“Getting the Olin J. Stephens Ocean Racing Trophy from Olin Stephens himself was special,” Peter Rebovich said with deep emotion. “It was the most exciting trophy we’ve ever won, except for the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race presented by Princess Anne.”
Peter Rebovich has been awarded the first Olin J. Stephens Ocean Racing Trophy for the top combined ORR performance in consecutive Newport Bermuda and Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Races. Olin Stephens – at 98 years, 364 days old – presented the first-time trophy in person at the awards ceremony held at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax on Thursday, July 12th.
Princess Anne, England’s Princess Royal, had presented the silver St. David’s Lighthouse to Rebovich at the centennial prizegiving at Government House in Bermuda. The trophy is for 1st place in the Newport Bermuda Race amateur racing division. It is a replica of the Newport Bermuda Race finish line lighthouse. George Coumantaros, one-time lighthouse winner, once called it the “Golden Fleece” of ocean racing. It is one of the most coveted trophies in yacht racing. (photo credit Barry Pickthall)
Rebovich, from Metuchen New Jersey, sailed to 3rd place in the ORR Division of the 2007 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race. He skippered and navigated this race, as he did to Bermuda, along with five of the same crew aboard his vintage Cal 40 Sinn Fein. That performance, combined with his 1st place finish in the ORR fleet of the St. David’s Lighthouse Division of the 2006 Centennial Newport Bermuda Race, earned him the new prize. (photo credit Barry Pickthall)
As Rebovich, in his 70s himself, hobbled up to the dais to accept the prize, Olin Stephens quipped, “It’s good to see an old guy like me still sailing and winning.”
“When my son Pete Jr. told me about the new trophy that was being offered for consecutive top performance in the Newport Bermuda and Halifax races,” Pete Sr, explained, “ I decided that since I had won the Bermuda Race, I ought to go for the new prize. The main reason we entered the Halifax Race was this trophy. This was the first time I’ve done the Halifax race.”
Rebovich said that much of the time he didn’t know how he was doing in the Halifax race because his internet service provider was down and his sat phone service was intermittent. He finally got a position report and found that he was still in the hunt.
“We lost all the wind before Cape Sable,” Rebovich said. “We were drifting backwards and in circles at one point or another. We just kept trying to point to Halifax and keep Sinn Fein moving.”
Commenting on the 2006 Newport Bermuda win that had proved to be a true navigator’s race, Rebovich said, “What really won that race for us was we had six great helmsmen and a well-prepared boat. We followed our plan. We sailed as close to the rhumb line as possible and when it comes to the Gulf Stream you have to sail as fast as you can. However, if you are trying to do this race without good helmsmen you won’t win it.”
Rebovich has also won class honors in his trusty Cal 40 in the two previous Bermuda races. The centennial was his 13th Newport Bermuda Race. He challenged his mates by adding, “Sinn Fein and crew will be back in the Newport Bermuda Race in 2008. We’ll try to make it four class wins in a row. I don’t think any other boat has done that.” (photo credit Guy Gurney)
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