Club off Eastern Beach. Conner who is a member of the local Eastern fleet was able to win only one race in the regatta however turned in a string of consistent performances assisted by his crew Brisbane sailmaker Mark Bradford (placed 2nd in 2002 Worlds) and team NZ bowman Joey Allen to finish the clear leader on 19 pts.

Speaking of the America's Cup... one of the most controversial element of the new Cup protocol is the elimination of nationality requirements. The founding document of the regatta, the Deed of Gift, calls for a "friendly competition between nations," and ever since the first Cup challenge, teams were required to be either a resident of the nation they represented or establish residency, which usually meant maintaining an empty apartment in their new "homeland." As with all changes to the Cup, which can tend to be an emotional topic for many, there are pros and cons, vehemently argued. Hamish Ross, the rules advisor for Alinghi, the winner of the America's Cup this year, calls the residency requirement "an absurd waste of money. We believe in freedom of choice," he said. "Others believe in restriction of personal liberties." John Rousmaniere, an America's Cup historian, feels that scrapping the nationality requirement seemed at odds with the idea of making it more popular. "We all know that broad public's interests are driven very largely by patriotism," he said. "It seems to me that you can't have wide public interest if the boat's flag is merely one of convenience." And David K. Elwell, the New York Yacht Club's representative in Auckland, said that while the "event desperately needed to be modernized," he was disappointed with the decision on nationality. Managing change is always difficult, especially when it concerns the revered "auld mug." While most will agree that some change to the Cup may be beneficial, let's hope that billionaires who are new to the sailing scene, and to the America's Cup, don't make "convenience" changes, under the rubric of modernization.