For about a week, a tropical disturbance called Hermine worked its way toward the northeastern USA shoreline over Labor Day weekend. The New England forecasts ranged from a hurricane to nothing other than a mild tropical disturbance blowing 15-30 kts. Sunday morning ended up with NE winds of 15-25 kts and mostly sunny skies. The fleet of 65 entrants congregated in front of Conanicut YC in Jamestown, RI looking forward to a counter-clockwise race around Narragansett Bay. The start was off the CYC starting line, just south of the Newport Bridge. The first mark to windward was a starboard-tack favored beat of 5.1nm. Then, the fleet turned left at Can #3 going to Can #5 at the northern tip of Conanicut Island (about 1.8nm), then a fast 9.5nm planing reach from Can #5 to Beavertail Bell off the southern tip of the island, then a 4.0nm beat against a ripping 1.5-2.0 kts current, clawing around the Dumplings Bell for a last left turn to the finish, a fetch on starboard of 1.25nm. Mike Hill’s J/24 Obstreperous from Ida Lewis YC won PHRF E Division with Matt Coughlin’s J/24 Risky Business in second and Marc Holdwaway’s J/24 Mutinous Dogs in fourth. For more Conanicut YC Round Island Race sailing information, visit http://www.conanicutyachtclub.org/.