The 15th Annual Robie Pierce Regatta ran from May 30 to June 2, 2024 at the American Yacht Club in Rye, NY, co-hosted by the Larchmont Yacht Club. Seventeen boats hit the starting line for the Robie Pierce One-Design Regatta (the Open) and four boats raced in Thursday’s Women’s Invitational.
Seventeen boats hit the starting line for the Robie Pierce Open. © Derek Oscarson
It was skipper Eric Rose (Bennington, VT) along with crew Dalina Delfing (New York, NY) and able-bodied sailor Richard Jaffe (NY, NY) who won the 3-day Open with three bullets in seven races. Dawn Hart (Tampa, FL) sailing with Lin Wei-Lee (Mt. Vernon, NY) as crew and Meg Leary (Rye, NY) as AB won the Robie Pierce Women’s Invitational.
Event co-chair from Larchmont Yacht Club Ed “Buttons” Padin commented, “This was the fifteenth Robie but actually the seventeenth regatta for sailors with disabilities that American Yacht Club and Larchmont Yacht Club have run together. The Robie started as a smaller event, and has become a major annual regatta in the adaptive sailing community and one of the few, if not the only, that blends both physical and neurological disabled sailors with blind sailors. We’ve become a family that keeps growing, and that has enhanced the awareness of disabilities and outreach sensitivities of both clubs.”
If you’re interested in volunteering at an event that will inspire you, check out The Robie. © Derek Oscarson
“This is a really special day for me,” winner Eric Rose said. “When I sailed last year, I immediately knew I would come back because the two clubs do such a great job. To win first place in my second year here is pretty exciting. I don’t win too many regattas, but I enter a lot of them! This whole event is run so smoothly — American and Larchmont are both magnificent places to sail and it’s just an honor for us to come here and race.”
Competitor Jim Hahn (Norwalk, CT), who came in fourth in the Open Regatta, also shared, “The competition was super fun as always, and it’s good to be back to see old friends and meet new ones. I’ll be back next year!”
Principal Race Officer Rich Hulit said, “It’s really a privilege to be part of this regatta and watch all these sailors come out. Their commitment and dedication is inspiring. They’re strapped into the boats, many of them can’t move around or even see, and they’re out there sailing.”
The Robie is a family that keeps growing. © Derek Oscarson
The Robie would not be possible for a single year let alone 15 years without the contributions of our sponsors: Subaru, The NY Architect’s Regatta, Montefiore Einstein Medical Center, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, Bart Adaptive Sports Center, Carlsberg, Risk Strategies/Gowrie Group, Thomas Bates Belts, and the Sailing Foundation of New York. Next year’s Robie will be hosted at Larchmont Yacht Club May 29 – June 1. You can learn more at robiepierceonedesignregatta.com. ■
